7 ( part 2)

[Scene change…

The screen shows the two infants who have grown into two cute little girls. The two were standing in front of a waterfall while the villagers and the chief stood behind them.]

"So they let you live?" Anastasia looked on with interest.

"T-They let us live because Onee-sama would've unleashed her power every time they tried," Rem finally spoke in a hoarse and broken voice.

Everyone else was too interested in the village before them and taken in by the relief that they won't be seeing infants get killed for a stupid law, to care about the broken Oni girl and her angry scowling sister as they looked at the screen with tears in their eyes

[The pink-haired Oni raised her arm and began citing a spell that forced the waterfall to turn into a whirlwind that soared through the air and forced the water to drop all over the village and the farms.]

"That's amazing wind magic! I never mastered such a hard spell!" Mimi yelled out in awe at the demon's powerful advanced spells.

Everyone else was also looking at the screen with varied looks of amazement and interest.

Reinhard and Julius were both noting and writing all they could find of the lost demon culture no matter how trivial it was.

This was very valuable information that could serve the kingdom fo-

"Nerds." "Losers."

Garfiel and Felt fist-pumped as they snorted at the two.

Both the greatest of knights and the Sword Saint clenched their pens and carried on their duty of gathering this informa-

[The entire population of the Oni village stared at Ram in amazement.

"She is a true prodigy."

"Such power, with only one horn!"

"If she had two horns…"

The small blue-haired little girl looked behind her in sadness.]

"Awe, little cute Rem-rin is feeling left out," Emilia's heart broke for the little girl. The little girl instantly reminded her of herself.

Ram just held her sister tightly as those wretched feelings of guilt and anger came back to fill her black soul.

[Scene change…

The two twins are sitting with their parents, eating lunch.]

"Close your eyes."

"Please, close them."

"I don't want you to go through this alone sister."

Ram hugged her sister and cried with her…their parents weren't helping with Rem's pain but they were still their parents.

Seeing again and so alive as well… It was just too much for the two demon twins.

So Ram and Rem cried in silence. Roswaal looked at them with emotionless eyes. For a second.

Just a second.

There was a glint of pain.

["Very good, Ram!" The dad applauded in pride.

"Rem, you'll have to follow your sister's example and work hard."

"Don't worry! One day, Rem will show us that she has incredible power."]

"Hmmm, looks like the blue one was pathetic in the eyes of her own parents."

"That's not a nice thing to say."

"And why should I adhere to a rat's opinion?"

Felt growled at the nasty fiery maiden while Ram glared at the candidate.

Priscilla smirked and watched the screen with pride.

["You're right. She is Ram's sister, after all."

"We expect great things."

Rem looked down in sadness.

Ram stared at her sister with a worried gaze.]

"They're acting as if Rem's not good enough." Emilia was heartbroken by the way the parents treated Rem.

[Scene change…

Rem is standing all alone in the middle of the night right where her sister stood in the morning.

Right in front of the waterfall.

The little girl summoned her horn out and began shooting the same spell Ram had used. The same whirlwind of water came out of the waterfall's pit but suddenly it collapsed into nothing as Rem's magic was too weak to keep it stable, unlike her sister.

Rem was splashed with water as she stared at the waterfall in disappointment.

"Don't worry."

Rem looked behind her to find her sister standing there.

"Sissy… "

Ram was smiling at her sister.

"Just be you, Rem. You don't have to worry about what people say."

Rem just stared at her.]

"Ram-san was such a good sister!" Petra clasped her hands together at the sheer sweetness of the scene.

"The older sister was right to stand by her sissy, I suppose."

Emilia smiled at Beatrice. Even the little spirit was taken in by the sisterly bond.

[Scene change…

Rem is shown struggling to write like the other school kids while Ram is speed writing so good and so fast, I thought I had competition for a second.

Scene change…

Ram is shown using her magic to hold a giant water ball in the air while Rem and the other villagers are staring at her with amazing looks.

Scene change…

Ram is walking with their mother smiling proudly as she stares at her little girl. Rem is behind them watching the two's backs.

Scene change…

Ram is perfectly cutting stacks of wood, while Rem is struggling to dent a single log.

Rem glares in frustration.]

"That's a rough life to live." Ricardo grimaced at the heartbreaking scene.

"Oh, Rem." It brought tears of sadness to Emilia's eyes to see the tragic life the maid had led.

Even though she had some nasty feelings for what she did to her Subaru, she was still sympathetic to anyone that was outcasted for their traits.

[Scene changes to Rem failing to support the whirlwind of water at the same waterfall again.

"I can never match my sister in demon power.

Then…"]

"Ram, don't cry sissy." Rem just hugged her sister tight as the pink-haired Oni silently shed tears of guilt and anger.

"How can I? After what I did to you, sissy… I… I… I'm so sorry."

Rem could only hug her onee-sama in silence. But in her mind, the guilt was eating her alive.

How could she make the most amazing sister in the world cry because of her?

"How greedy must I be?" Rem cried tears of self-loathing.

[Scene change to Ram and her mother cleaning the dishes. Rem walks in while having a determined look on her face as she looks at her mother's back.

"Hey, Mom…"

Surprised, the mother turned to her child. "What is it, Rem?"

"I'll make dinner tomorrow." Rem smiled excitedly at her mom."

Scene changes to Ram and Rem sitting on their bed.

"What are you going to make for dinner?" Ram asked her sister, who seemed to be thinking.

"Maybe a stir-fry with Barbaro rabbit meat and nuts from the trees in the forest and steamed Potatoes!" (Fuck tatoes! Stupid ass name!)

"I'll help you."

Rem shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine by myself. Just watch me."

The scene changes to Rem picking up a few nuts from the ground and putting them in her basket.]

"So that's why you're better at housework than Ram?" Frederica asked the twins… but her expression turned to a frown as she noticed how hidden and extremely close the two were to each other.

"What's wron-" then it hit her.

The clan was eradicated.

"Oh goodness… " Frederica immediately felt for her sister colleagues.

["Now I just need a rabbit." Rem smiled and began walking towards her village,and then it started raining.

The little girl ran through the forest as fast as she could to shield herself from the rainstorm.

* BOOOM!*

* THUNDER NOISES!*

*CRACK!"

Rem ran as fast as she could from the oncoming storm, she barely missed a lighting strike as it shot from the sky and blasted onto a tree she had passed by.

Rem fell on the muddy ground and looked back to find the tree on fire and falling right towards her.

The little girl closed her eyes and waited to be crushed by the tree.

But then a speed wind blade tore the flaming tree into pieces, saving Rem.

The Oni looked up and found a relieved-looking Ram smiling down at her.

"Sissy!"

Rem smiled at her sister, but then she frowned as she looked at her crushed basket and fallen nuts.

Scene changes to Rem and Ram sitting with their parents.

"I'm so glad you're both alright." their mother said with a smile.

Rem's eyes teared up as she thought to herself,

Both….

"Rem, don't go into the forest alone again." The father softly ordered with a smile.

"You don't have to worry your sister."]

"That's what they were worried about?!" Felt spat in disgust at the treatment between the sisters.

[Rem's face remained fallen.

"Yes, Mom. I'm sorry."]

"Oh, Rem…" Frederica's eyes watered for the little Oni.

Emilia and Beatrice looked down a bit and found themselves rethinking some of their hatred or reluctance to forgive Rem's actions with Subaru. If he forgave her, why couldn't they?

[Ram quickly picked up a potato (Haha) and began biting from it.

"Wait, don't forget about this. The steamed Potatoes Rem made are really good." Seeing their dad begin eating as well, Ram started complimenting even more. "They have just the right amount of salt."

"You're right!" The dad stared at the food in delight.

The mother giggled softly, "I had no idea Rem could make something so delicious!"

Rem's head kept looking down as the little girl fell… into despair.]

"That was nice of her." Anastasia cooed as she enjoyed the sister's bond through the screen.

Crusch nodded and frowned as she saw the sweet girl she respected and held dear get softly ostracized and ignored by all since her birth.

"No wonder you have such a sweet smile." Crusch mused to herself as she remembered the sweet pure smile on the maid's face.

[Scene change…

Rem is trying to pick up nuts from the ground as a charcoal dark forest towered around her.

"That's enough Rem."

The little Rem looked behind her, surprised that her mother was in the forest too.

"I'm just happy both of you are all right."

"Yes, We're glad you're both alright."

Rem looked at the new voice and found it was her father.

Rem's eyes teared up from happiness as her parents smiled at her.]

"This looks rather odd, in fact." Beatrice mused as she watched.

Emilia nodded as she noticed a weird feeling coming off.

[Suddenly,

A new voice sounded out.

"No, it would have been better if only Ram had been safe."

"That's right."

"You said it."

Rem looked around… the dark gray forest… was now filled with the shapes of the villagers standing around her… gray clothes and skin… voices cold and cruel…]

"Ah, It's a nightmare." Julius sounded in sympathy as he understood what was happening.

Ram just hugged her sister tightly.

["Yes, if only that useless Rem had died…" Her mother said.

"… and only Ram had lived, that would have been best." The father continued.

Little Rem cried and ran away from the gray people.]

"What horrible thoughts." Wilhelm shook his head with a frown of empathy to the young maid.

(Copypaster:- 👀)

Many were looking at the screen with uncomfortable gazes of sympathy and pity.

[She ran and ran….

Through the falling rain, she ran…

Stopping underneath a well and crying into her knees.

Her misery and despair were the only things that filled her.

And suddenly a glowing hand grabbed her ample one.

Rem looked up and found something that made her feel safe and happy.

Her sister was smiling at her…

and the rain disappeared, replaced with the sun glowing behind Ram.

And then those two disappeared as Rem woke up from her dream.

She woke up to find her sister holding her hand and smiling warmly.

"You were having a scary dream, weren't you?"

"Sissy…"

"It's all right. I'm with you. So you don't have to worry about anything."

"Right, Sister. I love you." Rem hugged Ram's arm.]

"That's so sweet." Emilia was full-on crying at the beautiful scenery.

Anastasia looked away and wiped a few stray tears in secret.

"Boss?"

"Shhhh!" Ricardo quickly looked away and ignored the glare his boss was sending.

He better keeps his mouth shut.

[My sister really is amazing.]

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

[I can't match her in anything.]

"Yes, you can!"

"No… I can't"

[In that case, I don't have to do anything anymore.]

"Please, Rem…"

"Don't worry sister…"

[I can just walk behind her.]

"I have nothing left anyway…"

"...Ghk!"

Ram just cried as she finally understood… Just how damaged her sister was… She couldn't help her now… She was too far gone.

Ram had failed…

Rem was emotionally disturbed.

"That's not true! You were amazing when you fought that whale!" Mimi yelled out to the maid.

"Rem, you saved those kids in the forest and Subaru as well," Frederica tried to help the maid see a light in her life as well.

"You don't have to think like that, Rem-san," Otto pleaded to the emotionless maid.

Rem just hugged her sister with a blank stare.

"I killed the only good thing in my life."

Emilia's eyes widened in horror once again as she heard the cold tone of a self-loathing soul.

"He won't love me. He never loved me. He can't love me."

repeating over and over, Rem just repeated with a cold dead tone.

"Is she insane-"

"Shut up!"

Felix quickly obeyed and silenced his exclamation in favor of looking away from Ram's seething glare.

"Don't look at my sissy!"

Everyone looked away from the two in respect to her wishes as Ram cradled her broken sister.

"Please… Barusu…. Please…" Ram could do the only thing she could in this situation. Although she wanted to die for this. She was disgusted because of this.

But she realized that her only chance to retrieve her sister was in the hands of the boy that she thought nothing of but a man with good timing.

How hilarious was his timing now? Ram found it genuinely funny.

[Scene change…

Rem was sleeping contently on her bed with a smile on her face.

Some noises sounded out and she was woken up to find her bed empty.

There was no Ram.

Little Rem got up and looked around the room.

"Sissy?"

Rem quietly left the room and stepped towards her parents' front door.

She opened it…..

Rem's eyes widened as her entire village was turning to ash. The buildings, the trees, the roads. Everything was burning. The flames were licking the sky from how high they'd risen.]

"What?" Julius stopped writing and looked at the hellish landscape before him in alarm.

"This is what happened that night?" Reinhard glared with narrowed eyes at the screen as he noticed a horrifying sight, he quickly shielded his lady's eyes.

Felt let him do as he pleased since she heard gasps and cried all around her.

Frederica also immediately clenched Petra close and hid her eyes to block her view.

She kept watching out of respect for her sisters at work.

[Rem looked closer into the fire and her horror grew as she noticed…

the melting bodies of the chief of her village…

She looked in another direction…

The boiling malformed faces of both her parents…

Rem's tears fell as she dropped to her knees.]

"No… How could they..." Emilia was too shocked to even breathe as she looked at the screen with a frozen expression.

[The despair and shock as she watched the entire village burn was overwhelming her. She barely even noticed that she was being surrounded by many figures wearing hoods.]

"Bastards!" Felix shouted angrily as he witnessed the scum that had hurt his lady.

The knights were all glaring at the screen as it concluded what had happened to the village.

"So that's why you hate the cult so much?" Anastasia nodded her head while glaring at the screen in disdain.

Crusch gripped her knees in anger as she watched those filthy cultists threaten a little child.

"Scum."

[A man wearing a hood was ready to strike the grief-stricken Rem with his blade.

But then a wind blade cut him and all of his associates to shreds.

"Sissy!"

Ram jumped in front of her sister and sent a Dome of cutting wind all around them, cutting every hooded figure and even the strong flames were put out.

Ram turned to her sister and smiled. "Rem… I'm glad you're safe."

The two sisters stared at one another as the flames returned and surrounded them. Ram reached her hand out for her sis.

And then…

A hooded man managed to sneak behind them and strike at the right spot… to send Ram's glowing magical horn flying, bleeding as it was cut off of Ram's forehead.

The prodigy of the Oni clan… was hornless forever.]

"Oh no!"

"So that's why…"

"You lost it while helping your sister!"

Everyone stared in shock as Ram lost the most essential trait of her own bloodline.

"Those fuckers are dead!" Garfiel gripped his chair handles hard and scowled demonically at the hooded figures. The shield of the sanctuary was pissed.

[And as the blood of her sister's horn soared, and as the horn that had tormented her dropped, Rem could only stare in shock.

She then smiled with relief.

"It finally broke off."

Scene end…]

"Rem…" Ram hugged her sister tighter as the shock of the scene wore off instantly.

"I don't care for how you felt that night. You had every right to be happy, sissy. I was happy too. Please come back."

But Rem was never going to answer her.

She was guilty.

She was sinful.

She deserved pain.

"This is messed up!"

"Fucked up!" Otto declared and Garfiel clarified as their blood was boiling for what happened to these girls.

"Such a gruesome end to an entire race." Reinhard grimaced.

"So it was the witch's cult behind the eradication," Wilhelm mused with a deep frown.

"Disgusting freaks." Felix spat in hatred.

"But how did the maids make it, I wonder." The ever-elegant Julius asked as he continued to watch.

[Flashbacks began playing of Roswaal carrying a bleeding Ram while the fire danced around him.

Because of me, my sister's horn was broken, and she lost her power.

From now on, I have to learn to do all the things that sissy…

That sister could do it.

This is what sister would have done.

Sister is even more amazing.

Sister could do even more.

I'm only imitating what sister could do.

If I can't even do that satisfactorily, I'm worthless.

The flashbacks play on the times Rem and Ram began working as maids in that very mansion.

How she cut her hand peeling vegetables.

How she trained to serve tea.

How she cleaned and made food.

She was doing everything and anything while Ram was watching with worry.

"You're doing a fine job." Roswaal smiled at her in one of the flashbacks as the twins served him lunch.

I heard those words back home many times.

"Don't overdo it," Ram said as she stood on the mansion's entrance while Rem ignored her and cleaned the garden on her own.

Even if I overdo everything, will it be enough?

"Why do you try so hard?" A younger Frederica asked Rem as she finished the garden.

Why else? Because nothing I do is enough.

Why should I go on living?

All of this is my atonement for what I thought on that fiery night.

What can I do to atone?

I'll risk my life to walk the path that my sister would have walked, the path I took from her.

Because I'm inferior to her in every way.

I'm nothing but a replacement.

There were two lone vases with flowers in them…

One of them…

Just cracked.

That was Rem.]

"H-Hold on Rem!"

To everyone's surprise… It was Emilia who spoke up as her eyes flashed with determination.

Frederica also stood up and shouted her own support as she finally understood how bad of a job she did in being a friend to these two.

"You're not alone, Rem. You have friends that don't care for how you felt on that night. We understand why you did it."

"Subaru wouldn't want to see you like this, Rem-rin." Petra tried to form her seat to add to the support.

"Remember how much Natsuki-sama cried for you after the whale's death." Crusch sternly throws her words into the fray.

"Natsuki-san was trying so hard to save you."

"He did a lot just to see if you'd wake up."

"He spent every night of the past year telling you about his life, I suppose."

Otto, Garfiel, and Beatrice.

Emilia, Frederica, Crusch, Petra and Ram.

They all wanted to make the maid feel better about her place in life.

They wanted to save her from a void…

To thaw her ice prison.

But none of them mattered enough… None of them got killed by her…

Only one was…

And she couldn't hear his voice.

Everyone was waiting for the emotionless Rem to say anything.

"Rem…" Ram whispered in a heart-wrenching tone.

Rem wasn't going to respond to them. They had failed in saving the girl's sanity.

"Amusing."

"Shut your shit hole tits for brains!" Felt shouted at the snorting Priscilla.

The fiery princess was about to bring hell down upon the little whore.

Reinhard was prepared to fight on his lady's behalf… he wasn't wishing to hit this woman…

And as the chaos exploded from hopelessness.

A certain someone loomed over the two twins.

Ram slowly looked up with her eyes wide… "Roswaal-sama…"

The magi surprised all as he knelt and gave his two maids a hug.

"Well, this is uncommon." Anastasia snorted as she saw the creepy man patting the twins on the head.

"I hate seeing you both like thiiiiis." Roswaal smiled at them and stepped back with his arms still on the catatonic Rem.

"What…?!" Garfiel was about to jump and punch the man but he was stopped by his brother. "Let him," Otto ordered as he watched the lord carry the blue-haired maid towards the front row.

"May I have this seat, Betty-saaaaan?"

Beatrice nodded her head as she understood the reasoning behind the magi's actions.

Roswaal smiled gratefully at the spirit girl and placed Rem on the empty seat.

Right beside Subaru.

"What are you doing?" Julius asked in apprehensiveness.

"I'm merely providing her the comfort she desires." Roswaal softly smiled down and went back to his seat.

Everyone looked unsure of what to do next.

[Sit, please. You have to continue watching.]

"Just wake him up! Let him save my sister, please!" Ram cried from her place towards the screen.

But she was met with silence and the screen buzzing on once more.

"Let's continue watching for now." Wilhelm solemnly advised.

Soon one by one, everyone sat down in their seats while Ram remained sobbing.

Rem remained doll-like beside Subaru.

Emilia sat down and looked at the maid in pity.

Beatrice… sat down in Subaru's lap again, this time fully integrated.

"Beako…"

"This was meant for Betty anyway, I suppose." The elegant spirit held her head high… to nuzzle her contractor's neck as she enjoyed the soft new chair.

[End of the flashbacks scene…

"Barusu, head to the right of that broken tree ahead! You're too slow!"

"Don't ask any more of me! I'm running… as fast as I can!"

Rem slowly opened her eyes and found herself being carried by Subaru as he ran through the forest with her sister in tow.]

"So we come back here?" Felix tiredly whined as he was too emotionally exhausted to worry about the boy dying.

["Subaru-kun… What… "

"You're awake, Rem?" Subaru asked as he kept running.

Ram smiled in relief at her little sister. "Thank goodness, Rem. You really are a handful."

A dog beast charged at them.

"Fula!" Ram cut the beast's arms and carried on running with Subaru.

The two stopped and hid inside a bush with Rem resting on Subaru's chest.

"Why… "

Subaru looked down at the maid.

"Why didn't you just leave me alone? You and sister showing up makes it all pointless…"

Rem whimpered and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I should be the one to do it. No one else needs to get hurt anymore…"

"Too late for that. Ram and I are already torn to shreds, maybe even more than you! My right shoulder is dislocated!" Subaru smiled uneasily as Ram stared at her sister.

Rem looked down with a haunted look.

"It's… It's my fault. So I have to take responsibility. If I don't, I can't do anything for sister, or for you… "

Subaru and Ram were taken aback as Rem whimpered and sniffled.

"I haven't changed at all. I committed the same sin I did back then. Because I hesitated to extend my hand to you… "

The witch's scent!

"You nearly died."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but you decided to do this alone to atone for that?"

Rem stopped crying as Subaru closed his eyes.

"Rem…" he called.

The maid slowly looked up at him, with a look so broken.

"Yes." She softly answered.

"Super slap!" Subaru headbutted the girl, making her step back and look at him in shock.]

Emilia and Beatrice's eyes widened as they never imagined Subaru doing the same thing he did with them.

The same way he saved Emilia in the tomb.

The same way he saved Beatrice from the library.

By calling them dumb.

["For starters, are you dumb? No, you are dumb!"

"Barusu, the cut on your forehead is reopened and bleeding again."

"Yeah, I know I'm dumb, too! But your sister is even dumber!"]

"What a heinous way to treat a lady." Julius mused in a disappointed fatherly tone.

He did have an excited glint in his eye,

He was cheering Subaru on.

[He turned to the shocked Rem with his blood flowing down his face.

"Listen, where I'm from, there's a saying, Three heads are better than one. Or is it two heads? Whatever! The point is, three heads thinking together are harder to break than one arrow alone! It means you should rely on those around you instead of thinking about stuff alone!"]

"Wise words, Subaru-dono." Wilhelm nodded his head at the boy's spirit to help his friends.

The old man hoped that it would wake up their Rem from her own darkness.

[Rem looked at him, bewildered.

"Subaru-kun…" She said softly…

*Rustle *

Her eyes widened as the rustling increased around them.

"Damn…"

Subaru looked at the oncoming herd of Dogs.

"Ram, which way should we run to get outside the barrier?"

"We'd have to run left at full speed. What's your plan?"

"I could shove Rem toward you and run tragically to the right-"

"You'll draw the ulgarm's attention while I take Rem and run?" Ram cut him off like the polite maid she was.

"Could you not expose my attempt at hiding my embarrassment so easily?!"

"There's no way you'll survive. Please don't. If you do that, I'll… " Rem closed her eyes in guilt.]

"Subaru…" Emilia was now both worried for and angry at her knight for always choosing this route.

"Why does he choose to be a bait all the time?" Otto facepalmed in frustration similar to Emilia's.

["Don't worry. I have a brilliant plan you don't know about to round up all the mabeasts."

"Subaru-kun, why would you do all this?"

"Well… " Subaru turned and picked Rem up to place her on Ram's back.

He posed before the two and smiled at Rem.

"You were my partner on my very first date." He patted her head and smiled warmly. "I wouldn't be so heartless as to desert you."]

Rem's eyes widened as she heard words she was once confused at but saw memories she was ashamed of.

The memory of the first date in Subaru's second loop at the mansion, when he first made her smile.

[Rem stared at him in awe.

He smirked and turned towards the beasts.

"All right, guess I'd better go and do this. Take care of Rem, Onee-sama!" He ran to face the dogs.

"I'll be praying for our safe reunion, Barusu." she ran with Rem on her back in a different direction.

Subaru is shown running with his hand limp from the dislocated shoulder.

"Barusu's risking his life to buy us time. Let's make the most of it."

Subaru runs and runs from two ulgarms chasing him. He looks ahead to find the little pup smirking at him with bared teeth and wide red eyes as the herd behind him growls at the boy.]

Everyone held their breaths collectively as they all thought the same thing.

'What are you doing Subaru?'

["I'd love to finish you off right about now…" Subaru glared as he stood before the pup.

The little dog growled and stomped his paws into the dirt as hard as he could. Black smoke began surrounding the creature and he began getting bigger and bigger.

Soon, Subaru was faced with a giant Ulgarm beast king ten times his size.

It roared down at him with razor-sharp teeth at the ready.

Subaru glared up at it. Even though he was cornered from every side by many smaller ulgarms, he kept glaring at the king.

"I've got an ace up my sleeve, too!"

Subaru slowly puts something in his mouth.

"It's you and me, pal. Get ready!"

Rem is watching the boy's face-off with horrified eyes.

"Sister! Subaru-kun is… Subaru-kun is… "

"Don't look back, Rem. Barusu's determination will be for nothing."

]

"You just left him, I suppose?!" Beatrice screamed as she watched with wide eyes.

Everyone was at the thin edge of their seats to watch what he planned.

[Rem watched with despaired eyes… tears fall…

images of her time with him play…

His smile.

"Sissy!" Rem yells out in agony as she closes her eyes.

Ram is so shocked she falls over,

Rem looks behind her quickly towards the boy as the giant monster towered over him.

"Subaru-kun!" Rem shouts his name in terror and sadness.

Subaru smirks.

The new butler of L. Mathers estate readies the sword of the villagers in his hand and shouts to the sky.

"Shamac!"]

"What a moron," Felix spat, facepalming in essence.

Crusch, his own liege, was smiling at the boy's tactic. "I'd assume that he won't be losing this one. Though this addicting display never hurts to watch," the Duchess widened her smirk while leaning back to enjoy the show.

[The beasts could only blink in shock as a black cloud of dark smoke overtook their senses.

Subaru ran through the darkness, with his target visible to him and only him.

He jumps and stabs his sword directly into the king's neck.

He drops down and smirks.

"I could do without the bugs, but I appreciate the bocco fruit! Thanks for that brats!"

He spits out a sucked bocco and looks at Rem.]

"Yes! I put it in there! I was the one who helped him!" Petra jumped in excitement.

"It won't be 'nough!" Garfiel shook his head as he kept his eyes glued on the screen.

[*Growl! *

"Crap-"

Subaru is surprised to find the king towering over him. The monster crushed Subaru under its paw, pinning the boy underneath it.

The struggling boy quickly takes out the broken sword from the beast's neck and stabs its mouth, making it howl in pain.

"What's the matter? Bring it on, boss garm!"

Subaru readies his sword once again as he glares at the beast.

*GROWL! *

The angry king swiftly swipes his paw to crush the insolent child that hurt him.

And by a second…

Subaru Natsuki would've been crushed…

If it wasn't for one gay ass clown.

"Ul goa!"

Subaru watched with shock as fireballs rapidly dropped all around him, hitting every beast and burning them to ashes.

Even the king was no match for the sheer strength of these fire attacks.

Slowly, a figure was hovering down in front of the boy with a wide smile on his face.

"Oh, my! You look an absoluuuuute friiiight!"]

"I can't believe this… but I'm glad for your presence for once." Anastasia sounded what most of the people in the room were thinking.

"Come on! Give me all the thank you's that I deseeeeerve!" Roswaal stretched his arms wide and smirked smugly towards the crowd.

No one paid him any mind.

[Subaru smiles in relief.

"You're way late, Ros-chi… "

Roswaal chuckles.

Subaru sat down crossed-legged and rested. "I'm surprised you knew where to find me, though."

"Emilia-sama drove it into me quite thoroughly in the village."

Subaru looked confused.

Roswaal intertwined his hands together and clenched his cheeks. "Even if it's rash or reckless, he'll use magic if he's cornered, so don't lose sight of him from above, she saaaid." He said in a mocking Emilia voice.]

"I was going to thank you for saving this dum dum. But I guess you had to open your mouth. Hmph!" Emilia huffed and hugged her sleeping boy tight.

Roswaal just chuckled while the rest giggled at the scene.

["Roswaal-sama!" Ram shouted as she limped with her sister toward the lord.

"I'm sorry to cause so much trouble for you." Ram bowed while holding her sister.

"Oh, not at all. In fact, you both did fine work in my absence. I will most certainly show my gratitude for what you've done for me. You have my word." Roswaal smiled gratefully at the butler boy.

"Subaru-kun!"

Subaru could do nothing but stay crushed underneath Rem's body as she dropped on him and hugged him tightly.

"Rem, that hurts! Stop! I'm kinda hurt all over again."

Rem was having none of it as she cried on his chest. "You're alive… You stayed alive… Subaru-kun! Subaru-kun! Subaru-kun!" She whined and cried into his chest.

"This again…"

Subaru's tired eyes rolled into the back of his head once again…

Darkness…]

"Come on." Ram looked at her sister with a despaired face.

Something has to help Rem. Please.

[Change scene…

Subaru is shown waking up in the same robes, in the same bed, looking at the same ceiling as he's restart point.

He had died.]

"What!?" Emilia screamed

"No!" Garfiel gripped his hair in despair.

"I-I don't understand! Barusu had died?!" Ram asked with a wide manic expression.

"Fuck off!" Al shouted in rage.

"After all of that! Come on!" Ricardo sounded out in rage.

[Subaru had Returned by Dea-

"Are you awake?"

Subaru slowly looked at the source of the voice. Finding a blue-haired maid sitting on a chair beside his bed and holding his hand tightly wasn't what he expected.

"Did I do this? Like, grabbed you and never let go?" Subaru looked at their hands and then at Rem with an embarrassed smile.

Rem looked down with a forlorn expression.

"No, um… this is, well… It was me. You looked like you were in pain while you slept, so I… "

"You held my hand?"

"I don't know what to do at times like these, so I did what would have made me the happiest if I were in your place… "]

"Whew!" Otto wiped his brow with a smile.

"He didn't die, thank goodness." Anastasia sighed in relief.

"Oh, have you taken a liking to the boy?" Crusch quickly caught on to the greedy merchant's words.

Anastasia huffed and looked away.

Crusch's suspicion didn't fade. She knew that the smart girl wasn't answering because she would be caught easily.

No matter how many years of thievery and bribing in merchant business could ever beat a divine blessing of the wind.

[Subaru sat up and smiled at the maid. "Anyway, I'd like to hear the rest… I mean, I'd like to know how it ended. Were my curses removed?"

Rem nodded her head while looking at the floor. "Yes. Roswaal-sama took care of all the mabeasts. So there's no chance the curses will activate."

Subaru sighed with relief.

Rem slowly bowed her head to him.

"I'm sorry, Subaru-kun."

"Hey, come on… Lift your head, Rem. There's nothing wrong with me."

Rem didn't raise her head, letting Subaru just stare at her with a smile.

"You always look calm, but you're not calm or collected at all, are you?" Subaru chuckled.

"I do realize that I am a powerless and incompetent demon clan dropout. So no matter what I do, I can never match my sister. I'm only her replacement, and one far inferior to her. Good for nothing."

Rem started to tear up as she stared at the floor.

"Why was I the one to keep my horn? Why couldn't sister be the one to keep her horn? Why was she born with only one horn? Why did we have to be twins?" Rem was sniffling and gasping from the sadness. Subaru was looking at her with pity filling his black eyes.

"I'm sorry. That was a strange thing for me to say. Please forget it." She began wiping her eyes while looking away from the boy.

"You know, Rem, you keep putting Ram on a pedestal and undermining yourself, but I don't think Ram's situation would be any better if she were in your position. Ram is weaker than you, she can't cook, she slacks off on the job, she says mean things… "]

"If I didn't need you right now I woulda killed you! Stupid Barusu." Ram gritted her teeth and waited for any signs of her sister's recovery.

["Y-You're wrong! Sister's true self is more… if she had her horn, you wouldn't say… " Rem tried to defend her sister's honor.

"But Ram doesn't have her horn, so I don't know that Ram. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who cares whether she has a horn or not. What Ram doesn't have, you do. Just accept that."]

Everyone's breathing hitched as they witnessed Rem's body move on its own.

She stared at the screen.

"Come on, Barusu!" Ram pleaded softly.

["You're kind, you're hardworking, you always do your best, and your chest is bigger than hers!"

Rem pouted at the nasty bastard.]

"Dirty, Subaruuuu!"

"Disgusting, infact!"

People giggled and laughed in sheer disbelief.

Rem… was chuckling while staring at the screen with her blue darkened eyes.

["If you hadn't been around, those dogs would've chewed me to death. I was saved because you were there, and as you can see I'm alive. Not only because of your sister, but because of you." Subaru stood up and held Rem's hand while smiling at her.]

Rem's head lowered down as she let the smile turn into a thin line of emotions killed.

[Rem looked away. "My true sister could have done much more."

"Maybe so. But the one who was there for me was you."]

The maid's head raised a little. Looking almost hopeful, she watched.

[Rem's eyes widened as she stared up at him while he held her hand with both of his.

"I'm glad you were there. Thank you."]

Eyes widened in disbelief.

Mind… her mind…. Mind.

Her mind was being restored. Her heart was feeling something, something other than the cold embrace of self-loathing and helplessness.

But the grip of guilt crushed her soul so she can't feel the full effect.

["I… I told you that I'm only my sister's replacement… "

"Don't define yourself that way. It's too sad. Of course, I haven't heard the details of how she lost her horn, and I won't ask, so I'll never know, and since I don't know, I get to talk as if I know all about it."]

The guilt that had trapped her was slowly lifting.

[Subaru tapped his forehead with his finger and smiled at the standing maid.

"All you have to do is be the horn Ram doesn't have. You two can be a demon together."]

"The darkness is… fading."

Everyone watched with bated breath and widened eyes between the broken girl and the screen.

["Also, you call yourself a replacement, but no one could replace you."

"But…" Her voice was weak, Rem tried to argue.

"Where I come from, there's a saying, 'Demons laugh when you talk about next year.' So… Laugh, Rem."]

"This is so sweet," Emilia felt hurt to admit it but she couldn't help it. This scene was too precious for her grudge to show. Maybe it was Subaru forgiving her but Emilia couldn't see the maid in such a bad light anymore.

"It might be, I suppose." To her surprise, Beatrice also admitted the same thing.

["Wipe off the sad face and laugh. Laugh while we talk about the future! Let's talk while looking forward to making up for all the time you've wasted looking back. We can start by talking about tomorrow."

]

"I can see the light." Rem produced a dead whisper as her dull eyes watched.

["Tomorrow?"

"Yep, tomorrow. You can say anything, like… Whether you'll make a Japanese- or Western-style breakfast tomorrow, or whether you'll put on your right or left shoe first. It can be something silly like that. No matter how silly it is, you can talk about a tomorrow because you have a tomorrow.

How about it?"]

"You have a tomorrow? You're alive? But I killed you." Rem's eyes shed tears down her face as he guilt gripped her tightly and stopped her from feeling anything else.

["I am… very weak. So I'm sure I'll end up leaning on you." Rem looked at him in guilt.

"What's so wrong with that?" Subaru asked, surprising the maid.]

The grip softened as the honesty and clarity filled her. Why would a boy who hated her sound so eager to help her?

Does that mean he cares for her?

["I'm weak, stupid, scary-looking, and dense. But I still live my life expecting others to take care of things for me.]

Felix and Julius looked down as they had berated the boy for those reasons as well.

[Subaru rubbed the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly.

"We can lean on each other as we move forward. Let's laugh and talk about tomorrow with our arms around each other's shoulders. It's always been my dream to talk about next year with a demon while we both laugh!"]

"Come on! Cap'n! You wonderful bastard!" Garfiel cheered as he noticed the light coming back into Rem's eyes.

"How does he do it?" Ricardo slumped back and watched in amazement as the boy charmed yet another lady.

[Subaru smiled charmingly…

The wind blew around them as Rem's smile widened beautifully and tears of happiness came out of her eyes.

"You are demonically inspired." Rem chuckled through her happy tears.

Subaru winked "Right?"

Subaru patted her head as she cried and giggled at the same time.

Title card:

Rem]

And the dam broke.

"Subaru-kun! Subaru-kun!" Rem screamed in agony as the grip of guilt evaporated with that single line. As she remembered every time he would say it to her.

When he said it after he confessed to loving her.

So the confused and tired maid only hugged the boy tightly while crying into his chest.

"Subaru-kun! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I love you!"

Everyone watched with pitying looks as they understood something that had passed them all like an afterthought.

"This part of Subaru's life was harder on Rem than anyone else." Felix softly noted as he watched the sad yet relieving scene.

Many nodded their heads as they watched with tired looks.

Ram sighed in relief and smiled through her tears.

"So this is why you hold him so close to your heart," Crusch whispered to herself as she watched that previous scene.

Could she have a moment like that with him? How would it feel like to have someone make her feel like she has all she needs in this world?

Crusch just smiled at the boy in the front row excitedly.

[Scene change…

"By the way, Ram, did you find the one who was controlling the maaaaabeasts?"

"Yes, but the trail had already vanished."

The screen shows Ram standing in front of Roswaal as he sat on his desk chair in the office. It was night time so the entire room was dark.

"It seems one of the children that Barusu and Rem brought back from the forest disappeared the next day."

"Was this all connected to the battle for the throne, as well? The Bowel Hunter, Mabeast masters… We've gotten involved with some bizarre chaaaaaracters."]

"So it wasn't you?" Ricardo eyed the clown stink-eyed.

Everyone looked at the clown as he shook his head and answered.

"That wasn't made by meeeee."

Emilia and most of the watchers looked at Crusch and Reinhard.

"Truth." "Telling the truth."

"Having the two confirm it… Who was it that sent the assassin then?"

No one answered Anastasia's knight.

Julius leaned back and accepted the silent challenge.

["No matter how many strange characters you face, you aren't the sort of man to lose heart, are you?"

"My, how audaaaaacious you've become." Roswaal smiled softly and whispered. "Come here."

Ram sat down on his lap as he caressed her head. "I was unable to attend to you for a whole night, after aaaaall."

"I'm sorry. Please do."]

"That's fucking creepy man." Al sounded a bit angry.

Roswaal just flipped the bird nonchalantly.

["You've used quite a lot of mana. May the stars protect you."

Roswaal began shooting mana from his fingertip and into the place where her horn used to be.

Ram sighed in content as Roswaal smiled over her.

"I will be busy again for a while. I know it will be haaaard on you, but I'll be coooounting on you and Rem."

"As you wish. Since that fiery night, my body has belonged to you, Roswaal-sama."

"I must win this battle for the throne, no matter what it takes. For the sake of my goal… "

"For the coming day when I kill the dragon… " Roswaal whispered menacingly.]

"What…?!" Emilia's whisper was shared by many who were astounded by this reveal.

"Why would you have such a purpose?" Otto was the one to calmly turn his head towards the lord he served and asked him.

Oddly enough, the merchant head did not seem all that alarmed about his sponsor and lord being exposed, nor was he reeling from shock like the half-elf princess sitting in the same row as him.

"Roswaal," Emilia seemed distrustful for a moment before her expression settled on worry, "What's this about? Killing the Holy Dragon? Can you even do such a thing?"

It was quite apparent that Emilia was in shock, but her fear grew as she took the notion in.

"Is this why-"

"Yes, Emilia-sama," Roswaal interrupted with a tone of composure, "I need your help to achieve my goals, this is why I sponsored your candidacy."

At this, Priscilla and Felt gave snorts of disillusionment, even when Emilia gave the man a shocked stare.

"Course ya would be usin' Big Sis this whole time," Felt waved a hand dismissively at the clown. As if she had expected this turn from someone like him.

Emilia stared at Roswaal with betrayal filling her features.

"Did you really lie to me? About helping my village? About helping me?"

The trembling half-elf earned looks of sympathy from Rem and Ram, she gained a small shake of the head from Beatrice. But the person she looked forward to seeing the reaction from the most was the silent lord above.

Roswaal gave Emilia his reaction.

It was a surprising one.

"Even when he smiles genuinely, he's still creepy," Al shudders from behind his mistress.

Emilia received Roswaal's most genuine smile with graceful bafflement.

"Emilia-sama, I assure you that every word of my promise holds merit in my heart. I'm not lying when I say I'll help you achieve your dreams. You are the one helping me achieve mine after all."

Even though the man gave her his sincerest smile and provided her with a humble tone, pathetic of a lord, Emilia still glanced towards Crusch in distress.

The Duchess gave her royal rival a firm nod.

"You're telling the truth? But why do you want to kill the Holy Dragon? And what part will I take in this?" She asked, desperate to understand this man and his motives. Wanting to know why he was vaiying to kill an entity that protects their realm with its sheer might.

Roswaal's smile gave out and all that remained was a sad frown for a sad man.

"I unfortunately cannot saaaay," his accent returned but to overwhelming dampness.

"More importantly is how are ya planning t' kill such an entity, hm? I'd advise ya t' answer me 'r I might have tah let this information slip to a few sensitive members of the church" Anastasia bared her metaphorical fangs and took the room by storm with her underhanded threat. The glare on her face was one of seriousness, telling of how the lady saw Roswaal's motives.

Even though Emilia and her camp became wrought with turmoil and panic, Roswaal himself returned to his eccentric old self and smiled eerily down at the merchant head.

"You can do whatever you wish with thaaaat information, Hoshin-sama~," Roswaal lifted his arms wide without a care, "You will not be able to indicate me on any charge before the royal coooourt!"

This forced looks of interest on Felt, Crusch, and Otto's faces.

Baren with looks of panic from Frederica and Petra who Ram put a finger on her lips to gesture them to be quiet.

"I do think you are wrong in that, Lord Roswaal."

A powerful young voice interjected and commanded the room's attention as it's owner stood from their seat.

The greatest hero of the kingdom stood from his seat with his shining gaze aimed on the lord.

"Roswaal L. Mathers, you've been found guilty for treason against Lugunica's holy dragon. By all accounts and by my own eyes, we have witnessed your transgression and malicious intent on our beloved kingdom. Before I provide your verdict, what say you in your defense?"

Roswaal just looked up at the Sword Saint with a smile.

"I regret nothing."

Reinhard's glare hardened on the lord, he stepped over his seat, ready to bounce over the man. He could see Julius preparing to leap over his own row of seats and surround Roswaal from the right side.

It gave him comfort to know that his stand wasn't a one man's decision.

He would probably have to apologize to Julius for getting him they were knights at the end. Their service was to the kingdom and its Holy Dragon protector.

Roswaal would not be a free man if the Knight's code wills it.

And it did, so Reinhard moved to collect the treasonous man himself.

"I would like for you to keep quiet and follow me to one of the corners in this room so we can question you further on this matter and your connections to the witch cu-"

Before the knight could walk over the final row, a force of immense power forced him through the air and dropped him on his behind at his seat.

It almost made Felt laugh out loud.

[Nope. You don't call anything in this room buddy. I fought off Satella herself to make this session happen and you won't ruin this for me.]

The red-haired knight looked up with a strong glare as his entire being was commanded.

"But… He's a traitor-"

[Spare me the nonsense, Mr. Hero. Your beloved grandpa serves a woman that wants to end the covenant with the dragon. That's also treason and I don't see someone stomping her through my fucking floor.

I don't care for this clown and you will get a chance to slap him around.

But I want you all to watch this for now.

Leave. The treason thing. Alone. Your dragon isn't an angel.]

"How preposterous?! That man needs to pay for hi-"

"Julius!"

The knight looked at his lady with shock.

"Just leave it be, for now, kay?"

"-Yes, Anastasia-sama."

"You did well." Felt nodded at her knight in satisfaction.

"Felt-sama?" Reinhard looked at his lady in surprise.

"I don't care about that dragon or whatever but I would've loved for ya to beat the clown guy down."

Reinhard smiled at his lady. She always knew how to make him feel better.

Crusch kept her eyes lingering on the clown with one final question.

"Why would you want such a wish?"

Roswaal just shrugged and smiled at the crowd like nothing ever happened.

"None of your buuuuusiness."

Everyone decided to leave it at that as they didn't want more from the clown.

He was too creepy and his prospects were too unsavory.

One thing is for sure though…

"Emilia must not win," Felix muttered the thought on Julius's and Reinhard's minds.

To stop Roswaal's treason. They needed to take down the camp that he housed.

That would mean.

"We must fight Subaru." Reinhard fell into hopeless agony as he refused to look where his friend was.

Julius just stared at the screen in a defeated gaze.

[Scene change…

"You're constantly getting hurt, aren't you Subaru? You came to this mansion in the first place because you were injured. It's only been four days since then." Emilia is standing under the moonlight in the garden while scolding her servant who was standing with a nervous smile on his face.

"It's not like I get hurt because I want to. The world's just a little harsh on me… So you're welcome to spoil me rotten, since no one else will, Emilia-tan!" Subaru wiggled in place at the thought.

"Don't joke around!" Emilia scolded and glared at the ground in frustration. "Puck kept trying to stop me from going after you guys, too. Who knows what would've happened if Roswaal hadn't made it back? Do you get it?" Emilia glared at Subaru admonishing.

"Still, I suppose you saved me again."

"Huh?"

"I brought you to the mansion as thanks for saving me, and now… still, thank you so much!" Emilia beamed at him.

Subaru waved his arms around with beet red cheeks.

"Hey, it's fine, it's fine!"

"I thought you'd say that, but it doesn't make me feel any better. I need to do something to thank you… " Emilia looked to be deep in thought.

Subaru smiled softly.

"I see. Well, then, I'll take you up on that."

Subaru suddenly got into her face with a wide smile.

"Go on a date with me, Emilia-tan!"

"A date?"

"We'll go out together, see the same things, eat the same things, do the same things, and share the same memories."

"And that's all you want?"

"That's exactly what I want. I want to show you off to the village kids, and there's this awesome flower field! Even if all we do is stroll around it'll be a special occasion for me!" Subaru beamed with his smile wide.

Emilia chuckled in amusement. "All right. I'll go on a date with you." She smiled gratefully at him.

Subaru's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yes! That's why you're my EMT!"

Emilia stared at him in confusion as he jumped around.

"Oh, EMT stands for Emilia-tan, major Angel!"

Emilia chuckled at him.

Soon, Subaru was chuckling with her as well.

End credits: Styx Helix

Episode 6 Director's Cut. End.

"… Second Arc. End."

"The Tumultuous Week…"]

Emilia wiped a few tears from her eyes as she felt oddly refreshed.

"That was exhausting!" Mimi leaned on her brother.

"I agree, there was too much happening in that Arc, as the screen calls it." Crusch rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I wonder what the third arc will be?" Otto asked in nervous curiosity.

[First, let me congratulate all of you for finishing this Arc.]

The cast was surprised to see tens of doors open up before them.

[These doors each have a bath and a bedroom with food and water for you all to freshen up.

Sleep well and tell me when you're ready.

Subaru won't be waking up until past the third Arc… I think. But he's fine for now.

Go and get some rest to see what Subaru had to endure to give you all a happy ending.

Next viewing, there will be a little interlude between Arcs 2 and 3.

So go to sleep.]

The cast had no other choice but to listen to their warden.