Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Emilia opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the dragon carriage anymore.

She didn’t know where she was, exactly. She was — indoors? There were walls encircling her, and a roof over her head — and rows and rows of cushioned seats, curving in a crescent shape around what looked like…a giant, black, flat oblong shape. She stared at it in confusion before snapping out of it enough to continue being confused about everything else.

Where had she—? Right, she had been in the dragon carriage, on the way to Priestella. She had been in that carriage with Subaru and Beatrice, Subaru having been banned from the driver’s seat after he almost launched them all off a cliff. Otto had been leading Patrasche in his stead, and Garfiel had been running alongside them as a guard. Then she had — all she had done was blink, she was pretty sure, so —

“Emilia!”

Emilia turned around to see Otto rushing towards her, skipping slightly down the incline before stumbling to a stop. “Whe— Where are we?” he spluttered. “Weren’t we just—”

“The dragon carriage, right!” Emilia turned to see Garfiel bounding towards them, only managing to skid to a stop at the last second. “I swear, my amazing self just blinked, and—”

“Where’s Betty’s contractor, I suppose?!” Beatrice’s voice cried. Emilia turned to see her frantically searching around the aisles. “Subaru? Subaru?!”

“Beatrice, we’re over here!” Emilia called out. Beatrice spun around. “Subaru— I think Subaru’s still in the dragon carriage.” If he wasn’t here, then he had to be there, right? She hoped he was there. As much as she would have found his presence comforting, Emilia didn’t want him trapped in here with them if it was an option. “Do you know where we are?”

“Not a clue, in fact! And I don’t like— Where is Subaru? I want to get back to Subaru right now, in fact!”

“Emilia-sama?”

Emilia stopped. What— but that couldn’t be! She had been miles away, how could they suddenly be in the same—

“Ram?” It was Otto who turned around first, eyes wide. “Aren’t you supposed to be back at the manor?” he said.

“Aren’t you lot supposed to be several miles away from me by now?” she retorted, hands on hips. “I don’t see how this is anywhere near Priestella.”

”Indeed,” Frederica said, looking much more outwardly worried than her coworker. Her arms were folded across her chest. “Lady Emilia, do you know…?”

Emilia reluctantly shook her head. “No,” she admitted. “I’m afraid I really don’t.”

“Well this is certainly exciiting…”

Otto scowled. “Oh, not YOU.”

“What a cruel way to speak to the sponsor of your Caamp,” Roswaal said in his sing-song voice. He didn’t look particularly concerned by their predicament. Emilia wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. “This is quite the demonstration of yin magic, to transport all of us here at ooonce…”

“Have you seen this before, then, Roswaal-sama?”

“W-Wilhelm-san?” Emilia exclaimed, turning on her heel. Was it not even restricted to — what was going on here?

“Emilia-sama.” Sure enough, that was the Sword Demon himself stalking towards them, wariness emanating from every inch of his form. He had stopped shortly to bow to her as he approached, tense as a tripwire, before turning his attention back to the Margrave and clearing the rest of the distance. “Have you seen this before, then?” he asked. He looked much calmer than Emilia felt.

“Not exaaactly…” Roswaal denied, eyes glinting. “But I assume it’s not all that different than Betty’s old library, iiiiis it?”

Beatrice wasn’t paying attention enough to confirm or deny this, still searching frantically for her dear contractor. Just in case he wasn’t back in the carriage like Emilia had assumed. Like she hoped.

“Cruschie!”

That exclamation, full of elation and deep-seated relief, drew everyone’s attention to a scene nearby, where none other than Ferris had joyfully leapt to embrace his Lady tight. “Nyer here!” he cried. “Nyer here, I thought I was all alone!”

“F-Ferris?” Crusch stammered, both surprised and a little scared at the sheer intensity of emotion with which she was faced. She shook her head. “Ferris, it’s alright, it’s alright. We’ll figure out a way out of here—”

“Crusch, you’re here too?” Emilia called. Crusch looked up, relief dawning across her face as she saw the group scrambling down to greet her, Wilhelm at the front. “Where are we?” she asked. “Do you know what this place is? Why are we here all of a sudden?”

“I don’t— I was hoping you would be able to tell ME that, actually…”

“Big Sis!”

“Emilia-sama!”

“Felt? Reinhard?!” Them too?! What on Earth could be going on?

Wilhelm shifted awkwardly at the sight of his estranged grandson, backing away as he approached, movements jerky and static. Reinhard looked slightly hurt, but unsurprised. “You got sent here, too?” Felt asked. “What’s going on? Where are we?”

“Trying to figure that out ourselves,” Crusch sighed.

“Felt!” Emilia turned to see a boy she had never met before in her life, watching as a look of relief dawned across his face. This — “guest list,” she supposed, as Subaru would put it — was getting bigger and bigger, wasn’t it? “Felt,” he cried. “Is that you??”

“Rachins!” Felt called back. “Rachins, get over here! We’ve got to stick together! Where are Gaston and Camberley?”

“I can’t find them— What IS this—”

”Felt!” a thunderous voice interrupted. “Felt, what is— are you alright?”

”Old Man Rom?” Emilia called out, her eyes wide. “Is that you? It’s been so long! How are— Oh, but now can’t be the right time for that sort of thing…”

“I’m afraid not,” Old Man Rom grunted, thought the sight of his beloved granddaughter appeared to have calmed him significantly. “But it is nice to see you again, too, little lady…”

(Wilhelm frowned. That man looked somewhat familiar, come to think of it…

But Lady Emilia had been more than correct: now was simply not the time.)

“Oi! What’s going on?!” Emilia stopped, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Him, too— was it all the factions of the Royal Candidates, maybe? Was this some sort of plot involving the Royal Selection? “Crusch-sama, Emilia-sama, is that you?!”

“Ricardo?!” Ferris responded, bewildered. “What is this?!”

“Hey, the other Camps are here, too! —Garf, is that you?!”

“Mimi?!”

“All of you are here too, then?” Anastasia clarified, looking utterly bewildered as she approached them alongside her daughter figure. She looked unusually frazzled — understandable, given the circumstances. Emilia supposed it only made sense for her to be here alongside her attendants — even if her attendants being here made no sense, in the first place.

“We didn’t exactly expect to see you before we got to Priestella,” she tried to laugh, like she knew Subaru would in such a tense situation. She missed Subaru. She hoped he was safe. “Was it getting too boring to wait for us there? I’m really sorry we were taking so long, if that’s the case—”

Felt’s head snapped up. “Wait — Big Sis, you were—?”

“Priestella?” Crusch echoed. “You were going there, too, Emilia-sama?”

Felt whipped back around. “ You—?? ”

“Yes, yes,” Anastasia waved off the coming bout of exclamations impatiently. “This was gonna be a surprise, but all three of yer camps were invited to Priestella at the same time. Thought it could make for a fun check-in to see how everyone’s doing, a year into the selection. …Was gonna invite Priscilla too, but that girl’s a loose canon…couldn’t for the life of me figure out what she might like as a gift…”

Emilia looked past her shoulder to the front of the room. “Julius?” she called.

“What an odd metia,” Julius was muttering, entirely distracted. “It looks a bit like our communication mirrors, but it’s so big…”

“How did we even get here?” Felt demanded. “I could’ve sworn we were just—”

“We didn’t do anything!” Crusch agreed. “I really don’t see how—”

“Mimi was just— er, Mimi definitely wasn’t sneaking some biscuits—”

“Onee-chan, please, those were for—”

“Emilia-sama!” Julius called, having finally turned around to see the other camps. “Ferris, Reinhard— Did all of you get sent here, too? What is this place?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out!” Ferris snapped, understandably but unfairly.

And then—

“…Who are you people?”

Everyone stopped, silence filling the room. As one, all present turned around in tandem at the unfamiliar voice, one that not a single person there recognized.

Before them stood what looked like a near carbon-copy of Roswaal’s senior maid: equal in height, in shape, even in the style of her hair. The only difference was that her bangs were swept the opposite way, her hair and eyes were shades of blue instead of shades of red, and instead of a maid uniform she was clad only in a soft nightgown, as if she had just woken up from a long slumber.

Emilia’s mind froze. It couldn’t be—

“Holy shit,” Garfiel managed.

“R…” Frederica whispered, eyes wide with wonder so immense she completely forgot to scold her little brother. “R… Rem?!”

Everyone burst into chatter, voices both intense and hushed in equal measure as they stared at the awakened Sleeping Beauty. Not a single person there understood who she was as an individual, but everyone understood what her being there might mean for — the victims of Gluttony, the workings of the Witch Cult, the nature of this strange environment — and most of all, what she meant for —

“Od Laguna, is that—”

“That’s the sleeping girl Mister’s been so worked up about, isn’t it?!”

“How on Earth did she—”

“Subaru’s gonna— Where is he, he’s gotta see—!”

“Rem?” the blue-haired girl echoed, taking a step back. “Who is that? Where am I? What’s going on?”

“Rem, that’s— that’s you!” Emilia was the one to step forward first. “You’re awake!” she exclaimed. “You’re—”

“You’re finally awake!” Ram cried out with uncharacteristic joy and amazement, just barely stopped from rushing over by the wary look on her little sister’s face. “You’re finally— but how?”

“Yeah, how?!” Ferris snapped, looking surprisingly angry at this development. “How did you recover before, before—”

“Felix,” Wilhelm warned gently, setting a hand on his shoulder. The healer shut his mouth, letting himself be pulled aside.

“Who are you people?” Rem demanded, a little more agitated than before. “Answer me!”

[WITH ALL PRESENT, THE DEMONSTRATION SHALL NOW COMMENCE.]

Everyone jumped. Garfiel swore loudly. “The Hell was that?!”

“Please try not to use language like that in front of our political opponents!” Otto cried.

[THE FOCUS OF THIS DEMONSTRATION: NATSUKI SUBARU.]

A harsh spotlight came on with a sound like a thunderclap, making everyone jump. It was focused a little to the left of the audience. The sheer brightness drew everyone’s eyes just as much as it forced them shut, adjusting agonizingly slowly as they attempted to make out what it was exactly that was being illuminated.

A glass jar — oversized. A cork in the top, sealing it shut. A dark figure huddled inside, covering its face from the onslaught of light that was no doubt much, much worse for the target than the onlookers nearby.

And as their eyes adjusted, it became clear that the figure isolated within that glass jar was—

“Subaru!” Beatrice cried, rushing forwards.

“Beako!” Subaru caught sight of her through the clear walls of his cage, rushing towards her and pushing against the glass in a desperate to reach her. “W-Wha—?”

“Subaru, Subaru!” Beatrice banged her fists against the clear surface. It didn’t budge. “Why is Subaru in there, I suppose? Let him out!”

“Be— Beako, it’s okay, it’s okay! It’s gonna be alright! Do you know where we are?”

“I don’t— None of us do! Subaru!”

“None of— Emilia!” Subaru suddenly saw the other figures, rushing towards the trap behind Beatrice. “Emilia, where are we? What’s going on?”

“Don’t worry, Subaru, it’s alright!” Emilia babbled. “We’ll get you out, we’ll get you out of there soon—”

“Ow!” Garfiel’s fist bounced right off the glass. He hissed, cradling it to his chest. The wall remained clear and spotless. “What is this thing—?!”

“I can’t summon my spirits!” Julius realized, alarmed. “Subaru, are you—”

“I’m fine, you annoying prick! Nice to see you here, too!”

“Why isn’t any of my magic working?!” Emilia cried, trying and failing to freeze the glass.

“Where’s my sword?!” Ricardo shouted. “Did it really not—?!”

“Something tells me it wouldn’t be of much use anyway—”

“Subaru-dono, just hang in there—”

“Who the hell is that?!”

“R— Rem?!” Subaru had finally caught sight of the awoken sleeping beauty. His eyes filled with wonder and delight. “Rem! Rem—”

“Who the hell are you?!” Rem snapped again, backing away. “Why do you smell like that?!”

Subaru jerked away from the glass as though it had burned him.

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Beatrice shouted, enraged. “Subaru’s tried so hard to wake you up, I suppose — don’t talk to him like he’s some — filth!”

“Who— I didn’t ask him to do anything!” Rem retorted. “Whoever he is, that boy is dangerous! I don’t know who all of you think that is, but—”

“Ah,” Subaru exhaled quietly, looking like he was trying really hard not to seem as devastated as he was. “So that’s how it is.”

[NATSUKI SUBARU: UNSUNG HERO OF LUGUNICA. UNRECOGNIZED. INJUSTICE. MUST BE CORRECTED.]

“H-Huh?!” Subaru squawked, looking like a deer in the headlights.

Ram coughed. “Unsung hero??” she repeated.

“Have you nyot been paying attention to — to ANYTHING over the past year???” Ferris spluttered. “Subaru-kyun’s gotten so much praise we’re all practically sick of it!”

“That’s a little mean,” Crusch warned Ferris. Ferris pouted. “…But I do agree with the spirit of what my knight is saying. There are many words that could be used to describe Subaru’s exploits, many of them positive, but I don’t think ‘unsung’ is one of them.”

“I can attest,” Julius said. “Subaru’s likeness has had a number of appearances in the fiction section of the Lugunican papers. He’s become a very beloved public figure, over a very short span of time.”

Subaru squawked. “WHAT?!”

“Subaru-dono certainly deserves all of the praise that he has been given!” Wilhelm announced, glancing sternly in Ferris’ direction. “But…I don’t believe that it has been quite so little as to warrant being described as an injustice.”

Old Man Rom folded his arms, and Felt snorted. “Big Bro, if this was your attempt to get some attention—”

“It’s not, it’s not!” Subaru flailed his arms frantically, his face bright red. “I don’t know what’s going on! I’m perfectly satisfied with — with everything I’ve been given over the past year! More than satisfied, even! I don’t—”

Everyone could tell that he was telling the truth just from that reaction, but when Crusch did not speak up to refute his claim, the matter was as good as settled.

“It’s true that Subaru has accomplished some astounding feats over the past year,” Reinhard said, trying to pacify their captor. “If you believe that he has not received enough, perhaps we can reach an arrangement—”

[INJUSTICE,] the voice repeated. [MUST BE CORRECTED. THIS DEMONSTRATION SHALL CORRECT THIS INJUSTICE, ONCE AND FOR ALL.]

“This is such a load of nonsense!”

Everyone turned to see Rem, bristling as she glared at the “unsung hero” with open hostility.

“All of this has to be just — absolute crap!” she spat, practically shaking as she cried out her warning. “That— that THING is not a hero! That’s a monster! That’s DANGEROUS! You don’t— You don’t know what that is!”

“Dangerous— Subaru?” Julius frowned, remembering a stupid young man who threw a tantrum in the throne room because people were being mean to his crush, accepted a challenge from one of the most powerful knights in the kingdom, and sulked around the Karsten Manor for three days after he lost like a scolded puppy. It had been a pathetic display, but— “Rem-san, I can assure you: although Subaru is…unusual, he’s nowhere near dangerous. On my honor as a knight of Lugunica, I can assure you of that much.”

It didn’t matter much that Subaru had gone on to help against the White Whale, the Witch Cult, and even perhaps the Great Rabbit. As far as his demeanor was concerned, Subaru was — at his absolute worst — a naive, annoying brat in need of some discipline. To suggest that someone like that would ever willingly do something as awful as Rem appeared to fear so badly—

“Subaru is a little odd, but he’s a good boy,” Emilia agreed earnestly, a sentiment that was being echoed by the entirety of her Camp.

“Subaru might be — a little strange,” Reinhard admitted. “But he’s a very good person! And he’s been trying to save you for a year now, too…”

“Big Bro’s a freak, but he’s not a war criminal!” Felt agreed.

”Certainly not,” Old Man Rom grunted. “He’s just a boy, nothing more…”

“Rem, my dear sister —” Ram’s eyes softened slightly as she faced her sister. “It is true that Barusu is ridiculously suspicious, but I can assure you that he is not dangerous in the slightest. He’s far too stupid and soft to do anything like what you are thinking he might do: useless and pathetic, not a demented sociopath. However badly he may stink.”

“Thanks, nee-sama…”

Rem looked unconvinced, but her attention had been redirected elsewhere. “Sister…?” she echoed.

[THE DEMONSTRATION SHALL BEGIN ONCE ALL ARE SEATED ,] the voice declared. [THE DEMONSTRATION SHALL CORRECT THE INJUSTICE. WITH THE INJUSTICE CORRECTED, ALL SHALL BE RIGHTED ONCE AGAIN.]

“I really don’t want anything like this!” Subaru squeaked out, face bright red. “Can’t you just send us back?! I feel plenty recognized, thanks!”

“So— that means we can leave after this is over?” Anastasia tried to clarify. “You’ll let us leave after this — this ‘injustice’ has been corrected?”

[THE DEMONSTRATION: NATSUKI SUBARU’S MEMORIES.]

Protests from all directions erupted at this declaration.

“Wait, WHAT?!” Subaru squawked.

“That sounds incredibly violating!” Crusch agreed, eyes wide. “What gives you the right to — to publicly undress him like that? I refuse to have any part in this!”

“We have better things to do with our time than delve into some kid’s memories — or to play around in this theater at all!” Anastasia agreed disapprovingly. “As much as I may respect Natsuki-kun, I’m a busy gal. Even if he wanted this — which he clearly doesn’t — I can’t spare the time or attention for this sort of affair!”

“We absolutely do NOT want the memories of a member of our Camp blown up in front of two rival factions!” Otto squawked, gripping his hair. “What sort of outside interference IS this—?!”

“Betty’s Subaru deserves better treatment than his most private memories being used as entertainment, in fact!”

[THE DOORS WILL REMAIN LOCKED FOR THE DURATION OF THE DEMONSTRATION.] The voice continued, ignoring all of their protests. [ONCE THE DEMNSTRATION HAS CONCLUDED, ALL WILL BE RETURNED TO CONTINUE THEIR LIVES, THE INJUSTICE CORRECTED.]

“LISTEN to us, for OD’S SAKE—” Garfiel was roaring.

[THE DEMONSTRATION WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST ONCE EVERYONE IS SEATED.]

No matter how much they protested, the voice showed no signs of so much as hearing them cry out. After a few minutes of desperate calling, it quickly became clear that—

[THE DEMONSTRATION WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST ONCE EVERYONE IS SEATED,] the voice repeated once, and then it said not one word more.

“We don’t have a choice,” Crusch realized. “It’s either to watch — this, or…” Remain in this room forever.

“…Well then I guess that’s that, yeah?” Garfiel said uncomfortably.

“What?!” Otto squawked. “We can’t just let this— We don’t even know what this thing wants to show! What if it includes Camp secrets?! It could end up endangering our entire campaign!”

“Doesn’t mean a damn thing if we can’t ever get out of this damn place!” Garfiel retorted. “We can roll with whatever happens, but we have to be able to get out of here first!”

“That doesn’t mean we should just lie down and let something like THIS happen! Isn’t there any other way to get out of here?!”

“Do you see any other ways? I hate this just as much as you do, but would you really rather be stuck in here? We can’t win the Royal Selection if we stay stuck in this room for the next three years!”

“Sure but— I— AUGH! I really don’t like this! Isn’t there another way out?!”

“It’s such a mean thing to do!” Emilia added, protesting for an entirely different reason. “I— Even if you’re trying to help him, this is just— it’s not right! Subaru doesn’t want this! Why should we force him to share something he doesn’t want to share?”

”It really does sound indecent,” Frederica said with a frown. “I don’t think I want to spy on the private moments of a teenage boy, if I can avoid it. For a number of reasons.”

“Because the only other option is to never leave this room, apparently,” Garfiel replied, agitated. “I don’t like this either, but — I don’t wanna stay here with him trapped in a cage just cause — cause I don’t wanna look, right?! …And what if there IS something we still need to thank him for? We already know Cap’s great and everything, but — if there’s something we haven’t acknowledged properly, then—”

“Wait, wait!” Subaru banged his fist on the glass, looking panicked. “Wait, don’t I get a say in this?! I don’t want you looking through my memories! Those are private — you can’t look at them!”

“You think I want to do this, Barusu?” Ram shot back, arms crossed. “Watching your memories of bumbling around as an embarrassment sounds miserable. You may just end up being the most comfortable person in this room.”

Ferris blinked. Then he grinned, his tail curling mischievously by his side. “Well…”

“Ferris,” Julius warned.

“I mean, watching little Unsung Hero-kyun humiliate himself is a LITTLE fun—”

“I wouldn’t say—” Ricardo protested.

“Oh come on.” Ferris leaned backwards, catching Ricardo’s eye with a teasy look on his face. “Nyew’ve mentioned a nyumber of times nyow that nya wish nyew’d seen what Subaru-kyun was like when he spoke up as Emilia’s unsung hero during the Royal Selection Ceremony. Aren’t nya looking forward to a chance at that just a little bit?”

“What?? ” Subaru squeaked out, face scarlet.

“I mean…” Ricardo shifted, but the slight smile on his face did very little to deny it. “I’m sure it was annoyin’ at the time, but some dumb kid jumpin’ up to defend his crush from half the kingdom and causin’ a mess sounds really adorable in retrospect.” Subaru made an indiscernible, high-pitched noise. “Wouldn’t say no ta seein’ it for myself, if that’s gonna be included in this mess…”

Julius coughed into his fist. “That aside,” he said, hiding a smile. “We don’t know if that memory in particular is what this — place — wants to show us, and even if we did, we don’t have an infinite amount of time. Subaru’s memories are not our business, and as much as I may — respect him as a colleague, they are not our priority, either.”

“Don’t think time will matter all that much if what that — voice — said is true,” Tivey said hesitantly. “If we’re going to just end up back when and where we were when this started, we could probably spend as much time in here as necessary.”

“Mimi doesn’t like it here,” Mimi declared, sitting down in Anastasia’s lap. “Let’s just get this over with so we can all go back to the inn.”

Anastasia sighed, but relented with a nod of her head.

“I’m really not sure—” Reinhard protested. “If Subaru has memories he doesn’t want us to see—”

“I doubt that moron has done anything worse than throw tantrums when he didn’t get his way,” Felt said, rolling her eyes. “I’m with them: let’s just get this over with so we can all go back.”

Old Man Rom sighed, and took his seat beside his granddaughter. “Lets just get this over with,” he agreed, muttering under his breath.

Emilia was one of the last to be convinced.

“It’s not fair!” she protested desperately. “Subaru didn’t do anything! He doesn’t deserve to be violated like this! Why should he— Isn’t there something else we can do?!”

“Emilia-sama,” Crusch said. “I know that this is a ridiculously unfair situation, but…” she pressed her lips together. “This seems to be the only way out.”

“But—”

“I promise you that I will not take advantage of this event,” she added. “You have my word that your knight will remain free of judgement from my camp, and that nothing we see here will be used by us to cause him — or you — any harm.”

“Mine too,” Felt confirmed. “Big Bro probably did some embarrassing stuff and all, but that’s nothing unusual. I just want to get out of here.”

“Why do we even have to see it, then?” Emilia begged. “We already know that Subaru’s a good boy! Can’t we just let him be?”

“I’d love to,” Anastasia muttered. “But unless ya want yer little unsung hero stuck in a glass jar forever, this seems like the only way out.”

Emilia turned to face Subaru, pitiful and panicked in his glass cell. After a long moment, she wordlessly took her seat.

Subaru was the only one left to be convinced.

“W-Wait!” he cried. “Wait, Emi— everyone, is this really necessary?! Isn’t this a breach of privacy?! What do you mean you’ll be watching— I don’t want this!”

“I— I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Emilia tried to say. “It’ll be over before you know it, alright?”

“I don’t want to do this!” Subaru protested. “I don’t want this at all! My — my memories are private, I don’t want you looking at them like there some sort of anime!”

“Ani—? I don’t know what that is, but we can’t just—”

“There has to be another way out, right?! Can’t we do something else?! There’s got to be a way out of here that doesn’t involve—”

“I really don’t think there is,” Reinhard admitted guiltily, fretfully.

“Maybe you just haven’t looked hard enough! Maybe those doors can open— if you push them hard enough—”

“Actually, Reinhard already tried—” Felt started. “Wait, Subaru, that would mean—”

“We can’t leave you in there, I suppose!”

“No, go ahead, leave me in here! I don’t want you rooting around in my head, what sort of sick joke is that?! I’ve done so much embarrassing stuff, and I don’t know wha they’re gonna— whatever it is they wanna show, I don’t want you—!”

“Subaru-dono.”

Wilhelm’s voice was calm and reasonable. Subaru’s eyes darted up at him.

“Every young man has things in their past that they’d rather forget,” the old man said gently. “Especially involving shameful moments, or past embarrassments, or blunders with women. None of those are things that any of us would have room to judge you on.”

“But—” Subaru was still obviously panicked, for understandable reasons.

“Even if you did do something genuinely terrible, at some point in your past —”Wilhelm shook his head. “Subaru-dono, I am a soldier. I can guarantee that I have done far worse in my sixty years of life than you ever could in a mere eighteen. And even if I am somehow proven wrong — we already know the you that exists today. Whatever it is that we see on that metia, I promise you that we will not think less of you.”

“It’s not like we don’t already know that your ability to conduct yourself properly is flawed,” Julius added, a teasing smile on his face. “I mean, our first impression of you made that clear from the start.”

“It is insanely violating and I hate everything about this situation,” Crusch sighed. “But if this is the only way out, then it is the only way out. —And that includes getting YOU out of that jar.”

“I really don’t think anything in yer memories is gonna be all that interesting, Natsuki-kun,” Anastasia drawled, looking bored and inconvenienced. “We’re a bunch o’ soldiers and politicians. Even if ya somehow DID do something genuinely terrible at some point, I can pretty much guarantee that all of us have seen worse. And this thing seems to think yer some sort of amazing, so they’ll probably only show the stuff that makes you look good, anyway. This’ll be anywhere from horribly boring to unpleasantly humiliating, but then it’ll be over and we can all go home. —Or to the inn, at any rate.”

”There is no way that there’s anything in that head of yours that I haven’t seen before, and to much worse degrees,” Rom agreed. “Everything always seems like the end of the world to a young man, but I can assure you that I have seen everything at this point.”

“I’m sure it’ll be plenty entertaining, Unsung Hero-kyun!” Ferris cackled. “…But I doubt nyew have anything in there that’ll actually freak us out anyway, so. Get ready for me to tease nya till the end of time, but that’s about it.”

Subaru still looked freaked out. “But—”

“We PROMISE,” Wilhelm assured him. “Whatever it is we see on that metia, we will give you grace.”

“B…But…”

“Subaru.”

It was Emilia who spoke up last. Subaru’s eyes darted towards her.

“I know this is a really uncomfortable situation,” she said. “But I think bearing with it will be best, oh-kay? Let’s get this over with, and then we can go — have fun in Priestella, and forget all about it. Don’t you want to see the canals Otto told us about? And I heard that they had this amazing singer we can go listen to— and some really tasty authentic Kararagian cuisine— and the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get you out of that jar, all of us out of this place, and enjoy the rest of our day!””

Subaru swallowed.

Emilia pressed: “None of us want to hurt you. If anyone tries to use this to do something bad to you, I’ll protect you, oh-kay? I promise I will.”

“As will Betty, in fact,” said Beatrice, who really just wanted Subaru out of his cage as soon as possible.

“You don’t have to worry about anything like that, alright?” Emilia insisted. “We’ll be right with you. We promise, oh-kay?”

After a long moment, Subaru took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “Okay then,” he relented, falling back to sit on his knees. “Let’s…get this over with.”

[The screen in the front of the room flickered on.]

Chapter Text

[The screen above the audience flickered on.]

“…What the hell is that place?” Garfiel asked.

“A convenience store,” Subaru said, on edge. “They uh— they were all over the place in my hometown. Sold basic junk, nothing special…”

“Never seen anything like that,” Ricardo commented, frowning. “Where are you from, exactly?”

Rom pressed his lips together. He, too, had never seen anything like that…

Not that he’d say that out loud, after his attempted words of comfort from before.

“I’m from pretty far away — far enough that I’d be surprised if you did recognize that sort of thing.”

“I don’t recognize any of this stuff,” Julius muttered, watching as the Subaru onscreen paid with strange coins for his strange commerce before walking out of the odd store into a street that looked utterly unrecognizable.

“That’s what I call a skill issue.” Subaru stuck his tongue out.

[“Ah.” The Subaru onscreen winced, moving to rub his eyes with his free hand. “Guess anyone’s eyes would be blurry after gaming all day…”]

[And then when he opened them again, he was in the middle of the Capital of Lugunica.]

“…Uh,” Crusch said.

“Yeah,” Subaru shrugged, already feeling uncomfortably scrutinized despite him not having even done anything yet. “That’s pretty much how that happened.”

“What?” Emilia said. “Wha— What just happened?”

“I still don’t know. One moment I was home, and then — poof, I was in the Capital.”

“Wait—” Anastasia suddenly looked much, much more alert. “Natsuki-kun. Are you from beyond the Great Waterfall?”

Frederica startled. “Eh?!”

“Yeah.” Subaru shrugged, as if that revelation was as casual as a quip about the weather. “I guess that’s what you’d call it here.”

Anastasia stared at him, aghast, and then quickly turned her full attention back to the metia. It was too late, she had missed her chance to observe where he had just been in any meaningful detail.  A sizable part of her wanted to swear at the lost opportunity.

“Where were ya?” she asked instead. “Before you — ended up in the Capital? What was that place?”

“Told you already, it was just a convenience store.” Somehow, Subaru waved it off as if it were the most average thing in the world. “They were all over the place back in my hometown,” he said. “You could go there and get a snack, a drink, some cheap magazines, that sort of thing. Nothing special.”

“Hmm.” Anastasia narrowed her eyes. Cheap foods, drinks, and papers, all in the same easy-to-access corner store…was that a doable business strategy?

Anastasia had fully intended to tune out for the duration of this colossal waste of time, but Subaru being from beyond the Great Waterfall changed things significantly. It was too late for her to glimpse directly into his homeland, but if she could look more closely at his idiosyncrasies — especially a version of him that was fresh out of his hometown, without any experience in Lugunica to color his behavior and perspective —

“Why didn’t you ever tell us you were from beyond the Great Waterfall?” Otto was demanding.

Subaru frowned. “I DID tell you that already, I’m pretty sure.”

“I thought you were joking!”

“How’s that my fault?!”

”You weren’t joking,” Frederica whispered, feeling faint. “You really, genuinely, were not…!”

Garfiel laughed, loud and gleeful. “If it were anyone, it would be Captain!”

“I thought traveling from beyond the Great Waterfall would involve more water…” Emilia said thoughtfully.

“There was a fountain right there, right?” Mimi wondered. “Maybe that’s got something to do with it?”

“I wouldn’t think so,” Julius murmured, frowning. “My guess is that it was likely some form of yin magic…?”

“Yeah, because you’d know so much about traveling between worlds, you prick—”

[“This is it! This is my chance!“]

In the present moment, Subaru’s face turned scarlet.

Julius snorted loudly, quickly moving to cover his mouth with his hand as Subaru’s antics quickly escalated onscreen. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I just— forgot about that part of what you are like.”

“Shut up,” Subaru muttered.

Ferris was making no such effort to hide his mad cackling. “I didn’t forget!” he crowed. “Aw, this is gonnya be so much fun. I’m nyever letting nya live ANY of this down, Unsung Hero-kyun—“

“Shut uuup—“

[I can’t read this, Subaru realized, looking at a sign on a merchant stall.]

[“Hey, boy. Those are some weird clothes. Are you traveling?”]

“Ah,” Wilhelm startled.

Emilia blinked. She had recognized that voice herself, but — “You know him, Wilhelm-san?”

“…I do, Lady Emilia,” he said. “Kadomon is the husband of the daughter of…a good friend of mine. I wasn’t aware that he and Subaru-dono had met.”

Emilia smiled. “Kadomon and Subaru are really close, actually,” she said proudly. “They get along very well!”

“That’s a bit of an overstatement, isn’t it, Emilia-tan?” Subaru protested.

[“What’s that?” Kadomon frowned. “You can’t use that money in Lugunica. That means you’re flat broke, huh?” His face contorted into a snarl. “Get out of here! Don’t interfere with my business!”]

Ferris cackled. “Aww, Subaru-kyun made a friend right off the bat!” he cooed. “Nyew can tell they’re friends because everyone Subaru-kyun makes friends with has to knyow how to talk to him properly~”

“Oh be quiet, will you?!”

Ferris was having fun teasing him. Many of the more naïve members of the audience were giggling right alongside him — but Wilhelm had a darker look spreading across his face.

Beside him, Rem was sporting a similar expression. “Wilhelm-san, is it?” she said quietly.

“That is correct,” Wilhelm said, not unkindly. “How may this old man be of service?”

“That boy…” she chewed her lip. “He got dragged into an entirely different world,” she clarified. “Without his knowledge and against his will. He was left entirely alone on the streets of a strange city where he did not know the language, with no understanding of the world around him, no means by which to defend or provide for himself, and with nobody willing to help a stranger like him out of the goodness of their hearts.”

“That…is correct.”

Rem didn’t say anything more. She didn’t need to: Wilhelm had already come to the same conclusion as her — as had most other individuals throughout the theater, if the looks on all of their faces was any indication. Even Ferris had a subtle air to his movements that hinted at his teasing being more of an attempt at a distraction from that horrifying revelation than a genuine source of amusement — though perhaps it was both.

(Rem had to remind herself to keep her guard up. It didn’t matter if this boy had been in such a pitiful situation if he was a threat to those around him — which, all of her instincts were screaming, he definitely was.)

Emilia was not one of those individuals. Neither were Beatrice or Garfiel, both of whom she was attempting to shush. “It’s reeally not nice to laugh,” she scolded. “Subaru didn’t even want us watching any of this, so be nice. And we all agreed to not to make fun of him for anything embarrassing we see here, remember?”

“Subaru makes it difficult not to laugh, I suppose,” Betty giggled.

“N-Nah,” Garfiel sucked in a breath, his mouth twitching. “Princess’ got a point,” he agreed. “This is already — kinda private. My amazing self wouldn’t want anyone laughing at my memories either, no matter how embarrassing. Captain deserves — at least a little grace —“

[Everyone watched as onscreen Subaru was gently shoved away from a demihuman-only bar, somehow tripping over his own two feet and falling over the railing and into the river of the Capital.]

Garfiel burst out laughing all over again. This time Emilia gave up on trying to make him stop.

“Unsung hero,” Ram muttered to herself.

[“Is this really how it was supposed to be?” The Subaru onscreen whined to himself, sitting in an alley, absolutely drenched. “Wasn’t I summoned into a parallel world?!”]

Frederica winced. Now that her initial shock was fading…

Subaru appeared to be the same age as her little brother. Logically she knew that he was three years Garfiel’s senior, and that he would take her thinking anything else as a great insult — but the resemblance remained whether he liked it or not. And seeing someone Garfiel’s age, lost and alone in a strange city with no resources or connections or anything else…


Anastasia watched with interest as Subaru rifled through his things, grumbling. “That’s the metia you used to find the White Whale, ain’t it?” she pointed out, eyes flashing greedily. “How did that work if it was from another world? Did ya have a bunch of mabeasts there, too?”

Subaru shifted nervously, embarrassment being taken over by something resembling unease. “N-Not exactly,” he admitted.

“Hmm…” Anastasia watched the caged Subaru for a moment longer before turning back to the metia.

[“The truth is,” onscreen Subaru was saying, “I have no idea what to do next, and I still have no idea how or why I was summoned. I don’t remember stepping into a mirror or falling in a pond —“]

“Wait, so.” Julius frowned. Oddly enough, he seemed to be relaxing at the sound of this statement. “Is this sort of occurrence normal, then? For castaways from beyond the Great Waterfall.” 

“…N-No,” Subaru admitted, his face burning. “I kinda just — i-it was a popular book trope back home, so…” He hunched in further on himself. “I just assumed things were like that?”

“Oh.” Julius looked uncomfortable all over again, perhaps even moreso now than before. “I see.”

[“— and if I’m to believe this is the otherworldly summoning format I’m used to, where is the beautiful girl who summoned me?”]

Julius choked, hastily coughing into his fist. Everyone else had no such restraint. The room burst into laughter once again.

“I think I knyow what kinds of stories Subaru-kyun likes to read!” Ferris teased.

“Can it!” Subaru retorted, face almost as red as Reinhard’s hair.

“You know,” Julius attempted to soothe, the corners of his mouth twitching. “I do have a number of romance novels in my collection. If you would like to borrow—”

Subaru buried his face in his knees and screamed, the sound muffled.

[“Is that her?! The cute girl who summoned…”]

[Subaru faltered. None of the three men in front of him were cute girls.]

“…Hah?” present Rachins said, bewildered.

[“What are you talking about?” Camberley grinned.]

[“If you don’t wanna get hurt,” Rachins threatened, walking forward and grabbing Subaru by the collar of his tracksuit. “Cough up everything you’ve got!”]

Felt turned to Rachins with a flat stare.

“What?” Rachins muttered, shifting uncomfortably. “He had stuff! We TOOK stuff! That’s just — how it was…”

“…You dumbasses,” Felt sighed. But she guessed she didn’t have any room to really judge them, considering how she herself had spent the vast majority of her life a thief.

Next to her, Rom coughed into his fist, trying his best to hide a smile.

“Hold on a second,” Ram sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She knew she had recognized this bunch from somewhere. “You three…?”

Rachins scoffed, trying to hide his blush. “What of it?” he demanded.

Ram stared at him for a long moment. “…Do I need to blow you away again, you worthless wretch?” she finally asked.

“Eh?” Rachins frowned at her a moment longer before his face suddenly turned bright red.

“Eh?” Frederica blinked. “Ram — you’ve met these men before?”

“W-Wait—”

“I’ve met all three of them,” Ram declared, folding her arms. “While Emilia-sama and I were separated, that worthless lot got it into their heads that they should try to rob me, just like they apparently decided to do to the wretched Barusu.”

Reinhard stared at Ram in disbelief, and then turned to Rachins.

Rachins recoiled at the look on his face. “Wait, wait, wait!” he shouted defensively. “It’s not like we were successful there, that maid absolutely demolished us almost immediately! And anyway, so we tried to rob two people, it’s not like any of them were a Royal—”

“Hey, that’s right!” Emilia suddenly exclaimed. Ram blinked. “I remember now! While I was trying to find Felt, you three are the ones who attempted to rob me a second time in that alleyway, aren’t you?”

Rachins had really been hoping that Lady Emilia had forgotten about that small detail. Or, at least, that she would have the mercy to not mention it in front of Reinhard.

“Rachins,” Reinhard said.

“I-It’s not what it sounds like!” Rachins said hastily. “None of us knew who any of them were, and anyway—!”

Felt finally couldn’t hold it back anymore, and burst out cackling. “You idiots decided to rob three members of the Emilia Camp all in the same day?!” she exclaimed, grinning wide. “Man, are the lot of you just that dumb? You must’ve had NO luck back then, if that was your best bet…!”

“Oh, come on!” Rachins cried defensively, throwing up his hands in aggravated defeat. “How were any of us supposed to know that?!”

They really hadn’t had any luck that day at all. Their first mark had successfully cried out and received the Sword Saint as aid, their second had easily knocked each and every one of them aside before threatening them for information about the Loot House, and their third had blown them all away with Wind Magic when they had pushed their luck. How the three of them had somehow managed to target three of the worst marks imaginable, all in the same day…!

Luckily, it appeared that fate had decided to take mercy on poor Rachins — by throwing poor Subaru directly under the bus.

[Crap, it’s a compulsory event! …Calm down, Subaru. Since ancient times, it’s been a fact of life that a person summoned into another world will display supernatural powers! I’ll mow these guys down in a snap to make room for my shining future! You lumps of EXP!]

“A—” Crusch winced. “Ah.”

Julius pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.

Nearby, Wilhelm, Ricardo, and Rom were all trying desperately not to laugh. Ferris was making no such effort, cackling loudly at the stupid little shit that was totally about to get slaughtered by three random guys in an alley.

“Oh dear,” Frederica said.

“Barusu,” Ram groaned.

“Uh, Cap?” Garfiel said tentatively. His lips were twitching. “I— I don’t think that’s how that works…”

For his part, Subaru looked absolutely mortified. A horrified squeak escaped his throat as he stared back out at the crowd, and not much else.

Emilia swatted Garfiel lightly. “Don’t tease him,” she scolded. “Yes, Subaru had — a bit of an awkward phase, but he’s always been a good boy! Be nice.”

“S-Sorry, Cap,” Garfiel choked, still holding back laughter. “I know you— but— really??”

“Subaru has grown a lot since back then,” Julius nodded. “…But I just realized that we’re probably going to be seeing a lot of…what it took to get him that far.”

“I can’t wait,” Ferris cackled. “—Oh come on, Juli. Don’t nyew wannya knyow what got him to grow up a bit?”

“From the sounds of things, I think Julius bonking him on the head that one time did the trick,” Ricardo chuckled. “But I do kinda want to see just how far it got…”

“I am a little confused about one thing,” Emilia admitted. “What’s EXP?”

Subaru looked very much like he wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again.

“At least I was right there,” Reinhard sighed, shaking his head.

[Gaston wasn’t prepared for Subaru to swing out of nowhere, and went down fast, stunned for at least the moment — quickly followed by Camberley getting punted across the alley by a kick to the chest.]

[“I hit someone for the first time in my life! Wow!” Subaru exclaimed, excited as though he had not just actively started a fight with three men at once. “But I didn’t expect it to hurt ME that much…”]

“You — never got into a fight before?” Julius repeated, frowning. Suddenly that duel of theirs — which had already been in poor taste — was taking on an even more unpalatable edge.

“…Shut up,” an already thoroughly humiliated Subaru muttered in response.

Julius refrained from teasing him for his rudeness like he normally would.

Ferris did not, an enormous shit-eating grin on his face. “Nyew’d nyever even fought anyone before,” he repeated. “And nya decided that the FIRST THING nyew’d do—”

“Stooop—!”

“Subaru literally never got in a fight before and he was still kicking your asses?!” Felt was cackling nearby. “You three are so—”

“Wait.” Rachins said, a frown on his face. “This…isn’t how it went at all.”

“Embarrassed?” Felt grinned.

“No seriously,” Rachins said, shaking his head. “He didn’t swing at us once: he just called for the guards. This isn’t what happened.”

“Ha! Nice try — not buying it.” Felt waved her hand at the metia. “The proof is right in front of us, bro,” she said. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

(Rom, meanwhile, frowned — though he didn’t say anything aloud.)

[“But this world is set up so that I’ll be strong! My adrenaline is surging! I’ve got this!”]

[— Rachins then pulled out two long knives as Subaru charged forward, and suddenly his entire attitude shifted on a dime.]

[“I’m sorry, that was absolutely terrible of me. I ask that you forgive me and please find it in your generous hearts to spare my life!”]

“There goes all that ambition,” Anastasia said, rolling her eyes. “Unsung hero…”

“Well there goes all that courage,” Felt snorted. “Seriously? Seeing a knife was all it took?”

“Please don’t encourage him, I suppose!” Beatrice protested. “I’d much rather my contractor be a coward than dead, in fact!”

Subaru stared at her with wide eyes, visibly wounded by her assessment. Otto finally joined in the laughter at the look on his face.

[“What?! You mean to tell me that my one-hit knockout punch only did that much damage?! What about my superpowers?!”]

“Oh my god nyer SUCH a spoiled brat,” Ferris breathed, looking absolutely delighted. “I can totally see how that incident at the Ceremony—“

“Stop iiit!” Subaru cried.

[“I don’t know what you’re going on about, but you’ve really done it now!” Rachins snapped, using his newfound high ground to slam his foot into his head. Camberley then kicked him in the face, Gaston swinging for his guts. Subaru squealed beneath them, now getting completely pulverized as he desperately attempted to protect his face.]

“Ah,” Frederica exclaimed softly, one if the first to wince in sympathy.

“Do you still think he’s dangerous, dear sister?” Ram whispered, a small smirk on her face. Rem frowned back at her.

[Crap, this really, really hurts. Like, I could die. No, seriously.]

Frederica had been among the first to lose her mirth — as had Emilia, whose face had gone cold. But in the audience, everyone else’s amused smiles slowly faded.

[“Stop moving, you whelp.”]

[“Ow! No, don’t… Ow! Ow! Ow!”]

[Rachins stomped on Subaru’s hand as he tried to get up and pointed the knife at him in clear warning. “After we make sure you can’t move we’re going to take everything you’ve got,” he announced. “That’s what you get for acting tough, you punk…”]

“Rachins,” Felt growled.

”That’s going a bit far,” Rom agreed, a disapproving look on his face.

“Seriously, I don’t remember any of this!” Rachins protested. “We tried to mug him, yeah, but — he just called for the guards, and then Reinhard showed up! That’s it! —You remember, right, Reinhard?!”

“Don’t try to use me as a shield, Rachins,” Reinhard warned. “I was only there for part of this altercation.”

“Rachins, I swear, as soon as we get back to—”

[“Hey! Out of the way! Out of the way! I’m talking to you! Move!”]

Felt’s visible rage was immediately replaced by sheer bewilderment. “Wha—“

[“Whoa! You look like you’re in quite a pinch there, but sorry! I’ve got my hands full right now! Good luck! Live strong!”]

[“Wait what?! Are you serious?!”]

“…You really couldn’t have stepped in, even a little bit?” Reinhard asked quietly.

“I don’t remember this,” Felt said, now looking as confused as Rachins. “That’s not how we met. This isn’t—“ Maybe I just forgot? she wondered.

Though she didn’t think she would forget a sight that pathetic…

Rom’s eyes narrowed.

[“Doesn’t what just happened make your anger just sort of melt away and make you want to change your minds about all this?” Subaru wheedled.]

[“More like it killed the mood and now I’m even angrier,” Rachins answered bluntly. He slammed his foot into Subaru’s face, grinding him into the stone. “Don’t think you’ll get to die a pleasant death!”]

“What?” Emilia demanded, her own anger reaching a rare peak at the idea that they would— they would kill—

“I didn’t, I didn’t!” Rachins squawked, eyes going wide as he backed away. “I’d never do that, I swear! I just — I might have tried to rough him up once or twice, but I wouldn’t— I never actually wanted him DEAD, I swear!”

[“Hold it right there, you evildoers!”]

“Huh?” Emilia said, startled right out of her own rising anger.

“So this is how you two met,” Julius mused.

“N-No,” Emilia refused, shaking her head. “I— This never happened? We met at the Loot House, not—“

But there she was onscreen, looking at the alleyway scuffle.

(At the far side of the room, being careful not to draw attention to himself, Roswaal smiled coldly.)

[“If you stop right now, I’ll let you go,” Emilia was saying. “In a way, this is my fault for not being cautious. So do the right thing and give me back what you stole.”]

“Wait,” Felt said, knocked out of her confusion by the unintentional insult. “Big Sis thought I was those idiots??”

“Hey!”

“I didn’t—” Emilia tried to say. “It didn’t happen like this!”

“Hmph.” Felt frowned, but didn’t look as disbelieving as she initially had with Rachins. “What is this…?”

[“Hmm…it doesn’t look like you’re lying,” Emilia was pondering. “So the one who stole from me is down farther ahead? I’ve got to hurry…”]

[And with that she started to run past the pathetic display of the man who would one day become her dearest friend having the shit kicked out of him by street thugs. For a moment, it looked as though he were about to be abandoned.]

“Eh??” Emilia protested.

“She’s gonna turn back,” Otto muttered.

“Of course,” Frederica sighed.

[“Still.” Emilia stopped at the top of the stairs. “This situation is one I can’t just ignore.”]

“Of course she does,” Garfiel smirks, holding his chin high. “Emilia’d never leave someone in need to fend for themselves!”

Nearby, Felt shifted awkwardly.

[“Magic?!” Subaru exclaimed, watching Emilia fight off his attackers easily — knocking Camberley out entirely. “…It isn’t quite as fantasy-like as I imagined. To be honest, this is kind of a letdown…”]

Ferris sputtered. “Nyew spoiled brat!” he exclaimed.

He didn’t need to say it. Subaru’s face was buried firmly in his knees, his ears so red it looked as though they may burst into flames at any moment.

[“I don’t care if you’re a magic user or nobility or whatever!” Rachins roared. “I’ve had enough! We’re gonna kill you! Do you really think you can win a two-on-one fight?!”]

“Rachins,” Reinhard said. His voice was soft, but dark with warning. Rachins stiffened. “We are going to talk about this later.”

Rachins looked about ready to wet himself. “Y-Yes, Reinhard…”

[“You’re right,” Emilia said slowly. “One against two sounds like it could be a little tough…”]

[“In that case, would two on two be a bit more fair?”]

“Puck!” Emilia exclaimed.

Beatrice brightened. “Bubby!”

For there he was, their first glimpse of him for the first time in a year.

Felt whistled. “You three fuckers challenged the Beast of the End?” she teased. Rachins somehow paled even further. “Maybe you DO have some guts…”

[“Y-You’re a Spirit Arts user?” Gaston blustered.]

[“Correct,” Emilia said. “Back off now and I won’t come after you. Decide quickly: I’m in a hurry.”]

[“You bitch!” Rachins cried, already backing away. “Next time I see you, I won’t go easy on you!”]

[“Do anything to her, and I’ll haunt you and your kin forever!” the Beast of the End said cheerfully. “Not like you’ll have any kin if I do that…”]

[That threat was enough to scare Rachins and Gaston off entirely. Rachins just barely remembered to grab Camberley, and then they were gone, running as fast as their feet could take them.]

“…Or maybe not,” Felt amended.

[“You saved me,” Subaru said, turning to Emilia. “Thanks.”]

[“Don’t move.”]

[Subaru’s eyes were wide with wonder, his cheeks slowly turning pink. After a moment, Subaru averted his gaze shyly.]

[“See?” Emilia declared. “I knew I was onto something. If he had nothing to hide, he wouldn’t look away like that.”]

[“I’m not so sure about that. That seems like a very natural reaction for a boy like him.”]

Ferris whistled. “And so it begins,” he teased. “Just look at his faace!”

“Od Laguna, you were literally a character straight out of a storybook when he first met you,” Anastasia teased, giggling. “No wonder he was so taken with you: you were just magical.”

“That’s so cute!” Mimi exclaimed, eyes round and wide. “Do you think Garf thinks Mimi’s that amazing? I wanna be a storybook princess!”

“Wha— how’d my amazing self get dragged into this?!”

Subaru just sat in his cage, hiding his face in his arms. As if none of the giggling onlookers could see his bright red ears.

Emilia just frowned. “I reeally don’t remember this at all…”

[“Wait, you shouldn’t try to stand up just ye— Well…alright.”]

“What an amazing first impression,” Ferris commented.

“Got beat up in an alley and left for dead by three thugs like a pile of trash,” Ram noted, the corner of her mouth twitching. “A very suitable first impression, I believe.”

[“So…what should we do?” Puck’s voice said.]

[“He has…nothing to do with us. That’s not enough to kill him. We’re going to leave him.”]

“What?!” Emilia cried.

“She’s not gonna leave him,” Garfiel stated confidently.

“Definitely not,” Frederica agreed.

“Obviously not,” Ram huffed. “She should leave Barusu beat up in that alley where he belongs, of course, but we know she won’t.”

”Thanks, Nee-sama…” Subaru managed, sounding faint with embarrassment.

[“There’s no way!” Emilia cried. “No way that I’m going to save him, alright?! Alright?!”]

[Man, even when she’s angry she’s cute. Go otherworldly fantasies.]

Everyone started cackling all over again.

“Is—” Julius coughed, desperately trying to regain his composure. “Is this just going to be us listening to his otherworldly fantasies for — however long this takes?”

“I’m nyot complainying,” Ferris laughed. “This is the funnyiest thing Ferri-chan has seen in AGES.”

“Is this why that thing decided to call Barusu an Unsung Hero?” Ram snickered. “Otherworldly fantasies.”

“Please stop,” Subaru whimpered, looking about ready to pass out from the embarrassment.

[Subaru opened his eyes to find himself on someone’s lap.]

“That doesn’t look like—” Julius suddenly broke into a cough. “Oh.”

“Shut uuuup,” Subaru whispered softly.

“…You know, that IS something of an honor,” Julius tried to console Subaru, his cheek twitching. “I doubt that the Beast of the End lends his lap to just anyone…”

[“Wow, beautiful girls are a lot hairier than I imagi— hey wait a minute!”]

Julius sighed, giving up.

“Wha— of all the things to say!” Otto squawked. “What if that actually HAD been Emilia, you dumbass?! Do you think girls like being called hairy?!”

Subaru didn’t respond, too busy covering his eyes and ears in a desperate attempt to avoid the display onscreen. 

[“Wow; this is actually really comfortable,” Subaru said, eyes round. “Like, this is amazing. Now I understand why people want to love their cats ‘til they go bald…”]

[“Well, if you’re going to be this happy about it, I guess it was really worth super-sizing.”]

Otto groaned loudly. Ricardo started coughing into his fist. It was not enough o disguise his laughter.

“I didn’t knyow nya liked kitties so much, Subaru-kyun!” Ferris exclaimed, ears twitching, grin all teeth. “Do nyew really love Ferri-chan that much??”

Nearby, Frederica silently brought her hand up to her mouth. Her cheeks felt a little warm.

“The thing is— I mean— Look— We didn’t HAVE any demihumans in Japan!” Subaru tried to defend himself, bright red. “A— All we had were, like, domesticated pets and stuff! Demihumans just didn’t exist!”

Rom blinked. No demihumans…

And yet it was a boy who had grown up without demihumans who vehemently supported the only demihuman candidate in the Royal Selection. Rom wasn’t quite sure what that said about everyone else in this country, but he didn’t like it. Though, unfortunately, nor was was he particularly surprised.

“Ah, really?” Anastasia raised an eyebrow. “You adapted surprisingly well, if demihumans were that alien a concept to you.”

“W-Well, they exited in…” Subaru was wilting more and more. “…in stories, and stuff…”

Mimi perked up. “So Mimi is a storybook princess, too?” she exclaimed, eyes shining.

“Uh— I mean— sure??”

Frederica couldn’t quite hold back a giddy smile. Subaru was not her kind of man, but — the idea of being a storybook princess filled her with a girlish sort of glee that she rarely managed to find in her life.

“Uh, Subaru.” Ricardo looked like he was trying very hard not to bust a gut laughing. “I-If yer only experience with — with demihuman-like creatures were books and a bunch of domesticated animals…have you been going around having to hold yerself back from petting random strangers on the street?”

Subaru looked very much like he desperately wanted to be anywhere else. Ferris practically collapsed onto the floor in hysterics. 

[“Umm…I’m sorry about all this,” Subaru was apologizing. “It looks like you ended up staying with me until I woke up, and—”]

[“Don’t get any ideas,” Emilia interrupted. “The only reason I stayed is because I still have some questions to ask you. If it weren’t for that, I would have left you behind, so don’t get any ideas.”]

“What sorts of questions could that boy ever be capable of answering in this situation?” Crusch muttered.

“I can think of a couple,” Anastasia answered carefully, eyes still fixated eagerly on the metia.

[“I know you’re trying to build this up and everything,” Subaru frowned. “But if you just have something to ask, then go right ahead.”]

[“I’m not asking, I’m commanding,” Emilia insisted. “You know something about my stolen badge, don’t you?”]

“Stolen…wait,” Crusch’s eyes widened. “Lady Emilia, did you—?”

It was Emilia’s turn to flush, looking rather embarrassed as so many of the audience’s eyes turned to her, each slowly filling with disbelief.

Anastasia spluttered. “You lost your insignia?!” she exclaimed. “And way back— Lady Emilia, the Royal Selection hadn’t even BEGUN yet!”

“Wasn’t really her fault,” Felt said apologetically. “Sorry again, Big Sis.”

“It was more or less my own fault for being careless,” Emilia reassured her, smiling guiltily.

Anastasia stared at her a moment longer, but refrained from saying anything more.

[Unfortunately for Emilia, however, Subaru knew nothing at all about her missing insignia.]

[“Well, if you don’t know, you don’t know,” Emilia decided. “But, the fact that you know absolutely nothing itself is information you have provided for me, and enough to justify healing you.” She clapped her hands. “Well, I’m in a hurry, so I’m going to get going now. Your wounds should all be healed, and I threatened those other guys so much I doubt they’ll go near you again, but it’s still dangerous to enter an alley like this alone. Oh, I’m not saying this because I’m worried about you; this is a warning: if I see you in a similar situation again, there won’t be any merit to me saving you, so you can’t expect me to do so again.”]

Otto stared at the metia, aghast. Anastasia turned her head, covering her smile with her hand as her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

Ram sighed. “Of course you would, Lady Emilia…”

[She was in such a hurry to find what was stolen from her, and yet she stopped to help me…and she even came up with that lame excuse for a favor so I wouldn’t feel I owed her, even though I’m a total stranger.]

[Subaru stared after her, thinking for a long moment, before he came to his decision.]

[“Anyone who lives like that—” He grabbed his drying belongings off a nearby crate, racing to catch up with Emilia before she left his sight entirely. “—is gonna end up wasting their whole life!”]

Crusch smiled. “So that’s why he loves you so much,” she observed. “It was your pure heart.”

“Captain always talks about how much he loves Emilia’s kindness,” Garfiel grinned. “And her beautiful eyes, and her lovely hair, and the graceful way she saunters through her day—”

“GARFIEL!” Subaru cried.

“That’s very naive,” Anastasia murmured reproachfully. “A kind heart is one that is easily beaten, after all…”

“Ah, I wouldn’t say that,” Ricardo grinned, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I still remember how I met YOU, way back in Kararagi. A lil’ orphan girl saving those two demihuman boys from slavers, nearly taking their place…and look at ya now.”

“Shush,” Anastasia grumbled, turning a little pink.

[“What is it?” Emilia was asking, Subaru having run out from the alley calling for her to wait. “I’m going to tell you right now, I only have a little more time to spend with you.”]

“Lady Emilia,” Otto groaned.

[“So a little is fine, then…? Anyway — what you lost is really important, right? Let me help you find it!”]

“Lady Emilia,” Anastasia said seriously, briefly turning away from the conversation onscreen. “Ya just lost yer insignia, and you — why? This was highly irresponsible, you realize.”

“Well this isn’t what happened, in the first place,” Emilia said uncomfortably. “But in the second place — how could I just sit back and do nothing, right? I would have done the same thing we’re seeing now, if this…really was how things happened back then.”

Anastasia sighed.

[“I don’t need anything in thanks,” Subaru was saying. “I’m the one who should thank YOU. That’s why I want to help.”]

[“I haven’t done anything deserving of your thanks. I’ve already gotten something in return for healing you.”]

“And she won’t even accept payment,” Otto muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Lady Emilia, please just— if someone OFFERS to repay a favor, then—”

Frederica sighed. But that was just like Emilia, wasn’t it?

[“If that’s the case, then I’ll help you for my own sake. The reason is…yeah, that’s it. I’ll use you for my ‘one good deed a day’ project!”]

[“One good deed a day?”]

[“That’s right. Once a day you do one good thing. If you do that, after you die you’ve got a one-way ticket to heaven! If I can do that, then a wonderful life of just eating and sleeping is waiting for me — so I hear! So that’s why I’m going to help you for my own sake.”]

“…What the hell is that logic?” Ricardo said, bewildered.

“It’s the logic behind an excuse is what it is,” Tivey answered, rolling his eyes. “It’s the same thing Lady Emilia was doing earlier, giving an excuse for why her helping him was definitely not for his sake. …These two…”

“It’s a good thing Captain’s so persistent when it comes to Lady Emilia,” Garfiel snickered.

Frederica smiled. And that excuse was just like Subaru, wasn’t it?

Anastasia sighed, shaking her head. “You two are perfect for each other,” she muttered.

[“I’m telling you,” Emilia finally relented. “I really can’t give you anything in return, alright?”]

[And thus, the search through the city began.]

“I reeally don’t remember this,” Emilia frowned. “I was searching for my insignia on my own, I know I was…”

“Maybe you forgot?” Mimi asked helpfully. “Mimi forgets things all the time!”

“That — can’t be it. I definitely remember meeting him later that very day, and…”

While Emilia fell deeper into her confusion, Ferris and Ricardo kept up a running commentary about how the duo’s onscreen search for Felt and the stolen insignia was going, each sentence making Subaru glower towards them grow more and more severe.

“And here we have an incredibly crude drawing of a random thief he saw once in an alley! It looks just like the real thing, doesn’t it? Ferri-chan is SURE that everyone who sees it would knyow who Subaru-kyun is talking about~”

“And there’s our unsung hero chasing after a random girl at a shopping stall, because obviously someone who’d just stolen a royal insignia would waste their time fiddling around the stores in the same area—”

“It’s not all that bad,” Julius tried to defend. “Subaru might not be — the most knowledgeable, here — but all of his plans so far seem to be at least reasonable —”

[Subaru tried to climb into an alleyway clearly labeled ‘KEEP OUT,’ stopped only by Emilia frantically pulling him back.]

Julius sighed. 

“Gotta admire the enthusiasm!” Ricardo laughed. Subaru squeaked something angrily at him, face bright red. The noise just made Ricardo laugh harder.

—Perhaps a little late, something suddenly occurred to Wilhelm.

“Wait a moment,” he frowned, blinking in confusion. “Lady Felt was the one who…?”

Felt winced. Ah, that was right…

“Er, yes,” Emilia confirmed, blinking in confusion. “O-Of course, it’s all water under the bridge now, so…”

Wilhelm shook his head. “My apologies, Lady Emilia, for worrying you,” he chuckled. “It was just — I remembered something very different from that day…”

Felt remembered it, too. While she had been waiting for the opportune moment to strike, Lady Emilia had been careless and had her purse stolen by one of the many pickpockets wandering the capital. Felt had chased after the pickpocket out of the fear that her targeted insignia was one of the items inside that purse, only for the Sword Demon to catch the thief first.

“So that was the ‘boorish thing’ that came up, Old Man Will?” Ferris smirked.

“I had given the purse back to Lady Felt, out of consideration that my assisting a rival Candidate would overcomplicate things,” Wilhelm confirmed. He rolled his shoulder. “…I hadn’t realized that Lady Emilia was Lady Felt’s target, as well.”

He had suspected that the young girl might be considering running off with that purse, but he had thought that a stern look would be more than enough o put an end to such inclinations in such a sharp and determined child.

“I DID give it back!” Felt said hastily. “The purse wasn’t what I was after anyway, so — I just threw it in with all the other stuff people were throwing at her, and she got it back then!”

Ram’s eyes widened. “All the stuff people were throwing at—?!”

“That’s putting it strangely,” Emilia said awkwardly. “I was putting on a bit of a performance to help — I was actually helping Mimi, come to think of it! Do you remember, Mimi?”

Mimi perked up. “I do, I do!” she exclaimed.

“Mimi?” Anastasia asked, looking a little startled.

“When Hetaro went and got lost like a dummy—” Hetaro squeaked as Mimi bopped him on the head. “I ended up eating out, but since Hetaro had the wallet, Mimi couldn’t pay. Mimi was GOING to pay with her staff, ‘cause she didn’t wanna be known as a dine-and-dasher, but then this silver-haired girl — that was you?”

“Yes, it was!” Emilia smiled. “I’m glad you remember,” she said honestly. “It was a little embarrassing, performing like that, but in retrospect it was kind of fun. I had always wondered how my purse ended up with everything else, though…”

Felt rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, not really knowing how to respond — especially considering she had proceeded to steal Emilia’s insignia just an hour or two later.

Subaru watched everyone with the look of a man watching a particularly entertaining ping-pong match, momentarily forgetting to play up his embarrassment. “Sounds like everyone had an eventful day back then,” he commented.

[I have practically no experience, when it comes to walking around the neighborhood alongside someone of the opposite sex… Subaru lamented. The last woman I’d walked around holding hands with was my mom, and outside of relatives, I haven’t had a good rapport with girls since primary school, when there was no distinction between men and…!]

“Oh, is that so?” Ferris cooed. “Poor little Subaru-kyun, so unlucky with the ladies~”

“I—” Subaru startled at the sudden change in targets. “Now, listen here—!”

“If it makes you feel better, Subaru,” Emilia smiled. “I didn’t have any experience walking around neighborhoods with the opposite sex, either…”

Or with anyone, she didn’t add.

Subaru stared at Emilia with a bright pink face, unable to say a word. EMT…!

[“E-Even so,” Subaru said, trying to distract himself. “This business of trying to find that girl among this crowd is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”] 

[“I guess you’re right…” Emilia admitted. “But it’s not like we can just give up. If we have to find a needle, then a needle we must find. Though I really only have myself to blame for letting my guard down.”]

The one who gets robbed is the fool. Anastasia remembered that thinking from back when she had been a hyena in the slums of Kararagi, and it was a way of thinking that she had maintained up to the present day. From the look on Felt’s face, Anastasia was fairly sure that the sentiment rang true within the slums of Lugunica as well.

It was good that Lady Emilia had recognized it, even if she hadn’t grown up in such conditions herself.

[She’s so pretty, Subaru couldn’t help but think. With snowy-white skin, amethyst eyes, hair like woven moonlight — and her outfit accents her perfectly, too… Absolutely my type, down to the last detail. She’s so beautiful that I feel like my eyes are about to explode!]

Emilia felt all the blood rush to her cheeks so fast that she ended up getting dizzy. “S-Subaru…!” she squeaked out.

The entire rest of the theater had busted out into loud cackles. Subaru looked almost as mortified as Emilia did, in that moment.

“I’m afraid you are going to have to get used to this, Lady Emilia,” Ram sighed.

Caught between embarrassment and pure, utter joy, Emilia had no choice but to bury her face in her hands.

[Subaru shook his head. “Either way,” he declared. “I owe you for helping me out, so I’m gonna give it my all for you — my young lady.“]

Felt winced. Hard. “Big Bro,” she said. “Never call her that again.”

Hearing it out loud, Subaru couldn’t help but agree.

[“I already told you that you don’t need to do any of this…” Emilia sighed. “You sure are an odd boy.”]

[“Well, even so…”]

“He isn’t going to leave you, Emilia,” Ram declared. “I am afraid moment Barusu spotted you, he latched on like a parasitic leech.”

“That’s mean,” Emilia pouted. “It‘a more like he started chasing after me like a stray puppy, you know…?”

“A stray mongrel you had found in a dumpster somewhere. Ram agrees.”

[“By the way,” Subaru said. “It feels like we’re going somewhere with less people around, are you sure it’s this way?”]

[Emilia blinked. “Wasn’t it you who knew the way?”]

“Useless, I suppose — both of you!” Beatrice threw her hands up in resignation.

Otto respected the both of them, really, he did. But — sometimes he wondered how these two had ever survived anything before he had arrived to split hairs keeping their Camp in check.

—Next to him, Frederica shook her head: she was wondering something similar herself.

[“Even with all of my experience,” Subaru sighed later, him and Emilia overlooking the Capital from a balcony on high. “I never thought it would be this difficult…”]

[“You seem to have a really high opinion of yourself, but I haven’t seen anything from you to prove it. No matter how you slice it, things aren’t going well.”]

Felt snickered, looking a little pleased with herself.

Emilia noticed. “Felt…” she frowned.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she apologized, trying to force down her smile. “But— I gotta take a bit of pride in my work, you know? It’d be embarrassing if you didn’t have to put up any fight at all…”

[“Wonder what she’s doing…?” Subaru said.]

[“Oh that?” Puck swished his tail. “She’s communicating with lesser spirits.”]

Julius blinked, a question suddenly coming to mind. “Did spirits exist where you came from, Subaru?” he asked.

“W-Well— not really?” Subaru shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “They were — certainly not like that. We had stories and stuff, but…we didn’t have magic either, see?”

“—No magic?” Julius couldn’t imagine how anything ever got done. “How did anything get done?”

“Technology, mostly. We had way more advanced tech, so we didn’t really need to worry about—”

[“Wow, that’s so cool! Are all of these glowing things spirits!”]

Julius recoiled, curiosity suddenly boiling into fright as Subaru leapt forward to unknowingly throw himself into the fire.

[Emilia yelped in surprise, all the spirits scattering to the winds at once.]

“What did you think you were doing?!” the knight snapped, momentarily forgetting that he was watching a memory as fright turned into anger.

Subaru recoiled at the sudden burst of anger. “I didn’t—!”

“That could have gone wrong so easily!” Julius continued, bristling with terrified rage. “If Lady Emilia weren’t such a talented user of the Spirit Arts, then you could very easily have blown the both of you up with such a reckless stunt!”

[“Oh come on,” the Subaru onscreen was saying. “There’s no way those little sparkly things could be dangerous. Do you really expect me to believe that?”]

Julius looked like he was on the verge of a seizure. “LITTLE SPARKLY THINGS?!?!”

“Juli, Juli—” It was Ferris, of all people, who took pity on him. “This is a memory,” he reminded the knight. “Subaru-kyun is obviously fine nyow, so let’s let it slide, nyes? We all knyew he was a little stupid anyway…”

“I didn’t realize he was going around doing THIS—!”

“I have a feeling yer gonna see him do so much worse,” Ricardo sighed, clapping him on the shoulder. This had the opposite effect from calming Julius down.

Trapped in his jar, Subaru looked very much like he wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor of the glass.

[“I was trying to see if I could get any information from them about what I’m looking for. They disappeared before I was able to ask them, though.”]

[“What?! Really?!”]

[Emilia tried to backtrack hastily at the guilty look on Subaru’s face, but had to give up and admit that he had indeed screwed up her plan.]

Anastasia sighed. “I woulda kicked him aside as soon as he did something like that,” she muttered.

“Well that’s why Lady Emilia isn’t you,” Garfiel scowled.

”Garfiel—” Frederica began to warn.

“Don’t talk to my Lady like that!” Mimi scolded, pouting. “I won’t make exceptions for that, even from you, Garf!”

[This is bad, both considering the debt I owe and that she’s my one precious connection in this world… I’m gonna do my best to cling to this relationship and not let go…!]

The entire theater winced simultaneously.

“Ah,” Anastasia said. “That— might explain a few things.”

Ram snorted derisively, folding her arms. “Pathetic,” she said. 

Subaru winced, hard. Hearing that aloud, he couldn’t help agreeing with her wholeheartedly.

“Don’t worry, silly Barusu,” Ram added, rolling her eyes. “You can heel like a dog at our sides as much as you want.”

[“Ah, now that I think of it, we haven’t told each other our names yet, have we?” Emilia said. “Should we introduce ourselves?”]

[“Oh, you’re right,” Subaru realized. “Well, then, I guess I’ll go ahead and go first!”]

[And with that, the stupid boy stuck his arm up and his hip out in one of the dumbest poses any of them had ever seen. “My name is Natsuki Subaru!” he declared. “Not only am I clueless, but I’m also broke beyond compare! Nice to meet ya!”]

Wilhelm finally completely failed in his efforts to disguise his laughter behind fake coughs, nearly falling over in the process. He almost managed to recollect himself, only for him to catch sight of Subaru staring at him from his jar with large, wounded eyes, at which point he devolved into hysterics all over again.

Ram pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly. “This is what Lady Emilia decided to drag home,” she muttered. “Some random, idiot foreigner she found knocked out by a dumpster in an alley.”

“Certainly was a choice on her part,” Frederica sighed.

“Captain hasn’t done anything wrong!” Garfiel protested. “I think he looks cool!”

Tivey and Hetaro both glanced at their sister with looks of silent disappointment.

Anastasia chuckled. Unconventional it may be, that sort of open enthusiasm held unique charm and potential both. She would be unwise to waste such an opportunity if it had fallen into her lap.

[“And I’m Puck! Nice to meet you!” With that, the little gray spirit flew right into Subaru’s outstretched hand.]

“To so casually touch a Great Spirit,” Julius hissed, looking as though he were on the verge of an aneurism. “And the Beast of the End, no less…!”

“I mean he did wake up in that thing’s lap earlier,” Ferris pointed out.

Unfortunately, Subaru’s stunt with the lesser spirits had made Julius completely unable to look at his casual behavior as anything other than the actions of a boy who had no idea how dangerous the world around him really was, and thus he could no longer find that situation funny.

[“Just where did you come from?” Emilia asked.]

[“Ha, I was waiting for you to ask that!” Subaru grinned, puffing out his chest. “Given the trope, I’ll have to say that I come from a small country to the east!”]

[“Er — Lugunica is the furthest to the east, so there’s country to the east of here.”]

[“Eh?! There’s nothing east of here?!”]

“I am so happy that he didn’t say he was from the South,” Otto groaned.

Julius looked like he was about to have an aneurysm at the very thought.

[“So you don’t know where you are, you don’t have any money, you can’t read, and you have nobody to help you,” Emilia said, looking very worried. “I’m starting to think that you might be in a more precarious position than I am…”]

“Ah.” Anastasia grimaced. “That’s…”

For all that she had been excited at that revelation, she hadn’t considered this aspect of the phenomenon of people appearing from beyond the Great Waterfall.

“…Thank goodness he met the one person in the city who’d be willing to take in someone like that,” Crusch said.

[“Taking another look at you, you’re actually in pretty good shape. Um… Uh… Subaru.”]

Ferris started giggling uncontrollably. Everyone else managed to stifle theirs.

“Shut up…” Subaru whimpered again.

[“Hm? Oh. Yep. Subaru. That’s my name. …I do strength training every day! Since I’m almost always cooped up in my room, I’ve got to do at least that much to stay in shape.”]

All of the much, much stronger men in the room looked at his comparatively squishy form with amusement.

“That’s his idea of staying in shape?” Rom mused. “Must’ve been a pretty squishy world he was from…”

[“You’re from a high-ranking family, aren’t you? Weren’t you taught some martial art?”]

[“I’m actually from an extremely ordinary middle class family, but…what makes you think I’m from a high class family? Do I exude some refined air of nobility?”]

[“Well you do have a curious air to you, at least.”]

Julius had finally started to calm down enough to giggle at that a bit. Refined Natsuki Subaru, he thought to himself. He couldn’t picture it.

“Could probably pass as one of those eccentric types,” Felt offered. “Like your sponsor.”

Subaru squawked loudly.

Roswaal pursed his lips. “Is being compared to me offensive, Subaru-kuuun~?”

“Very! And in so very many ways, too!”

Anastasia didn’t laugh, lost in thought as she was. An extremely ordinary middle class family, he had said…

What did that look like, in Natsuki’s world?

[“It’s also these fingers of yours, but your skin and hair are part of it as well. These aren’t the hands of a commoner, and your muscles don’t look like the product of hard labor.”]

Wilhelm coughed into his fist to hide his smile at the blush on Subaru’s face. In the present day, Subaru had resumed burying his face in his knees.

“Aww, Subaru-kyun has such slender, pretty hands,” Ferris cooed. “Lady Emilia must have fallen in love with them at first sight~”

Subaru squeaked out something completely intelligible, refusing to lift his head.

[“If you’re asking me whether you’re wrong or right…you’re absolutely wrong, but is there any way I can say it so you won’t get hurt?”]

[“If I’m wrong, just tell me I’m wrong! If you don’t, it’s just going to be more embarrassing for me…”]

“To be fair, I don’t think anyone would have been able to guess THAT,” Crusch muttered.

“Would’ve been nice to know,” Otto sighed.

”It really would have been,” Frederica agreed.

“I did tell you guys!” Subaru protested hotly, voice high-pitched. “It’s not my fault that apparently none of you believed me!”

[“But…really, this isn’t looking very good,” Emilia murmured.]

[“…What am I, an idiot? Well yeah, I’m an idiot, just what have I been doing all this time…!”]

Everyone watched as Subaru quickly started to devise a plan for how to proceed next. It was rather basic, coming down to following the thief to the slum area of the capital, where she was likely from, and where they might be able to barter for what she had stolen, but—

“That’s not a terribly thought out plan,” Anastasia commented. 

“Captain’s a very good planner,” Garfiel said proudly. “Ya should’ve seen him against the Great Rabbit: as pathetic as he might seem at times, he’s really incredible when it counts!”

“I’m not pathetic…” Subaru whimpered soulfully. Garfiel devolved from his preening into a flurry of cackles.

(Frederica chuckled a bit at the slight satisfaction that flashed through Subaru’s eyes at the sight of his friend’s laughter. Such was his nature, was it not?) 

[“I was just surprised. You really do have a good head on your shoulders.”]

[“Well, rather than a logical conclusion, it’s more that it’s a common theme in medieval fantasy—”]

Otto sighed. “Of course.”

Julius frowned, a pit opening up in his stomach as he realized—

“Just how many of Subaru’s actions came from him attempting to imitate fairytales?” he asked quietly.

“…I mean,” Ferris shrugged. “If it works, it works, nyes?”

Julius didn’t know how to feel about that.

[“I was just thinking… I know your cat’s name, now, but I don’t think you ever told me your name, haha.”]

“That’s not a CAT, Subaru,” Julius gritted out, his anxieties flaring up all over again.

“Easy, there, Juli,” Ferris soothed. “That thing that is definyitely nyot a cat very much likes Subaru-kyun, so—”

[“Satella.”]

The theater froze.

“…What??” Emilia squeaked out.

Julius’ face drained of color.

“…That can’t actually be the Witch of Envy,” Ferris said, all of the mirth abruptly drained from his voice. “It can’t — she’s sealed in that shrine —”

“No— that’s definitely Emilia,” Anastasia agreed slowly. “Her Great Spirit, her insignia, her mannerisms…” Slowly, she turned to face the half-elf sitting frozen in the middle of the room. “Lady Emilia,” she said. “Why would you say something like that?”

“I don’t know!” Emilia insisted, eyes wide. “I don’t remember anything like this!”

“I should hope not, Lady Emilia,” Ram said. Her tone was unusually cross, compared to what it normally was like when she spoke with her liege. “Forgive me for saying this, but that would be in rather poor taste.”

”I have to agree,” Frederica said gravely.

“He doesn’t even know,” Otto choked out, watching as the Subaru onscreen completely failed to respond appropriately. “He has no idea what you just—!”

“All of you are freaking out over nothing!”

Everyone stopped.

Subaru was glowering at them from his cage. “So she made a stupid joke,” he brushed off. “It’s not a big deal. Who cares? And nobody even remembers this, so there’s REALLY no point in trying to argue about who was right or wrong here. Would all of you just chill out?”

Ferris blinked at him, and then grinned. “Was somebody getting jealous of all the attention being on Lady Emilia?” he cooed.

Subaru blinked, startled out of his anger. “Wh—What?!”

“Aww, don’t worry, Subaru-kyun~” Ferris said sweetly. “We can give nyew aaaall the attention nyew want!”

“Wait— Wait, stop—!”

“Would that finyally sate nyer otherworldly fantasies, I wonder~?”

Beatrice watched with amusement as Subaru squawked, his face returned to a brilliant shade of crimson. Ferris’ distraction had worked, at least. All of the attention was now firmly off of Subaru’s silly half-elf girl and on him. …Even if it wasn’t exactly in the way that her contractor may have wished for.

[“Hey, Subaru,” Emilia said. “Do you think that kid is lost?”]

Wilhelm sucked in a breath, but before he could say anything—

“That’s Plum!” Emilia exclaimed.

“…You two have met?” Wilhelm clarified.

“Yes! —Well, not like this, it was — Subaru wasn’t there, but—” Emilia shook her head, taking a deep breath. “Yes,” she said. “Plum is a little girl I met once, when she got lost in the capital. Her father is that appa salesman Subaru met earlier.”

“Kadomon,” Wilhelm confirmed.

“—Oh, right. You mentioned you knew this family…” That detail had slipped Emilia’s mind entirely. Her cheeks grew warm. “Sorry, Wilhelm-san.”

Wilhelm forced down a laugh. “It’s quite alright, Lady Emilia.”

[“You know, your kindness is a great virtue,” Subaru was frowning. “And given the fact that I myself was saved by that kindness I really don’t want to say this, but do you have any idea what situation you’re in right now?”]

“He’s not actually wrong,” Anastasia sighed. “But we all know what she is going to do, I assume…”

[“But don’t you see?” Emilia insisted. “Look at her, she’s crying. …If you don’t want to stick around with me, that’s just fine. Thank you for everything you’ve done, Subaru. I’ll figure this out on my own. After I help that little girl.”]

Anastasia’s prediction was confirmed.

“I can’t imagine that went well,” Julius mused. “Children are often told stories about the Witch of Envy…”

“What is THAT supposed to mean?” Garfiel snapped, firing up at the suspected insult towards his liege.

”Garfiel,” Frederica started to murmur, but the metia demonstrated the issue before she could explain it out loud.

[Sure enough, when Emilia went to help Plum, the little girl caught sight of her silver hair and pointed ears and only started to cry harder.]

Garfiel wilted. “Oh,” he said.

Emilia smiled sadly. It hadn’t gone exactly this way, but…

Anastasia sighed, a twinge of guilt resurfacing over how she had initially treated her fellow candidate. It had been smart, to refuse to speak with the half-elf that looked exactly like the Witch of Envy for fear of soiling her own reputation: she knew that much. …But it couldn’t have been easy for such a kind-hearted girl to have gone through life with this as the expected reaction to her face alone.

“How is Natsuki-san going to—?” Otto began to wonder, but he didn’t even have to finish his sentence to find out.

[“Now, feast your eyes on this magnificent notched ten-yen coin!”]

“What in Od’s name is that idiot—” Ram said sourly.

[“Now, can you see this coin in my right hand? I bet you can! Alright, now I’m going to squeeze it tight. Like this…squeeze, squeeze, squeeze…”]

[“Wait, Subaru…what are you…?”]

“Ah,” Emilia put a hand to her mouth, smiling. “It’s this trick.”

“This trick?” Anastasia repeated.

“It’s a bit — what do you call it, Subaru?” Subaru didn’t answer her, still covering his face in the mortification raised by Ferris’ continued assault. “Sleight of hand, he told me… Basically, he switches which hand the coin is in, and—”

[“Would you look at that!” Subaru exclaimed, pulling the coin out from behind Plum’s ear. “So this is where that coin was hiding.”]

“Like that, see?” Emilia nodded. “He was reeally excited to show me.”

“Excited, nyew say?” Ferris perked up, his tail curling mischievously. “Was Subaru-kyun looking forward to showing off to his otherworldly fanta—?”

“STOOOOP—!”

[“I’ll let you keep it as a present,” Subaru said casually. “It’s special, so take good care of it, okay?”]

Anastasia stared at the metia, almost speechless. “An irreplaceable artifact from beyond the Great Waterfall,” she managed. “And you — gave it away??”

“It made her happy, didn’t it?” Subaru defended, flushed pink.

Anastasia didn’t even know where to start with that. Nearby, Rom took a deep breath, and exhaled.

[“How did you do that?” Emilia asked.]

[“Oh, you mean that? You’re not questioning my motives, but how I did the trick?”]

“It’s a good question,” Felt said, side-eyeing Emilia. “You’re trusting this suspicious nobody an awful lot, you know…”

“I still don’t remember any of this,” Emilia pointed out. Felt shrugged.

[“Subaru, is your profession taming children?”]

Frederica hissed softly, thinking of Clind.

Ram coughed loudly into her fist. “I believe there was a better way to word that, Lady Emilia!”

[“The way we are right now, don’t you think there are some people out there who look at us and think that we’re a young couple with our child? How embarrassing!”]

“Didn’t even hesitate!” Ricardo cackled.

“Absolutely shameless,” Crusch said, amazed. “It’s almost impressive.”

Ferris snickered, remembering the Royal Selection Ceremony. “Oh, nyew haven’t seen ‘shameless’ yet, Cruschie~”

“SHUT UUUUP—!” Subaru cried.

[“…Huh? Even with the benefit of the doubt I don’t see how anyone would think that you and that girl are anything other than brother and sister…”]

Julius wheezed, clutching his chest. “Ow,” he managed.

“I can’t believe that didn’t stop him forever,” Garfiel snickered. “Captain never quits, apparently…”

“I can believe it,” Ram sighed. “The healer is correct: you haven’t seen ANYTHING yet.”

Subaru went back to burying his face in his knees.

[“So, I get the feeling we’ve wasted a lot of time here, but what benefit will you insist that you got out of this?” Subaru snapped his finger as a cue.]

[“That’s easy. Now we can continue our search with our minds at ease, right?”]

“This is one of the most bizarre comedy sketches I’ve ever watched,” Otto muttered.

“You aren’t any better than they are, merchant,” Ram pointed out.

“I like to think I have a bit more awareness of my own needs!” he said hotly.

Garfiel coughed hastily into his fist, remembering all the times he had needed to drag his older brother figure away from work, away from the bottle, away from starving himself in his room of food and sleep alike for days on end. He didn’t even need to bring it up verbally: Otto’s face reddened and he turned away. “Oh, be quiet…”

Anastasia eyed both of these exchanges with growing amazement.

[“Since you helped that little girl, doesn’t that count for your good deed of the day already?”]

[“That’s a very good argument!” Subaru admitted. “But it’s not like I’m limited to one good deed a day or anything. I can do more. So anyway, I’m going to do enough for tomorrow today! I’m actually planning to get a whole week’s out of the way!”]

[“With a personality like that, you’re going to end up losing everything one day.”]

[“You’re the last person I want to hear that from!”]

Anastasia rubbed her eyes, exhaling slowly. She was fighting back a smile. “You two deserve each other,” she repeated.

“I’m just saying,” Garfiel was grinning. “You wrote a suicide note in your diary because you planned to go and fight to the death for your beloved Natsuki-san’s sake less than a week after—”

“Would you let go of that already?!” Otto cried, his face a dark red.

Apparently you ALL deserve each other, the Merchant Princess added silently.

[“You really are a nice boy, aren’t you?”]

[“It kinda bothers me that you’re treating me like I’m so much younger than you. I know that a lot of people think East Asians are younger than they are, but we really can’t be that different in age, can we?”]

“East Asians?” Anastasia repeated.

“It’s — uh — my ethnicity,” Subaru explained awkwardly, meekly leaning away from a laughing Ferris who had momentarily paused in his assault. “It refers to — like — on a map, my ethnicity comes from the furthest to the east…”

”Ah,” Ricardo said. “I think ya mentioned coming from the east before.”

”Y-Yeah.” Subaru relaxed the tiniest bit. “I come from an island nation, kinda,” he said. “It’s called Japan, and it’s surrounded by water on all sides. West of it is a massive continent, many times bigger than all of Lugunica…!”

Anastasia listened with interest.

[“However old you think I am, I don’t think that you’re very close.” Emilia bit her lip. “…After all, I’m a half-elf.”]

[Subaru blinked. “…I see…”]

“You recognized that, then,” Anastasia noted. “Why weren’t you scared of her, if you recognized what an elf was?”

Subaru didn’t answer. He knew how he’d responded to Emilia’s revelation, and he was already moving to cover his ears, dizzy with mortification.

[“No wonder you’re so cute,” Subaru said. “After all, it’s like a given in fantasy worlds that elves are always beautiful.”]

Wilhelm started laughing again.

“Bullseye!” Ricardo cheered.

Rom snorted, quickly turning his laughter into a hasty cough.

“Oh,” Anastasia said.

“A—” Emilia put her hand to her face, blushing. “Ah.”

“You should be used to his flirting by now, Lady Emilia,” Ram said.

“…It still takes me by surprise sometimes,” she finally said, smiling softly.

“Look at her face,” Mimi giggled.

[Emilia had turned away from Subaru, holding her head as if suddenly feeling very dizzy, and was now moving to kneel by the nearest wall.]

Subaru looked like he never, ever wanted to leave his jar. Ferris looked like he would be waiting outside to jump him if he ever did, a huge, catlike grin spreading across his cheeks.

[“Take that!” Puck suddenly flew out from Emilia’s hair and punched Subaru in the cheek.]

Julius stiffened. Ferris noticed, his smile fading slightly as his eyes took in a more serious look. “Easy, Juli,” he repeated.

[“Ow!” Subaru yelped, more out of surprise than actual pain. “What was that for??”]

[“I just had to do something about the unbearable tingle I feel!” Puck exclaimed, practically vibrating with joyful excitement.]

[“I can’t accept being hit for a reason like that, but it was soft and squishy so I’ll forgive you.”]

[“I didn’t hit you out of anger or anything! The opposite, in fact—”]

“That’s possibly the greatest seal of approval Subaru-kyun could have received,” Ferris pointed out, grinning. “He’s fine.”

Julius — relaxed. Just a little bit.

[“Subaru,” Emilia finally declared, stumbling back to her feet. “You’re such a dunderhead!”]

[“Dunderhead?” Subaru frowned. “Who says that in this day and age…and what have I done to be insulted by you?”]

[“If you don’t understand, that’s not my problem,” Emilia huffed, still flushed. “More importantly, we’ve got to continue our search…”]

“Ooh, he really got ya, lil’ missy…” Ricardo whistled. Anastasia elbowed him.

Emilia buried her face in her hands, unable to contain her wide smile.

[“So that’s the situation,” Subaru was saying happily. “I told her ‘Leave it to me!’ and came over to see you, Mr. Fruit Salesman.”]

“Oh no,” Ram groaned. “Off he goes, bothering the appa salesman with his ridiculousness all over again.”

Wilhelm sighed — smiling, but knowing Kadomon’s temper all too well.

[“Oh, don’t be so cold, Pops,” Subaru wheedled. “You were acting pretty nice to me not all that long ago.”]

[“That’s because I thought you were a customer,” Kadomon said coldly. “If I had known you had no money on you, I would have chased you out earlier. Like I’m about to do right now.”]

“Pops?” Ricardo teased.

“Is everyone from beyond the Great Waterfall this friendly with strangers?” Anastasia mused. “Must be some cultural difference…”

Rom blinked. That — would explain a few things about what had happened when he and Subaru had first met, yes.

Frederica tilted her head. It really would explain…

“Wait!” Mimi suddenly straightened up, eyes darting over to where Subaru sat in his cage. “Does that mean we’ve been really rude?” she called over worriedly. “Mimi’s really sorry if—”

“No, no!” Subaru waved his hands frantically. “You’ve been great, really! I just— it’s nothing to worry about, okay?! Please don’t worry about it!”

This did not do much to reassure Mimi, whose frown deepened ever so slightly.

[“Um, Subaru,” Emilia corrected sheepishly when he gestured towards her as a possible customer. “I hate to say this when you’ve got your hopes up, but I don’t have any money on me.”]

“Both of you are useless, I suppose,” Beatrice sighed, shaking her head. Emilia smiled shyly back at her. “Lady Anastasia is right, in fact: you’re perfect for each other.”

[Just as Kadomon was about to chase them off—]

[“Hmm? Are you two…from before?”]

“Well isn’t that lucky,” Wilhelm chuckled.

Emilia raised her chin proudly. “Doing the right thing always pays off in the end,” she declared. “One way or another.”

“Lady Emilia…” Otto sighed.

Anastasia shook her head, smiling slightly.

[“I’m sorry about that,” Kadomon apologized. “That was no way to talk to the people who saved my daughter. Please forgive me.”]

[“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Emilia reassured him. “I mean, it is true that we don’t have any money on us, and…”]

[“That’s right, old man!” Subaru declared. “I hope you think long and hard about your act…ions…” He wilted a little at the look on Emilia’s face. “Um, your cute face looks pretty scary right now…”]

Subaru buried his face back into his knees, croaking out something intelligible again as Ferris and Ricardo went back to pointing and laughing at him for being a spoiled little brat.

Emilia sighed.

“Ya might wanna consider giving him some proper training,” Anastasia giggled.

[“Please, take it,” Raksha was insisting, Plum holding up a little broach for Emilia to take. “My daughter wants to thank you in her own way.”]

[“Thank you,” Emilia smiled, accepting the gift. “I like it very much.”]

“Subaru isn’t a bad boy,” Emilia protested. “He’s just…a little rash sometimes, that’s all.”

Julius covered his mouth with his hand to hide his chuckling. 

[Kadomon cleared his throat. “You saved my daughter,” he said. “I want to thank you. Ask me whatever you want.”]

[And so, Subaru and Emilia finally had a proper lead.]

“I guess it did work out,” Otto sighed. “Somehow.”

“Of course it did,” Garfiel said, raising an eyebrow. “It’s Captain and Lady Emilia. Things ALWAYS work out when they’re involved!”

“Yeah, some people always have a way of making it work!” Mimi nodded eagerly, completely understanding where Garfiel was coming from. “Boss Lady is like that!”

“Exactly!” Garfiel crowed proudly. “They always make things work out!”

[“…Are you a little nervous perhaps?” Puck’s voice whispered.]

“The Great Spirit?” Julius blinked. “His voice sounds a little…”

It was a bit muffled, wasn’t it?

[“Just a little,” Emilia smiled. Her lips barely moved as she responded — or were they even moving at all? “But now’s not the time to worry about such things.”]

Were they — listening in on a telepathic conversation as contracted partners, perhaps? …Or maybe they really were just speaking quietly. Julius supposed it didn’t matter, either way.

[“He’s a strange young man, isn’t he?” Emilia reflected. “Odd dress, unusual hair and eyes, and he often says things I’ve never even heard of before. —Probably a foreigner, but he’s also strange in other ways. Both prudent and overconfident, and knows a lot while lacking in common sense…”]

“Ouch,” Ricardo laughed.

“I think it’s a fair assessment, given the circumstances,” Anastasia muttered.

Subaru looked at Emilia, eyes wide with betrayal.

Emilia stuck her tongue out at him playfully. “You know that I’m right, Subaru,” she said.

“Yes,” he sighed. “Yes, Emilia-tan… You we’re completely right.”

[“But it’s definitely thanks to Subaru that we were able to get closer to our objective,” Puck pointed out. “You have to give him credit for that. …Don’t you think he’d be delighted if you gave him some praise?”]

[“Quit with the silly talk,” Emilia scolded. “I doubt he’d be delighted even if I said something to him.”]

Well, Emilia had certainly not been right about THAT.

Behind her, Ram was laughing. Emilia turned to pout in her direction.

[“But that boy gave off the impression that he didn’t care about stuff like your identity, didn’t he?” Puck pointed out. “…I don’t know what you think about that though. Satella-san.”]

The Emilia onscreen had deserved the rebuke. She had absolutely deserved it.

[“I’ve never felt so ashamed before, and yet…why am I so happy, that he responded to me that way?” Emilia sighed to herself, a slight blush on her face. “Maybe I’m just a reaaaally bad person…”]

“No!” Subaru spoke up, rounding in her with wide eyes. “You could never be a bad person, Emilia-tan!”

Emilia jumped in surprise, her face growing warm. “S-Subaru?!”

“Emilia-tan is a WONDERFUL person!” Subaru insisted, crossing his arms. “I won’t stand for a word suggesting anything else — not even from you!”

If Emilia died from embarrassment right here and now — well. She would certainly die happy, would she not?

[“Hm?” Subaru was shaken out of his thoughts. “Did you say something?”]

[“…No, nothing,” Emilia decided. “Let’s just hurry and search the slums.”] 

[Far too quietly for Subaru to hear, Emilia murmured, “How could I ever reward this young man after he’s led me this far…?”]

“Big Sis forgot that she saved his life, didn’t she?” Felt laughed.

Emilia blushed slightly. That sounded like something she’d do, yes.

[“We heard from that guy that if we were looking for stolen goods, they would be handled and sold in the slums, but…the air down there and the mood, not to mention the general character of the people down there, seems like it would be pretty terrible.” Subaru looked at Emilia. “Are you sure you want to go?”]

[“You’re the one who suggested my badge might be down there in the first place, and the owner of that shop said it would probably be there, too…”]

[“You probably shouldn’t forget that right after he said that, he added that we should probably give up.”]

Felt snorted. “Good to know Rom and I were that infamous a pair,” she said.

“Lady Felt…” Reinhard sighed.

Subaru started, played-up embarrassment dropping as he finally realized something important. “Wait—”

His first meeting with Emilia. The search for her insignia. Their conversation on the bridge. Plum. The Loot House—

[“So whether you decide to go or turn back, you’d better decide soon,” Puck yawned. “I’ve only got about an hour before it’s time-up for me…”]

“Wait— WAIT!” Subaru jumped to his feet, waving his arms frantically.

“Subaru?!” Emilia called out, startled.

How could he have been so stupid?

“You can’t show them this!” Subaru cried, eyes darting around. Who was responsible for this? Where were they? He had to— “You can’t! If you really— If you really KNOW, then you know why you can’t show this! Please, stop! Stop!”

[“If you’re scared,” Emilia said, “You can wait here for me to come back.”]

“Subaru—?” Julius blinked, caught off guard.

“Subaru, what—!” Beatrice tried to ask.

“Just let us go!” Subaru begged, suddenly on his feet. “Please, I’ll — I’ll do anything you want! If you let them know then— then—!”

“Subaru-dono!”

Subaru’s head jerked to the side, catching Wilhelm’s eye.

“…Subaru-dono,” he said, a little more calmly. “We talked about this, remember? We won’t judge you, for any of this. It’ll be alright.”

“That’s not—!”

“Then what is it?”

Subaru stared back at him, helplessly silent. But the metia played on, and eventually he had no choice but to sit back down on his cage and let it happen.

[“So in other words you don’t want to be in front,” Emilia sighed. “That would really, really make it easier on me, though…”]

“Forcing her to take the lead, hm?” Ferris teased, trying to distract him from — whatever that had been. “How knyightly, Subaru-kyun. Nyot so in line with nyer otherworldly fantasies, hmm~”

“Or maybe it iiis,” Ricardo cooed. He wasn’t quite so good at hiding the worry in his eyes as the healer was. “Maybe it’s Subaru’s otherworldly fantasy to be the Lady, eh? With a lovely, loyal knight to defend him from all the evils of the world~!”

Subaru didn’t respond to either of them this time, eyes glassy and far away as he stared intently at the metia.

[Satella is getting more and more discouraged here… Subaru frowned. Did I screw up by acting as her escort?]

Emilia blinked. “Ah…?”

Did Subaru — Had he regretted trying to help her, at some point?

[I think we’ve been making decent progress, but — every time she looks my way, she sighs like…]

“Ah…” Emilia let out a breath. She had been silly for even considering such a thing.

[“I mean,” Subaru sulked aloud. “It sure is damaging when someone looks at your face and sighs at it. And if that isn’t painful enough already, it becomes four times as effective when a beautiful girl does it…”]

Wilhelm chuckled, wincing slightly. He understood that feeling well. No young man enjoyed being sighed at by a pretty woman.

Though, he was fairly certain that the cause in this case was something that Lady Emilia had done wrong, as opposed to something done wrong by Subaru.

[“Though, well,” Subaru admitted. “I don’t really have any life experience to match with this sort of thing.”]

[That’s why I’m using my liveliness to cover for my lack of experience, here…!]

“Is this nyer first time out with a girl, Subaru-kyun?” Ferris grinned. “Nyew said that it is, right…?”

Subaru didn’t say a thing in return.

[Though, Subaru lamented. All of my attempts to lighten the mood keep falling flat. And she appears to just be getting more and more discouraged by them, no less..]

“Your efforts are making Lady Emilia more discouraged, not less, Barusu,” Ram sighed. “—Though for once, that isn’t really your fault.”

Emilia winced, but Ram was correct. She was absolutely correct…

[“I have to let her see my cool side by showing her some results,” Subaru huffed. “I NEED to take advantage of this windfall…”]

“Oh do you, now?” Rom asked mildly.

Subaru didn’t take the bait at all.

Ferris frowned. Teasing Subaru was no fun if he didn’t respond to it.

[“Here,“ an elderly woman declared, giving him some dried fruit. “Eat this and live strong.”]

Felt blinked. “Wow,” she said.

In a place where food was often difficult to come across…just how pitiable did Subaru look, in the eyes the local slum-dwellers?

[“Wow!” Subaru smiled gratefully. “Thanks!”]

[I don’t think I’m courageous enough to put this in my mouth, though…!]

“Please don’t go eating random offerings from strangers,” Julius pleaded. “It’ll end up giving you a horrible stomachache, one of these days—!”

“Subaru-kyun does like to act like a particularly stupid child, sometimes?” Ferris giggled.

Subaru didn’t respond to that, either. Ferris’ face fell in disappointment.

[“Guess I’ll just feed it to Puck or something,” Subaru decided. “Come here kitty-kitty~” He started clicking his tongue, offering out the miscellaneous dried fruit like a treat for a stray.

“Subaru…!” Julius really was going to have a heart attack, if he kept watching Subaru treat the Beast of the End like a harmless pet kitty.

“Subaru…” Emilia said, disapproving of the action for an entirely different reason.

[“Please don’t give him anything strange,” her onscreen self sighed, echoing her present self’s trepidations. “It’d be a real pain if he were to get a taste for it.”]

“That kid’s really going around using Great Spirits as trash disposals, isn’t he?” Ricardo chortled. Julius gripped his hair so hard he dimly feared that he might tear it out at the roots.

[“If you think that I’m going to fall for these cheap tricks that only work when feeding strays, then you’re sorely mistaken,” Puck added.]

[I know he says he’s a spirit, and all — but I really can’t see him as anything more than a particularly peculiar cat.]

“He’s NOT!” Julius shouted, angry and scared all at once. “That is NOT a CAT, you absolute IDIOT…!”

[That girl also feels like she’s treating him more like a pet than a spirit, really, with a response like that.]

“Ya have to admit, Jules,” Anastasia grinned. “He’s right about that.”

Julius didn’t care. He really, really didn’t care—!

[“The way you’re saying it,“ Subaru noted. “You sound to me like a character flag where you’ve been completely hooked in…” And if I press the right buttons now, I can get a prize!]

“Character flag?” Anastasia questioned.

Subaru didn’t answer her. She filed the question away for later.

[“Hmmph,” Puck pouted. “You can only say these things to me now. Just you wait until I unleash my true strength, you shall regret all of your careless remarks… Meowmeowmeow !”]

“Subaru—!” Julius shouted, darting to his feet immediately at the sudden movement. It wasn’t like he could do anything, but—!

[“You sure are damn good at raising and triggering flags…” Subaru grinned. All bark and no bite, I see!]

[“It pains me to admit it...” Puck sighed, batting at the makeshift cat toy the boy had dangled over his nose. “But I really can’t resist playing with it...!”]

[Nearby, Emilia couldn’t help giggling at their antics.]

Julius nearly collapsed backwards in relief. He felt dizzy. Frederica felt a little bad: she couldn’t help but giggle at his antics.

“It’s kinda amazing, to see the Beast of the End acting like a cute little kitten,” Hetaro giggled.

“I wanna play, too…” Mimi pouted.

“Onee-chan,” Tivey pleaded. “Please, don’t follow that idiot’s example—”

For one thing, Tivey wasn’t sure that Julius’ heart would be able to take it.

[Subaru was grinning at her smiling face. Discreetly, he gave Puck a thumbs-up — to which Puck gave a discreet nod, in return.]

[That girl looks far better with a smile on her face, he thought triumphantly. On that, the two of us are in agreement!]

Emilia really was lucky, Crusch thought with a smile. It was rare to find a retainer who cared so much about making their Lady smile, just for the sake of it.

It was rarer still, for that retainer to find YOU.

[“For some unknown reason, the people in the slums are very nice to me!” Subaru crowed happily. “Has my charm stat finally been adjusted? I haven’t felt so loved since I was in preschool!”]

“It’s probably because he’s so filthy,” Felt snickered. “I think he looks worse off than most of the people living in the slums.”

“It really is a sight to behold,” Anastasia sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she braced her elbow against the armrest of her seat. “The graceful Royal Candidate and the strange foreign nobody she appears to have pulled out from a dumpster somewhere.”

Ram scoffed.

[“Well you do have your evil-looking eyes, short ears, and flat nose on your face…”]

[“I could have gone without the evil eyes and flat nose descriptions!”]

[“Hmm… It probably has something to do with the way you look and are dressed right now. You’re covered in dust and dirt and there are even traces of blood. The people who live here also have it hard, so they must look at you in pity and can’t help but be kind to you…”]

[“Right now you’re doing a good job at making me feel as bad as I look! But you’re right! It makes perfect sense! Damn it all!”]

“I think you’re very pretty, Subaru,” Emilia tried to insist.

“Nyaww, isn’t that sweet?” Ferris cooed, putting his hands together in an exaggerated swooning motion as he tried yet again. “Doesn’t it just make nyew so giddy, to knyow that nyer otherworldly fantasy things that nyer soooo pretty, Subaru-kyun? …Subaru-kyun?”

Subaru didn’t even answer. Had he even registered that Emilia had spoken? He was staring at the metia, tense as a tripwire from head to toe…

[“Well, don’t worry too much,” Subaru declared with a smile, trying to cheer up an Emilia who had been constantly chased off due to her good looks and clean clothes. “You can leave this to me! Anyways, what with the fruits of my labor, we’ll soon have her cornered, so let’s keep chasing after that criminal. So yeah, with the fruits of my labor, we’ll soon have her cornered! So let’s…keep…searching!”]

[“I understand that you’re happy to be useful for once, but it’s really lame when you put so much emphasis on yourself like that.”]

“Look at all those poses, Subaru-kyun!” Ferris praised loudly. “What’s nyer secret? Do nyew practice them in the mirror every day? Do nya take nyer inspiration from statues, or perhaps professional circus performers? We’ve gotta knyow~!”

“I wanna try!” Mimi said, jumping to her feet. “So, is it like this—?”

“Onee-chan, please—!” Tivey cried.

[“I’m sorry, but it looks like my time is already up,” Puck sighed.]

Crusch put a hand to her face, covering her smile. It was silly and somewhat pathetic, sure, but…there was a certain innocence to this display that she found utterly charming. Perhaps this is why Wilhelm speaks of him so, she thought to herself.

“What an embarrassment,” Ram sighed, arms crossed. “Isn’t he, sister?”

Even as everyone else had giggled and teased and poked at Subaru for his embarrassing behavior, Rem’s look of pure suspicion had not wavered once, her gaze alternating between the metia and the boy in the jar. She would not let her guard down, she wouldn’t.

Frederica watched the twins with a  frown, and then silently turned back to the metia. It wasn’t her place to interfere in the affairs between siblings.

[“Leave it to me! I won’t let any dangerous guys near her after you disappear!”]

[“Wait, does that mean it’s okay for me to wipe you off the face of the Earth before I disappear?”]

“NO—!” Julius shouted, momentarily forgetting that this was a memory and moving forward to leap between Subaru and the Beast of the End.

“Juli, he’s joking!” Ferris squawked, grabbing his wrist. “He’s joking, he’s just kidding! He LIKES Subaru-kyun!”

[“Now it’ll just be the two of us… But don’t get any ideas. I can still use magic, you know.”]

[“Hey, the last time I was alone with a girl was in elementary school. I’m not really capable of doing anything. Haven’t you been paying attention to my lack of human skills thus far?”]

[Emilia was convinced.]

“I don’t think Subaru could do anything to ya if he tried,” Ricardo chuckled. “Not like…this.”

It was becoming something of a wonder, how this little daydreaming kid could possibly have accomplished the things he did. Would they find out the answer to that, he wondered…?

Unsung Hero, the voice had said.

Ricardo supposed that they probably would.

“Subaru would never try to hurt me,” Emilia said reproachfully. “He’s a good boy. I know that by now.”

[“I’ll be the vanguard,” Emilia said. “So you just keep your eyes on what’s behind us. If anything happens, call me right away. You mustn’t think you can handle everything on your own. I don’t want to be mean…but you’re really weak.”]

[“Well, when you put it that way, it’s hard to get angry about it…”]

“Not exactly the typical knight-Lady dynamic,” Julius teased. “Aren’t you supposed to be the one protecting her…?”

Subaru didn’t respond, still far too tense. The Finest Knight’s smile faded slightly in disappointment.

[“…just how exactly do you want to approach this?” Subaru asked Emilia.]

[“We’re going to be direct and honest,” she answered. “We’ll just say, ‘We’ve had something stolen from us, so if you can find it, please return it to us.’”]

[“…Alright, I’ve got it. But leave it to me.”]

[“Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”]

“That’s so naive,” Anastasia said reproachfully. “Ya really thought you’d get yer insignia back that easily?”

“I don’t see why I’d have to pay for something that was stolen from me,” Emilia replied, crossing her arms. “Giving it back would be the decent thing for a person to do.”

Anastasia just shook her head.

[Subaru had been apparently very taken aback by Emilia’s willingness to let him handle the negotiations.]

[“Going by everything that’s happened so far,” he was saying. “I imagined you’d say something like, ‘Do you really expect me to just let a good-for-nothing like you, whose only ability is to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide, handle something this important? Don’t make me laugh! I’d expect a dog to do a better job than you!’ Then I, while hurt, would use the opportunity to renew my determination.”]

“Huh?!” Emilia exclaimed, looking slightly wounded at the accusation.

[“I would never say something that mean!” Emilia agreed on the screen.]

Julius stared at their exchange for a moment, and then turned to Subaru in his jar. “…What kinds of romance novels were you reading, exactly?” he asked.

Subaru turned scarlet, finally snapped out of his growing panic by the sheer mortification of that question.

Ricardo coughed into his fist, trying desperately to stop wheezing. “I think ya can take a guess, Julius…”

“I could have guessed without it being spelled out that blatantly,” Otto muttered.

“Don’t pretend like you’re any better, merchant,” Ram said. Otto turned pink. “Both of you are such ridiculous masochists that it’s an embarrassment.”

[“You know,” Subaru wheedled. “If instead of that last part you had just looked up at me and said, ‘Please, do your best for my sake,’ I would have been totally pumped up to do this, you know?”]

[“I can’t force myself to say something like that…but, good luck.”]

“I can respect the persistence,” Anastasia giggled, hand over her mouth.

“I can’t tell if he wants her to step on him or lavish him with praise or what,” Ricardo chortled. “Young men these days, I tell you…”

“Probably all of the above,” Ferris grinned. “Subaru-kyun just wants to be Lady Emilia’s loyal lil’ puppy, and get aaall of her attention for as long as she—”

“Would you SHUT UP already?!” Subaru cried.

[“Uhm, is anybody home? Oh wait, the door’s open…”]

As everyone else continued to pile on poor Subaru, Felt and Rom both froze in their seats.

Reinhard noticed. “Lady Felt?”

Rom answered in his granddaughter’s stead. “I wouldn’t have left the door open like that,” he hissed.

Reinhard’s face drained of color. “Did SHE—!”

Things were so different from what the three of them remembered that the real villain of that day had completely slipped their minds. They had perhaps subconsciously assumed that she simply wouldn’t make an appearance in this version of events, whatever this was. But if she was here—!

[“Okay, well then, I’ll go take a look. I don’t think I’ll be gone too long, but you can go ahead and eat without me.”]

[“Oh, stop being so stupid. Be careful, alright?”]

[“Gotcha. Also, Satella? Don’t come in until I call you — okay?”]

Frederica flinched, recoiling at the incredibly uncanny sound of Subaru calling his beloved Emilia such a wicked name.

Garfiel hissed sharply through his teeth. “Forgot you gave him that pseudonym.”

[As had Emilia herself, apparently, who was now staring back up at Subaru with a look of wide-eyed horror.]

[“What’s wrong?” he asked innocently.]

[“—It’s nothing,” she decided. “Once you get my badge back, I’ll apologize properly.”]

[“I don’t know what you’re planning on apologizing for, but I’d rather hear a ‘thank you’ instead. It would be even better if that thank you came with a smile!”]

[“You dummy.”]

“Bet she’s regretting it now,” Ram sighed. “Really, Lady Emilia, the only one to blame in that situation is…”

“I really didn’t do any such thing,” Emilia insisted. “…Though if I did, I would be inclined to agree with you.”

“You’re so lucky Captain had no idea what you said,” Garfiel snickered.

“I really don’t like that he didn’t know,” Otto whined, clutching his hat. “That’s like a mouse not knowing to avoid a wildcat…!”

“I’d never hurt Subaru!” Emilia protested, recoiling at the thought.

“What in Od Laguna are you suggesting, merchant?” Ram snapped.

“That’s not what I—!” Otto spluttered. “Lady Emilia, I didn’t think— but HE didn’t know that!”

Garfiel cackled at Otto’s fumbling.

[“I’ll give him a proper apology when I get my insignia back,” Emilia’s voice insisted faintly — too faint for the Subaru onscreen to hear.]

[“I don’t know what you’re trying to apologise for,” Puck’s equally quiet voice replied. “It’s be nicer to give him a thank-you rather than a sorry. And if that gets you smiling some more, then that’d be fantastic.”]

Emilia nodded. Puck’s logic was as sound as it always was, there. It was always much better to hear “thank you” than sorry” — and likewise, it meant more to say it, too.

[“You dummy,” she sighed. “Though… I’m way, way more of a dummy than you…”]

“Ya really are,” Anastasia sighed. Emilia couldn’t help but agree with her, too.

[“Hm?”]

[Subaru had already entered the Loot House, illuminated solely by the legumite crystal Emilia had given him to use as a candle. He was staring down at — his feet, for some reason. “What is this…?” he murmured, reaching down with two fingers  to touch the bottom of his sneaker, wiping — something off.]

Ricardo sucked in a breath, immediately recognizing the sight of blood. “Oh no,” he whispered.

Tivey sucked in a breath. “He doesn’t even know—!”

In his cage, Subaru had gone completely still. Beatrice was the only one to notice. “Subaru?” she whispered, too quietly for anyone else to hear.

“…He’ll be fine,” Mimi said confidently. “He’s here with us right now, right? So he’ll be fine!”

[— The light moved to illuminate the source: the massive corpse of a giant, throat slashed clean open, eyes wide and defiant to the end.]

Felt screamed, recoiling backwards so violently that she nearly fell over and cracked open her head. Reinhard was by her side in an instant. Rom swore loudly, shooting to his feet at the sight of his own mutilated corpse. “Felt—!” Reinhard called out, alarm so clear in his voice that, for once, he forgot to call her by her title. “Felt, please, it’s alright!”

”What—?!” Frederica shrieked.

“What the—!” Garfiel exclaimed, all mischief abruptly wiped off his face. Next to him, Otto had suddenly gone pale for a reason far different than nervousness at having accidentally insulted Emilia.

“What the FUCK—?!” Rachins shouted, horrified eyes glued to the metia. “But that’s not— he’s not — you’re NOT—!”

“Od Laguna!” Crusch cried, taken completely off guard by the vicious sight.

“What the hell is that?!” Ricardo roared.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Ram demanded, her face drawn pale.

[“…Well, you found it,” a woman’s voice said. “That’s just too bad. Now I have no choice, yes, no choice at all.”]

Garfiel squeaked, recognizing the last voice he would have expected to hear at a time like this. “E-Elsa?!” he stammered.

“The Bowel Hunter?!” Otto cried, staring at Garfiel with wide eyes.

“WHAT?!” Julius shouted.

[“That’s just too bad. Now I have no choice, yes, no choice at all.”]

[“Gwah!” Subaru was suddenly knocked to the ground by — something, where he started to convulse.]

“CAPTAIN!” Garfiel cried.

[“Gu…i…it’s hot…”]

[Subaru’s belly had been slashed open.]

Ferris gasped. “That’s fatal,” he said aloud. “That’s fatal, and — and there’s nyobody around —”

“Subaru-dono gets out of this,” Wilhelm insisted, though even he was staring at the metia with every muscle clenched. “He gets out of this. He’s here now, so we know he gets out of it…”

[Subaru didn’t look like he was going to get out of it. He was coughing and concluding, vomiting blood out onto the floor in front of him as he pitifully spasmed, all alone in a world far from home. You’ve got to be kidding me, he whimpered inwardly. All this…is mine?]

[“—baru?”]

“Emilia’s there,” Garfiel insisted, fists clenched. “Emilia’s there. She — she can heal him. She’ll save him. That’s how — that’s how he survives.”

“Why don’t I remember this?” Emilia whimpered, staring at the metia with growing horror. “Why don’t I—?”

[“N…No…” Subaru tried to croak out. “R…Run!”]

[—Emilia screamed, and then fell with a thud to the floor.]

Frederica made a horrified noise.

“No!” Otto cried out, gripping his head. “No— Emilia!”

[With the last of his energy, Subaru moved to grasp her hand. Her fingers twitched, moving towards his.]

[“Just you wait…” he wheezed, defiant to the end. “I’m going to…find a way…to save…”]

[And with that, Natsuki Subaru was dead.]

Everyone stared at the metia in muted disbelief.

“…What the fuck was that?!” Felt demanded, still visibly frazzled from the shock of seeing her guardian dead. “Is this some kind of sick joke?!”

”What on Earth was that about?!” Frederica agreed, voice unusually hot with anger. “Such a surreal scene — and for what?!”

“So none of his happened, right?” Rachins declared. “F-Forgetting is one thing, or misremembering, or whatever, but — that old fart sure as shit ain’t dead, I know that much!”

”So would I, as I’m right here!” Rom snapped. Felt clutched at his hand, and he clutched hers right back.

“This has to be a joke,” Julius agreed, visibly shaken. “This is — forgive me for saying this, but this appears to be nothing but nonsense.”

“Utter BULLSHIT is the word you’re looking for,” Garfiel snapped, looking incredibly upset. “Why the hell did I have to see that?! I didn’t want to see that!”

“Did we really get dragged here for something that nonsensical?” Ram agreed, her voice unusually nasty and her eyes unusually cold. Rem inched away from her very slightly, looking like she very much thought this whole situation was the world’s bizarrest fever dream — which, to be fair, may very well have been the case. “That was disgusting. I had no need to view such a thing. If this circus act is all that was required of me, then I wish to return to the manor.”

“I didn’t nyeed to see that, either!” Ferris spat, bristling from head to toe. He looked like he was very suddenly on a hair trigger — a far cry from his teasy, playful attitude just a few moments before. “What the hell was that?! I didn’t nyeed— let go of me! I don’t want— don’t want—”

“Ferris,” Wilhelm tried to calm, but it was little use. This may have been because he, too, was shaking in frightened rage. Was that a THREAT?! he wanted to roar at the conductor of this deranged show — but his younger colleague needed him to be calm, so he was trying his best.

“My knight is correct,” Crusch managed, looking rather angry herself. “That vision was utterly inappropriate. I had no desire to see my — ally — struck down in such a manner, or with such detail. If this is supposed to be some sort of prank, then it is in very poor taste!”

“I’ve met folks with pretty sick senses of humor before, but this was over the line!” Ricardo snapped. “We may not have much of a relationship with that boy, but if you think we’d find something like that FUNNY—”

Mimi made a strangled choking sound.

“Onee-chan?” Hetaro asked tentatively. Tivey was already pressing himself against her side.

“If that is all,” Reinhard said coldly, having reached a rare moment of anger himself. “Then I would much appreciate it if you let us leave.”

“Subaru…?” Beatrice squeaked out, wide eyes fixated not on the metia, but on the shivering form of the man trapped on the other side of the glass. Her hands reached out to him, but they were only able to press against the clear sheen of the barrier between them.

“Su…” Emilia choked out, still staring at the black void as she shook with fright. “Subaru…?”

Roswaal stared forward with utter confusion.

Otto said nothing at all.

Anastasia remained silent, staring intently at the metia as it faded back from black.

[“What’s wrong man?” a familiar voice said. “You’re staring off into space.”]

“—What?” Wilhelm said. Ferris stopped struggling. Everyone fell silent, heads whipping back to the metia at the front of the room.

In the back of the room, Roswaal’s eyes widened in realization.

[“No— I mean,” Subaru was stammering, visibly bewildered. “Didn’t I tell you already? I’m forever and everlastingly broke…”]

[“You kidding me?!” Kadomon complained. “I’ve had enough of you wasting my time. Get out of here!”]

[And Subaru was pushed aside, left to figure out his own confusion on his own.]

Felt snorted. “Okay, so,” she said authoritatively. Everyone turned to face her. “We’re all in agreement that this is a load of dragon shit, right?”

“There’s no way that happened,” Reinhard confirmed, that rare anger turning his words cold. “I’m not sure why we were asked to see something this distasteful, but — Rom-san is alive and well.”

Rom snorted. “I can definitely attest to that,” he confirmed.

“Barusu is also alive,” Ram agreed, in the same steely tone. “As is Lady Emilia. The only conclusion I can draw here is that this is some sort of sick joke.”

”A joke made in very poor taste indeed,” Frederica muttered.

“I don’t want to watch this anymore,” Emilia pleaded, still shaking slightly. The image of her beloved knight, lying in a puddle of his own blood and vomit… “I don’t — want to see something like that again.” 

“Agreed,” Ram said simply. The assertive nonchalance of her support made Emilia relax, just the slightest bit. “If we’re quite done here—”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Ricardo growled, all of his previous mirth having evaporated like morning mist at noon. “We can’t leave until that — thing — is satisfied, remember?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Rachins hissed, massaging his temple. Julius had to bite back the urge to echo his vulgar words, but the sentiment was much the same.

“This is unspeakably crass,” Wilhelm bit out, shaking with his effort to contain his rage at the image of — Subaru — being left in such a horrible state. “If I ever learn who’s responsible for this facade, I will cut them down myself.”

“I’m not sure why we’d be asked to see something like this without there being a reason,” Anastasia interrupted carefully. “I’d at least like to understand why our captor thought it necessary to draw us here.”

“I’m fairly certain that the answer is simply that this thing has a sick sense of humor,” Crusch snarled, a rare vulgar disgust having spread across her face. “‘Unsung hero’ — and then it shows us THAT?? A sick sense of humor is the only way to describe it.”

“So it’s decided,” Felt declared. “We’ll put up with this nonsense for the moment, and then we’ll reconvene in Priestella, make sure whatever sick fuck is in charge here can’t bother us again, and forget this crap ever happened. Right, Subaru? —Subaru?”

Everyone turned to stare at the subject of this viewing experience, still silently stuck in his oversized glass jar.

Subaru…did not look like this had been a load of dragon shit.

“Subaru,” Crusch finally said, voice tense. “Did this— Did that actually happen?”

Subaru stared back at the Duchess of the Karsten Estate, visibly petrified beyond words. The look on his face was enough of an answer.

Rom’s eyes widened. Anastasia hissed softly to herself. If all of this had really happened to Subaru, then there was really only one thing it could be—

Nobody else had realized what those two had — not yet. The two of them could both tell by the growing sense of confusion on everyone’s faces as they grappled with this strange conundrum. If they had thought to look at one another, perhaps they would have recognized each other as kindred spirits in this moment, but alas.

How could something have both happened and not happened? How could the same series of events play out more than once, with just a bit of variation in between? Why would such a paradox only occur for a singular person, with nobody else able to remember that series of events?

“What…” Emilia asked tentatively. “What’s going on, then?”

Chapter Text

[“If you don’t wanna get hurt, cough up everything you’ve got!”]

“…Uh,” Rachins said, staring up at a scene that was now reminiscent of two different memories, and that had also definitely never actually happened. “What?”

Felt crossed her arms, a sour look on her face. “Still not convinced this isn’t some sort of prank,” she muttered. Frederica huffed in quiet, disgruntled agreement.

Reinhard pressed his lips together. He would have said so himself, but…

In his cage, Subaru watched the metia with a muted, tense sort of panicked anticipation. Reinhard watched him bristle silently for a moment before turning back to watch the unfamiliar scene play out.

[“In other words, now that you’ve found me alone, you want to get revenge, is that it?” Subaru was saying, exasperated. “I understand that you want to kick me when I’m down, but this really isn’t the time for me to be dealing with you…!”]

“Are ya sure this one is false?” Rom asked calmly.

“Uh,” Rachins faltered.

[“Ah, is that right? Everything I’ve got. Gotcha. I’m in a hurry, so that’s fine with me, really…”]

“Absolutely,” Rachins decided. “Never happened.”

Anastasia pressed her lips together and said nothing more.

Mimi noticed, glancing up from her place in Anastasia’s lap. “Did milady figure out what’s going on?” she whispered.

“…Can’t say for certain,” Anastasia answered delicately. She scratched the demihuman’s scalp in the same way that always soothed her when she got worried. “It’ll be alright, Mimi, just try to keep a clear head.”

[“Now get down on all fours and act like a dog, crying ‘help me, help me’!” Camberley said gleefully.]

 
Frederica choked. “Wha—?!”

“Oi!” Garfiel barked.

Julius sighed, crossing his arms. “He’s not letting THAT one go…”

“Nor would I,” Wilhelm said. “A man must defend his pride, after all.”

Anastasia shook her head, rolling her eyes ever so slightly. “Boys.”

[“Don’t get cocky, you idiots!” Subaru snarled, and he suddenly threw himself forward. “—And you first! Guys like you who don’t know the preciousness of life can go to hell!”]

[Unlike before, however, he went for Rachins first, uppercutting him in the jaw and slamming him into the nearest wall with all his might, knocking him out instantly. Camberley soon followed suit, kicked across the chest and slammed into the bricks opposite his friend.]

“Oi!” Rachins yelped. Felt whistled appreciatively nearby.

Julius’ eyes widened. “That was surprisingly skilled,” he noted. “And you’d really never been in a fight before?”

“Just…” Subaru swallowed, still tense. “Just mock spars. With— With my dad.”

Wilhelm nodded, quietly forming his first idea of what Subaru’s father must have been like in his head. Some sort of fighter, then? …It was odd, in that case, that Subaru wouldn’t really have inherited any of his paternal side’s fighting prowess. As fortunate as this incident had been, perhaps, Wilhelm still remembered that period of training that Subaru had managed to beg out of him during his brief stay at the Karsten Estate, and how Subaru’s ability in a spar had been painfully average.

[“Hey, hey! What’s with a surprise attack like that?!” Gaston tried to grab him and avenge his fallen friends, only for Subaru to grab his arm and twist with both hands.]

“Not a bad technique,” Wilhelm murmured appreciatively.

[Subaru slammed his knee upwards into Gaston’s junk.]

Wilhelm choked.

“OI!” Rachins cried.

Ram started laughing. Frederica couldn’t decide whether to aim her disapproving stare at Subaru or Ram.

“Ooof,” Ricardo groaned, watching Gaston croak quietly in shock and agony. Several other male members of the audience hastily crossed their legs, wincing. “No mercy that time around, huh, kid?”

“I think it was a fair shot,” muttered Otto, who was quickly becoming infamous for not playing fair. Garfiel shrugged, wincing in sympathy but not necessarily disagreeing with either of his older brother figures. Julius gave them both a heavy side-eye.

[Gaston had immediately lost all of his will to fight. As Subaru let go of his arm, the man stumbled awkwardly to the side, leaning against the wall as he attempted to recover from the shock.]

[“Well that was easy!” Subaru huffed, striking a pose. “In this world, evil never triumphs! —I’m in a hurry, so don’t get in my way again!”]

“‘Evil never triumphs’ — after a shot to the nuts?!” Rachins protested loudly.

Ferris giggled, pushing his past panic to the side in favor of teasing his junior knight. “Nyes, evil nyever triumphs, Subaru-kyun! —Seriously, do nyew practice those poses in every mornying or something…?”

“Will you give me a break already?!”

“All those people were there,” Garfiel said crossly, watching Subaru exit the alley to a crowd of shocked-looking onlookers. “And not a single one of them stepped in??”

“Not like they needed to!” Rachins squawked. “Man, what the hell was that?! You were playing DIRTY! A surprise attack like that— and then a kick to the balls like that?! Do you have no— what the HELL, man?!”

“Ya can’t go calling for your own target to be gentle with you, ya dumbass.” Felt elbowed him hard enough to earn a yelp. “You lot were playing pretty dirty too, weren’t ya? Three on one, picking an easy mark— don’t go asking for the guy you chose to rob to go easy on ya, now. Sheesh!”

“I— But— It’s not—!” Rachins spluttered, a red and sour look on his face. “I’m NOT being SORE!”

Reinhard politely covered his mouth to muffle his quiet laughter nearby.

“Oh be quiet,” Subaru scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You get me back for it next time around, so stop complaining already.”

“Next…?” Julius suddenly felt his face drain of blood as it clicked into place.

The return to an old setting. The repetition of events, from Subaru’s point of view. The erasure of Subaru’s injuries. The change in time, to a point earlier in the day. The obliviousness of the other parties, as if nothing past a certain point had ever happened to them at all.

And the trigger for all of it had been—!

Julius found himself starting to move forward, towards the jar on the other side of the room. “Subaru—!”

A hand suddenly gripped his wrist, stopping him from moving any further. Julius looked back to see Anastasia’s eyes fixed on him, dark and serious. He could tell just by her expression that she had already figured it out.

Of course she had. Lady Anastasia was a brilliant woman.

“Lady Anastasia…” he croaked.

“I know,” she whispered. “But now is not the time for it. Wait.”

…Julius sank back down into his seat, all of his energy draining out of him at once. He buried his face in his hands.

The knight felt someone clap him on the shoulder. He slowly glanced upwards to see Ricardo looking down at him, a grim look on his face.

Nearby, Wilhelm was trying desperately not to freak out as he, too, connected the dots.

Subaru…

Subaru had…

How many times had it been?

The way Subaru had said that just now— It hadn’t just been a one time thing, had it? The Sword Demon gripped the seat of his armrest. How many times had that boy gone and—!

Wilhelm suddenly remembered a comment he had once made to Felix about Subaru’s eyes. “They said that he has crossed the boundary of death,” he had said. “Many come close to the line, stop, and then draw back, but…those are the eyes of one who has crossed once, no…several times, and returned.”

The Sword Demon suddenly started violently. Felix—!

He glanced at Felix, sitting by his side. The healer still looked blessedly confused. Wilhelm silently thanked Od Laguna for that small blessing. As soon as his younger colleague were to figure this one out—

Wilhelm took a deep breath, settling down in his seat again. For Subaru-dono to have gone through something that severe and come out on the other end is truly commendable, he reminded himself. He had already known, of course, that Subaru was worthy of praise: all this meant was that he had yet again underestimated the man who had granted him his greatest wish. Beyond that, nothing had changed.

Otto inhaled slowly as he tried desperately not to scream. He couldn’t scream. He couldn’t yell. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t— Frederica, Garfiel, Ram, Emilia, Beatrice, all of them were right there—!

He exhaled through his teeth. The thought of Subaru— He couldn’t jump to conclusions yet. Right. His job was to protect Natsuki-san and everyone else from the shadows, so that they could walk peacefully in the light. He couldn’t have— He couldn’t have failed in that. He knew he hadn’t. He would have known if he had, he knew he’d know. There must have been — a couple accidents, maybe, from before they had met. Otto was here now. Otto wouldn’t…

He wrapped his arms around his chest. He hoped that nobody could see him shaking.

How did Natsuki-san end up like this? Was it a side effect, of some sort, of being transported from beyond the Great Waterfall? …How many times had he—? All of those questions were important, he knew, and that was why he circled them around in his head. But those were all distractions and even he knew it, because there was only one real question on his mind.

Why didn’t he ever tell me?

—Otto couldn’t ask Subaru anything right now. There were too many people around. And if the other camps figured this out—!

”Otto.”

Otto flinched violently. Frederica had placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, the look on her face both soft and grave.

Otto took a deep breath. Exhaled. “I’m fine,” he managed. “I-I’m…”

Rem took a slow, deep breath through her nose as that man’s words sunk in. Next time, he had said. Then this wasn’t some sort of future sight. This was reality — at least for him. And that meant…

Rem had been right to not let her guard down. She had been absolutely right.

[“Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, don’t freak out…” Subaru rambled to himself, having reached the Loot House while his audience was busy trying to put the pieces together about what was going on. He knocked on the door. “Hey! Is anyone there?!”]

“It’s locked,” Felt pointed out, an observation that would have seemed stupidly obvious if not for — what they had just witnessed. She was sitting upright in her seat, tense as a coiled spring. “Old Man Rom— He would have kept it locked. It’s— That’s a good thing.”

“Of course it is, brat,” Rom said. He, too, was as rigid as a board. Felt gripped his hand. He didn’t say anything. “I never would have left that door…”
 

Reinhard wordlessly placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t slap him away like she normally might have.

[Subaru wasn’t about to give up. “Someone I know is in there!” he cried. “Someone I know is— Come on, answer me, please—!”]

[“CUT IT OUT ALREADY!” a familiar voice boomed, just before Old Man Rom slammed open the door.]

Felt exhaled a long sigh of relief, sinking back down into her chair. “Thank fuck,” she whispered.

Reinhard did not have the heart to scold her for her language this time around. If he himself was relieved to see his face, he couldn’t even imagine…

Crusch stared at the screen intently. The old man was, indeed, still alive, which meant that he must have never died in the first place. Except — Subaru remembered seeing him dead in the dark, clear as day, and it was only thanks to such a memory that the boy was there at the Loot House, now.

…A suspicion blossomed somewhere in the mind of the young Duchess. Could it be—?

[Rom was snarling, reaching out to swiftly pick Subaru up by the collar of his shirt with one hand. “What are you doing?!” he demanded. “Trying to break the door down because you don’t know the password?!”]

Julius squawked. “Subaru—!” he cried, eyes widening with panic as his stress levels spiked once again. Was this how—?!

“Chill, chill,” Felt called over. She was visibly more relaxed than she had been a a few seconds ago. “Old Man Rom wouldn’t hurt someone that pathetic-looking.”

“I’m not pathetic!”

”You’re a little pathetic,” Rom said. Subaru squawked.

[“For now at least, would you be so kind as to put me down?” Subaru squeaked out, eyes wide as saucers and clearly having lost all of his will to fight at the giant’s show of strength. “Let’s talk with both our feet on the ground…”]

Felt snorted. Subaru flushed, stammering to defend himself for a moment before giving up entirely and returning his head to his knees.

Rom frowned. “That’s a very different attitude from the one I remember,” he said mildly. “The Subaru I remember first meeting charged right in and demanded that I give him some booze…”

“I would have thought that ya’d enjoy being picked up,” Ricardo commented, his voice carefully casual. “Kids normally like that sort of thing, don’t they?”

“How old do you people think I am?!”

Frederica winced slightly. Far too young.

Julius gave a weak smile in Subaru’s direction. He couldn’t bring himself to tease him further than that.

[Now sitting inside the Loot House, Subaru was shifting uneasily in his seat, looking around the room as if he was having a hard time taking it in. Rom noticed his odd behavior. “Why do you keep moving around like that?” he scoffed. “Your balls chafing you that much?”]

[“Of course not, my boys are just fine!” Subaru defended, flushing pink. “But really? That’s the first thing that comes out of your mouth in this situation?”]

[“Well, you interrupted my drinking time. I hope you have a good reason for coming here. If not, that’s just terrible…”]

“A charming man,” Wilhelm commented wryly. Aside from his crassness, however, the Sword Demon had yet to notice anything particularly concerning about the giant, and so he remained relatively at ease in his seat.

Relatively. He was trying desperately not to think about — about what he had just figured out.

Rom glanced back at Wilhelm for a moment, and then silently went back to watching the metia.

[“The sun’s just started to set and you’re already drinking?” Subaru commented, folding his arms. “You’re going to die an early death if you keep that up.”]

“Do people not drink much, where you come from?” Otto asked, trying to keep his voice level. “You’ve never been all that interested in alcohol, Natsuki-san.”

Subaru scoffed, shifting away from him self-consciously. After all this talk about his apparent immaturity, he wasn’t that keen on restating the fact that he was technically still too young to drink alcohol in his home country. “Why would I want to?” he retorted. “Alcohol’s gross, and all it does is make you dumber. …Like that time you got super drunk, mistook a thorn bush for an intruder, tried to fight it, and lost.”

Several people burst out laughing at the reveal of this tidbit about the Emilia Camp’s Officer of Internal Affairs. Otto turned bright red. “Natsuki-san!” he squeaked.

”Bold words, from someone who charged in like you did,” Rom scoffed. “Don’t think I forgot about that, kid.”

“Oh, shut up!”
 

[“This may sound a bit odd but, uh…” Subaru swallowed, and then asked his first real question. “Old man…have you…died recently?”]

Frederica hissed. How would he respond to…?

 
Rom snorted.

“Of all the things to ask someone,” Felt sighed. “Do ya WANT to come off as a creep, Big Bro?”

“Hey, it was an honest question!”

“This is not going to be the last time you wonder that, Lady Felt,” Ram chimed in. “Barusu rarely does himself any favors…”

Nearby, Julius had sucked in a breath. “You get me back for it next time around,” Subaru had said. That meant that this had to be — Subaru had to die at the end of this one.

And with him asking this very dangerous criminal such a suspicious question—!

[Even Subaru seemed to know how that sounded, having physically braced himself for an odd reaction. But after a moment of staring at Subaru with wide eyes, Rom — laughed.]

[“Ga-ha-ha-ha! I was wondering what you were going to say!” he grinned. “Now I may be an old man with not much time left to live, but too bad, I haven’t died yet! Though when you get to this age, I don’t imagine it being that far off… Want a drink?”]

[“Sorry, not right now…”]

Julius exhaled. Subaru was fine. Rom was even maintaining that same friendly attitude. He was fine. This was fine.

“He seems a lot friendlier than I would have assumed,” Ram observed.

“He ain’t like that with everyone,” Felt waved off. “Big Bro got under his skin just right, I reckon.”

Rom frowned. “I’m not sure how I feel about that judgement…”
 

Wilhelm knew exactly what that was like, and he was especially familiar with how Subaru could get under the skin of old men like the two of them. He decided to refrain from saying anything about it, if only to spare himself from Ferris’ teasing.

Crusch silently eyed Wilhelm, her line of thinking remarkably similar. Perhaps Subaru had a talent for charming old men. —Frederica felt the ghost of a smile flitting across her face, her mind drifting somewhere similar for the briefest of moments.

[“Rom, have you seen a silver-haired girl around here lately?” Subaru asked, having no idea how conspicuous such an individual would be.]

Another suspicious question! Julius felt himself tense up all over again. Would this be the thing that—?!

[“Silver hair…?” Rom frowned. “No, I can’t say I have. Silver hair is one of those things that stands out in a bad way, too, so even if my memory is starting to fail me, I don’t think I would have forgotten if I saw someone like that.”]

Julius relaxed again. He was fine. For now.

Ferris was side-eyeing him. “Nyew really nyeed to chill out, Juli,” he said.

[Subaru’s line of questioning was unbelievably suspicious, but Rom had continued to responded with a level of ease and lightheartedness that kept the situation from escalating. Instead, his eyes were focused on Subaru’s worried expression, and the way he kept nervously looking around the room…]

[The giant set down a glass of alcohol in front of him. “Drink,” he ordered. “…Drink.” ]

“That— is shockingly kind,” Anastasia said, startled.

“Barusu must have looked like even more of a wreck than he usually does,” Ram said. “Enough that even the local crime lords would take pity on his ugly face.”

Rom could see himself taking pity on a face like that, yes.

[“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel up to it right now,” Subaru was protesting. “Plus, I’m not so much a little kid that I want to drink to act like I’m cool.”]

Wilhelm coughed into his fist.

“Aww, that’s probably one of the cutest ways ya could have responded to that!” Ricardo teased. “Probably melted yer heart down on the spot, didn’t it, Old Man Rom~?”

”It likely did exactly that,” Rom chuckled, if only to see Subaru’s face turn a brighter shade of red.

“Would you two shut up?!”

[“What are you talking about?” Rom retorted. “Drinking and acting up is exactly what kids like you are supposed to do!”]

“Don’t listen to him,” Frederica ordered Garfiel sternly. Garfiel pouted.

Wilhelm chuckled. Such was exactly the purpose of youth, but he was not unwise enough to get involved in a matter between siblings.

Ram suddenly realized that Rom must have assumed that Subaru was under the national drinking age of fifteen, just like Emilia had throughout his first week at the Mathers’ Estate. She started snickering.

[Subaru had been convinced. “Alright,” he said, picking up the glass. “Here goes…! —AUGH! GAH! That’s terrible! It’s hot! It’s so bad! Ugh! Disgusting!”]

[“You don’t have to say it that many times!” Rom said, throwing up his hands. “Come on! You’re going to lose out on half of the fun in life if you can’t understand how good liquor tastes!”]

Wilhelm started laughing at the scowl on Subaru’s face, alcohol dripping down his chin as his coughs and gags subsided. Ricardo was right there with him, cackling like mad.

“What kind of boy yer age doesn’t like alcohol?” the mercenary teased. “What, was it not fruity enough for ya? Need one of those mini umbrellas?”

“Oh shush!” Subaru stuck his tongue out. “Only rotten adults guzzle down alcohol on the regular anyway, everyone knows that!”

Rom opened his mouth to protest that label, but then he thought about it some more and shrugged.

“Please don’t go calling random drunk people ‘rotten adults’, Subaru!” Julius pleaded, having had to intervene in more than enough drunken brawls on his patrols to understand why going and risking triggering drunken rages — in people several times Subaru’s size, no less! — would be a bad idea.

Od Laguna, he hoped Subaru had not gone and done something like that already—!

[Rom’s gambit had paid off, however, because Subaru was now much more at ease than he had been a few minutes before, finally announcing that he was ready to confront the main reason he had come to the Loot House—]

[“I’m looking for a badge that has a jewel embedded in it,” he declared. “And I want you to let me have it.”]

“‘I want you to let me have it’ ?” Anastasia echoed disapprovingly. “That’s such a naive way of…”

“It’s not the worst thing he could have said,” Julius sighed.

[“A badge with a jewel…?” Rom mused. “I’m sorry, but no one’s brought in anything like that.”]

[“Really? Think long and hard about it— you’re sure you’re not going senile yet?”]

“Would you STOP trying to antagonize—!”

“Juli, Juli— does Old Man Rom LOOK particularly annoyed to nyew?!”

[He did not. If anything, Old Man Rom looked very amused.]

Felt rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder if he’s going senile myself,” she muttered.

”Wha-" Rom’s eyes widened. “What a thing to say about the man who’s been along care of you for all these years!”

"—No.” Felt shook her head, looking like she hadn’t heard him at all. “No, he’s got plenty of years left in him yet. We all know that…”

[It didn’t take long for them to reach the conclusion that Emilia’s insignia was Felt’s newest mark, and that she would be bringing it in later that day. But Subaru’s proud declaration of being absolutely penniless came by surprise.]

[“Then you’re out of luck!” Rom yelled, looking very taken aback.]

Rom snorted, imagining what must have been going through his head at a declaration like that.

“Do you really have to go around saying that to all of your negotiating partners, Natsuki-san?!” Otto cried, looking like he wanted to start pulling his hair out.

“Surprised he didn’t immediately throw him out of the bar at that,” Anastasia sighed. Then she eyed the half-empty glass of alcohol sitting innocuously by Subaru’s arm. “…Maybe not that surprised.”

[“Tsk, tsk, tsk!” Subaru responded, waggling his finger teasingly. “It’s true. I may not have any money. However, in this world, you do not necessarily need money to obtain things. There’s this wonderful system called ‘barter’ — have you heard of it?”]

Anastasia’s eyes widened. “Natsuki,” she said. “You weren’t seriously planning to—!”

[Subaru took out his cell phone.]

“…Od Laguna,” Anastasia managed.

“Subaru-dono,” Wilhelm said, turning to the subject with a serious look on his face. “You were planning on bartering away — your metia?”

Subaru shrugged, uncomfortable. “Thought it would get Emilia’s insignia back.”

Wilhelm stared at him, flabbergasted.

“That’s not a good deal,” Anastasia said. “That’s — REALLY not a good deal. What would you have done if…?”

Emilia wouldn’t have even known who he was at this point. While it had been clear in the last — loop — that she had started to plan to take him with her more and more near the end of their time together, Subaru would have had no such bond with her now. And — he wouldn’t have even been observant enough to realize that such had been her initial plan.

To give so much of himself, with the expectation of receiving so little in return—!

[“This object that I now raise up is a fantastic magical item that can be used to freeze any object in time!” Subaru crowed.]

“It can do WHAT?” Anastasia demanded.

“I thought it could detect mabeasts?” Ferris frowned.

Subaru shifted uneasily in his cage, very carefully saying nothing in response.

“Is it that multifaceted?” Anastasia prodded, looking very much alert. “Something with that much potential…Natsuki, what else can it do?”

[“Take this!” Subaru proclaimed, and immediately blasted Rom with rapid-fire flashes of white light out of nowhere, temporarily blinding him and startling him so badly that he tripped backwards and fell behind the counter.]

Frederica squeaked.

“OI!” Felt snapped, looking slightly more alarmed than actually offended. “What were ya thinking, pulling a fast one on Rom like that?!”

“You don’t attack someone in the middle of a negotiation, Subaru!” Julius added, looking very angry and frightened himself. Subaru cowered away from his towering figure, even through the glass. “That man is at least three times your size — what were you DOING, picking a fight with him out of nowhere like that?!”

“I wasn’t picking a fight!” Subaru cried. “I was just taking some pictures, it wasn’t an attack at all!”

“HE wouldn’t have known that!” Felt retorted, remembering good and well what Subaru’s cell phone actually  was but sticking to her guns regardless. “Pulling out a strange object and activating it in someone’s face would be taken as a threat by anyone with a lick of sense — isn’t that just basic logic?!”

[“What are you doing?!” Rom shouted, face red as he scrambled up. “Are you trying to kill me?!”]

Felt gestured emphatically towards the screen. “See?!”

Subaru didn’t have a defense to that. “I just…” he tried, shrinking in on himself. “I was just trying to look cool…”

Julius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

”I wouldn’t have launched into an attack right away,” Rom spoke up, more out of mercy for Subaru’s red face than anything else. “I’m sure I gave him a chance to explain himself, I’m not THAT reckless…”

[Luckily, the old man was right about that. As such, the situation appeared to have de-escalated itself quickly. “This is…This is my face,” Rom said, his previous anger forgotten in light of this new surprise. “How did you do that?”]

[“I told you, didn’t I? This is a fantastic item that cuts out a piece of time and freezes it…”]

Subaru buried his head in his knees at this cringeworthy extrapolation of the simple process of taking a picture.

“Were metias like this truly commonplace back in your homeland?” Julius marveled. “It sounds like a truly fascinating invention.”

“It’s not,” Subaru muttered, his face hot. “It’s really, really not…”

[Subaru threw up a peace sign and took a picture of himself.]

“Really, what is it with nyew and those stupid poses?” Ferris giggled.

“Stoooop…”

[“This is my first time seeing one of these, but…basically this is a metia, right?”]

[Subaru blinked, caught off guard. “A metia?” he echoed.]

“Wait.” Anastasia frowned, suddenly registering both his current confusion and the fact that Subaru had not actually used the word “metia” to describe the item he was holding in his hand. “Natsuki — is that actually a metia?”

Subaru shifted uncomfortably. “N-Not really,” he admitted. “It— We don’t have magic where I come from, at all. It’s all technology.”

“All technology…” Anastasia repeated to herself. What sort of a world did Subaru come from?

She sure did want to get her hands on that cell phone of his, now. More than she had ever thought she would. Perhaps she could cut a deal with Russell Fellows — preferably without cluing the man in on how valuable that artifact apparently truly was…!

[“To be honest, even if it has a jewel embedded in it, exchanging something like this for a purely decorative item really puts you at a a loss,” Rom warned. “You’d be better off trading it for something more expensive… Well, really, you can’t compare it to any of this stolen junk I have here.”]

“But here he is,” Anastasia sighed. “Training that valuable artifact away for the sake of a woman he has known for two, three hours.”

“I had a debt to pay back!” Subaru defended. “It wasn’t ridiculous, I just— I owed her, right? She saved my life, and I wanted to pay her back! Weren’t you listening?! It’s not ridiculous at all—!”

“Subaru.”

Subaru stopped, looking a bit like a deer in the headlights.

“Subaru,” Emilia repeated. She sounded unusually stern. “Didn’t you hear — me — back then in the alleyway, when I told you that you didn’t owe me anything?”

Subaru wilted.

“Perhaps that is a little harsh, Lady Emilia,” Anastasia interrupted, more out of sympathy for the look on Subaru’s face than out of any real agreement or disagreement on her part. “This happened a while ago, right? And…I’ve got a feeling he was doing all this for his sake more than for yours, in the end.”

[“But what about the girl who saved you?” Rom was asking. “Why isn’t she here?”]

[“I’m currently looking for her!” Subaru answered cheerfully. “Actually, right now I’m not even sure she’s not a figment of my imagination that I created because I was feeling down…”]

“Figment of his imagination,” Ram echoed in an unimpressed tone of voice. “It is just like Barusu to go to such lengths for a hallucination, yes.”

Rem did not laugh at her sister’s commentary like Rem had hoped.

Yes, that selfish desire for Emilia’s company was probably exactly what he had been chasing back then, Anastasia could say that. Even if she did still take issue with him throwing away his single most valuable possession in a desperate bit for good boy points from a woman he had not even technically met yet.

Emilia still didn’t seem to get it, if the look on her face was anything to go off of. “For his sake…?”

“Barusu is clinging to you like a dog in a desperate attempt to not be cast out alone to the streets,” Ram clarified bluntly. “He doesn’t actually care about the debt as anything more than an excuse to not leave your side. That is the true nature of what we’re seeing right now, Lady Emilia.”

“That’s not— I didn’t— I mean—!” Subaru tried to defend himself, growing redder by the minute as he realized how spot-on their observations about him in that moment really were. “…I’m sorry, Emilia-tan,” he finally apologized, voice meek.

Oddly enough, however, that explanation made Emilia relax — and likely more than anything else possibly could have. “I’m sorry,” she apologized to Subaru, who was now red-faced with shame and embarrassment in his cage. “I just — I don’t like seeing you sacrifice so much of yourself for my sake. I care about you a lot. You know that, right?”

[Onscreen, Rom continued to fiddle with Subaru’s cell phone. Guess men are into gadgets no matter what world you’re in, Subaru concluded.]

 
Rom snorted. The boy wasn’t wrong about that assertion, he could say that.

“I— I do, Emilia-tan,” Subaru stammered, hunched over from mortification. “I get it, I really do.”

Beatrice hoped he was telling the truth about that. But now wasn’t the time to make sure of such a thing, she supposed.

[“Whether it be your clothes or this, you’ve sure got a lot of strange stuff on you, don’t you?” Rom said, having gotten into his bag of corn chips. “I mean, these things here are delicious!”]

[“I know right? —Hey, wait! I thought you said a bite! Those are my corn chips! That’s the last food I had on me!”]

 
Rom started laughing.

Anastasia looked as though it physically pained her to see a snack from beyond the Great Waterfall get devoured so casually and carelessly.

“Your own fault for letting Old Man Rom get his hands on it in the first place,” Felt snickered. “Should’ve realized it’d all be gone within seconds!”

”I have to agree with my granddaughter here,” Rom grinned. “If you don’t want me to eat your food, then don’t go handing it to me like that!”

[“Oh, don’t be so stingy. If you keep something as tasty as this all to yourself, you’re gonna fall straight to Hell, I tell ya.”]

[“Oh and you won’t, for eating all of them yourself?! Blaming others while you’re doing the same yourself is a bad habit of you baby boomers… I said, stop eating those!”]

[As Subaru finally managed to wrestle back his bag of corn chips, he saw that only a few crumbs had been left behind. He visibly deflated at the sight of his precious snack having been devoured so thoroughly.]

Felt pointed and laughed. Largely due to his own amusement, Reinhard refrained from scolding her for acting so improper. Subaru pouted at her from behind the glass.

Anastasia sighed, shaking her head. “Ya really should be more careful, especially with the things that are important to ya,” she scolded. “If yer not careful might take advantage of yer carelessness and naïveté and ship ya off to live as a slave.”

It probably wasn’t a big concern for Subaru, nowadays. But, one could never entirely let their guard down…

“Wait— Slavery is a thing, here??”

Anastasia stopped.

“Is it…not a thing in places beyond the  Great Waterfall?” Ricardo asked.

“Well — I guess it used to be? And there are some illegal markets here and there, human trafficking situations and all, but…” Subaru shook his head, wide-eyed. “No,” he said. “I’m pretty sure Japan figured out that slavery was an abomination…four centuries ago? And most other countries were the same way. —There was an incident about a century ago with a war that was kind of…but, for the most part…”

What an enviable situation, Ricardo thought.

“Wait.” Subaru had gone still. “Is it not…?”

“Slavery is illegal in Lugunica,” Julius confirmed. Subaru practically collapsed under the force of his relief.

“It’s not illegal in Kararagi, Gusteko, or Vollachia,” Anastasia warned. Subaru stiffened again. She winced inwardly, but — he needed to know this. “Not quite sure how it works in Gusteko or Vollachia,” she admitted. “But in Kararagi, slavery is a common way to pay off debts — and even though it’s illegal, slum children are often kidnapped by slave traders while law enforcement turns a blind eye.”

“Happens here, too,” Felt added. “It’s illegal in Lugunica, but there’s always the danger of kidnappers stealing folks from the slums and shipping them off for cash. I’ve had to chase ‘em off before, myself…”

“Ah, yes?” Anastasia smiled wryly. “Did ya know which country they…?”

“Who knows? I never pay attention.” Felt snorted. “Normally I just let ‘em be, look out for myself. —But, there was this incident where they were trying to drag this little kid away from this old man, and…”

Well. She couldn’t let THAT slide.

“Anyway,” she sighed. “I used a whistle I’d stolen from a guard who wasn’t paying attention to call for help, and then the Royal Guards took care of everything for me. Sometimes that lot’s good for something, I guess…”

Julius grimaced, but — he supposed he should take that as a compliment, in this situation.

“The ones that got the closest to catching me were from Vollachia,” Anastasia chuckled. “I’d made the dumb decision to try and attract their attention and get them to stop chasing these two fox demihuman boys, but I underestimated… But,” she smiled wryly. “That’s how I met Ricardo. He cut them all down, all four of ‘em.”

Ricardo barked out a laugh, remembering the incident. “Ya were filthy,” he grinned. “I spent the rest of the day cleaning ya up and dressing ya in proper clothes, and then sent ya off to get yer first job as a waitress. Little tyke ya were back then, I could see that ambitious spark in yer eyes from a mile away…”

That was why he had saved her, after all, instead of minding his business.

“And then I swore to rid ya of that shabby slave collar ya were still carrying around from yer own old contract,” Anastasia grinned. “Was so incensed by the idea of ya living in the past like a fool…”

“That ya swore ya’d buy me and rip it off with yer own two hands,” Ricardo chuckled. “I remember.”

And hadn’t Anastasia managed that and more?

Subaru watched the three of them reminisce, and wasn’t quite sure what to think about it.

He’d probably avoid it just fine, Ram thought. For all his flaws, Barusu’s always had good timing.

—There was no particular trigger that brought Ram’s epiphany forward. Something just clicked, while she was watching Subaru wait for Felt with Old Man Rom. Barusu has always had great timing, she thought to herself — and then suddenly the fact that time seemed to have rewound itself entirely resurfaced in her thoughts, and from there—!

Frederica watched grimly as her junior maid realized what was going on.

[“Sorry I took so long, Old Man Rom,” Felt’s voice said cheerfully. “I had someone really persistent on my tail, and it took me a long time to lose ‘em.”]

“And there she is, I suppose,” Beatrice muttered. She had barely spoken since watching Subaru— go through that, instead staying huddled as close to the glass jar as she could manage.

[“Who’s this?” Felt frowned, catching sight of Subaru. There was no recognition in her eyes at all. “Hey, Rom, I told you I was going to bring something big, so I didn’t want anyone to be here, didn’t I?”]

Emilia frowned. “I’m not sure how to feel about my insignia being ‘something big’ that you’re bringing in…”

Felt shifted uncomfortably. “Sorry, Big Sis.”

“He’s so suspicious,” Julius was hissing, having tensed up all over again. “He just — knew what she stole before she had even really stolen it, and is planning to return it to the person she stole it from, and he doesn’t even know who she took it from or why she took it in the first place! If any of these people get suspicious of him, he’ll have no way to…”

“Juli, RELAX,” Ferris ordered, swiping him lightly upside the head. “Subaru-kyun just spent like two hours setting up a camaraderie with that old man, who knyows damn well how suspicious he is and clearly does nyot care. He’s FINE.”

[“I’m not planning on doing anything,” Subaru said reassuringly. “I’ve only come here to talk. That is, to negotiate. Let’s aim for a result where both of us come out on top. In other words, a win-win situation!”]

“Most people who say that don’t actually mean it,” Anastasia pointed out.

Emilia blinked. “Why wouldn’t they?” she asked.

Anastasia opened her mouth and then closed it again.

“Certainly doesn’t help him look more trustworthy,” Felt muttered, quietly in agreement with the Merchant Princess. Even if Subaru very clearly meant it, from the vantage point that they had now.

[“Hey Rom, you haven’t watered this milk down, have you? It tastes terrible.”]

“Who waters down milk?” Crusch asked reproachfully. Felt snickered.

”Youths these days…” Rom stared at them both in disappointment, grumbling. “No respect for elders among this younger crowd, I tell you.”

[“Why does everybody have to insult the drinks?! I’m showing you some kindness here…!” But Rom didn’t look as offended as he might have sounded, reaching down to ruffle Felt’s hair affectionately.]

[“You too look closer than I thought you’d be,” Subaru observed, watching them both. “I’m getting lonely over here all by myself.”]

Near the back of the theater, Rem winced, remembering the direness of Subaru’s current situation, whether the boy realized it or not.

She quickly stamped it out once again. It was true that this strange man didn’t act like a threat, but considering his — ability, that didn’t mean he wasn’t likely a wolf in sheep’s clothing just waiting to crawl out of his disguise. She had to stay vigilant.

Especially since nobody else in this strange place seemed willing to do so.

[“Don’t say something wimpy like that when you’ve got a face that looks just as awful as this old man’s,” Felt retorted.]

[“I’ve had my face insulted before, but really? As bad as this guy?! Come on!”]

[“…You’re right,” Felt said, smiling apologetically. “Sorry about that, I went too far.”]

 
“Just what is that supposed to mean?” Rom said, rolling his eyes. “You two must really like pissing me off…”

“Oh so you can tease ME for everything under the sun,” Otto complained theatrically, taking the chance to help distract from the reveal that he saw staring everyone in the face. “But the minute someone says something about your face, you get all huffy about it? How is that fair?!”

“Yer just mad that you’re so teasable, Otto-bro,” Garfiel snickered. “It’s like you were built for it.”

“Barusu is a pathetic creature, but you really were made to appear as pathetic as possible in every light imaginable.” Ram needed the distraction, and leapt on the offered chance at levity gratefully. Not that Otto needed to know about that. “If you wish to not be so mockworthy, merchant, you could start by examining yourself all over for the root of your condition.”

“The merchant has no leg to stand on when discussing this sort of thing, I suppose,” Beatrice chimed in, for good measure.

”Between his alcoholism, his bad personality, and his unpleasant face, I fear that he has no room to complain when others wish to comment about him in a derogatory manner,” Frederica agreed.

Otto stared wide-eyed at all of them. “Why are all of you so mean?!” he cried. They all giggled in response. “Nobody else gets this treatment from our Camp, I swear…!”

“Don’t tease Otto so much, all of you!” Emilia scolded. Otto looked grateful for this, only for Emilia to then continue: “If you keep it up like this you’ll make him cry, and then I’ll be reeally upset!”

Otto buried his face in his hands.

[“Here’s where I’d want to say that, to make it up to me, I’d like you to call me ‘big brother’ in a cute voice for the rest of this discussion, but I’ll go ahead and forgive you for now—”]

“Natsuki-san!” Otto snapped, slightly less theatrically than before. Subaru was already burying his flaming hot face back in his knees.

”That's more like the brat I remember meeting that day,” Rom said wryly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Is everyone from beyond the Great Waterfall this overfamiliar with strangers?” Anastasia wondered.

“It would explain a few things, in fact,” Beatrice sighed, not looking in the least bit surprised by Subaru’s uncouth conduct.

Ram didn’t say anything. She simply glanced towards Frederica with eyes that were glinting with amusement. Frederica refused to meet her gaze, face bright red.

“Of all the things he could have said to her,” Julius bit out, clenching the armrests of his seat so hard that Anastasia wondered if they might break. “She doesn’t know him— If she or Rom get the idea that he’s a threat—!”

“Lady Felt isn’t taking it as more than bluster,” Ferris pointed out soothingly. “And Old Man Rom’s introduction to that idiot was learning that he could literally just scruff him and be done with it if nyeed be. Both of these people figured out how unthreatening Subaru-kyun is right from the start, nyes? He’s FINE, Juli…”

Nearby, Felt just rolled her eyes.

“I really do hope Lady Emilia managed to train him properly after this,” Crusch sighed.

[“…Rom?” Subaru asked. “What’s wrong?”]

[“I’m really beginning to think you two have teamed up together just to make me angry…” Rom said, a vein popping out of his forehead even as he smiled. Subaru and Felt looked at each other and shrugged, both utterly unthreatened by the display. Ron looked pointedly at Subaru. “Just when I thought Felt had made a new acquaintance around her age, you turn out to be just as twisted as the others.”]

Rom snorted. Felt groaned loudly.

[“…Rom, please,” Felt winced. “I know you think you’re helping, but I’m going to ask you to stop saying such embarrassing things.”]

[“Plus, ‘around her age’…?” Subaru added, looking rather embarrassed himself. “Although I suppose from your perspective everyone looks like they’re from the same age group.”]

“You can’t blame people for thinking you’re younger than you are when you act like a little kid all the time!” Julius scolded. Subaru squawked. “Aside from your eyes, your looks don’t do you any favors as is—”

“OI!”

“—so if you really want to be seen as more mature you need to start acting with poise and proper etiquette, for starters—”

“Would nyew save the etiquette lessons for later?!”

[Felt and Rom were both utterly ignorant to Subaru’s protests about his age. “What do you think is going to happen to you if you keep up this ‘lone wolf’ attitude of yours?” he demanded. “Sooner or later, I’m going to get too old to take care of you anymore. Do you really think you can make it on your own?”]

[“Just how many times have you told me this already?” Felt retorted.]

Ricardo’s eyes widened as he finally realized what Old Man Rom was getting at, and he barked out a laugh, slapping his thigh. “The old man was tryin’ ta set you two up on a play date!” he howled.

Subaru blinked. “What?”

“Do I really need to spell it out?” the mercenary grinned, all teeth. “He thought you were a similarly-aged kid with a decent personality, and decided that he wanted his granddaughter to have a new friend!”

“WHAT?!”

“OI!” Felt shouted, face bright red.

Rom shrugged. Frederica giggled, cheeks still pink as she held a hand up to her mouth. Julius coughed into his fist, suddenly desperately trying not to laugh. Reinhard was finding it very hard to keep a straight face.

Ferris wasn’t even trying. “Nyaww,” he cooed, laughing. “Subaru-kyun made SUCH a good impression that Old Man Rom thought he’d make good company for his precious granddaughter! Isn’t that sweet?”

“I DIDN’T KNOW!”

“And it is exactly that nyaivete that made the old man see nyew as such an easy first step for his socially-isolated grandchild to learn about friendship! Ferri-chan guesses that sort of stupidity pays off after all!”

“Shut up!” Felt snapped. “Reinhard! Rom!”

Reinhard coughed. “I believe that they are correct about Rom-san’s intentions, Lady Felt—”

“I do worry about your lack of friendships, Felt,” Rom said. “So if a kid around your age just so happened to come waltzing into my house like that, then…”
 

“NOT WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR.”

[Subaru had already shown Felt the wonders of his cell phone camera by the time everyone looked back at the screen, but she hadn’t reacted with the same sort of wonder as Old Man Rom. “So this fascination with high-tech stuff is only limited to men in this world, too?!” he complained. “Somehow that makes me feel really sad and lonely!”]

[“Oh, shut up,” Felt responded. “What’s there to make a big deal about? If this so-called metia can sell for more than this badge, then I couldn’t be happier. For that, I trust Rom to give me a proper appraisal.”]

“Ya trust that man a lot, huh?” Anastasia noted.

“Of course I do,” Felt scoffed, still slightly pink. “I— I’ve known him for practically my whole life. It’s Rom.”

Rom did not know how he wanted to respond to that, and so he pretended that he hadn’t heard Felt say anything at all.

Anastasia was an orphan who had not met Ricardo until she was around eight years old. This was not the first time she found herself wondering what it was like, to…

[“What do you mean when you say you still want to ‘sweeten the deal’?” Subaru was asking.]

[“Hmm?” Felt blinked. “Oh that? It’s simple. It just means that you’re not the only person I’m negotiating with.”]

Rom stiffened. Felt sucked in a breath. “Oh no.”

Reinhard’s face went pale. And I’m still not there to…!

Emilia swallowed. “It’ll be alright,” she whispered to Felt. “We all got out of it alright, didn’t we?”

Reinhard sucked in a breath, and exhaled. “R-Right,” he agreed. “It all ends well. That’s what matters.”

Frederica exhaled slowly.

[“The reason why I stole the badge in the first place was because someone asked me to…” Felt paused dramatically. “…In exchange for ten holy gold coins.”]

“Ten holy gold coins?!” Mimi repeated, her eyes flashing. “That’s—!”

“It’s not that much when you consider what she was actually stealing,” Tivey pointed out. “Taking an insignia from a Royal Candidate — for a job like that, I’d say the buyer was actually lowballing it significantly.”

[“I don’t really understand how much that is, but…”]

“He doesn’t understand the CURRENCY,” Anastasia gasped. Oh, that wasn’t good. In hindsight it was an obvious handicap of his situation, but — a boy who didn’t know the currency of his surroundings attempting to barter away such a valuable item was such an easy mark —

[“With that metia of yours,” Rom pointed out, “even in the worst case you could easily get twenty holy gold coins.”]

 
“So that’s how you knew,” Felt murmured thoughtfully.

Anastasia took a deep breath. Subaru had been very fortunate, to find people who would not take advantage of his obvious naïveté on his very first day. …But that did not make his situation any less concerning.

Nearby, exactly the same anxieties were causing Otto to pull on his hat, teeth clenched and knuckles white. “Natsuki-san…!”

[“Don’t worry about the location,” Felt said. “We’re meeting here. As long as Old Man Rom’s around, most people will forget about using violence as an option. Just the thought of having to fight this scary old man sends shivers down your spine, don’t you think?”]

[Subaru looked up at Rom for a moment, and then nodded several times in agreement.]

Rom huffed. “You really like pissing me off, don’t you, you brat…”

Ferris snorted.

“At least you have SOME common sense,” Julius muttered, exhaling slowly through his teeth.

[“Really,” Subaru was saying. “If you had already called that person here in the first place, were you planning on trying to negotiate the price with them even if I didn’t show up?”]

“That IS the smart thing for a person to do, Natsuki,” Anastasia clarified, glancing meaningfully in his direction.

[“Of course I was!” Felt scoffed. “Just how much do you think I had to go through to steal this thing? What if poor little me had to meet with them all on my own and got talked down on the reward? Wouldn’t that be sad?”]

[“‘Poor little me,’ huh…” A note of anger entered Subaru’s inner monologue. Hard to think of you that way when you abandoned me to get beaten up like that in an alley. ]

Felt winced, hard.

Subaru noticed. “That really wasn’t fair of me,” he apologized quickly. “S-Sorry. I know you had your own stuff going on, and…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” she said. “I— I think I’m the one who owes you an apology for that, really. Sorry, Big Bro.”

[“Speaking of which,” Subaru snapped, a little peeved. “Don’t you remember me at all?”]

[“Huh? Did we meet somewhere before?”]

—For Reinhard, it suddenly clicked.

Felt didn’t recognize him, because it hadn’t actually happened. But for Subaru— it couldn’t have just been a vision: it was far too detailed. And in any case, that would mean that this false memory was also a vision, making the first a vision within a vision, which didn’t make sense at all. For Subaru, everything had been real.

The only thing that had changed was the time of day, which had rewound itself. Subaru was the only one with that first memory because he was the only one who had, himself, traveled backwards, while everything else had simply been rewound. And everything else had been rewound when—

“Oh,” Reinhard said quietly.

Felt frowned. “What?”

“…We’ll talk later, Lady Felt.” Reinhard’s eyes were now firmly glued to the screen. Felt raised an eyebrow, but somehow managed to refrain from commenting further.

Rom pressed his lips together. It seemed that the knight had figured it out.

[“Anyway, that’s enough about your terrible memory, Felt,” Subaru dismissed. “When is the other person supposed to be coming?”]

[“I’m not sure I like your attitude,” Felt frowned.]

Reinhard hoped he was wrong. Please let him be wrong. Because if he was right—!

[There was a knock at the door.]

Felt swallowed. “That’s probably HER,” she said quietly.

”Probably,” Rom agreed. He tried not to look as tense as he felt.

“…It might be Emilia,” Reinhard suggested. He already knew it wasn’t.

[ She’s walking around like she owns the place… Subaru thought to himself, watching Felt go to answer the door. “You really okay with letting her get away with that?” he asked Rom.]

[“Well, it’s not like I just met her,” he responded. “We’ve known each other for a long time… I suppose I can let her depend on me every now and then.”]

[Subaru rested his cheek in his palm. You look very happy to be depended on, really. ]

Felt flushed pink. “Softie,” he scoffed.

”Shut it, brat,” Rom returned, though his face, too, looked a little red.

Ricardo glanced at Anastasia briefly before turning back to the screen.

[“Upon seeing your uncivilized figure, I can’t help but wince and smile at the same time,” Subaru teased.]

Rom snorted loudly.

“Subaru!” Julius snapped.

[“You sure like to run your mouth, don’t you?” Rom retorted. “Just who do you think you have to thank for getting this far? Woe is me.”]

[Subaru paused. “Well, to be honest, I’m very thankful for your help,” he said. “It’s not like everything’s over yet, but I’m almost there, and the only reason things have been going so well for me is because of your help, so…thanks.”]

“…Huh,” Rom said, not really knowing how to respond to that.
 

[“…If you suddenly start being honest with me like that, I’m not going to know what to do.”]

Wilhelm smiled, glancing over at the boy himself. He believed that he understood the feeling quite well.

Emilia looked at the screen with soft eyes. “Subaru…”

This was the version of him she loved the most, she thought.

[“I wouldn’t call the way I feel about it ‘thanks,’” Rom muttered. “But…if either of us is to thank the other, it should be me, rather than you.” Subaru blinked. “There’s the fact that you have a metia, and then there’s your clothes and the look about you… You come from a pretty well-off family, don’t you?”]

[“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say THAT…” Subaru answered uncomfortably.]

[“You don’t have to hide it,” Rom said. “I bet you can’t make public that Felt stole that badge. If nothing else, I’m very grateful of the fact that you’re trying to settle this in a peaceful way.”]

 
Rom blinked. “Huh.”

Julius blinked. “…Huh.”

“Wait…” Felt frowned. “Rom thought you were—?”

“What a fortunate misunderstanding,” Otto sighed.

[“In a place like this, everyone’s just struggling to survive,” Rom said. “In that kind of environment, the young ones tend to form gangs with others like them, but…Felt really isn’t suited for that.”]

[“If the way she’s been acting is the way she acts with everyone, then I’m not surprised.” There’s no doubt that all her resolution is geared towards her own ends, Subaru thought. If you act like that, then anybody who wants a mutually beneficial relationship with you isn’t going to be too thrilled… ]

Rom coughed into his fist.

“I don’t need your commentary!” Felt snapped, face bright red.

“He is correct, Lady Felt,” Reinhard advised. “While your attitude is charming, in the face of diplomatic relations—”

“Shaddup!”

Anastasia frowned. “It’s a very naive way to think of things,” she mused. “Whether ya like it or not, most people are ultimately out for their own self interests. In some ways, it’s better for your diplomatic partner to be open about that fact rather than attempting to conceal it…”

But that was just one more addition to the pile, really, of the number of things that could be used to trick Natsuki Subaru into an unfavorable deal.

[“I don’t mean to be rude or anything,” Subaru said, the way someone does before they’re about to say something very rude. “But I think that part of the reason her selfishness has gotten so bad is because you’re always there for her.”]

Julius buried his face in his hands.

[“…I don’t have anything I can say to that,” Rom sighed. “After all, it’s true I tend to spoil her.”]

“I’m not spoiled!” Felt squawked.

“Ha!” Rachins cackled. “Yeah, you are!” He ducked under her hand as she swatted at him angrily. “Yer Rom’s little spoiled princess, yes you are!”

“Shaddup, you lout!” Felt snapped, face coloring a dark red.

“You’re mad ‘cause it’s true!” Rachins retorted, already starting to run away while cowering under his arms and calling over his shoulder. “Spoiled princess! Spoiled princess!”

“RACHINS—!”

[“Well, I hope it’s not a one-sided thing,” Subaru mused.]

[“I don’t mind, even if that’s the way it is,” Rom responded. “…Actually, it’d be best if it were that way.”]

Rom pressed his lips together. He wished he hadn’t said that out loud — not to this room of people, anyway.

Felt frowned, slowing to a stop in chasing her unruly subordinate around the room. “…Rom—?”

[“I was right, it was for me,” Felt was saying. “We’re over here, would you come take a seat?”]

[The woman Subaru saw next was exactly the person everyone was dreading would arrive.]

At the sight of the Bowel Hunter, all of the mirth abruptly drained itself from the room.

Garfiel sucked in a breath, eyes wide as he stared up at the figure of the woman that, once upon a time, he had killed with his own two hands.

“Elsa Granhiert…”

Her voice whispered back to him, from somewhere behind his ear: It is lovely to see you once again, Garfiel Tinsel.

 
Frederica gripped her little brother’s arm so tight it hurt. He didn’t tell her to move away.

But even those who had not fought her directly — they had heard of the infamous Bowel Hunter. The lady from Gusteko, the killer of thousands, the lover of blood and guts who butchered all for love of the sport. More beast than person, more monster than human, the type of creature against which even the cream of the crop within the Lugunican military would struggle—

[She’s really pretty…]

Wilhelm’s fist clenched in his lap. “And he can’t tell at all—!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Ferris hissed, too on edge to properly make fun of Subaru for that. “For fuck’s sake, for fuck’s sake—!”

[“I can’t just let myself be in a position to be talked down on price, you know?” Felt was saying. “It’s the wisdom of the weak. Anyway, Subaru—” She motioned with her hand, as if ordering a servant. “Go fetch us some drinks.”]

[Subaru didn’t even say a word of protest, obediently getting them both a glass of milk.]

Frederica recognized that smitten look. Whenever Subaru felt that shy sort of admiration for Emilia, that puppy-ish obedience was exactly what would follow.

But to watch him to aim those eyes at a woman like that…!

“Run,” Julius implored beseechingly, his voice hoarse with stress. “All of you — run.”

“I wouldn’t run from a client.” Felt’s words held no audible pride as she voiced this fact. She sounded odd. “Especially if Rom was right there, I wouldn’t have…”

Rom groaned, loud and low.

Ricardo stared at the screen, a sinking feeling in his chest. So this must be how…

Anastasia exhaled slowly, folding her hands in her lap.

[“The truth is, I was given a little extra by my employer, in case you happened to have second thoughts about the price,” Elsa was saying. “So I do have a little more to offer.”]

[“Your employer…?” Subaru frowned. “So you’re just following someone’s directions to pick up the badge?”]

[“That’s correct. The one who wants the badge is not me, but my employer.” Elsa leered at him curiously. “…Are you by chance involved in the same sort of work as I am?”]

[“Someone involved in the same work as I am would mean they’re unemployed!”]

Nobody laughed at that. The atmosphere was too tense.

“An employer…” Julius muttered, trying to ignore his own heart pounding in his ears. “Lady Emilia, do you—?”

“We know who it was,” Emilia confirmed quietly. She sounded odd. “We — took care of it. A while ago.”

Ram didn’t glance in Roswaal’s direction. She wanted to, but she stopped herself just in time.

Something heavy rested against her soul. Had her Lord’s wishes really led to…?

No. No, that couldn’t be… Something else. She had to be wrong about this. Ram was never wrong about anything, but, just this once—

[Elsa’s extra coins brought her total bid up to twenty holy gold coins. Subaru looked at this total very nervously, but—]

[“There’s no reason for you to act like such a baby,” Rom said gruffly. “Aren’t you a man? …It’s true that twenty holy gold coins is an outrageous amount. However, I remember saying that your metia should sell for that in even the worst case scenario. In other words…”]

“He won the bet,” Crusch confirmed. She didn’t sound pleased about this fact. She sounded as though the dread in her soul was building by the second.

Otto understood why. He hissed softly. There was no way that Elsa would let that go without a fight…!

[“ALL RIGHT!” Subaru jumped up from his seat, crying out in triumph and excitement — an action that earned him blank stares from all three parties. His face turned pink. “W-What? I’m happy, all right? Let me be!”]

Wilhelm wanted to be amused by this outburst. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to— to step in and save Subaru from what he knew was going to happen next. He couldn’t do any of it.

Rachins didn’t understand what was going on. He had never heard of a Bowel Hunter — not as more than a vague story from Gusteko. He was too creeped out by the mounting silence to ask any questions about it.

“Reinhard?” he whispered, crawling back to the side of his Camp like a dog.

Reinhard reached out and squeezed his shoulder. The fact that this powerhouse of a man was as frightened as everyone else turned his unease into a rolling terror, and he looked sharply back at the metia.

Rem was more or less able to understand the nuance from the context of everyone else’s reactions. She exhaled slowly, closing off her heart to the thief, the young man, and the old bartender, such that what was going to happen next would not hurt her quite so much.

It wasn’t like she could do anything about any of this, anyway. This was the intelligent thing to do.

[“Well, as the negotiations did not go in my favor, I think I’ll take my leave now.” Elsa stood up.]

“No way she just gets up and leaves,” Garfiel hissed, eyes wild with dread.

“Maybe she will,” Mimi said hopefully, watching as Subaru and Rom joked, and teased, and even offered kind words of sympathy as a kindred spirit caught in an unfortunate situation. “They’re all being so nice to her, so maybe she’ll…?”

“The Bowel Hunter is basically a wild beast,” Tivey whispered, his voice shaking. He had studied her a couple of times, alongside his brother. “A woman like that would never take into consideration basic human niceties.”

“…You never know?” Hetaro squeaked. He hoped that his brother wasn’t correct, but — he was pretty sure that he already knew what was going to happen next, himself.

All of them were, watching the screen with bated breath.

And there was nothing that anybody could do about it.

[Felt, Rom, and Subaru were all oblivious to the reality of their situation, with the young thief overcome with joy at her new fortune and the two men currently going as far as to sympathize with Elsa’s failure to achieve her employer’s goal.]

Reinhard had gotten there just in the nick of time. Reinhard remembered it well. It had been one of the proudest moments of his life.

He wasn’t there now. He wasn’t going to show up. He wasn’t going to save them.

Why hadn’t he…?

You did this all because of me.

Perhaps this was not the fairest thing for her to think, staring up at the metia from over a year in the future. But it was all that Emilia could find it in herself to understand. You stole that insignia from me, she thought to Felt. You’re going to have to protect her because she stole my insignia, she thought to Old Man Rom. And you…

Every bit of the reason why Subaru was in this situation was based in his involvement with her. Emilia stared up at his smiling face with anguish in her eyes. Why? she whispered silently. All of this…for my sake?

She hadn’t wanted…!

Beatrice wasn’t paying attention to the metia at all. Her eyes were solely fixed on her contractor, shivering silently in his cage as his dread built and built and built. “Subaru…?”

[“By the way, what is it that you were planning on doing with that badge?” Elsa asked.]

“Don’t—!” Julius tried to cry out, but of course, the warning went unheard.

[“I was planning on returning it to its owner,” Subaru answered cheerfully.]

“Why would nyew say that—!” Ferris squeaked out.

“You idiot…!” Tivey breathed.

“Natsuki-san,” Otto moaned. “You stupid, stupid—!”

The healer was clutching fistfuls of his hair, a look in his eyes like someone was about to tear out his fingernails one by one. “Why, why, why— she’s going to—!”

“It’s no use,” Wilhelm said. His voice was odd. The knuckles of his fist were turning white. “There’s no answer he could have given that would have saved him.”

[The air shifted immediately — and so drastically that even Subaru appeared to feel it, the smile slipping off his face like water.]

[“I see,” Elsa said. “So you’re with them.”]

It was almost a mercy, when the tension building in the room was finally allowed to snap.

[Felt tackled Subaru to the floor almost immediately, pinning him down. Subaru protested loudly, only for her to bite right back. “Are you an idiot?!” she snapped. “Pay attention and get out of the way! Do you want to die?!”]

[It was only thanks to Felt that Elsa had missed — because she had swung for Subaru first.]

“Run—” Julius repeated. “R-Run! All of you, get out of there—!”

“They can’t hear you, Jules,” Anastasia said quietly. “This isn’t…”

“H-He’ll get out of it,” Mimi said hopefully. “He’s here now! So then…he has to get away from her, right? He’ll get out, and—”

[Old Man Rom roared, lifting his massive club and swinging it at the assassin with intent to kill as he stepped in front of the two youths in his establishment. His movements were strong and fast, and most people would clearly stand no chance against him — but Elsa was not most people.]

[“This is my first time in mortal combat against a giant,” Elsa smiled coldly.]

“A giant?” Hetaro asked. Nobody else was paying attention to that part.

[“Go ahead and keep talking, little girl,” Rom snarled. “I’ll turn you into mincemeat and feed you to the giant rats!”]

[“Don’t worry,” Felt assured Subaru, who was watching the fight in obvious terror. “There’s no way Old Man Rom can lose! Ever since I can remember, I’ve never seen Rom lose a fight!”]

Felt remembered that image of Rom’s lifeless body on the floor of the Loot House. She croaked something out. She didn’t want to say it, but — she already knew how this would end.

Next to her, Rom squeezed her shoulder.

[Felt screamed. Rom’s arm — still holding its club — had been cut off, spinning through the air, showering the entire room with blood. It dripped onto the tables, the floor — and onto Felt and Subaru, cowering in fright.]

 
Frederica stared, a look of utter horror on her face at the grizzly scene.

Felt squeaked something out, dread finally turning into sheer horror as she registered the sight of her old man being mutilated right before her very eyes.

That was his arm, hurtling through the air to land with an awful squelching sound on the floor of her childhood home. That was his blood, showering her golden hair and dripping down her face. That was his club, rolling out of his fist as it opened lifelessly on the ground.

Rom was supposed to be— Felt had never once thought of him as capable of leaving her behind—!

But that’s not true, her mind whispered. There was one time, when you really feared that he might leave you for good…

But he had survived. He had survived his encounter with the Bowel Hunter of her. He had survived—!

He wasn’t going to survive, here, was he?

”Felt,” Rom whispered. “Felt, I’m right here…”

Felt swallowed, and gripped his hand.

[“If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me!” Rom roared, throwing himself forward, a fighter to the bitter end. —But it was no use.]

[“I forgot to tell you before,” Elsa said sweetly. The glass that Subaru had served her just a little before was now broken, its shards piercing the old man’s throat. “But thank you for the milk.”]

“Lady Felt.”

Reinhard was there, pushing back his own horror and devastation. There was a weak smile on his face. He was reaching out to her. Felt wanted to slap him, to brush him off, to scold him for coddling her so—

Her body moved against her will, her face burying itself in his shoulder so that she didn’t have to watch this nightmare anymore.

[Rom’s body continued to twitch. Elsa placed the broken glass neatly down beside him.]

Reinhard both watched Old Man Rom’s death in his Lady’s stead. He did not give himself permission to turn away. He sucked in a shuddering breath, and his grip tightened around the back of her dress. These were the only comforts he offered himself as he watched this horrible nightmare unfold before his eyes.

Rom was not as affected by the sight of his own corpse as he should have been, perhaps. His focus was on his granddaughter, trembling in the arms of the greatest knight she could have asked for.

[The Felt of the metia had no such knight to comfort her after witnessing the death of the man who had cared for her all her life.]

[“How…” she growled out, low and raw with rage as she stood up. “How dare you…”]

Rachins croaked, staring at this horrible scene with his eyes wide open. Never in his life had he experienced…!

He knew these people. He knew that man. He knew that girl. He had just watched one die — and if the old man had died, then he knew that the girl would soon follow. He hadn’t wanted to see this. He hadn’t wanted to see something like this, and not with—!

…Would he be able to look either of them in the eye after this?

[“I’m sorry for getting you wrapped up in all this,” Felt said quietly, aimed at the cowering boy just behind her.]

“Felt, don’t—!” Reinhard shouted. The Felt in his arms was safe, her figure stiffening in response to his words, but there was another one, one facing down the Bowel Hunter herself—

But there was nothing he could do.

Next to him, Rom was rigid in his seat.

[“…I—”]

[Before Subaru could answer, she had thrust herself into the fight.]

“Maybe she’ll stand a chance!” Mimi whimpered, staring at the screen with mounting terror as all of her hopes were seemingly dashed, one by one. “She’s so— She’s fast. She can get out. She can—!”

[Felt was moving so quickly, it was hard to follow her with the naked eye — and yet, when she struck, Elsa had still somehow managed to dodge.]

Anastasia hissed. “And that’s that.”

[“So you have the [Divine Protection of the Wind],” Elsa marveled. “Oh, how wonderful. The world must adore you… I envy that.”]

[It didn’t matter much, in the end. Just a second or so later, and Felt’s body had been sliced in half.]

Reinhard let out a horrible noise.

That was—

That was his—

He was supposed to protect her.

In this version of events, Reinhard had never found her. Reinhard would never find her, now. Reinhard would—

He had failed. There would be no chance at redemption. Not for him, nor his father, nor his family name. Nothing would ever be fixed, and he would be none the wiser about ever having a chance—

And worst of all, Felt—!

Felt took a deep breath, and exhaled. She let go of Reinhard, and sat up straight, and looked him in the eye.

“She’s dead now,” was all she said. “I’m fine.”

Reinhard swallowed, and nodded. “She is dead,” he confirmed. “Lady Felt.”

And it was no thanks to you.

Rom swallowed, staring in silent horror at the sight of his dead granddaughter. A feeling of utter horror, unlike anything he had ever felt before, welled up in his gut. And you could do nothing about it at all.
 

[Subaru let out a croak, staring down at Felt’s dying body with the sort of horror that would freeze a person in place.]

“Don’t just stare!” Mimi cried at the metia, now frantic and on the verge of despair as she pulled at her braids. “Don’t just stare at her like that, you idiot! Run! Run! Get out of there!”

But this was a memory, and there was nothing she could do.

[“The old man and the girl have fallen, yet you aren’t moving,” Elsa called to the one other party that was still alive within the establishment. “Have you given up?”]

“Please let it be quick,” Ram whispered to herself, too quietly for anyone else to hear. She knew that — for all his amazing feats — Subaru wouldn’t stand a chance against this woman. She knew…

And if she was right, then even those amazing feats had been…!

“Please—” Ram begged, in exactly the way she never begged anyone. “Just let it be over quickly.”

[“Ah, you’ve finally stood up,” Elsa praised. “It’s less fun since you took so long, but still, not bad.”]

“Don’t try to fight her, dumbass…!” Otto whimpered. “Don’t try to— please, just run! Get out of there!”

Elsa was faster, but maybe Subaru didn’t have to make it far. Maybe there was something outside that he could use. Maybe he just needed to get far enough to cry for help. Maybe he just needed to make it out those doors—!

[But Subaru, of course, did not run. Instead he sucked in a deep breath, and then let out his own attempt at a battle cry, charging towards the experienced assassin with a single fist raised high.]

It was in that moment that Garfiel realized that Subaru really, truly did not stand a chance.

He had known that Subaru was not — physically capable, in the same way that he was. But for the year in which he had known him, he had always thought that his Captain could get out of anything, one way or another. Even the most impossible of situations could be squirmed out of, because his Captain was one of the greatest people he had ever met…!

But here that man was, rushing an assassin with a single fist raised and a feeble cry on his lips, because that was the only thing that he could do.

And even before Elsa met him in the middle, even before her shin met his stomach and kicked him clear across the room, Garfiel knew that Subaru was not going to win that fight.

[“But it’s no use,” Elsa mocked. Subaru lay where he had been tossed, choking and gasping as he attempted to crawl back to his feet. “I can see that you’re a novice, and your movements are rough. You have no Divine Protections or techniques. I had hoped to squeeze wisdom out of you, but you lack that, too.”]

[“Shut up…” Subaru hissed, trembling. “I do have my pride…!”]

“Please make it quick,” Julius hissed. He was trembling himself. “Please, please make it quick…!”

By his side, Ricardo already knew that this woman was not the type of beast who would do such a thing. He didn’t have the courage to do more than lay his hand on the shoulder of his shaking comrade-in-arms, watching the metia with both of his eyes wide open.

[“I do acknowledge that you have extraordinary determination,” Elsa praised. “If only you had done that sooner, things might have gone differently for these two.”]

—Something about how the Bowel Hunter said that flicked a switch in Felt’s mind.

That scene by the appa stand. That encounter in the alley. That fight in the Loot House. The way she remembered nothing — not of before, and not of now. It had all…

“If only things had gone differently.”

“If only YOU had done things differently.”

Felt’s eyes widened. “Wait—” she started to say, but things moved too fast for her to finish her sentence.

[“Let’s put an end to all this,” Elsa declared. “I’ll send you off to go meet the angels.” And with that, she appeared to promptly disappear into the shadows.]

[Subaru, now on his feet again, didn’t know where she was going to come from, or what to expect. “Wh-Where are you?!” he cried out.]

She’s fucking toying with him! Ricardo bit back a growl, his grip on Julius’ shoulder tightening.

Ricardo was a mercenary. He recognized a monster when he saw it.

“He doesn’t stand a chance…!” Julius moaned. He didn’t want to watch this. He didn’t want—

[Subaru suddenly remembered— before. When I first came to the Loot House, the attack came for my—! ]

[It was with this knowledge that Subaru successfully managed to dodge Elsa’s first blow, having been aimed directly at his abdomen. And then, with her momentarily off-balance, he landed on his back foot and swung his other around in a roundhouse kick, successfully landing the first blow against her since the beginning of the fight.]

Julius started. “Wha—?!”

“You got her?!” Garfiel blustered, shock chasing away the despair that had threatened to eat him whole. “You— You got her! Captain, you—!”

“Barusu managed to hit that woman?!” Ram repeated, hardly able to believe what she had just seen.

“Subaru—” Emilia’s face brightened. “Subaru—!”

“He hit her!” Mimi cried. She was leaning forward, her hope reserving with a vengeance. “He hit her, he landed a kick! If he can do that, then—!”

[“Ahh, I felt that one…” But Elsa did not look particularly hurt: she looked very, very pleased. —The cause of this pleasure became obvious, alongside the widening red stain in Subaru’s shirt.]

Mimi’s anticipatory smile slipped off her face. A choked sound escaped her throat.

With their hopes having been momentarily raised, this re-impression of the reality of the situation fell upon them like a sledgehammer. Garfiel’s sudden look of astonished glee faded to one of despair, magnified tenfold from what it had been a moment before. Julius let out a sound that sounded an awful lot like a whimper. Emilia clasped both hands to her mouth. Ram exhaled harshly, a stony look that matched her sister’s overcoming her face once again.

Subaru didn’t stand a chance. He had never stood a chance. And now—

Anastasia placed a hand on Mimi’s back, rubbing softly as the scene continued.

[Subaru took one, two steps back, sliding down against the wall and to the floor. In a shocked stupor, he helplessly tried to slosh the flowing blood back into the open wound in his gut, but he didn’t even have the strength to push against the sliced open tissue falling back against his hand.]

[“Are you surprised?” Elsa’s voice mocked. “I opened up your stomach as you rushed me. It’s my specialty, really.”]

“What a messed up specialty,” Otto whispered to himself. He had not been foolish enough to raise his hopes that things could be different. But somehow, that did not stop this outcome from hurting him at all.

Garfiel croaked. “Ca… Captain…”

Watching the youth shudder in anguish, Rem wondered if she should say anything. But — regardless of if they had once had any relationship, with her as part of their “camp,” the version of herself that was currently present was not his friend. This was none of her business, and she would only be an intruder in the lives of strangers if she attempted to intervene.

[“Ah…” Elsa knelt right next to him, with him having fallen onto his side, and lifted up his shirt. “Your intestines have such a lovely color to them.”]

 
That could have been her brother.

The thought came to Frederica at what felt like the worst possible moment. That youthful-looking boy right there, the one facing down the Bowel Hunter, the one with the angry-looking face and the tender heart—

It could have been blonde hair, instead of black. It could have been yellow eyes, instead of brown. It could have been— have been—

Should she be happy that it wasn’t him? It felt rotten, the thought of being grateful that it had been someone else. On some level, Frederica couldn’t help but feel relieved that she felt no gratitude towards that fact at all.

Her head hurt. Deciding who she would rather watch die like this — Frederica was a maid, not a soldier. She had no place thinking of such things. She didn’t want a seat like that at all.

[Subaru gurgled something intelligible, reaching out to weakly grab at her ankle. Elsa did nothing to shake him off, staring at his face with growing ecstasy. “Are you in pain?” she breathed. “Does it hurt? Are you sad? Do you want to die?”]

 
Rom had known from the start that Subaru did not stand a chance. Even aside from the obvious — if Elsa had been enough for his granddaughter, for HIMSELF, then of course that stupid little boy wouldn’t stand a chance.

But even so, this display—!

“Why is she so much more sadistic with HIM?!” Mimi cried. “She didn’t do this with the Lady, or the old man! She didn’t make them suffer! Why him, why—?!”

“Because Subaru can’t fight back like they can,” Tivey hissed between his teeth. “She can do whatever she wants with him, because he can’t fight back.”

[It hurts… Subaru’s inner monologue called out pitifully, choked with pain. It hurts… It hurts… It hurts… It hurts… It hurts…]

“Subaru—!” Wilhelm cried out.

He didn’t want to hear that. He didn’t want to hear that! Of all the things that—

But he couldn’t look away. To look away would be—!

Mimi clasped her hands over her mouth. “It hurts…” she repeated in a whimper, her voice muffled. Tears were heading at the corners of her eyes. “It hurts…it’s hurting him…!”

“Of course it’s hurting him!” Ferris snapped, far too shaken to be considerate. “Of course it’s hurting him, he’s—!”

“Ferris!” Crusch called sharply. Her own eyes looked wild, the cries of pain echoing through her ears, through her blood, through her bones—! “Ferris, behave yourself—!”

“All of you, shut the fuck up—!” Rachins hollered. “Shut up, shut up, shut up—!”

“It’s not real, in fact.”

Captured by the metia, nobody was paying attention to the small body at the other side of the theater. —Nobody, except Beatrice.

“It’s not real,” she was trying to say, her voice hushed. She reached out, and her hands met only glass. “Subaru, it’s not real, in fact. You’re okay, in fact. You’re safe, in fact. She’s— She’s—!”

Subaru was not listening to her. This whole time, he had been as fixated upon the metia as everybody else, his pupils pinprick dots against his irises.

[“Slowly, slowly, slowly, your body will lose its heat, and you will go cold…”]

[It hurts… It hurts… It…doesn’t hurt? Can’t hear… Can’t smell… Can’t see… Getting cold… Die? Am I dead? When will I die? When will I die? Am I already dead? Can you even say that I’m alive in this state, lesser than any insect? What is life? What is death? Why is dying so frightening? Is it really necessary to live? No?]

Ricardo was not a monster. He had wondered about the people on the other end of his sword before: their lives, their experiences, their hopes, their dreams, and how it felt when he cut all of them short in one swift blow.

But to see the view from the other end of the blade now, in this manner…!

Ricardo wondered: had all of his death blows been this gruesome? Had all of those times he’d fought and won— was this the price that had been paid? He swallowed. If that were true, then— he felt like he might be sick.

His eyes darted to Ana-bo. It was for her sake, he repeated. For the most part, it was true. If it wasn’t them, it was going to be her—!

The thought of Ana-bo bleeding out in agony and solitude like this made him feel ten times the nausea from before. He raised a hand to his mouth. Was he going to pass out?

[I’m scared, Subaru called out weakly, with a voice that could not be heard even if someone who cared enough to answer had been standing over him in his murderer’s stead. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared—!]

“Subaru—!” Emilia cried, eyes completely fixed on his shivering, convulsing figure. “Subaru, I’m here, I’m here—! Stop, please you don’t—! I’m HERE—!”

But she wasn’t there. She hadn’t been there at all. Not this time.

Julius covered his ears. He didn’t want to listen to this. He couldn’t listen to this—!

[Ah. I’m dead.]

He didn’t have a choice. He heard Subaru loud and clear regardless.

[Subaru died — a second time.]

“…If this is a joke,” Ram said hoarsely. “Then it is one of the sickest jokes that I have ever heard.”

Rem hesitantly reached out to the woman who was her sister, but stopped at the last moment and withdrew. Her sister never saw.

“SUBARU!” a voice cried out, having risen to a crescendo. “SUBARU, ITS NOT REAL, IN FACT! IT’S NOT REAL, PLEASE—!”

Everyone finally turned to see Subaru, sitting and shaking on the far side of the room.

“Subaru—!” Emilia cried, shocked to her senses as she finally rushed to the side of his cage — where she should have been from the very start. Otto and Garfiel were not far behind, nor was Ram.

Julius nearly followed, but Anastasia stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Let his own Camp handle him first,” she muttered. “He knows them. They’re…” Safe. Safer than members of his political rivals, at any rate.

Julius swallowed, but nodded in understanding.

“I’m here, I’m here! Betty’s here, in fact! Please, it’s NOT—!”

“Subaru, it’s alright! It’s alright, we’re here!” Emilia was rambling. “It’s— That was such a cruel thing to show us, I don’t—”

”Subaru-sama,” Frederica pleaded. “Subaru-sama, please calm yourself—”

“Sick bitch, I’m glad I killed her, Cap, she’ll never give you a nightmare like that again so long as I have anything to say about it—!”

“It’ll never happen again,” Otto agreed, with a slightly different meaning from Garfiel’s own proclamation. “Natsuki-san, you can rest, it’ll never—!”

“It was enough for you to land a solid hit against her, Barusu,” Ram said softly. Too softly to come from someone like her, on most days. This was not most days. “You did— You have nothing to be ashamed of. You fought well—”

“But it’s alright. I’m sorry I wasn’t— Are you alright?”

Subaru took a deep, shuddering breath, and then plastered a smile across his face. “I’m ay-okay, Emilia-tan,” he said cheerfully. He was shaking. “What’s a few bad memories in the face of your angelic beauty, right?”

—Everything clicked within Beatrice’s mind a moment before Kadomon’s voice echoed through the screen again.

[“You wanna buy an appa or what?”]

“Su…” Emilia croaked. The sick realization of what this actually was finally blossomed in her consciousness. She took a step back, feeling faint. “Subaru…?”

“Cap…” Garfiel choked out. His hands were shaking. His entire body was shaking. He would have felt embarrassed if this had been any other situation. This was…This was… “Captain…?”

“A…Ah…” Mimi was making a horrible squeaking noise, her hands raised to cover her mouth.

“Onee…Onee-chan…” Hetaro was trying to— but his hands were shaking, even as he extended them out. “Onee-chan…?”

Tivey took a deep breath, and exhaled. It seems his siblings had figured it out.

Rachins stared, the realization of what was happening finally dawning across his mind.

[“…I have no idea what’s going on anymore,” Subaru confessed, and then he fell over.]

The entire theater was so silent that one would be able to hear a pin drop. Half of the audience was staring at the metia. And the other half…

“Why…” Emilia choked. “Subaru…why didn’t you…?”

[Subaru woke up to Kadomon splashing cold water on his face.]

[“Are you alright, boy?” the merchant asked, uncharacteristically flustered. “—Here, forget about the money. Just take these…”]

[A cup of water, and a couple of appas. Subaru stared at them blankly for a minute before obediently reaching up to take them. His hands were shaking.]

“Kadomon always had a good heart,” Reinhard reflected weakly, having met Carol and Grimm’s son-in-law on several occasions himself.

Wilhelm said nothing. He was too captured by the look on Subaru’s face.

The look of a man who has crossed the boundary between life and death…

[Subaru sat there for a moment, shivering and hugging his knees. The memory of being cut open, of slowly bleeding out, of watching that arm— of that sea of blood—]

[I don’t want to think anymore, he whimpered inwardly. I don’t want to remember anymore. I want to crawl into my skull and never come out. I want to cry. I want to scream—]

Emilia whimpered something intelligible.

Wilhelm did not voice it, but he felt much the same way. But — it wasn’t quite the same, because instead of purely focusing on Subaru’s plight, he couldn’t help but think—

How many times had he inflicted something like this upon the world?

Had all of Wilhelm’s opponents felt like that, in their dying moments? Had all of the survivors felt like this, in the minutes afterwards? This was a question Wilhelm had rarely humored himself, especially in recent years—

But seeing Subaru shaking with shock and fright after being caught on the wrong end of a blade—

You did it to protect people, his late wife’s voice whispered in his ear. A knight is someone who protects another.

…Wilhelm wished he had been there to protect Subaru from that horrible woman.

[But before Subaru could scream, cry, go further into shock — he saw a flash of silver hair.]

Subaru froze, suddenly remembering what he had done next. Oh no.

[Subaru’s eyes widened, and he immediately pushed himself to his feet. “Wai— Wait up!” he cried out. “Wait, stop!”]

“She won’t remember him,” Rachins realized. “Emilia won’t—”

[Having never met Subaru before in her life, Emilia ignored him and kept walking. But Subaru was in no position to take the hint, of course, and so he stumbled after her desperately. “Wait! Wait up! Please, wait!”]

“Please just turn around,” Emilia found herself begging. “I know you don’t know him, but please, he— he needs you—!”

[“Wait— please! Satella!”]

Emilia croaked. She had forgotten about that part — as had everyone else.

Federica winced. Emilia had asked for this result, unfortunately.
 

“Oh no,” Anastasia hissed.

”Uh oh,” Rom groaned.

“Oh, that’s not good…!” Julius moaned.

“Oh, and she won’t have any context as to why…!” Crusch breathed.

Wilhelm winced, hard. “There’s no way she’ll take that well,” he whispered. “There’s no way she won’t…”

“Oh no,” Felt groaned.

“He won’t even know what he did WRONG…!” Mimi whimpered.

“Oh no,” Otto moaned, gripping his hat. “Oh no, oh no, oh NO—!”

“Oh crap,” Garfiel gasped. “Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap—!”

Reinhard silently winced. Ricardo hissed softly between his teeth.

“She won’t take that well at all…!” Ram hissed.

[“Don’t…ignore me!” Subaru called out pleadingly, having no idea what it was that he had just done. “It’s my fault I went away and it’s my fault I didn’t listen to you, but I’ve been desperate! After what happened I went to the Loot House, but I wasn’t able to meet you there and…”]

“He sounds completely insane,” Rachins marveled.

“Of course he does,” Crusch said. Her voice sounded odd. “Who would have listened to this sort of thing from a stranger?”

If he had just been honest about what had happened — who on Earth would have believed him?

[Emilia was — understandably — staring at him with a frigid look on her face. Subaru shrank back from her in embarrassment, completely misreading the reason for her hostility. “I’m sorry for going on about myself,” he apologized weakly. “…I’m so glad to see you’re okay.”]

“Oh man, and he has no idea what he just said—!” Tivey breathed. “He couldn’t— there’s no way he could have— and in front of all those people—!”

Julius was suddenly reminded of a situation that supposedly took place just a month after this one, and felt his face go pale.

“But— maybe that really is—?” Mimi shook her head. “Mimi has no idea why someone would give the name of the Witch of Envy if it wasn’t—”

[“…What do you think you’re doing?”]

“Nope,” Tivey sighed. The anger in the woman’s voice all but confirmed it.

The Emilia onscreen was rightfully furious at being called the same name as the most hated being in the world. Anyone else in her position would have been just as angry. He knew this, as did everyone else.

“But there’s no way Natsuki-san could have known better,” Otto groaned, burying his face in his hands. “He wouldn’t have any clue why someone might be angry at that— he didn’t even know who the Witch of Envy WAS.”

Julius started making a mental note of all the things Subaru — apparently needed to LEARN to be wary of. Muggers, unfamiliar spirits, strange women hiring thieves in the slums to attack their political opponents, skilled assassins that should be fled from instead of fought, the name of the Witch of Envy — at least he already had a healthy aversion to knives, so that was something —

Why did he have a feeling that list was about to grow exponentially?

[“I’ll ask you one more time,” Emilia said coldly. “Why did you call me the name of the Witch of Envy?”]

[Subaru stared back at her, completely lost. “What do you mean?” he asked. “That’s…what I was told to call you.”]

[“…I don’t know who told you that, but whoever did has terrible taste.” Emilia bared down on him, eyes blazing. “Even if you’re not the one who thought of it, it’s bad enough that you agreed. The Witch of Envy — the embodiment of all things taboo— most people would hesitate to either utter such a name. And you’re using it to name me?”]

[Several other voices called in assent, blaming Subaru for having the gall to deliver such a blatant insult in broad daylight. But of course, Subaru had absolutely no idea what was going on.]

“That boy should not be taking the heat for your own mistake!” Anastasia snapped at Emilia. Emilia flinched, her eyes round with a mix of surprise, hurt, and guilt. “You’re the one who told him such a stupid lie, and yet here he is—!”

“Don’t talk to her like that!”

Anastasia stopped. The boy on whose behalf she had just stepped up was glaring at her from the inside of his cage.

“Emilia gave me a false name, but she didn’t think I was stupid enough to shout it out in the street!” he defended. “This was my fault, not hers! Don’t blame her for this!”

Anastasia and Emilia both stared back at Subaru with wide eyes.

“…Subaru—”

“Ana-bo,” Ricardo interrupted gently. He had placed his hand on her shoulder. “There’s no way she could have known about all this.”

Anastasia took a deep breath, and — bowed. “Ricardo is correct,” she said politely. It was more for Subaru’s sake than for Emilia’s. “I’m afraid that I let my emotions get the better of me just now. My apologies, Lady Emilia.”

[“If that’s all you wanted to say,” Emilia said coldly. “Then I’ll be on my way. I don’t have time to deal with you.”]

“No…!” Emilia whimpered, having turned back at the sound of her own voice. “No, don’t— don’t leave him there…!”

[Subaru stared after her like a kicked puppy, obviously wanting to follow but not knowing what to do or where he had gone wrong. But before he could decide anything, a sudden gust of wind sped through the street — and once it was gone, it left Emilia frantically searching her pocket for something that had just been stolen away.]

[“Felt?!” Subaru called out, obviously growing more confused by the second.]

“Don’t associate yourself with me right off the bat!” Felt cried out. “What are you— now she’ll never believe you, you dumbass!”

[“I’ve been had!” Emilia cried out, just as Felt had predicted. “Is that why you stopped me?! Are you two working together?!”]

“No, no, no!” Emilia protested. “Subaru’s a good boy! He’s a good boy!”

[Emilia turned her palm in Subaru’s direction—]

“NO!” Emilia cried out.

[—but apparently changed her mind, running after the actual thief instead.]

Anastasia sighed, placing her chin in her hand. She watched with everyone else as Subaru raced after Emilia, regardless of the fact that she had just kicked him aside for something that she herself had trained him to do.

[“Can’t someone just be nice to me for once?” Subaru panted, having predictably run right after Emilia even after that disastrous meeting in the street. “Why was I even summoned here…?”]

Emilia groaned loudly, a noise that sounded an awful lot like a sob as she clutched at her hair.

“Why indeed,” Crusch muttered, focusing on the second half of that plea instead. The reasons for Subaru’s — sudden pilgrimage — were still very unclear.

But there were more pressing matters to attend to. Namely—

[“What are you talking about?” a familiar voice teased.]

“Od Laguna, not this again,” Felt groaned. Rom, too, let out a sigh.

[“If you don’t wanna get hurt,” Rachins declared, for the third time since this viewing had begun, “cough up everything you’ve got!”]

Despite that being his face — or perhaps because of it — Rachins felt much the same.

[“Would you stop it already?!” Subaru shouted, very fed up. “Nobody is this damn persistent!”]

“It’s not us,” Rachins said weakly. He looked exhausted. “It’s not us. Or, not the same versions of us. We’re not…”

“I know,” Subaru muttered. He had figured it out eventually, after all.

[“It was three-on-one last time and you STILL lost like you were nothing,” Subaru was complaining. “You think you can talk big like that? Even sore losers show more shame when they start crying!”]

“Would you stop antagonizing armed strangers?!” Julius cried out, clutching his head in his hands.

[“Fine.” Subaru threw his hands up in surrender. “Have it your way. I’ll give you everything I’ve got. That’s what you want from me, right?”]

[Gaston, Rachins, and Camberley all looked at each other in surprise before they started laughing.]

[“What’s that?!” Gaston mocked. “If you were that scared, you should have just said so!”]

[“Ha! Look at this guy!” Rachins laughed. “Don’t talk all big if you’re just gonna bend over!”]

[“Whatever,” Camberley grinned. “If he’s going to do as we say, then that just makes it easier on us, right? But what a coward, huh?”]

[Subaru scowled at them mutinously. Alright then, Tonchinkan, he mocked, just to make himself feel better. Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest. ]

“Wait— you’ve been calling us THAT?!”

Wilhelm chuckled weakly. He didn’t have the strength to actually laugh at such childish antics anymore.

Subaru was so childish. But that just made everything about this situation so, so much worse…!

[“…Huh?”]

[In the middle of reaching into his bag to lay everything out, Subaru came across the exact bag of chips that Rom was supposed to have devoured in the Loot House.]

“He finally figured it out, then?” Anastasia murmured.

Ferris frowned, as the last person left in the dark. “Figured what out?”

[“What are you doing?!” Camberley squawked, as Subaru had very abruptly stood up and started to brush past him.]

[“In every sense of the word, I’ve run out of time to deal with you guys,” Subaru snapped. “I’ve got to…check something.”]

[“Are you kidding me?!”]

[“Get out of my way!” Subaru shoved Rachins aside as he stepped past, moving towards the entrance of the alley. “I’ve got somewhere to be, now move!”]

—Frederica suddenly noticed a glint in exactly the wrong place. “Subaru-sama—!” she cried out.

But of course, she was already far too late.

[But on the next few steps, his ankle gave out, and his eyes fluttered, and—]

[“Wha…?”]

[And suddenly he was on the ground.]

[“Now I’ve done it…!” Rachins’ voice said, suddenly uncharacteristically alarmed.]

Rachins realized it before anyone else did. “No— NO!”

[It took Subaru a minute to realize that the man’s knife was now sticking out of his back.]

Rom’s eyes widened. Crusch went still. And then the entire theater burst into a clamor.

“NO!” Felt gasped. “Rachins, you DIDN’T!”

[“What?!” Camberley yelped. “You really stabbed him?!”]

“I didn’t— I DIDN’T!” Rachins stumbled backwards as all eyes snapped to him. “I didn’t do that! I wouldn’t! I swear, I—!”

“You did,” Anastasia said. Her voice was cold.

”You…” Mimi gritted her teeth. “You… Just like that lady…?”

”How dare you,” Wilhelm spat. “How DARE you—!”
 

[“I— I didn’t have a choice! If he went out in the street—! And anyway, he walked right into my blade, so—!”]

Rachins made a strangled sort of noise. “I— I—!”

“Rachins,” Felt said. Her voice was dark and dangerous. “Rachins, you…”

”You stabbed him,” Frederica said faintly.

”You fucking—!” Garfiel looked ready to rip his head off. “You waste of a— How dare you—!”

“I don’t remember this!” Rachins cried, his eyes darting from face to face, watching each and every one slowly fill with anger. “I swear, I don’t remember—!”

”Ducking the blame is a foul thing to do,” Ricardo growled. There was no levity in his voice. “You did, didn’t you?” Rachins stared up at him, mute. “You killed him.”

Otto was staring at him coldly. He said nothing at all.

”How dare you?” Ram spat. Her voice was uncharacteristically vicious. At some point she had risen to her feet. “How— How DARE you?”

Barusu was a worthless, useless sort of man — but that waste of air was the one who called her “Nee-sama,” and bantered with her in the halls, and followed her around when he felt lost and unsure of himself like a little mutt. For someone to have the gall to drive a knife into his—!

”I’ll kill you,” she spat, taking a step forward, and then another, and then a third, as her hands clenched into fists. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you—!”

“Ram,” Frederica pleaded, just barely managing to hold her back from where she had hastily thrown herself out of her seat. “Ram, please, this isn’t—!”

”Rachins.” Unlike Ram’s hot-blooded rage, Emilia’s voice was cold. So very, very cold. “—Lady Felt, too. This isn’t something I can overlook.

Rachins squeaked out something intelligible.

”All of you are overreacting!”

Oddly enough, it was Subaru himself who spoke up in his favor.

“Overreacting?!” Ram repeated incredulously, pausing in her efforts to get to a place where she could rip the man in half just enough for Frederica to catch her breath. “Barusu, this vermin drove a knife into your back! In what world would—?!”

”I appreciate the support, but it’s really not that big a deal!” he exclaimed. “Over and done with, and it really wasn’t even that bad—!”

“Oh be quiet. You get me back for it next time around, so stop complaining already.”

—All of the fear left Rachins’ body at once, replaced with something far, far worse.

“Rachins,” Felt said. For the first time since she entered the theater, she sounded like a proper King’s Candidate. “If this is true, then even if you don’t remember, you—”

“Was this what you meant?”

Felt stopped.

Rachins’ head snapped to the side so hard he could hear it crack. Several people flinched. He didn’t pay attention to any of them.

“Was this what you meant?” he repeated. His eyes were fixated on one man, and one man alone.

“What?” Subaru blinked, looking uneasy. “What I meant— what?”

“You said I got you back for it.” Rachins heard his own voice. He didn’t recognize that he was the one using it. “For beating us up in — that last loop. You said I got you back for it. Was this…?”

Frederica sucked in a breath.
 

Subaru stared back at him, lost. His confusion only ignited the spark of anger in Rachins’ chest necessary to turn his turbulent, unrecognizable emotions into rage.

“Answer me!” Rachins yelled, pointing a finger at Subaru accusingly. “Was THIS what you fucking meant?! Was this what you meant, when you said I— I— I fucking GOT YOU BACK for beating me up?!”

[Your eyes are dead. Your arms and legs are gone, too. What you have left are your nose and ears. Then you’d better use them both to death.]

Subaru stared back at him, eyes wide. “I-I mean—”

“This isn’t fair!” Rachins cried. “This isn’t fair payback! What the fuck did you mean, ‘You got me back for it’ ?! This isn’t— how could you say—!”

“Rachins!” Felt shouted, stepping forward. Rachins had gone dizzyingly pale, and was swaying in a way that suggested that he was about to faint.

[It doesn’t matter what lingering scent I smell. It doesn’t matter if all I hear are insults.]

[“Wait, don’t—!”]

[Gaston didn’t heed Camberley’s warning cry, rolling Subaru onto his back and pushing the knife further in. Subaru cried out in pain, gurgling incoherently at the end as he choked on his own blood.]

“This isn’t what I wanted!” Rachins cried. It was unclear who he was speaking to. “This isn’t— I didn’t WANT this—!”

“You tried to kill me later, didn’t you?!” Subaru protested loudly. “You got all those guys and chased me through the Capital, remember?!”

“I DIDN’T WANT TO KILL YOU!” Rachins screamed. Subaru recoiled from the noise. “I didn’t want you to die! I wanted to — to humiliate you a bit, or beat you up, or make you cry for your mom, or— I didn’t want to see the LIFE LEAVE YOUR EYES! I didn’t want to see you— to see you BLEED OUT in front of me like that, for fuck’s sake! I just— I just—!”

“Rachins,” Reinhard tried, his hand gripping the man’s shoulder. “Please, Rachins, you need to calm—”

“DON’T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!” Rachins shouted, thrashing as he tried to throw the knight off of him. “Don’t tell me I’m going too far, ‘cause I know damn well I’m not! He died! He’s dead! He died and — and it’s because I’m the one who FUCKING KILLED HIM!”

[I smell the mud of the road. I smell the iron-like smell of my own blood. Now my nose is dead. It’s dead, I doubt my ears will last much longer either…]

[“—No use wasting it!” Camberley was saying, frantically searching him over as he bled out. “Take anything on him worth selling—!”]

[“Whoa, wait, the guards will be here any second—!”]

“Rachins, please, you’ll hurt yourself—!”

“No—!” Rachins cried out, stumbling backwards. “No, no, no, I wouldn’t, I didn’t— I WOULDN’T DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!”

[All I was able to pick up were those bits of conversation. That’s great and all, but the part of my brain I need to figure out what that means is already dead. I’m dying so I just listened. I don’t know if I’ll remember… What does it mean to remember? Why do I want to remember? What does it mean to want? Why…what?]

Rachins was hyperventilating. His eyes were shaking in their sockets. He was leaning on Reinhard about as much as he was fighting to get away. His cheeks felt numb. He couldn’t feel his toes. He couldn’t make out what he was saying. He couldn’t make sense of anything anymore.

“Rachins!” Subaru cried, banging on the glass. He was using his real name for once. “Rachins, stop! Stop!”

Rachins couldn’t even hear his voice.

“—That’s enough.”

[There was the sound of a knife being pulled from a body, and then the metia stopped displaying anything once again.]

That was the last thing Rachins heard before he felt a sudden draining sensation, and then the world went blissfully dark around him.

Reinhard caught him as he fell. He hadn’t been certain that such a tactic would work, and counted himself grateful that it did. Rachins was…

We can deal with it later, he decided.

Felt stared down at her subordinate, a conflicted look on her face. Then she turned to his — victim. “Subaru—”

“It’s not that big a deal!” Subaru insisted hastily. “It’s not that big — it’s really not! I barely even remembered—!”

 
Reinhard made a noise.

Crusch stared at something that only she was capable of seeing, and said nothing.

“—why he would blame himself this much— a-and was just a stupid joke—!”

“A stupid joke?” Felt repeated.

Subaru nodded emphatically. “Yes!” he said. “It was just a dumb joke I made, I didn’t mean to—!”

Ferris made a noise as he — the last person — finally understood what was going on.

[“You wanna buy an appa or what?”]

The healer’s face had drained itself of blood. His arms wrapped themselves around his chest.

Subaru…

Subaru was…

”What…” Ferris managed, feeling colder than he had ever felt in his entire life. “What is this…?”

Subaru had died. Subaru had now died — three times. And now Subaru was in front of that appa stand, as if nothing had happened, because—

Subaru could die. That made sense. Everybody could die. Death was a fact of life. Ferris had come across it many, many times in his run as a healer. To know the value of life was to know death. This was natural.

But for death to be used like this…!

”Blasphemy,” he spat. His cheeks were numb. He felt faint. “This is— blasphemy against life—!”

That was the only possible way to describe it. 

Subaru could die. But death was not the end. Subaru could die, and die again, and die again, and — he would continue to live, and live, and — there would ever be an end.

It was horrifying. It was sickening. It shook Ferris down to his core. What kind of monster would inflict such a horrible curse—!

”Felix? Felix!”

Old Man Will was calling him. Ferris barely noticed. He was panicking. He was vaguely aware of that fact. He was also vaguely aware of Wilhelm shaking his shoulders, calling his name again and again and again. 

It’s not just a curse , part of him thought, with the sick glee that he imagined would come from a monster. It’s a TOOL. Little Subaru-kyun can die again and again, and every time he dies he goes back and changes things, which means he can use his own life as a bargaining chip again and again and again—!

Ferris was going to be sick.

Isn’t that neat?

Ferris was going to be sick.

“FELIX!”

And with that, Anastasia concluded, everyone in the audience was finally on the same page.

This was time travel.

Natsuki Subaru, Knight of the Royal Candidate Emilia, was a time traveler. And the trigger for his ability was — death.

As the room around her sprang into chaos, Anastasia leaned forward to watch the proceedings. Perhaps the implications of this revelation hadn’t yet sunk into her rivals, what with everything that had accompanied it thus far, but she hadn’t clawed her way from the hole in Kararagi up to a potential ruler of Lugunica without her sharp mind. A time travel had entered the Royal Selection.

A time traveler had entered the Royal Selection a full year ago .

What had he done during that time period? Did he have a plan? How far along was he, if so, and how might she be able to counter it? Emilia hadn’t known, but how would she respond to it now? Perhaps this had genuinely been a show of benevolence on the part of the being that had dragged them all here, because nobody had even known—

…What was it, exactly, that their captor wanted to show them so badly?

Chapter Text

“…Why didn’t you tell me?”

It was not a question asked in malice, or in betrayal, or even in a particularly accusatory fashion at all. No: the voice that Emilia aimed Subaru’s way was soft and gentle, with clear effort made to hide the hurt underlying it — even if that sense of hurt sunk through the cracks, all the same.

“Subaru,” she asked again. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Subaru didn’t know how to answer. He — could he answer? “I— I—”

He couldn’t test it. He couldn’t force it out. He kept trying to say something — anything — but the fear engraved in his soul wouldn’t let him get it out.

(He had managed to push past this terror enough to tell a singular person about Return By Death, once. Now that terror had redoubled itself in an effort to make sure he kept his mouth clamped shut. The cold stare of the Witch of Greed bore into him from behind his eyelids.)

“I think that’s rather obvious, ain’t it?”

It was Ricardo who spoke up in Subaru’s stead. There was a dark, suspicious look in his eyes as he turned to face Lady Emilia.

“Imagine what a hostile party could do with information like this,” he said, his usual mirth evaporated in a rare spell of seriousness. “Someone who can never die, who you can hurt as much as ya want with no regard for restraint? Who ya can kill, again and again, in order to go back in time and retry anything ya’d like? Who, with the context of the Royal Selection…”

Nearby, all the color drained from Julius’ face.

Emilia’s expression looked much the same. “I’d never—!” The Royal Candidate spun to face her knight. “Subaru,” she said desperately. “You know I’d never— I’d never do something like that to you! You know that, right?!”

“O-Of course you wouldn’t!” Subaru stammered. “I never doubted that even once, Emilia-tan! Not once!”

Ricardo raised an eyebrow.

“He’s telling the truth,” Crusch said helpfully. The entire room immediately relaxed at that confirmation — but only slightly.

Because the question still remained—

“Then—” Emilia faltered. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”

After a long silence, Subaru looked away.

Emilia stared after him, eyes wide and soulful. “Subaru…?”

(Subaru wanted to say something. He wanted to say something so, so badly, but the sight of her lifeless face was etched so deeply into his soul…!)

(Subaru was a coward. A full year later, and he was still that same selfish, useless, pathetic coward of a man.)

—There was a loud gasp, and suddenly Rachins jolted awake, his eyes wide and frantic. Everyone’s heads snapped over to see where he was heaving and coughing for breath, leaning against a very startled Reinhard for support.

“Rachins?!” Reinhard exclaimed, quickly moving to catch him before he could fall over. “Weren’t you—?”

[NONE CAN LEAVE UNTIL THE DEMONSTRATION IS COMPLETE.] Everyone stiffened as that voice echoed through the theater once again. [INJUSTICE: MUST BE CORRECTED. ALL MUST STAY UNTIL THE INJUSTICE IS CORRECTED.]

Rachins made a noise, but it was interrupted by more of his coughing fit. Reinhard continued to hover over him, practically vibrating with worry.

(Ram and Otto both leered at him silently from across the room, cold and unsympathetic.)

[“Wallet…check,” Subaru was saying. “Cell phone…check. My corn chips and cup ramen are also here. My tracksuit and sneakers are at zero damage and…”]

[Subaru raised the hem of his shirt and twisted, angling himself to look at where— where Rachins had—]

[“Phew,” he sighed with relief. “Good. There’s no greater embarrassment for a swordsman than getting stabbed in the back…”]

Rachins groaned loudly through his coughs, staring up at the screen with a devastated look on his face. Tears had formed at the corners of their eyes — though whether they were of frustration, despair, anguish, or simply a physical reaction to his fit remained to be seen.

Frederica grimaced. She was no swordswoman — but it was because she was no swordswoman, perhaps, that she found herself unable to comprehend that statement as anything but needlessly cruel to the person who had been stabbed in the back.

Julius winced, hard. “Please don’t refer to yourself as a swordsman, Subaru,” he begged. “It’s really not a fair assessment of your capabilities, and it can give people a false impression of just how much you can take—!”

Subaru whipped around to face him, his eyes round with shock as he was abruptly jolted out of his stupor of shameful silence. “What is THAT supposed to mean?!”

[“As someone who did kendo in middle school, even if I take the wrong turn off the road when it comes to life, I can’t let myself lose the way of the swordsman…”]

Under any other circumstances, perhaps Wilhelm would have chuckled at that. But right now—

“He can die,” Ferris whispered, shivering. “He— He died. He DIES. Subaru…!”

“Felix,” Wilhelm pleaded quietly. Od Laguna, he wished that he were better at this sort of thing. “Felix, listen to me. It’s not…”

“Nyot — what?” Ferris flinched backwards, his eyes flashing. “Nyot that bad? Are nya gonnya tell me that it’s not that BAD? Are nya stupid, old man?! Are— Are nyew…!”

Wilhelm didn’t know what to say to that, because he knew that his coworker’s sentiment was completely correct.

[“I guess I’ll call it, ‘Return By Death,’” Subaru decided. He sighed. “The fact that it’s a power that assumes you’re going to lose really makes it fitting for me, doesn’t it?”]

“‘Return By Death’…” Anastasia echoed quietly.

“Not sure I like how quickly he’s accepting this,” Ricardo muttered. “Thinking of it as a special power — naming it so casually like that…”

“He DID think that this was all a storybook,” Tivey pointed out, keeping his voice low. “So in that context…”

“S-Subaru,” Beatrice was saying, on the other side of the room. She was trying very hard to keep her voice level, even as her heart raced, but she couldn’t stop it from trembling just a bit. “Betty doesn’t like that power very much, I-I suppose.”

“I know, Beako,” Subaru said quickly. “I— I grew out of it, okay? Promise. I…I get it, now.”

He wished he was out of this stupid jar. If he was out there, then maybe he could give Beatrice a hug — she looked like she desperately, desperately needed a hug —

Emilia hadn’t misheard: Subaru had said that he grew out of it. And that likely meant…

For her to finish that thought — would be far too horrifying.

“I-It’s really not…” Emilia swallowed. “But you understand that now, at least,” she repeated. “Right?”

“Right, yes, of course, Emilia-tan!” Subaru insisted, nodding emphatically. “I — I’m not so useless as to miss something like that, I…”

That was the important thing, right? Emilia tried to tell herself that, even as she felt her dread harden into a stone of despair, sinking deep into her stomach.

“Hmph,” Ram said lightly, crossing her arms, trying to maintain some sense of normalcy in this — what even was this situation? “At least Barusu understood his place even back then. A worthless man who was born to lose.”

Subaru relaxed ever so slightly at the gesture. He moved to respond to the banter in kind, hoping the show of familiarity would — provide some sort of comfort, for their distressed friends. “Your tongue is as sharp as ever, Nee-sama—”

[“Still, dying three times in only half a day is just way too high of a rate!” Subaru complained. “Or…if you look at it another way, I just suck at living.” He huffed. “I mean, really? I died like a dog to some random tutorial mob characters…?”]

Ram froze. Emilia gasped, her eyes widening in shock and anguish. Beatrice sucked in a sharp breath. But before any of them could scream—

“Do not talk about your own death so dismissively!” Wilhelm snapped, a genuine note of rawness and anger entering his voice. Subaru flinched, his eyes widening in shock and slight fear: while the old man was often cold and harsh, he was rarely either when it came to Subaru. “If you had said something like that about— ANYONE’s deceased loved ones, it would be expected for them to challenge you to a duel for it! Do you understand that?”

“I—” Subaru stammered.

“The sheer disrespect of such a statement towards yourself — towards the people who CARE about you!” The Sword Demon continued to rage. He moved to rise to his feet, fist clenched in preparation for a swing against that glass wall. “Do you not understand what an insult that is? What such a statement does to the people who love you? For you to speak of yourself in such a manner—!”

“Wilhelm-san.”

Ferris may have stepped in, but he was still shaking like a leaf. It was debatable if he was even really paying attention anymore. As such, Crusch was the one who placed a hand on her retainer’s shoulder, briefly stepping away from where she had been worriedly comforting her knight.

Wilhelm stopped.

“It’s been — at least a year,” she reminded him quietly. “And this one really was just a stupid joke on his part. Perhaps…”

His Lady was correct. Wilhelm took a deep breath. Exhaled. Then he turned and bowed to Subaru, who was still shivering in his cage.

“…My sincere apologies for my outburst, Subaru-dono,” he said, and he meant it. “Just, please…understand how that SOUNDS.”

“I-It’s okay,” Subaru responded meekly, though he was still shying away slightly from the glass wall. “And I…I know.”

Frederica swallowed.

Return By Death — it was something rather beyond her comprehension, wasn’t it? She was mature enough to admit that. But she could understand how someone — especially someone as tenderhearted as Subaru — could come to a mental conclusion such as that.

She didn’t know what bothered her more: the aspects of this curse that she understood, or the aspects that she did not.

Crusch pressed her lips together and said nothing more, sitting quietly by her trembling knight’s side and resuming rubbing soothing circles into the back of his chest.

“Tutorial mob characters…?” Rachins murmured vacantly, not really able to understand what that meant. He understood that there was an insult in there somewhere. But then again — he didn’t really care.

(Subaru privately thought that perhaps he WAS grateful to be in this jar, after all…)

[“To be killed twice by the same person…” Subaru mused. “Is Elsa the kind of character that, when you run into them, it means certain death?”]

“ ‘Character’, ” Anastasia repeated flatly under her breath. That — that could definitely be one fallacy borne from being transported into a world straight out of a storybook, yes.

…If Subaru had started to see them as characters — did that mean that he could justify the sort of actions that he would otherwise dismiss as unreasonable?

Anastasia swallowed, and kept her mouth shut.

“That’s— Something about the wording there sounds off, but—“ Otto shook his head, trying to clear it. “I don’t think that’s a terrible way of looking at it?” he finally decided, though even then it sounded more like a question. “If it gets you to stay away from her…”

“Well she’s dead now,” Garfiel pointed out, trying not to let on how deeply agitated he was. “So it doesn’t really matter how anyone thinks of her anymore.”

[“Well, it’s about time I got moving.” Subaru stood up. “Fortunately, I know that I can turn my cell phone into cash, so I’ll just amass some funds, and live a good life using my modern knowledge. It’ll be full of dreams!”]

“That…is the logical thing to do,” Otto said, sounding a little uncomfortable. Part of him wanted dearly for the Subaru onscreen to do exactly that. But the other part of him knew that such an action would mean…

Otto was torn. He didn’t know which action — which outcome — he wanted to side with, here.

After a moment, he concluded that it didn’t matter and dismissed the question entirely. It wasn’t like anything could be done about it now, anyway.

Anastasia put a hand to her chin, thinking. Modern knowledge… If someone from beyond the Great Waterfall were to become a merchant, the impact that they could have on the market — and on the country as a whole, too —

Of course, it would depend on just how much Subaru was capable of replicating: simply being a citizen of a country did not necessarily mean that one understood everything about how the inventions of that country worked, and Subaru was clearly not all that intelligent. —But then again, even if he just knew some of the more surface-level things about what had been in his world that had not yet been invented in Lugunica, a suitably brilliant mind may be able to put in the rest of the work as far as the replication process went…

(The advertising potential alone was something to be taken into account, here—)

[“Don’t you think so, old man?”]

Otto squawked loudly. Rom swore, his eyes going wide. Frederica shrieked.

Anastasia broke into a sudden coughing fit, abruptly snapped out of her scheming thoughts. “Some— Some random man was just sitting there listening to all this?!” she demanded.

“Subaru, what—?!” Julius looked as though his heart rate had suddenly spiked to its maximum capacity, with him clutching his chest like it was about to give out. “What on Earth were you thinking?” he managed. “Immediately giving away all the details about something so— what were you thinking?! ”

“I didn’t—!” Subaru tried to object, only to get abruptly bowled over in the marketplace of verbal tirades.

“What, you didn’t THINK?!” Felt retorted. “Well, that much is obvious, because that is the ONLY way—!”

“What a ridiculous oversight to make—!” Rom declared, his eyes flashing.

“How could you be so stupid?!” Hetaro cried, clutching at his head. “That’s so— If you get hurt because of THIS, then—!”

“Subaru-dono,” Wilhelm managed, trying desperately to hold himself back from another outburst. “Even if you weren’t quite thinking clearly, surely you can understand—!”

“Even for you, that is reckless!” Ram snapped, looking incredibly agitated. “Do you not understand just how dangerous that could be for you, if information like that got into the wrong hands—?!”

“Y-You told a random merchant?” Emilia asked, too quietly for Subaru to hear, confused and anxious for a different — selfish, reason. “You told…and not…?”

Emilia suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. “Lady Emilia,” Otto whispered.

She turned to see him staring at her with an intense look in his eyes.

“For him to be open about it back then, but not…” Otto swallowed. “This means that there’s a reason Subaru did not tell us anything.”

It was a moment before she got it, but when she did, she felt all the blood drain from her face. Behind her, Ram went still, and Frederica sucked in a breath.

Shakily, Emilia sat back down. “What…?” she asked quietly, too quietly for most to hear.

What on Earth could have happened, to have kept him quiet about something so important for so very long? What could have prevented this usual blabbermouth of a boy from seeking solace in his loved ones? What could have sealed his lips, if he had been this open about it with a random—

—! Had that merchant—?

[“Just when I thought you were muttering some nonsense to yourself, you’re asking my opinion?” the older merchant just looked annoyed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t care.”]

He didn’t…seem to be interested in any of this.

Emilia still didn’t let her guard down. Just in case. Nearby, Otto was silently making a mental note of what exactly this merchant looked like — also just in case.

[“But…” Subaru hesitated. “When you do the same thing three times, there are a couple of things you begin to understand. —Well, more like after three times you’d have to be incredibly stupid to not to understand those things. I may be a little stupid, but not THAT stupid.”]

[“Just what nonsense are you talking about?”]

“Subaru,” Julius hissed, rigid as a board. “For the love of all that is good in the world, stop talking.”

“I can’t do anything about it NOW, you know!”

[If I don’t do something, Elsa will kill Felt and Rom. And — she and Satella fighting one another is likely also unavoidable, in that scenario…]

[But so what if those two die? a small part of Subaru piped up. One’s a villain who deals in stolen goods, and the other boldly tries to overcharge for stolen goods without any shame or regret. Wouldn’t it be better if they were gone…?]

Frederica blinked. “Subaru…?”

Emilia’s eyes widened. “Eh??”

“…Huh,” Felt said slowly.

“That’s…” Reinhard said, looking very uncomfortable.

“Hmph.” Rom narrowed his eyes.

Rem pressed her lips together, silently filing that moment away for reference. So that’s the kind of person she was dealing with here… It made more sense than most of what she had seen so far, with how he had been setting off all of her alarm bells from the very start.

Subaru, meanwhile, looked completely and utterly mortified. “F-Felt, I—!”

“Shush, shush.” Felt waved him off, being very careful to seem casual in her response. “I know how this ends already, you know, so — I can let that one slide.”

Rom studied Subaru’s mortified face for a long moment before relaxing his shoulders again.

“It’s certainly an incredibly naive way of looking at the world,” Anastasia murmured with a sigh. “That all the nasty people can be rooted out, leaving only the good ones behind…” That sort of thinking was the kind that a child would have, before a very nasty awakening into the complicated world of adulthood.

Wilhelm wondered if this was the sort of attitude that Subaru had been afraid of exposing. If that was the case, then his promise held true: he wouldn’t judge him for such a callous attitude.

“This is very different from how he was conducting himself a few moments ago,” Crusch observed calmly, watching the screen with an alert look on her face.

“…Is it, now?” Anastasia asked, keeping her voice mild.

“We saw how he was interacting with Emilia, Rom, and Felt in the first two — loops,” Crusch said, faltering slightly over the final word before shaking her head and continuing. “Did he seem particularly cold or judgemental when he was talking to any of them?” she asked. “I believe that he has been perfectly warm and genuine with everyone, up until now.”

Mimi perked up. “And the only thing that changed…!” she exclaimed.

“Was him learning about — his ability,” Crusch confirmed. “Something about that realization appears to have altered his perception of his reality. Though how significant that alteration is…”

That part, of course, remained to be seen.

“My, my.” A slight smile spread across Anastasia’s face, and she leaned to rest her cheek against the palm of her hand. “How impressive, Lady Crusch,” she praised. “I wasn’t sure if you would notice that.”

Though of course she had. Having at least that level of observation was one of the qualifications for a Royal Candidate, as far as Anastasia was concerned — and she was already well-aware that Crusch was certainly a worthy Candidate.

Though, the rumors surrounding her condition had made her wonder, just a bit…

Julius frowned. “I’m not sure that now is the right time to be seizing up your competition, Lady Anastasia.”

Anastasia dipped her head back at him and gave nothing — not an acquiescence, not a rebuttal — in return.

“It’s an understandable reaction,” Ricardo sighed. “Not the most favorable, but — I can understand how someone’s perspective might shift, in circumstances like that…”

As those few had their discussion, Subaru frantically continued to try and apologize to Felt, his face absolutely miserable with shame. “I— I don’t know how I could have said something like that, really,” he insisted. “I just…!”

“I’ve already forgiven you, Big Bro,” Felt dismissed. “It’s not the sort of thing I’d really expect from you, but I guess everyone has their moments…”

“And it’s like it’s going to last,” Garfiel added.

“…You’re not worried?” Rachins asked warily.

“Oh please.” Garfiel rolled his eyes. There was a lot about this situation that he hated, but— “Captain would never leave anyone to die if he could do something about it,” he declared. “We all know that.”

[“But you know, I hate it.”]

“Told you,” Garfiel said, not even slightly surprised.

The unease didn’t leave his shoulders, however: that feeling stemmed from a different source.

Frederica felt a little bad. She HAD doubted Subaru, for a moment. She wished she hadn’t: it had been a silly thing to think.

[“It feels terrible,” Subaru was sighing. “I know those two are far from being saints, but knowing that someone you know is going to be killed, that’s just impossible to ignore…!”]

It wasn’t like anyone had really expected him to do anything else, now was it?

(Rem silently folded her arms, her face carefully blank. She didn’t buy that change of heart for a minute — absolutely not.)

[I thought of myself as so uncaring, Subaru was lamenting. But I guess that was just an act after all. Now that it’s real life, it’s so much heavier… But I guess that makes me so shallow, changing one of my core beliefs the minute things get tough.]

Ram snorted. “‘Uncaring’,” she echoed. Barusu had always been anything but. Nearby, Garfiel snickered, and Otto coughed into his fist. Frederica shook her head.

“…Shush,” Subaru muttered, his face pink.

“It’s not really like any of ya have room to talk,” Anastasia murmured to herself, watching their camp’s interactions from afar.

[“And of course, there’s Satella— er, that girl. I can’t just abandon her like that…!”]

“Oh, for Od’s sake,” Rom groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Julius looked like he was about to have a seizure. “Don’t use that name in front of…!”

“I don’t think he heard him?” Hetaro voiced hopefully, watching the merchant’s stony face. “I— I HOPE he didn’t hear him…”

“It’s not like Barusu could have known,” Ram hissed, made tense all over again. “But even if he couldn’t have known…!”

[That’s right, Subaru was thinking. “Satella” was some sort of pseudonym. Which means — I hadn’t built up enough relationship points with her, so at one of the scenario forks I failed to get her real name…]

“ ‘Relationship points’, ” Rem echoed flatly.

Frederica frowned.

“One of those Subaru-isms of his,” Otto sighed. “Natsuki-san has a lot of those.”

“It sounds like something out of a children’s game,” Rem pointed out. “If that’s how he sees everyone here, then…”

“Don’t talk that way about Captain,” Garfiel warned, his eyes flashing. “He’s — He’s had his moments and all, but he’s a good man! And you, of all people…!”

Rem didn’t know what the youth could mean by that, but she was wise enough not to press any further. If things continued in this manner, then they would likely see her side of things soon enough.

On the other side of the room, Anastasia pursed her lips.

[“In that case, I guess I’ll have to work hard enough for her to actually give me her real name this time,” Subaru decided. He started to stretch, getting ready to move as the merchant stared at him. “There’s just some times when a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do!” he proclaimed theatrically, striking a pose. “Right, old man?”]

[“Yeah, yeah,” the merchant said, not at all impressed. “That’s exactly the way it is. Totally agree. So go on and get out of here.”]

[And thus, Subaru was chased out.]

Everyone in the theater breathed a massive sigh of relief.

“I’m so glad nothing happened,” Ram muttered. “But, Barusu, you really ought to—”

“I think you’ve made it clear enough, Nee-sama—!”

“I don’t think she has even begun to make it clear enough, in fact!” Beatrice said hotly. “For you to be so reckless with your life—!”

“Et tu, Beako?!”

“…Coping mechanism or not,” Crusch murmured as the Emilia Camp bickered, her eyes narrowed at the metia. “For Subaru to distance himself from seeing the people around him as — people, in order to protect himself…”

“It’s not all that uncommon a response, Lady Crusch,” Wilhelm said gently. “I have met many a soldier over the years that has done much the same, especially in the heat of danger.”

“He certainly doesn’t stay that way,” Hetaro mumbled. “We all know…”

“Would we know?” Tivey asked quietly. Hetaro stopped. “If he really played into it, then…”

“…Well,” Anastasia said uncomfortable. “I guess that we are going to find out.”

Ferris still wasn’t paying attention at all, shivering like mad as he leaned against Wilhelm’s side, gripping his arms in a wild daze.

[“If you don’t wanna get hurt,” a familiar voice interrupted, bringing all conversation within the theater to a screeching halt. “Cough up everything you’ve got!”]

“Not THIS again!” Mimi shouted, both frustrated and deeply upset by the familiar sight.

Rachins shrank backwards, away from the screen.

Ram narrowed her eyes at the back of his head, her hand gripping itself into a fist. “What will you lot do to him this time…?”

Rom let out a slow, aching breath.

[Why do I keep running into these guys? Subaru complained inwardly. It’s nowhere near this easy to encounter that girl, or Felt, but these random background characters… They must have picked me out as a target early on. That must be how it is…]

“That’s probably exactly what happened,” Felt sighed. “You made yourself look like an easy target, and the local thugs decided to take you up on the other. Isn’t that right, Rachins…?”

“Yeah,” Rachins confirmed hoarsely. “That’s — That’s exactly what we did.”

But even so, he really, genuinely had not meant to…!

[“Just what is this fool mumbling about?” Gaston scowled.]

[“He’s probably just too clueless to understand what’s going on,” Rachins grinned. “How about we show him?”]

Emilia gritted her teeth. She was holding herself back, for — for Subaru’s sake — but if that boy hurt her beloved knight again, she—!

Rachins groaned loudly, and it ended with something that sounded like a strangled sob. He wasn’t even paying attention to the eyes of everyone else anymore.

“Rachins, it’s really not a big deal!” Subaru tried to call out. “I didn’t even really remember that, honest—!”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?!” Rachins cried, lashing out in his despair. “I still— I still—!”

[The bar set for the conditions necessary to clear this event isn’t even that high, Subaru marveled. But there’s not a 100 percent chance that I’ll be able to make it out of this alley, so…]

“The fucking game-speak again,” Ricardo hissed out, tense as the string of a crossbow. “I get it, I get it and all, but…!”

Maybe this is all still an illusion, Rachins tried to tell himself. We still haven’t seen anything familiar yet — maybe Subaru is just fucking with us, and that spirit, too—!

It would be a nasty joke, the kind that he’d never, ever forgive, not in a million years. But please, if this could just be a cruel, nasty joke, then—!

[“I’m getting sick of seeing your faces, Tonchinkan,” Subaru sighed. “But after four times, I’ve learned my lesson.”]

Rachins’ eyes widened. Something about how Subaru had said that— “That—!”

[Subaru took a deep breath, and then shouted, as loud as he could:]

[“GUARDS!!”]

Reinhard took a deep breath. “That’s—!”

Rachins croaked something intelligible. Because that meant that this was the right loop, but…

If they had reached the right loop, then that meant the former loops had all been true as well.

And that meant—!

“Rachins,” Reinhard’s voice interrupted. Rachins flinched violently away on impulse, but — the Sword Saint’s voice carried no anger within it this time.

[“Someone!” Subaru was crying out. “Someone please call some men over here!”]

[“Wha— What, are you kidding me?! You’re really going to start calling for help?! Who does that?!”]

[“In this sort of situation you’re supposed to listen to us if you want to avoid getting hurt!” Camberley agreed frantically. “You’re just going to ignore us and call for help?! That’s not normal!”]

“I know,” Rachins hissed out, gripping his head. “I know, I know, I know—!”

“Rachins,” Reinhard said gently. “It’s not something you can…”

“Don’t give me that crap,” he forced out. “I know what I did. We all know what I…!”

[“What?! Don’t give me ‘That’s not normal’! In what world is this not normal?” Subaru jerked theatrically. “Oh! It can’t be! You’re not saying that you’re trying to do something where it’d be trouble if I called out, are you? Oh my God!”]

[“Shut up! You know what we mean!”]

Rom wanted to help comfort Rachins. He had taken lives before, so he understood the feelings that came with that. But in a situation like this, where Rachins hadn’t even remembered doing such a thing enough to feel properly guilty — Rom had no idea what he could do.

[“I’m not listening! I can’t hear you through that thick wall of insincerity! Police!!”]

Oddly enough, this was the scene that finally served to bring Ferris back to his senses.

He took a deep breath. Exhaled. Flexed his fingers. Slowly and shakily untangled himself from Wilhelm’s side.

Wilhelm noticed, of course. “Felix…?” he asked.

“‘M fine,” Ferris muttered. It wasn’t very convincing, but it was leagues better than where he had been a few moments ago. “Sorry, Old Man Will.”

“…You have nothing to apologize for.”

Ferris still wasn’t calm, but he didn’t seem like he was on the verge of a heart attack anymore. The Sword Demon hovered over him worriedly, ready to jump back in if it looked like the healer needed him again.

“—Wait.” Mimi frowned. “Why isn’t anyone…?”

[“Well,” Subaru said awkwardly. “Looks like that didn’t work.”]

“It did,” Reinhard said, though his voice sounded a little uncertain. “I…I’m sure this is the one.”

[“Threatening us like that…” Gaston said. “I almost got a bit scared there, man.”]

[“Just a little bit!” Rachins asserted hastily.]

[“Not even a little bit!” Camberley corrected. “Only a tiny bit!”]

Rachins didn’t look uncertain at all, staring up at the screen with a dull expression on his face. Reinhard glanced at him with worry in his eyes. “Rachins…”

“Don’t, Reinhard,” he muttered. He was so exhausted. “Just— don’t.”

[“Why are you the only one without a weapon?” Subaru said to taunt his largest adversary, who was currently being flanked by two men with a knife and a hand axe, respectively. “What, didn’t you have the money to buy something?”]

Frederica jolted. “Subaru!” she snapped.

Rom pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly.

Julius flinched violently, gnashing his teeth together in an uncharacteristically uncouth fashion. “Subaru, for FUCKS SAKE—!”

Anastasia would have been very taken aback by her normally very composed knight’s outburst if she herself had not felt something crack at Subaru’s outrageous response to his perilous situation.

Rachins hissed, tensing up as anger flared across his face. “I forgot just how—!”

“Of all the things to say—!” Felt shouted, an astounded look on her face. “And to three men you KNOW are trying to rob you?!”

“Natsuki-san,” Otto hissed, looking seconds away from a heart attack. “Natsuki-san, why on Earth would you think—!”

“And you’d already— what were you thinking?!” Rachins demanded. “If I’d already fucking— then WHAT were you THINKING?!”

[“Shut up!” Gaston snarled, cracking his knuckles. “I’m stronger without a weapon! I’ll beat you to death, you little punk!”]

[“Man, I would have loved to show you all what happened to you guys the second time around!”]

Julius was going to have an aneurysm. He was genuinely going to have an aneurysm. “Subaru—!”

“Of all the things you could do in that situation!” Ram snarled. “Barusu, I know you can’t read a room to— but even YOU should be able to tell—!”

Ricardo took a deep breath, gripping the armrests of his seat. Normally he would only laugh at the sight of a young boy picking a fight with his peers, but right now—!

“Is Subaru— always like this?” Crusch managed.

Wilhelm wanted to say no. But if he really thought about it, then…

Oh, he did NOT like the image that answer conjured up.

[Huh, Subaru finally realized. I’m in a pretty bad spot right now, actually. I might not make it out of this.]

[“Can’t you guys let me off easy?” he attempted to weedle. “I’m not a big fan of pain.”]

“NOW you say that?!” Felt squawked. “Right after purposefully riling all of them up?! What kind of a dumbass are you?!”

“Can you not think before you act a little more often, I suppose?!” Beatrice cried out.

[Dying really does suck, Subaru reflected, perhaps a little too late. I’ll never get used to that. And the pain of blades, too, it always felt fresh and was always a shock, I’ll never get used to that, either. I don’t want to die like that again…!]

Emilia let out a strangled sob, burying her face in her hands. Her poor knight…!

“E-Emilia-tan, please don’t—!”

Anastasia figured that such a flimsy-sounding conviction was — at least a START.

[The knife is the most dangerous weapon here, obviously, Subaru decided as the three men drew closer. That axe is rusty, so if I block it with my bag I can get away with a blunt hit. And the weaponless guy is obviously a safe bet, so—]

“THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS, YOU IDIOT!” Rachins yelled.

“Captain…!” Garfiel hissed, every muscle taut as he stared up at the metia.

Felt rubbed her face with a groan that sounded almost like she was starting to weep.

[“That’s enough.”]

“—Huh?” Julius suddenly leaned forward, alert.

“Is that…?” Mimi asked — and of course, she was right.

[There he was, with his flaming red hair and piercing blue eyes, striding down the alley to place himself right between Subaru and the three thugs.]

[“No matter what the circumstances are, I will not allow you to perpetrate any more violence against this young man,” Reinhard declared. “That is enough.”]

And just like that, everyone in theater breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

“Thank fuck…” Felt muttered, sinking into her seat. Garfiel practically collapsed backwards, his head bonking against the floor. He could not care less. Otto looked dizzy. “And — Reinhard…?”

“I remember this,” Reinhard confirmed, staring up at the metia with a look of aching relief. “I remember…!”

[Having no idea who Reinhard was, Subaru simply blinked at him uncomprehendingly. But the three thugs knew exactly who they were facing, and all of them had abruptly gone pale.]

[“That burning red hair and sky-blue eyes…plus that knight’s sword engraved with the image of dragon’s claws…” Gaston took a slow step backwards, quivering. “It can’t be…!”]

[“Reinhard…” Rachins finished, trembling all over. “Are you the Master Swordsman Reinhard?!”]

“If you remember—” Julius broke into a smile of enormous relief. “If both of you remember, then that has to mean—!”

“He survives this time!” Mimi cried out. “That means — he has to survive!”

[“Well, I suppose I don’t have to waste time introducing myself,” Reinhard joked. “…Although I am not fond of that title everyone goes me. It’s still too heavy for me…”]

Felt frowned at that. It wasn’t the first time she had heard Reinhard voice something similar, of course: the big idiot hardly ever shut up about it, whenever he was asked about his title. But…

Frederica swallowed. If that was true, than it also meant…

Rachins wasn’t paying attention in the least. “But you know what else that means, right?” he hissed out. Mimi faltered. “Because if THIS really happened, then—!”

Mimi’s smile slipped off of her face like water.

Garfiel made a croaking sound, a fresh look of devastation spreading through his eyes. He slowly turned to where his Captain was helplessly watching him from within his jar. “Su…” He swallowed. “Subaru…?”

Subaru stared helplessly back, completely lost on what he could possibly say.

[“If you’re planning on running away, I’ll let you off this time,” Reinhard offered. “Just head back out towards the main street. However, if you plan on being stubborn, you will have to deal with me.”]

“Awfully generous,” Julius muttered. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Reinhard being generous, here. The image of Subaru falling down, bleeding out like—!

But there was no way that Reinhard could have known about that. Even RACHINS hadn’t known about that.

Part of Rachins wished that Reinhard had not been so generous. The rest of him was a coward that didn’t want to get hurt, even when he knew that he deserved it.

[“We’re down three against two,” Reinhard admitted to Subaru, who was standing behind him. “They have the advantage on us in numbers. I’m not sure if the little help I can give will be enough to make a difference, but I will do the best I can, on my honor as a knight.”]

Frederica almost laughed. Almost.

[“Wha— What?!” Camberley exclaimed. “Are you kidding me?! This isn’t even a contest!”]

[And with that, Subaru’s three would-be assailants had fled.]

“All’s well that ends well, I suppose,” Beatrice said numbly. With the end finally in sight, she felt a sense of emotional exhaustion overtake her from head to toe. “Isn’t that what…?”

“All’s well that ends well, yes!” Subaru said quickly, eagerly. “You’re so smart, Beako, you really are!”

Beatrice didn’t know how to respond to that, and so she didn’t say anything back at all.

Emilia swallowed, and then nodded. “All’s well that ends well,” she agreed. “Yes, if— Yes.”

If that was how Subaru saw it, then that was all that mattered, right now. …Right?

[All that tension is gone, Subaru realized. Did he put on airs like that on purpose? He did that on purpose, didn’t he…]

[“For you to do all of that and still keep so cool…” Subaru muttered. “It’s like you and I aren’t of the same species.”]

Julius understood the feeling well, when it came to Reinhard.

(Reinhard winced.)

[Subaru shook himself back to his senses, and then prostrated himself before Reinhard gratefully. “A-Allow me to thank you for saving my life!” he exclaimed. “I, Natsuki Subaru, deeply admire your selflessness and bravery…!”]

A tired laugh suddenly echoed through the theater.

Everyone’s eyes darted over to where Ferris had regained enough composure to finally sit up straight, a bit of his usual mischief finally re-entering his face as he turned to face Subaru in his jar.

“Ferris…?” Subaru questioned, looking concerned.

“Nyes, nyes, Subaru-kyun,” Ferris teased, a shaky, wobbly, exhausted smile slowly forming on his cheeks. “Good boy, thanking Reinyard so sweetly, good boy…”

Subaru squawked loudly.

[Reinhard smiled awkwardly. “You’re giving me too much credit,” he said. “It was because their advantage of three against one fell to three against two that they became unsure of themselves. It would have been different if it was only me against them…”]

[“No…” Subaru mused. “Given how scared they were of you, even if it were then against one…or even a hundred against one…”]

“For all he might be saying that,” Crusch observed. “Subaru is awfully at ease right now.”

“That…is true,” Ricardo noted uncomfortably.

“It’s nyot like Reinyard would actually do anything to Subaru-kyun,” Ferris dismissed, his voice growing stronger by the minute. “Reinyard’s a total puppy…”

[“Anyway, what’s with your gallantry stats?!” Subaru cried. “You’re like a saint both in body and mind. You’re so brilliant I think I’m going to go blind!”]

[Seriously, his nice guy index is off the charts here…!]

“Nyaww, is Subaru-kyun feeling a little embarrassed?” Ferris cooed, his mischief growing stronger and stronger. “Is Reinyard just soooo perfect, and wonderful, and amazing…?”

“Wha—?!” Subaru scrambled to the back of his jar, eyes wide and cheeks scarlet. “Why are you ganging up on me like that all of a sudden?!” he cried.

Ferris’ teasing was a bit rusty — his voice was still a little raspy, and he was clumsy with his targeting — but the insinuation that Subaru had thought anything like THAT about Reinhard seemed to be enough to do the trick regardless. Subaru was staring at Ferris with a look of panicked, mortified horror. Ricardo took one look at him and busted out laughing.

“SHUT UP!!”

[“Umm…I can just call you by your name — Reinhard-san, right?” Subaru asked hesitantly.]

[“No need for such formality,” Reinhard said eagerly. “You may just call me Reinhard, Subaru.”]

[He closed the distance like it was nothing!]

Felt coughed into her fist. “You need more friends,” she commented.

“Aww, Subaru and Reinhard became close right off the bat!” Ricardo teased. “Perhaps they really are a match made in—”

“Stop it, stop it, stop it—!”

“Nyew make it sooo easy, Subaru-kyun! It’s like nyew WANT us to—”

“NOOO—!”

“I quite like the thought of us being a match,” Reinhard said mildly, trying to sound nonchalant. Subaru squeaked. The Sword Saint send a brilliant smile his way. “After all, I really do value you as one of my dearest friends, Subaru…”

From the look on his face, Reinhard’s words were the ultimate bullseye. “That’s not…” Subaru croaked out, his face as red as the man’s hair. “That’s not what that…!”

[“Anyway, thanks again, Reinhard,” Subaru said gratefully. “You’re the only one who came running when I called! I have to say, it makes me feel a bit lonely that no one else seemed to care…”]

“Hey, yeah, nobody else came!” Garfiel suddenly realized. “What the Hell— nobody?!”

“That’s really not fair at all!” Mimi agreed hotly.

[“I don’t really want to say this, but I think I can understand them,” Reinhard sighed. “For the majority of people, the risk of interfering when thugs are involved is too great. You were right to call for the guards.”]

“That is just how the world works,” Anastasia said mildly. “Nobody is ever really going to do anything if they don’t get something out of it. That’s just — life.”

Mimi frowned. “I…I guess…”