8 (part 1)

"Emilia..." he spoke softly, breathing heavily, bleeding and yet still smiling encouragingly upwards towards her.

"Y-Yes, Subaru! I'm here! I'm here! Please just keep breathing slowly," the juvenile silver-haired girl shouted in panic.

His hand was warm. It was obscene how warm it was.

No.

The hand in her grasp was almost steaming from the warmth.

The bloodied face of her closest ally was bruised and bluish in many areas; yet His smile remained as shining and comforting as ever.

"Subaru…"

"Yes, Emilia-tan? Is there another mission I can help you with?"

The excitement in his tired eyes was almost frightening to her.

She laughed nonetheless in hilarity. "Help me? Like this? You are a total lost cause, Subaru."

A delicate smile adorned his bloody lips, "Don't say that… I did try my best to save you."

…

"You did more than your best to save me, Subaru. Please rest easy right now."

The boy's eyes began to grow colder, his grip around her hand softened with loss of power.

Emilia didn't want to disturb him by moving her body. She continued to look down on the bleeding champion situated on her lap.

"You got blood all over my dress, y'know?" She quipped nonchalantly.

He laughed weakly as she toyed with his sweaty locks.

"Pardon me, your majesty. I'm terribly sorry for offending you!"

"What an absolute perv~"

Although she was laughing, she still couldn't stop the streams from beginning to cover her cheeks.

She couldn't stop her tears from falling down his pale skin.

His blood had filled the palace halls like a never-ending pool, expanding over the tiles and shapes of the floors.

He really was a handful. Leaving her to share himself with the rest of the world like this.

"You can't blame yourself, Emilia-tan."

"But you are dying again because of me."

She could feel the cracks in her voice, this entire situation felt familiar to her.

Wherever this landscape was, she had lived this once before. Over and over and over.

How come she felt tired of the situation and not of her crying.

"All you have to do is not cry for me, Emilia-tan."

She can hear his passion. She can feel the drums of his love through the waves of his voice. She wanted to consume it. Hear that voice talking and laughing to her every day on repeat.

But alas, in this void palace, she could only hear him say one thing.

"I'm dying again. Please pray that I'm successful next time, Emilia-tan!"

And no matter how many times she can feel his hand growing colder. No matter the amount of time she stays sitting over the corpse.

She couldn't help but laugh to her heart's content every single time.

As familiar as this situation was, him dying on her lap and all, it was hilarious.

Emilia found great amusement in Subaru's death. Not his death, but his last message before death.

'You think you are saving me by dying. But you are really leaving me behind in this empty world to escape death.'

After all this time. She forgot if this scenario was actually a repeat or if she had imagined it all echoing in her own mind until she became numb.

All she could feel was a contrast of emptiness becoming closer to her very being.

There it comes. The cloud of nothing.

The wave of Satella's displeasure.

The deletion of her world by the shadows.

And when the surge comes, Emilia can only stop laughing and cry her silent tears while hugging the corpse of her knight.

As Satella deletes the palace, the blood, the cold corpse, she will only stop to take a moment of observance upon Emilia's resemblance to her.

Emilia wouldn't be able to flinch even when the powerful witch spits on her forehead.

"Selfish coward."

Emilia could hear the witch, but she couldn't see her.

She can feel Satella pulling all of her memories away. She can feel the degradation and Satella's amusement at this degradation.

She can feel the shadows overcome her essence to the witch's pleasure.

"Subaru."

She didn't want to forget.

"Subaru."

She didn't want her memory of this loop to be erased like the rest of the world.

"Subaru."

She didn't want to leave him alone to remember how he ended this one.

But Emilia was nothing beneath Satella's scornful gaze.

Hateful.

Vengeful.

Even when Satella spat on her one last time, Emilia couldn't fault her.

She really was deserving of being alone.

Her weak will forced Subaru to start yet another checkpoint.

And he won't be able to speak about it to the vacant Emilia he will meet.

"It wasn't fair."

No, it wasn't. Even when Emilia opens her eyes again to take in the unfamiliar ceiling above her, she couldn't help but cry tears of anguish.

"This isn't fair," her whisper was heard by no one. She was in her own room, in a theater she couldn't control.

"This isn't fair!"

The half-elf balled on herself and let her tears slip over her sheets.

'I didn't want my punishment to end so quickly!'

At least, when the nightmare begins again, she can hear Subaru's voice in there.

Even when Satella comes to break her. She only needed to hear Subaru's voice.

-x-X-x-

A little girl with drills was looking out of her door at the large theater room.

"Have you slept well, I suppose?" The girl said to her company as they stood beside her and looked at the darkroom.

"Hm? Um, yes. I slept really well, thanks for asking, Beako-chan. Have you-"

"If you're asking if Betty slept well last night then the answer will have to be a fat no, in fact."

"...You were having nightmares too, huh?"

"What a stupid question, in fact. Of course, I had nightmares after I was forced to see my greatest shame in that window."

"You're not alone you know."

Beatrice stopped staring at the theater from the doorway to her room and looked at the beautiful half-elf that stood beside her.

"You've been blaming yourself too, I suppose?"

Emilia's amethyst eyes were filled with sorrow for a moment before she shook her head and gazed into the dark theater room.

"I'm the reason he suffered so much. I'm the one who made him go through this pain and horror on his own."

Beatrice raised a brow at the girl as Emilia continued speaking while staring into the darkness.

"I know he couldn't tell me anything because of… well, this power of his… But… I reaaaally want to help my knight!"

Emilia was clenching her robes with trembling hands...No. Her entire body was trembling in place as she glared at the floor she was standing on with a guilt-ridden glare of disdain.

"I should've done more." Emilia sniffled as she thought about all the moments he's been fighting on his own.

"All alone… From another world… Dying time and time again… To save me… To help me… and yet he keeps waiting for me to tell him I love him!" Emilia was full-on glaring hatefully and uselessly at the floor as her tears ran down her pouting cheeks.

"He's an idiot!"

Beatrice was now looking at the elf with a wide-eyed expression.

Emilia was still glaring at the ground with her fists shaking manically as she continued to talk through her sobs.

"A wonderful stupid dummy that's not cutely silly or amazingly brave at all! I hate him! I hate how he didn't just run away from me the first time he died! How he still saves me and all of us after all the pain he went through. I hate that I can't think of anything else to blame him about since he's been so good to me. I want him to still be with me. I want him to love me more!"

"What a child you are I suppose." Beatrice shook her head at the elf.

Emilia glared at the spirit and ignored her tears. "Yes, I know that this is a reaaaally selfish wish. But… I don't care!"

Beatrice stared at the girl with a confused look.

Emilia wiped away the tears and stared into the darkroom once more as she leaned on her own doorway.

With a determined look that showed off as if she was glaring through her beautiful facial features, Emilia sounded the conclusion to her feelings.

"I don't care… I want to learn more about what I had done to him. This pain… No one should go through such pain on their own."

"You'll have to fight the jealous one, I suppose."

"I'll die for him."

"He will follow, in fact."

"… Then I'll help him through the pain."

"Lap pillows and cutesy smiles won't be enough help, in fact."

Emilia gazed down at the unimpressed spirit once more with a look of pure determination.

"I want to show him my love for him. I won't lose him to death again."

Beatrice just stared at the half-elf girl emotionless

"Is that what you think is best for him? After we neglected his pain and mental instability? Do you know that he might have died more times during the whale hunt and the sanctuary troubles? Do you think that you can take that pain from him?"

As Beatrice stared at Emilia with her own eyes tearing up as her uselessness and guilt crushed whatever heart she had in her spiritual body.

Beatrice was just as confused as this guilt-ridden half-elf was.

"Betty… Wants to help him too, in fact."

Beatrice glared at Emilia and let her cheeks be spoiled by the tears running down.

"He's Betty's Subaru! I should've been the one to help him through this pain!" Beatrice hugged her arm tight as she began sobbing. No longer was she an elegant being. Just a little girl crying for her incompetence.

Emilia slowly lowered down and hugged the little girl.

"He couldn't tell, Beako. Sure, we could've made more efforts to help. But we chose to respect his privacy."

"You don't get it, I suppose…" Beatrice whispered through Emilia's shoulder.

The half-elf leaned back and quickly caught on to Beatrice's ominous tone. "Why are you avoiding my eyes, Beako?"

Emilia narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she leaned closer to stare at the little girl clearly.

"What do you know that I- we don't?"

Stern, commanding, demanding, ordering.

"Never would I've imagined that you could take such a tone with me…" Beatrice looked away, refusing to meet Emilia's eyes.

Emilia quickly gripped the girl's chin and softly moved her head to look her in the eye once again. This time, Emilia's eyes were less warm and more sharp and scary.

"Please tell me. What have you seen?"

Beatrice trembled in place, whimpering as she looked down.

"I-I… I can't, I suppose." Broken and defeated her voice was, which immediately set flame to Emilia's curiosity.

"Why?" Emilia softly asked as some warmth came back to her tone and glare.

"B-Because S-Subaru made Betty promise…"

Emilia slowly hugged Beako into her chest and patted the little girl's head. "Shhhh… "

"I-I wanted to help… H-He said that Betty couldn't understand him and that H-He would do it alone… I tried to stop him… But he keeps ignoring Betty."

Emilia stayed quiet as the little spirit hiccuped and sobbed in her hug. She tightened her grip around Beako and tried to give the little broken girl all the love she could.

She could understand one thing from the hitched ramblings of the despaired spirit girl.

Emilia now knew… Subaru was doing something, very, very stupid.

"How much were you going to suffer alone? My poor knight." Emilia softly sighed and continued to hug Beatrice in between the doorways to both of their rooms and in the entrance to the inactive theater.

-x-X-x-

Reinhard knew something was wrong with his lady.

Much to his shame, he hadn't noticed that Lady Felt was too quiet at the end of the last viewing.

That meant that he had failed a very important task as her knight.

It wasn't his fault, however, as Lady Felt would surely understand how busy he had been with his thought-

Who was he kidding? He was a failure of a knight! How could he be so disorderly and decomposed like that?!

"Yo, Reinhard! Come on into the room quickly I don't have all day."

…

His lady was sooo amazing! How she just forgives he's laziness like an afterthought was evidence of how big her heart was!

"I'm here to serve you, Lady Felt-sama, future Queen of our belove-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! I want to talk to you about what we saw in that room."

Reinhard sighed tiredly and looked at the ground. What they saw… was too much to process.

"What are your thoughts on it?"

Reinhard looked up and noticed that his lady was now sitting on her bed and looking at him in expectancy.

"… Your beautiful scarlet eyes look like they're scheming something, Milady."

The great Sword Saint immediately caught the flying boot sent his way. He was expecting it.

"Don't change the subject, Idiot! I'm serious here, what do you think about everything?"

Noticing the sad glint in her eyes, the knight simply dropped his smiling facade to look at the floor.

"It was… a lot to think about."

Felt nodded and looked down at her dangling legs with a disturbing expression that made the saint want nothing more than to delete everything from her memory… he probably could…

"I don't know how he does it…" Felt softly murmured.

"Forgive me for not understanding, milady… Does what?"

He didn't need to ask whom.

"How he keeps smiling after all of that! He died, Reinhard! Died! And not just some simple and clean deaths. These were painful! You could see hell reflected in his eyes."

"Felt-sama…"

"*sob*… Big bro was dealing with so much pain and that Witch won't let him talk about it to anyone… "

Reinhard couldn't do anything here. He was at a dead end.

What do you do when your liege begins crying over the painful life of someone you considered a friend?

Hug her?

Cry instead of her?

Emotional support wasn't in the manuals dammit!

"… I want to help him."

Reinhard felt alarmed immediately… "That tone you're using… What are you planning, Felt-sama?"

He dreaded the answer.

Felt finally looked him in the eye… with the most determined fire burning in her scarlet eyes he had ever seen.

"What do y-"

"I want to save him. I want him to be by my side and keep him away from that creepy clown guy."

Reinhard stared at his mistress in sheer disbelief.

"M-Milady… You know that Natsuki Subaru is a knight under the Mathers name. Not to mention, he's Emilia-sama's chosen Knight. Putting that fact into account and who Emilia-sama is. Subaru would be a royal knight serving another candidate to the throne. You can't ha-"

"I don't care. I want him to serve under my employment. I don't want to make him my knight but I can at least get him where he won't be killed."

Reinhard just stared shell shocked. "Where is this coming from, Milady? Why are you so determined to-"

"Because I'm being greedy."

"What?" Reinhard was just dumbfounded.

"I've had nothing for almost all my life… I've suddenly been thrown into this stupid race for a kingdom I hate and want to destroy against my will and now that I look at it, I wouldn't have had to enter this race if it wasn't for big bro!"

Felt smirked at her knight.

"I want him to take responsibility and help me through this."

"But he wants to be with Emilia-sama!"

"Then we make her our partner."

At this point, Reinhard was just confused.

"Excuse me, Milady but… Nani?"

Felt had a diabolical smirk on her face as she laid out her plan.

"You heard what that clown wants to do right?"

"Of course I did, I would take him to the block if I could!"

Reinhard answered on impulse as he remembered that clown's words. The holy dragon gave his family so much and protected the world from so many threats.

It wasn't just treason to want to kill him, it was a sin.

Reinhard wasn't really angry or offended but he did feel a strong urge to punish that man for his crime.

It's his code.

"But why do you care, Felt-sama? You said that you want to destroy this kingdom and rebuild it… even though it's a bit extreme to put it like that but I'm sure that you have a meticulous plan that would achieve the desired outcome without any unnecessary dama-"

"Yeah, yeah! Anyway, I want you to arrest that guy once we get out of here."

"But… "

"But what?" Felt asked with a cute tilt of her head. "He just committed a treasonous crime, didn't he? Why can't you arrest him?"

"I can and maybe I will… but… he sponsors a camp that rivals yours to the race for the throne. People might think that you're lying."

"Not if we get big sis to join our camp."

Reinhard looked apprehensive. "I don't think that's something you can do Felt-sama…"

"Of course we can! If big sis wants to be the king so badly then we tell her that we two can run the kingdom together."

"We can't do that, Milady! And why would you want the Emilia camp to enter ours anyway?"

Reinhard tried not to pull his hair at his lady's stubbornness.

Felt looked indentured. "Haven't you been hearing anything I was saying? I'll take big sis into my camp because she won't be able to participate in the race."

"What are yo-!"

Felt smirked as Reinhard's face contorted to that of shocked understanding.

"Y-You want me to jail the sponsor of the Emilia camp. Without funding and status to impress the royals, Emilia-sama wouldn't be able to stand before the council."

Felt smirked and nodded her head. "With that, I will offer Big sis a chance to join my camp and have her help us get to the throne."

Reinhard's eyes were as wide as saucers as he began thinking of anything to stop the horrible idea.

"B-But Emilia-sama has her own reasons to be the king."

"Right. Equality for everyone and an ideal world for all. That's exactly what we're doing so she would be able to achieve everything she wants even if I was king. She just needs to be in my camp."

"… And Subaru will follow her to your side, making him fulfill your wish and stay to help you since Emilia-sama works for you."

Reinhard looked at his lady with a face that wrote his sheer awe at the cunning mind.

Naturally, Felt threw her shoe at his face.

He was expecting that one too.

"Subaru won't be able to leave his friends behind." The knight tried to argue.

"We take them in as well."

Reinhard looked down and shook his head at the memory of Otto and Garfiel laughing with Subaru.

"Why are you so against the idea?"

"I'm not." Reinhard weakly protests underneath Felt's questioning glare.

"Then why do you want to stop me? You were gonna execute the clown on the spot a few hours ago. Why is it different now? You're going to punish him when we go outside this world right?"

Reinhard closed his eyes and nodded.

"Then Big sis's camp would've lost the sponsor anyway! So why can't I make what I want happen?" Felt whined for an answer.

Reinhard looked away from his lady and his face dropped in shame. How could he do such a thing to someone he respected and wanted to be his friend.

He wants to help Subaru with everything. He wants to be an Otto to Subaru. He wants a friend.

How could he place Subaru in such a position? Have the boy be forced to trust Reinhard and treat him with respect just because Felt-sama had 'helped' Emilia's camp.

Reinhard wanted a friend, not an associate.

"I don't think I'm a good enough friend to have them trust m-"

He stopped the flying pillow coming at his face.

The knight looked at his smirking blonde mistress in confusion.

"What did I tell you?"

"What do you mean, Milady?"

Felt dropped from the bed and walked until she was staring up at him.

"You can be big bro's friend. You can have a friend. I want him as my friend as well."

Reinhard almost choked when Felt hugged his waist.

"I told you before… Be greedy.

For a second… the Sword Saint almost shed tears.

-x-X-x-

"Glad all of ya could join me for a drink, our host seems very generous in regards to luxuries and beverages."

Anastasia smiled and drank some tea while rubbing her beloved fur scarf that seemed to be moving on its own for some odd reason.

The purple-haired merchant smiled cheerfully at her silent camp.

"I hope you slept well, Anastasia-sama."

"Mhm! I slept like a log! I hope that all o' ya did as well?"

Anastasia was met with varied uncomfortable looks.

She just closed her eyes and nodded.

"I figured most of us wouldn't. After everything we just saw."

"Why are we 'ere, Boss?" Ricardo impatiently asked as he noticed the scheming look on her face immediately.

"Right, let's get down t' business…" Anastasia placed her cup on the table and looked at the members of her camp that were present.

Julius, Ricardo, Mimi, and Tivey all waited patiently for their boss.

Anastasia rubbed her scarf and smiled innocently at them. "I have come to a decision that might change the course of history as we know it."

"What do you have in mind, boss?" Tivey asked, as curious as the rest of the crew.

The merchant princess patted the boy's head and winked at him.

"Before I tell you all what I have in mind. I want to know what you all thought about these 'viewing' sessions we've been embroiled in."

The silence was all that she was met with.

The twins were for once quiet as they looked at each other with confused and sad looks.

Ricardo simply closed his eyes and watched the memories play with an unreadable expression.

Julius simply leaned on the wall with his arms crossed and his head lowered so that his face was hidden behind his purple hair.

"Is this about Subaru?" Julius asked in his usual elegant tone.

"Course it is. We've been watching his life in our world ever since we were transported here." Ricardo snorted and finally opened his eyes to look at his lady.

"Right you are! I want to know what you all think of the boy now that we know his dirty little secret." Anastasia remained cheerful as she asked her band of clearly affected soldiers.

"I think that he's awesome!" Mimi nodded in excitement.

"I think that he's scary." Tivey nervously rubbed his arm and looked away from his sister.

"I don't know what this is about, boss. But I'll tell you that I respect the boy even more than I did after the whale hunt. That's for damn sure." Ricardo declared with his chest puffed out as he felt the rush of excitement flow through him.

Anastasia looked at her silent knight.

Not moving or showing a reaction to his facial features, Julius simply looked up at his mistress and showed her his usual expression of elegance and patience.

His golden irises were so dull that they almost lost color.

"I believe that he's trouble."

"What does that mean?" Ricardo asked with a slightly offed look.

The usually well-processed knight just looked like he was lost in thought. As if he was looking for anything to justify an answer.

"Natsuki Subaru is sponsored by a treasonous character and he has ties with the Witch of Env-"

"Tell me the truth Julius-kun~"

The purple-haired knight clicked his tongue and looked at his lady as she smugly grinned at him.

"Y'know, bad-mouthing someone just because ye're upset with them makes ya look real petty."

Her eyes were critical and her smirk sharp… she had caught him.

Julius's expression finally gave out and turned into a little scowl that showed how uncomfortable he was.

Anastasia didn't care and continued. "Ye're upset because you have doubts about Natsuki-kun. And that makes you think that your friendship with him was a lie or was fake since the start. That upsets ya because yer feelings are all confused."

"How can you read me so easily, Milady?" Julius slouched and gave in to his master's assumptions.

He couldn't understand what he wanted. He wanted to be Subaru's friend. He wanted to be someone he trusts. But he's doubts and feelings are making him feel unworthy of Subaru's friendship.

"You and your knightley pride." Ricardo sighed tiredly and looked at his lady.

"So, what's this all about?" The dogman asked.

"I would like you all to understand an idea I've had for a while in my head. Do you guys feel anything when Natsuki-kun dies?"

Julius and Ricardo just looked down with grimaces while the twins' faces contorted to those of horror and shock.

"Of course all of us do. Who wouldn't feel horrified and disturbed at such scenes?"

Anastasia nodded her head and slowly rubbed her fur coat.

"I think that Natsuki-kun is really useful… I want him."

Hearing the greedy tone made everyone rigid in place.

"What do you mean?" Julius asked in surprise.

"He has otherworldly knowledge that could cause an effect like Hoshin's reign but in Lugunica. He has an ability that can control time itself to save everyone. He has ties with the witch and he manages to remain free from her influence as well as the Witch's Cult. Heck, I believe that the boy could be the biggest thorn in the cult's side at the moment."

Anastasia looked at her camp with a smirk. "I want him. I need Subaru Natsuki in my camp."

Julius's breathing hitched while Ricardo and the twins just looked at their lady like she had grown a second head.

-x-X-x-

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

"Not at all! Crusch-sama could ask anything of me and I'll deliver, Nyan!"

"It's my pleasure to take part of your time, Crusch-sama."

A green-haired duchess smiled at her two loyal knights.

One a cat boy and the other an old man in butler uniform, the two knelt before her and waited for her orders.

Crusch had a smirk on her face that was only reserved for when she was planning a cutthroat policy that would further her plans according to her ideals.

"I can see you two are well rested so forgive me for my haste but I need to get to my point quickly."

"What's so urgent, Nyan?"

Crusch crossed her long leg and rested her chin on her knuckle while looking at the wall.

"What do you think the other camps are doing at this moment?"

The two knights simply stared at the maiden, knowing that she was thinking her thoughts out loud and not actually talking to them.

"They're probably thinking of ways to take advantage of the Emilia camp's weak position of having their privacy taken."

"For what Crusch-sama?" Felix asked with his eyes confused.

"To find out a way so that they could obtain Subaru-dono," Wilhelm concluded his master's thoughts with a grave-sounding voice and a small scowl on his face.

"The boy's powers and abilities are really valuable and his amazing loyalty to his friends is admirable. He has been through so much and I have a hunch that he will be facing many more threats because of his scent."

A cat boy tilted his head in confusion. "Ummm, What does it have to do with us?"

Crusch smirked wide at her knight. "If the Emilia camp has this kingmaker within their ranks then it would only make sense that the rest of the camps start fighting over him."

"Are you saying we should take advantage and take them all out?" Wilhelm asked with a disappointed tone.

Crusch smiled amusingly and shook her head. "What we need to do is to strengthen our alliance with the Emilia camp and make our two camps integral to one another. That way, if something does inevitably happen to them, we can be the first ones to help them and make them trust in us. That way, no matter what other camp that comes after Natsuki Subaru, he would still be by my side."

Crusch was smiling wide as she knew something big was gonna come and she wanted to see what this very reckless and wonderful man would do to get through the trouble.

She was amazed and in awe that this boy went through so much on his first outing in their world. No one had to go through such pain.

But the fact that he made her feel like this with his smile was just so much more delightful to her.

She also wanted to help him and protect him from the various monsters and uncontrollable happenings such as a revenge sick maid.

Wilhelm looked apprehensive at first but he couldn't disobey. He supposed that Crusch was better to take hold of Natsuki-dono rather than the others.

God knows that his battle-hardened heart couldn't handle any of the boy's death scenes.

It was horrifying to watch…

"I don't get it… why do you need him that badly?"

Wilhelm and Crusch looked at the angry and sad-looking Felix.

"Why do you care what happens to him when he let you live with your memories gone?" Felix scowled at the floor while looking at his lady's booted leg with disdain.

"Felix… Natsuki is very important… I want him to be mine. There is not a winning chance to anyone if Subaru wasn't in their teams. That's why we need to make plans to counteract immediately."

Wilhelm and Felix looked at one another and then at their smirking Lady.

-x-X-x-

"My, my! What a precarious situation I find myself in!"

"Could you stop joking around for a minute?! This is serious! Everyone is gonna try to counteract the camp's sponsor now that your motive of treason was revealed to the most loyal knights in the kingdom. Natsuki-san is going to be their ultimate goal."

Otto sweated as he talked with the magi clown himself.

"What is boooothering you Otto-kun? Aren't you suppooosed to be our beloved interior affairs minister? These things are supposed to be your job."

Otto slammed his hands on the table and stared Roswaal in the eye.

"You need a plan and quick! If you fall, all of us fall too."

"We gotta keep Cap'n away from the rest." Otto smiled at his friend as Garf glared at the clown from his position, leaning at the doorway of the room since he didn't want to get infected with retard clownism.

Garfiel and Otto were both angry and amazed at how their brother managed to get through such an experience and trauma. Garfield was also even more attached to Subaru now since he saw how much pain and suffering he had to go through.

Someone like that deserves his loyalty.

Otto was just trying to make things stable and orderly since he had managed to understand that this will show Subaru suffering again and again. He really hated that his brother was dealing with this alone while he watches like a moron.

"Okayyyy, so what's your plan again?" Roswaal asked as the two boys glared at him.

-x-X-x-

"You look as wonderful as ever." A voice laced with sarcasm sounded in the large darkened room.

"Sorry, sister. I know we haven't spoken in a while. I managed to be selfish again and ignore you completely." A hoarse and tired voice replied with a sad undertone.

"No, No. Forget about it. I'm glad you're taking the time to help yourself where I couldn't help you."

"I-I'm so sorry sissy."

"*Sigh* How many times do I have to tell you that what you felt on that night wasn't your fault? I don't blame you for anything and I'm positive that this idiot doesn't blame you either." The voice sounded stern but also pleading.

"I-I know that he forgave me in some form. B-But I need to speak with him about it. I want to know what he really thinks of me…" The voice sounded broken.

"*Sigh* As you wish… I just want you to smile more, Rem."

Rem's tired lips formed a small sweet smile at her worried sister.

Ram sighed a third time and moved to sit on the chair where Roswaal was most likely going to sit next to.

As her sister went to sit down, Rem was left alone with her thoughts and the darkness around her.

She could still see it on the black screen.

The way he cried when he learned that she was the one that had killed him.

The way he pushed himself to the extremes just to help her.

The way he was dying, mentally and spiritually because of his power.

This dark power burdened her love and forced him to have a connection with the people she hated most in this whole wide world.

That power, the Witch's power… was the one that had saved Subaru's life from Rem's unjustifiable crimes.

Satella, the dreaded Witch of Envy, the sole reason for what had happened on that night. When she lost her parents and found out about her selfish disgusting self she smiled upon Ram's broken horn… This monster…

Was more deserving of Subaru's love than Rem.

"Don't look like that."

Rem forgot the hellish heartbreak she was swallowed in and looked behind her to find a pouting little maid glaring at her with fierce blue-belle eyes.

"Y-You're… Petra-chan, right?" Rem softly asked since she recognized the girl as one of the kids in the village. She never expected to see any of those kids working at the mansion let alone this young.

Petra shook her head and pointed at the maid with a cute determined glare.

"You can't deal with this on your own, Rem-san!"

The Oni's eyes widened at the little maid's stern tone.

The sound of an elegant giggle startled Rem out of her surprised revere.

A blonde maid with green eyes and a toothy unnatural smile stood behind the little maid and faced Rem.

"F-Frederica-san?"

"You've been busy, Rem-chan."

The beastwoman locked eyes with Rem, holding no small reason to smile at the maid. "You should listen to dear Petra-chan over here. You can't sit down and look like the entire world hates you. That's insulting to all of us, especially to Ram and Subaru-sama."

Rem's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the two maids.

"She's right Rem." A startled voice came up from behind the maid and made her face the direction of the screen.

From the room's hallways, Emilia and Beatrice walked up the aisle and stood in front of Rem.

"E-Emilia-sama!" Rem bowed down to the half-elf and bit her lip in nervousness and fear.

She was afraid of what Emilia would do to punish her.

"Raise your head and look me in the eye, please." Although her tone was soft, the surprisingly commanding undertone wasn't lost on Rem.

When did Emilia become so… leaderly?

Rem looked up to be met with Emilia's soft smile and gentle eyes. The maid's heart fluttered as she felt some kind of motherly warmth overcoming her.

"This… is what Subaru feels like when he faces your smile." Rem whispered in astonishment.

Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about but I'm glad you're feeling a little better."

"Hmph! She better be! Betty gave up her precious Subaru for too long to make her stable enough, I suppose!"

Rem and Emilia looked at the angry slightly disheveled-looking spirit girl as she trotted to where Rem was sitting and looked at the boy they've all been suffering the past few hours for.

Subaru Natsuki lay on the same chair. Not moving an inch from his spot. His expression was the same. Even though he had a tear-stained sweatshirt and clearly messy hair from all the girls petting him. Not to forget the damaged hand that's been gripped by Emilia's strength.

The boy just slept soundly, unaware of anything around him.

"Does he sleep like that often, Beako-chan?" Emilia softly asked as she and all the maids stood behind Beatrice.

The previous librarian shook her head and softly held his hand to start taking the poisonous mana from his broken gate.

"He sleeps only when Betty is with him, I suppose. He has nightmares all the time, in fact."

Rem and Emilia both looked away from the boy and closed their eyes in guilt and frustration.

"I don't think Natsuki-san would like that look on your faces, Emilia-sama, Rem-san."

Both girls turned to meet Otto's soft glare aimed at them.

The merchant simply shook his head in disappointment at the two. "You're not the only ones who feel down about not helping him, but we couldn't do a thing back then since we didn't know. You can't keep blaming yourselves like this."

The two girls simply looked at the ground with forlorn expressions.

How could she forgive him when she put him through so much just because she liked the feeling of his special treatment?

Emilia simply refused to meet his eyes.

How could she ever look the boy in the eye after she had caused him such horrific memories?

Rem gripped her newly fixed dress and trembled in place.

Now, Otto doesn't punch girls in the face, He's not Kazuma. So… a little intervention needed to happen.

Roswaal punched both Emilia and Rem in the face.

"Let's be beeeest friends!" He announced cheerfully as the two were discombobulated.

{*Cut! Cut! That's NOT what happened! So sorry! * }

Emilia and Rem simply refused to let go of their guilty hearts as they faced the boy they loved with their backs turned.

Otto sighed in frustration as he begged for a way to help the two.

He looked at his brother, which was looking just bothered as the two were by his complete incompetence.

Garfiel was content with just glaring at the floor with his fists shaking. He couldn't help his friends. He couldn't save his captain.

And now he can't even cheer these girls up for Subaru?

"Mine amazing self's is pathetic." The ragged warrior looked down and clenched his rough teeth in anger.

"Now, young man. That's not a manly look."

Everyone looked behind them and was met with a smirking green-haired duchess.

"Crusch-sama?" Otto quickly decided to take the leading rule to speak for his distraught friends.

The green-haired duchess stopped in front of the Emilia camp with her knights standing right behind her.

"You needn't be so hard on yourselves like this. We're here to watch Natsuki's life and find out about the mysteries that revolve around him. We just need to help the boy through the pain and make up for all the mistakes we made." Crusch declared to the surprised band before her with a stern tone and a confident grin.

"My, oh my! You're really working it in regards to your roooole as our partner, candidate-sama." A cheerful Roswaal suddenly entered the group gathering in front of Subaru and below the screen. He was smiling the same fake and unsettling smile he always wore.

Crusch only gave him an annoyed glance before she started moving to sit down.

"Um…"

Crusch smirked up at the clearly bothered Emilia. "Problem? I needed a change of setting."

Emilia relented and shook her head. "No, it's okay, Crusch-sama."

"Thank you, Emilia-sama."

Crusch smiled and leaned in her seat. The one right behind Subaru. She was much closer to the boy now. Emilia felt a little offed at this but she didn't want to seem immature.

"You can sit beside my seat I suppose," Beatrice grunted at Rem in her usual way.

Rem smiled at the spirit with surprise and nodded her head. "Beatrice-sama is so cute."

"...Ghk! You know what? Don't sit beside me, I suppose!"

"Isn't she so cute?! I just want to keep hugging her!" Emilia agreed with Rem and ignored the blushing little spirit.

"Ohhhh what's this? I see some of you have already staked your claim over him, huh?" A cheerful voice filled the theater as a certain purple-haired merchant princess entered the room with her knights and mercenaries coming in behind her.

Crusch managed to cool her taunting smirk as she glanced at Anastasia with a cool expression.

"I don't know what you mean. It's more comfortable here." The duchess couldn't help her amusement seeping through into her tone as she watched the eyebrow of the usually cool princess twitch.

Anastasia wasn't one to give up a chance though, and here is why Crusch cursed Wilhelm silently for the very first time in her life.

For you see… As Crusch was sitting right behind Subaru's row, Felix took her right side to sit.

Why was she upset with the old butler? Simple.

Because Wilhelm chose to sit beside Felix's right side.

Not her empty left.

Which meant…

"Mhm! You're right Duchess-san! This is a reaaaaally comfortable place to sit."

Crusch simply smiled pleasantly to the merchant sitting right beside her.

"I'm glad you see my point so clearly."

"Um, excuse me! What the hell is going on here?!" A loud voice proclaimed in shock.

Everyone turned to see Felt glaring at the collection around her big bro with Reinhard standing behind her.

As Anastasia's camp began sitting in a straight line at their mistress's left side, Ricardo and the twins began greeting Otto and Garfiel and the girls that were sitting before them.

"Why are you all so close together now?!" Felt demanded as she stepped closer before the huddled three camps.

Subaru was surrounded by girls. He was fucking swimming.

He had a very on guard Emilia clutching his jacked-up hand with her eyes on the girls sitting behind her.

He was her knight!

Parallel to Emilia, Beatrice sat on his other side, full-on glaring at the women around her contractor.

To Beatrice's left, was a very jealous glaring Rem. Sitting right beside her were Otto and then Garfiel.

Roswaal took the seat right beside Ram, Frederica, and a very angry-looking Petra on the third row at the top.

On the second row, Crusch was sitting right behind the sleeping boy with her two knights setting to her left.

To the duchess's right side were Anastasia and her own camp sitting in a line parallel to that of Emilia's camp.

With Julius sitting behind Rem since Anastasia was sitting behind Beatrice. Ricardo sat behind Otto and the twins sat behind Garfiel.

Felt looked at this arrangement and decided that there's one way to solve this.

"Hmph!"

The little girl huffed and stomped to sit right beside Emilia and below Felix's placement in the row.

Emilia simply looked at the little girl with a bewildered face.

Reinhard quietly took his seat beside his mistress. He didn't think much about the fact that he was directly in front of his grandfather.

He ignored that fact. He refused to acknowledge it.

Wilhelm looked at the red mop of hair before him and closed his eyes… from guilt.

As the camps began conversing with one another, the leaders of said camps were all staring at the boy out of the corner of their eyes.

The war had been declared by all of them at the same time.

Emilia was just confused why so many people wanted to get this close to the screen but she guessed that a lot of them had issues with their vision.

She couldn't help but feel the urgent need to clutch Subaru tightly with both hands as if he was going to be snatched away.

She wasn't alone as Beatrice was indeed clutching her contractor and Rem was gripping the handles to her seat as she pouted in anger at the unfair seating change.

Otto and Garfiel just facepalmed as the entire plan they've made was useless as Subaru's fate was now held by all these powerful women.

"We were supposed ta move in and take em!" Garfiel growled out.

Otto shook his head and hid behind his hand. "I was too worried about Emilia-sama, and Rem-san's mental condition to start the plan."

"Ya're right! 'T's all your fault, not mine." Garfiel nodded his head and smirked proudly while leaning back in his seat.

Otto sighed and looked back to find a most infuriating sight.

Roswaal was giggling in his palm while pointing at the merchant.

Naturally, Ram joined in and fake-mocked with her master at Otto's failed plan.

Otto just ignored them and looked at the black screen. Gripping his fists hard.

Roswaal had been against the plan from the start, saying that it wouldn't work. But Otto challenged him on it and now he was paying the fruits of his choice.

By having a smug Roswaal aimed at him.

Joy.

-x-X-x-

"Hmm, Isn't this interesting, princess?"

"Quit while you're licking my boot, Aldebaran."

"Sorry, Milady."

"I said quiet!" Priscilla stomped on his naked face, hard as she watched the show happening before her.

The fiery-haired princess was sitting on the third row right in line with Wilhelm and Felix.

She was looking on at the gathered camps with a bored look on her face.

"I don't care if they think he's some kingmaker. I have the power of fate with me, the entire world was designed for me."

The princess fanned herself and scoffed at the idiocy of the candidates below her.

Their line of thinking was too narrow.

"A boy like that… A boy that simply has a good heart. That's who they're fighting over? What a shameful farce this is!"

"P-Princess please!"

"Quiet, Aldebaran!"

Priscilla stomped her knight harder and glared at the mop of spiky black hair she could glimpse at from her place.

The hair of one sleeping self-proclaimed knight.

"All that power and all that fame. Yet, all he does is follow that half-witch around." Priscilla clicked her tongue and fanned herself while gazing at the screen thoughtfully.

"Why is he like this? Why isn't he taking advantage of his blessed protection?" The princess asked the question that's been plaguing her hours before the last viewing had even finished.

"I wouldn't call it divine… I mean, it being given by the witch and al-"

"I said quiet and keep licking!"

-x-X-x-

[* CHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*]

Everybody looked up at the screen as it suddenly lit up and began loading a scene into it.

[I see you're all well-rested. I'm glad that you didn't take long for this viewing is going to be a long one.]

"Um, may I ask a qu-"

[Go ahead.]

Otto yelped and nervously looked up at the screen as it was the source of the voice. He thinks.

"Why are you doing this? To us I mean. Why show us Subaru's secret? Why keep him asleep? Why not let him explain himself now that the witch isn't here monitoring him?"

Otto was gazing at the screen with a determined look that showed how much he cared for his friend.

All of the camps around him were looking the same in fact.

[I'm showing these events for you all to understand the sheer importance of this boy's placement in your world.

I want you all to help him before… Well, something really dangerous happens.

I won't elaborate further on that.

But I can tell you this. Subaru's coma state must remain constant with the events of the viewing. I know that I said he wakes up at the beginning of Arc 4 but it seems that trouble had reared its ugly head because of what I'm doing here.

For that, Subaru can only wake up at the very half point of the fourth Arc.]

"What trouble? What's going on out there?" Reinhard quickly pointed out as he was truly disturbed that some entities were giving this guy a tough time.

He was pushed into a chair and forced away from his sacred duty to kick clown ass by this guy. So the Sword Saint was reasonably worried.

The others looked up at the screen with worried and curious gazes as well.

[Well, let's just say that there are really powerful fellows that want me dead now.

In fact, I'm holding two of them off as we speak.]

"W-Who are they?" Petra asked in fear that someone might actually break in and force them all to either die or forget about this.

[Just a lonely little elf that's screaming LET ME INNNNNN! As she throws hands towards me with a beautiful pout on her face.

And a wannabe Rick Sanchez that thinks he is smart because he forced a scorpion girl to sit in a dust tower for 4 centuries.

Oh, he's also screaming, LET THEM OOUUUUUTTT! While firing scorpion lasers at my face.

He seems upset that I ruined his game.]

"W-What game?" Emilia was shaking in place as she heard the voices of the two demon-like beings screaming through the screen.

[The game of watching Subaru suffer and die of course! He's a messed-up little man that doesn't know how to care for Scorpion lolis.]

"What are we doing now?" Julius asked as he wanted to move on from the very disturbing conversation.

"Subaru-kun… Who is it that's hurting you?" Rem looked at the boy with sadness in her eyes as she learned that someone was actually watching this happen to her hero and were having fun with it!

Emilia slowly leaned closer to her knight while gripping his crushed hand with hers nonchalantly prepared to crush it further.

(By the way, she doesn't know that she had crushed the boy's hand.)

(Copypaster:- Crazy woman 💀)

[Don't worry, I can take them on so you don't have anything to fret over.

Unless a fucking holy dragon shows up which means that there will be trouble.]

A few of the cast's eyes widened at that statement.

[Anyway, back to our routine. You'll all be watching an interlude between Arc 2 and Arc 3.

This one will be longer than the previous viewings so feel free to have the restrooms open as well as a food and drinks table.]

"Can I ask a-"

[Go right ahead.]

Emilia was a little taken aback by the voice's eager tone but she soon shook out of her revere to ask a daunting question.

"I-Is Subaru… going to die in this one?"

Everyone stopped and stared at Emilia in surprise.

She asked what they've been dwelling on.

Emilia kept a brave face as she stared at the bright white screen.

[You'll have to watch and see.]

(Copypaster:- Absolutely)

Before anyone could protest that this wasn't an answer.

The screen suddenly changed and activated the next viewing

[OVA 1: Memory Snow.

Begin.

"It was a fearsome battle…"

As Subaru's voice sounded through the window, some words were played in Lugunican language.]

"Why is he talking like that?" Felix asked in confusion.

[Subaru is shown walking into the mansion…

Rem's mace runs across the screen behind him and a loud crunch could be heard as the screen turned red.]

Rem grimaced and looked down in guilt.

["We were cursed by an unknown force… "]

"Seems like he's retelling his adventure," Ricardo said as he read the subtitles.

"Why is he speaking in that weird tone?" Felt asked in clear frustration.

[Subaru is shown sick and in pain.

The screen changes to show a horde of red-eyed dogs, attacking.

"We experienced an invasion by a herd of Ulgarms… "]

"Is it another language?" Otto asked with interest.

"It sounds weird," Mimi whined as she couldn't understand anything without the written words.

"All languages sound weird." Tivey retorted to his sister as he listened to the words and read the letters on screen.

The boy was clearly interested in the language.

He was on the same boat with a certain Sword Saint that was having too much fun trying to write Subaru's strange words through Lugunican text.

Across from the excited Sword Saint, however, a certain frustrated-looking Half-elf princess was glaring at a certain smug-looking Loli.

"Beakoooo…" Emilia growled, pouting, and tightened her grip on the boy's hand to relieve some of her frustration.

"What is it, I suppose?" Beatrice smugly toyed with her hair drill while smirking and humming to herself.

Otto quickly caught on to Emilia's frustration and understood why.

"Goddamn it!"

"Fuck's wrong?" Garfiel suddenly asked as he was surprised by a pissed-off-looking Otto glaring at Beatrice.

Garfiel was too busy noting how cool Subaru's language was.

"Beatrice-sama! Did Subaru tell you about this language as well?!" An enraged Otto asked in jealousy, making the rest of the viewers, Curious or jealous all look at the little smug girl.

"Drown in your jealousy. Hmph!" The little girl held her head high as she gloated about the fact that she knew more about this weird knowledge from another world and the fact that she was closer to Subaru with such knowledge in everyone's faces.

Like Emilia, Rem, and Otto… Reinhard felt jealous for the very first time in his life.

He wanted to know more!

[The screen changed to show Subaru being towered over by a giant dog.

"We engaged in mortal combat with the Bossgarm."

The screen shows Subaru victory posing over the dead Ulgarm boss.]

"He seems to think that he's the one that achieved victory." Julius ignored the strange language being spoken and just read the text.

"Barusu's fragile ego can be felt through text, impressive." Ram snorted at the image on the screen.

"He did a lot to help though…" Petra defended.

"Yeah but if it wasn't for Roswaal-sama then he would've been dead." Felix retorted with little malice at the disingenuous way Subaru portrayed the story.

"I guess he feels deserving of praise since, y'know… he died multiple times." Felt pointed out dully.

Felix couldn't retort that so he stayed silent.

Emilia's eyes widened at this as she thought about her fight with him.

"Oh, no…." The half-elf whispered in despair as she thought about the fight with this new information she was learning through the screen.

["Then, when the well deserved halcyon days had come, the threat of the Ulgarm Mabeast was gone, and the village was saved for good…"

The screen shows images of the villagers happily playing and living their lives.

Then it showed an image of Emilia with her back turned…

"But, I'm yet on a mission…"]

"This language is annoying," Priscilla growled in disgust.

"'T's so cool!" Garfiel watched with stars in his eyes at the foreign words.

"What mission is that I wonder?" Reinhard asked in eagerness to learn about more of Subaru's adventures, hoping to the dragon that his friend won't die or get hurt too much.

Although it's futile since trouble seems prone to the boy. Reinhard with a conflicted mindset.

[Subaru is shown standing in the middle of the forest overlooking the village wearing a… something that Fashion Police would've gladly arrested him for.]

"What's he doing?" Ricardo snorted in amusement.

"Is that his idea of a disguise?" Felix tilted his head in confusion at such a stupid idea.

["A secret mission that I have to execute without being noticed by anyone…"]

"What are you doing now?" Emilia asked exasperated and pouting at her knight's habit to run in trouble.

[Subaru stood up and looked at the village with a serious and determined glare.

"The preliminary inspection of my date course with Emilia. "]

"Uh.. oh… " Emilia blushed guilty and embarrassed that she doubted him… in all fairness she had very good reasons to.

Rem felt a little hurt that she wasn't the one her love was working hard for, but she still found it endearing and cute how far he was going to make this date perfect.

'Much better than mine… at least he won't die at the end of it… I think.' Rem thought in gloom and fear as she still didn't know if he died here or not.

"Awe~ He's going so far to make this date perfect!" Frederica gushed and kept an eye on her little apprentice to see what reactions this jealous girl would give.

[Subaru walks into the village thinking his disguise was slick.

"Subaru!" Petra managed to foresee Subaru through his disguise.

She must be a powerful detective, he thought.

Subaru walked past the kids and hoped that Petra wouldn't out him by her amazing detec-

"Subaru, what are you doing?"

Damn, Another kid also had amazing deductive skills. He needed to walk faster.

"What's with this outfit?"

Subaru walked faster. They were just too smart. His outfit was amazing. He was smartly disguised.

Sadly, Subaru's journey was intercepted by the kids jumping him and pulling on his shitty disguise.

"Top secrecy my ass! Can't even call it a disguise if you saw through it in less than 5 seconds!" Subaru shouted in despair as the kids began tattering the disguise.]

Many in the audience chuckled and some girls giggled.

"Did he really think that was a good disguise?" Reinhard asked, a little disappointed and dumbfounded at the thought process.

"Hmph! Stupidity is a really pitiful disease." Priscilla snorted at the pathetic sight before her.

"Oh, com'n! I thought 't was good." Garfiel nodded his head in agreement with his Cap'n's disguise.

"Subaru-kyun needs to know how to disguise himself better, I bet that he doesn't even know how to dress himself in girl's clothing. Nyaan!" Felix proudly boasted about his ability and feminine charm.

At those words, however, for some reason…

"This is odd…" Anastasia raised a brow as she watched half of the Emilia camp fall on their ass in laughter.

"What's funny?" Otto asked the three laughing girls sitting around his sleeping brother.

Rem and Beatrice were just holding their stomachs and couldn't answer him. Emilia managed to wave her hand dismissively while trying to hide her giggles in Subaru's shoulder.

"Why are ya laughing?!" Garfiel asked in anger and frustration as he looked at the chuckling Roswaal and the giggling Ram.

"Did Natsuki-sama… actually try to dress like a lady?" Crusch asked with her eyes sparkling.

Emilia nodded and snorted some more.

Otto, Garfiel, Ricardo, Al, and even Julius immediately imagined what he would look like in such clothes… All of them began laughing.

Except for Garf… he was disturbed by how sexy his captain looked.

"I would pay money to see that…" Anastasia sighed in sadness and hoped that the screen could show it. Honestly, she was too curious now as to why these people were laughing so much… it must have been something embarrassing!

["What mission are you talking about?"

"What top secrecy are you talking about?"

"Caught ya!"

"Can't you see I'm busy now? Go somewhere else! Also, you'd better not interrupt me on the day of my date!"

Petra, who was smiling from the side as the kids played tug of war with Subaru's limps, suddenly perked in curiosity. "Date? What is a date?"

"A date is a lover's little happy, embarrassing and secret pleasure!" Subaru explained while he fought off the kids hounding him.

"Happy and embarrassing? What's that?"

"If it's a secret then tell us too!"]

"Those kids are the best!" Otto and Garfiel chuckled like children at their friend getting bullied by those kids.

["Hey, hey! Stop it! Could you give me a hand here please, Petra?"

The little pouting girl just turned her head away from the man cheating on her. "Hmph!"

"What's with this reaction?" Subaru was shoved by the kids.]

"Somebody is jealouuuuuus!" Roswaal teased from his seat.

"Oh, let her be! She's in love!" Al defended with a loud laugh as he saw the blushing face of the little maid as she wished the ground could do her a favor and swallow her.

Emilia looked a little saddened by this as she never understood what love really is and she was, looking at a girl that was younger than her, expressing her feelings and understanding them.

["Hurry up! Hurry up! Over here!

Subaru was taken through the forest by the excited children.

"This is our secret place!"

The kids took the boy over to a large plain of varied colored flowers.

"It's wonderful."

Subaru gazed at the plain with awe visible in his eyes.]

Emilia smiled softly as she remembered the place.

"So that's how he found it… He did tell me the kids were the ones who found it but-"

"He really took you to a place like this?" Anastasia asked while staring at the scene before her, a little jealous.

"I want to go there!" Felt huffed in jealous anger. "I get stuck in a big ass castle with scary-looking men all over the place and big bro starts taking big sis on the best of adventures and the prettiest of places… You suck Reinhard!"

The red-haired knight just hung his head low in shame at not being as accommodating as Su-

"Told you, you're not the Lolimancer." Julius teasingly said with a small smirk further drowning Reinhard in his annoyance and shame of not being good with his lady as a certain black-haired boy.

'Am I just built differently?' Reinhard asked with his face expressing a look of philosophy.

(Copypaster: yes 😐)

[Scene change…

Rem is looking at a pelted pink flower in the garden.

"Nee-sama, look at this flower. " Rem called to her sister as she was tidying some bushes.

"What could have happened to it? Even though it had just bloomed… "

Rem touched the flower, which made it fall on the garden.

"Well, well, look what we have here."

The two maids looked up to find their lord had knelt and picked the dead flower from the ground while looking at it with a thoughtful expression.

"Roswaal-sama?"

"At this crucial time, and while we were busy with the royal selection's preparations, it seems like we got ourselves a rather trooooobulesome guest." Roswaal looked as the petals flew in the air with an uneasy expression.]

"What happened after that? What does that mean?" Felt asked the lord sitting behind her.

The Emilia camp's eyes all widened in excitement as they remembered exactly what happened.

[Scene change…

Beatrice is reading a book in her library when suddenly something makes her look up from her book.

"Huh?"

Scene change…

Emilia is looking out of a window with a look of concern on her face as she watches a window be covered in ice.

* Crack*

The window covered in ice shattered before her.]

"What was that?!" Mimi asked in fear.

Crusch and Anastasia looked at Emilia with demanding gazes. The half-elf just smiled pleasantly.

The two shrugged and watched on like the rest of their parties.

[Title card:

Re: Life in a different world from zero

Subaru is shown standing in a white void with his back turned to the window.

As he slowly turns around, a shadowy smoke overcomes the white plain and covers Subaru's entire being.

As the boy turns around to look at the source of this darkness,

He was met with the demonic black hand of the Witch.

He could do nothing but watch as the hand lunged towards his beating heart.

"AHHHHH!"]

"What's going on?!" Garfiel shouted in anger when he saw the black hand of the witch. He wanted to jump into action immediately.

If he looked at the others, he would've found many of them glaring at the screen from the knights to Wilhelm as well as Crusch and Anastasia. Emilia, Beatrice, and Rem had shocked and fearful expressions for the boy.

[Subaru immediately sat up from his bed and breathed heavy breaths of much-needed air.

As he finally slowed his breathing, he sighed in relief. "Just a dream, huh?"]

Rem's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh… Subaru-kun was having this nightmare, huh?"

"Have you seen him struggle to sleep like that?" Frederica asked, making Emilia and her camp look at Rem with surprise.

The maid nodded her head. "Rem tried to help Subaru-kun… But…" Seeing the maid falter in place as she gripped her skirt hard, Emilia slowly looked away from Rem and to the little girl that was sitting on the other side of her knight.

"Beako-chan…"

"What, I suppose?" Beatrice coldly asked as she looked at the screen with a forlorn expression.

"You sleep with Subaru every night… Does he…"

"Betty has told you before… He only sleeps peacefully when she's with him on the bed. He always squirms and shouts. Betty knows the reason now like you do, in fact." Beatrice didn't look smug or proud at the fact at all. She just looked at the screen with no emotion. Just gripping her contractor's hand.

"Why does he suffer all alone?" Otto clenched his fists as did the blonde boy beside him. Unable to help their brother out.

Emilia just leaned back in her seat, defeated as she noted another aspect of Subaru's life that's been causing him great pain and suffering since he met her.

She couldn't help but clench her hand around his while feeling the guilt of giving him nightmares and not helping him or caring to take notice of him. She couldn't help but keep wanting his affection after all she has done to him.

"Selfish…" Emilia growled at herself while keeping her side as close to her knight as she could. The boy that had suffered hell to save her.

"How did you know about his nightmares?" Ram asked with her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Rem blushed and looked down.

["Are you okay, Subaru-kun?" A worried Rem asked from beside his bed.

"Yeah, don't worry-"

"Rem!? Why are you sitting beside me like it's natural for you to be here?"]

"Rem! Why on this dragon forsaken world would you want to look at trash first thing in the morning?!" Ram yelled out at her sister's strange habits.

"What were you doing, I suppose?" Beatrice asked in anger that her position was taken by a maid.

"Were you watching him sleep?" Al asked in a weirdly giddy tone.

"Stop it guys! There's no way that Natsuki-san would capture her heart that quic-"

["It's almost time to start working, so I was restoring my energy by watching Subaru-kun's sleeping face!" Rem smiled wide at the disturbed boy.]

"Lucky son of a bitch!" Garfiel shouted as he held his hair in pure agitation and disbelief at how lucky his Cap'n was. Otto just stood there slack-jawed.

Rem blushed a deep red as she noticed the stares from Emilia and Beatrice.

Ram just shook her head while Roswaal giggled in his hand.

The rest just carried on watching, knowing that it was a private moment.

["Just what kind of energy is that?!"

"More importantly, what was that dream about?" Rem changed the subject as the boy tiredly got out of his bed.

"Er… It's more of a nightmare that will come true if I speak about it… Don't worry about it."]

"What a way to ignore yer pain," Anastasia murmured, watching with a frown dorning her face.

"Seems like you are breaking a leg with this act, miss Hoshin," the Duchess beside her whispered dryly.

Anastasia remained silent.

[Subaru suddenly shivered in place and quickly hugged himself. "Hey, Rem. It's a bit cold today, don't you think?"

"That's right, it may be a bit chilly this morning. As expected of Subaru-kun, such keen insight!"]

"She's soooo in love," Ricardo whispered to his lady, making Anastasia shrug her shoulders a bit.

"I ship 'em with the elf gi- OW!" Al was cut off from supporting his ship by a boot slamming his helmeted head to the ground.

"Quiet Aldebaran." Priscilla stomped on his head while fanning herself as she watched.

'Why did she stop me?' Al thought to himself as he felt the boot move away and allowed him to sit back on his chair.

["Well, anyone would at least recognize cold weather..."

Scene change to Subaru and Rem working in the kitchen.

"Yesterday's weather was that muggy too… What an extreme change of weather in just one night… "

Subaru looked at Rem as he peeled some Potatoes. (Say it with me kids! F-U-C-K TATOES!)

"Don't you change your maid outfit seasonally? Must be hard for you, with such a light outfit… "

"Once the real ice season begins, I will change into my winter maid clothes. They're thick, and there's cotton stuffed in them, so they're very warm."

"Given this cold, don't you think it's better to change into them? If it's so hard for you to ask, I can ask Roswaal directly for you."]

"My hero is so thoughtful." Rem uttered with a warm smile on her face.

Making her sister snort from the back.

"He probably wants to see you change."

"Perv." Felix agreed with Ram, making his mistress sigh in exasperation.

["Nee-sama and I are used to it, so it's okay. It's not worth bothering Roswaal-sama with it."

"Well, if you say so… By the way, where is Nee-sama?"

"Yes. Nee-sama is sleeping in a bit, as it seems she doesn't want to get out of her bed with the morning being this cold."

Subaru stopped peeling the Potatoes (tatoes is a very shitty name!) and glared at Rem.

"Even though you just said you were both used to the cold! I can't accept this! Be it cold or hot weather, I'm going to teach Nee-sama that she can't lead a shut-in life here!"

Subaru took off the apron and stomped out of the kitchen. "Let's go Rem!"

"But, Nee-sama is also tired from her day-to-day chores, so it's okay if she oversleeps on cold days-"

"Let's go, Rem!"

"Yes! If you say so!" She let go of her chores and followed with a smile.]

"I no longer love you."

"Sister!" Rem looked at the upset Ram with tears of heartbreak in her eyes.

"You didn't defend your sister's reputation from a pathetic waste of life's smear campaign."

"But Sis, Subaru-kun just wants to spend time with you!"

"I don't want to spend time with trash like him!"

Roswaal just loved where he was sitting. He loved it.

Everyone else just watched the two argue with amused smiles.

[Scene change to a very, very disgruntled looking Ram glaring at Subaru as he swiped with his room.

"There's so much dust left, clean it again. You're really useless, Barusu." Ram coldly ordered as she glared at the boy.]

"Tipsy." Al and Ricardo snorted while Petra and Frederica giggled as they never saw Ram this agitated.

["Just because I forcibly pulled you out of your bed, how long do you intend to hold a grudge?"

"Hmph!"

"Can't you fix your mood yet?" Subaru stepped towards her but was tripped by something.

"Huh? Ram, it seems like there's a hatch here. Do you know what's in there?"

"No idea."

Subaru moved to open the hatch.

"Stop Barusu. What if insects pop out when you open it? Wait till I step out and lock the door."

"Why do you have to lock it? Anyway, it's too late."]

"I love their dynamic together!" Anastasia called out while giggling with the rest of the theater.

"That's a mean prank," Petra frowned.

[Subaru opened the hatch and found a bunch of stored glass bottles.

"Oh, this is… There are many of them too. Are all of these alcohol?"

"Now that you mention it, I remember hearing something about Roswaal-sama's grandma being a heavy-drinker. These probably belonged to her."

Subaru looked up with a creeped-out expression. "Ros-chi's grandma? Can't even imagine it."

]

"What's that suppooooosed to mean?" Roswaal asked with a fake glare.

"He means she's creepy as fuck." Garfiel answered politely.

"Hn…" Roswaal noticed the shining blue irises settled upon him from the front rows.

He knows what emotion is held within those eyes.

Roswaal wanted to laugh at the increasing downfall that was creeping with every second the screen was active. He had wondered if this was a good thing. Maybe there might be a path for relief.

He didn't acknowledge Beatrice's accusing gaze at the mention of his grandmother.

And he refused to acknowledge her sympathy or the pity in her glance.

She would be more merciful looking at him in disgust. She would be much merciful.

The eccentric fool didn't notice the second set of eyes glancing up toward him.

"How could a man such as that be related to Lady Roswaal," Wilhelm grunted and stared away from the man. A feral glare disappeared from his face.

["But if they're that old, these bottles should be pretty refined, right?"

"Even if living every day is painful, you shouldn't drink Barusu."

"I won't drink!"]

"It's actually a miracle Natsuki-san doesn't touch alcohol much." Many gave the merchant looks of dread.

"What do you mean, Otto-kun?" Rem nervously asked the boy. Too afraid that her crimes still made some people detest her.

"I don't think we must dwell on this," surprisingly, Otto engaged with Rem respectfully, shaking his head. "I'm just thinking too much about this," he muttered and closed his eyes shut for a second.

Emilia noticed him clutching a square shape inside of his cloak pocket.

[As the two were conversing over the bottles of wine, a beautiful half-elf came into the room.

"Subaru, Ram!"

The two looked back to find a smiling Emilia leaning on the doorway to the room.

"I heard rustling coming from here, so it was you two after all."

"Emilia-tan!" Subaru called out at the smiling elf-girl.

"What are you doing here?" Emilia asked in amusement.

"I was warning Subaru from turning to alcohol, even if life was harsh for him," Ram answered simply, making Emilia look at Subaru with a heartbroken look.

"Is… that so? Subaru, you should have told me if you're having it rough."]

"Haha, What were you going to do if he really did that?" Felt asked as she and the others laughed at the way Ram had framed him.

Emilia looked down in thought and nodded her head. "I would've-"

"Give him a lap pillow?"

Everyone just laughed at Julius's interruption and the way Emilia pouted at him.

["It's not like that! I won't drink nor will I run away! I'm still a minor, to begin with, so I can't even drink! I can't even peek at underground websites yet without a legal guardian!"]

"Don't even…" Otto warned the little devil as she smugly held her head high, making Emilia and Rem glare with pure frustration at how much closer Beatrice was to Subaru than they were.

"I won't tell you, in fact." The girl said in a smug tone, pissing everyone that was curious off.

"C'mon, Beako-chaaaan!" Roswaal yelled from his seat.

"You're not allowed to ask anything of me, in fact."

Roswaal looked down in sadness.

Beatrice kept her smile and her tough look but on the inside, she was freaking out… Subaru hadn't taught her about underground websites. He didn't get to that part.

"Tck… How obtuse!" Priscilla spat and bit her fan's tip. Her glare reached the little girl sitting at the front.

" Come on, princess. You don't need to understand what that stuff means." Al was grounded to the dirt beneath her heel.

"Shut your mouth!" Priscilla hissed, not liking how he reads her so easily.

["I don't really know what you mean by underground websites… But in the Kingdom of Lugunica, the legal drinking age is fifteen."

"Seriously?!"

"If you want to watch this underground website thing, I wouldn't mind accompanying you as your legal guardian."

Subaru quickly blushed and hugged himself. "So kind! E.M.T! Emilia-tan, mesmerizing angel! However, an angel shouldn't do such a thing."

Ram was looking between the two with a look of pure boredom.

"Speaking of which, how do you handle alcohol? Drunken Emilia-tan must be so cute!"

"Sorry, I don't really understand what you're saying. However, I have never drank alcohol before."

"What a shame, we could've made tomorrow's date an adults' date… Drinks in one hand, in the flower fie-" Subaru stopped what he was talking about as soon as he noticed the all-knowing disgusted glare Ram was sending him.

"Crap, it was supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh… Tomorrow was our date… " Emilia looked down with a guilty expression.

"Yeah, can't wait for tomorrow! I'll wake up early and prepare a packed lunch."

"Y-Yeah, I'm also looking forward to it." Emilia gave a nervous smile to the excited Subaru.

"I hope the weather clears up tomorrow. Speaking of which, Emilia-tan, aren't you cold with that outfit?"

"Eh? Cold? I'm not cold at all! Rather, don't you think it's reeeeally warm today?" Emilia began fanning herself and talking really quickly and nervously.]

"Why are you acting so weird?" Felt asked from her place beside the half-elf.

Emilia sighed and watched herself with a disappointed look. "Just watch. "

["What's gotten into you, Emilia-tan? You're acting weird suddenly."

"That's right! I have some stuff to do. Reeeeeally urgent stuff. See you!" The half-elf quickly ran out of the room.

"He! Urgent stuff, that's what you say when it's not that urgent. It means that Barusu is a being even lower than Emilia's trivial stuff."

Ram smirked smugly at the embarrassed butler. Subaru turned to her with a sweating and worried expression that was trying to change into a confident one.

"Of course not! I'm sure she's just so excited for tomorrow, so she's-"]

"Hahahahah!"

"You two are so good together!"

"I love it!"

Ram almost threw up at Ricardo, Al, and Otto's remarks. Her and trash?! She was a noble maid!

"Why are you so mean to him, Ram-chan?" Emilia asked as she giggled.

"That's just how charming my sister is, Subaru-kun lets her do whatever she wants because he has a big heart that's accepting of others." Rem said with a smile.

"Or… he's just a perv."

Otto and Garfiel laughed at Felix's muttering.

[Scene change…

"Water bottles: Check. Bread for lunch: Check. The date's plan: Check. Handkerchief: Check. And lucky boxers: Check."

"Also, Alarm: Set." Subaru smiled as he closed the phone in his hand.]

"He set his Metia to wake him up by making a loud noise at a point in time he set to be early in the morning, in fact," Beatrice explained while looking at her fingernails and raising her eyebrows up and down to piss a certain Otto off.

"A loud noise… " Crusch and Felix looked at one another…

"So it was an alarm," Felix uttered as he looked at the ground.

"Then he had other means of knowing about the whale and not just having the location told to him through the metia." Crusch detected glumly.

"Subaru-dono had faced the whale alone… and lost," Wilhelm concluded with his eyes narrowed and his hand clenching the armrest tightly.

The Crusch's camp mused alone as the others were too busy watching Beatrice and Otto argue.

It had donned on her that Subaru would die again.

Crusch and her knights continued watching with the information weighing heavily upon their hearts.

Meanwhile, someone else was watching with a heavy heart.

"He was sooo excited! And I was just worried about myself." Emilia crushed the boy's hand once more as she vented her frustration by squeezing his bones into dust with her strength.

How could she be so blind to this boy's struggle?!

(Copypaster: please stop you will break his han-... Well he might be into it?)

[The boy quickly turned off the lights and dived into his bed to sleep.

Turning and changing positions multiple times, Subaru finally sat up on his bed with a conclusion.

"Ah, can't sleep. Oh, that's right! I know how to sleep!"

Subaru quickly lay back and covered himself with the cover.

"1 Puck, 2 Pucks, 3 Pucks… Wait for a second, I'm having a violent deja vu… I feel like something similar happened… And then I was cursed that night… "

Images of when he had died in the hallway in one of his past loops played.]

"He's not cold or unfeeling towards his deaths," Julius noted with cold dead eyes.

"You would?" Ricardo snorted and looked at his colleague with a stern glare.

The knight kept watching, composed, and emotionless.

Rem looked down in guilt as the rest of the Emilia camp winced at the memory.

["I shouldn't say that! Forget about Puck! I'll just… "

The distraught boy slowly closed his eyes and smiled softly.

"1 Emilia. 2 Emilias. 3 Emilias."]

"Looks like he has a default." Frederica chuckled at the sweet scene.

Emilia pouted a little at her stupid knight's sweetness. He makes her feel so special and she has offered him nothing!

Talk about a high-maintenance knight.

[Subaru quickly sat up with a wide smile on his face. "Is this heaven! Crap, I also did this before… Guess I have to think of another solution… "

"1 Roswaal, 2 Roswaals, 3 Roswaals… "

Subaru sat up once again with a hand on his face as he tried to forget the horror he just witnessed. 3 clowns.]

"I'm guessing that was hell he saw." Felt winced sympathetically.

"Roswaal-sama, you'll choke if you laugh so much."

Roswaal waved at his maid as he held his stomach and tried to keep the laughter in check.

[Sighing, the boy noticed his breath was visible from the cold temperature of the room. "Will the date go well with this cold…? Just when the kids went out of their way to show me that flower field, I hope it isn't withering… "

Subaru quickly covered himself and closed his eyes. "No, tomorrow will certainly bring good weather. It'll be okay. I'll believe in that… "

Subaru slowly closed his eyes…

Darkness…]

"He seems to be more on guard," Anastasia noted with pity-filled eyes.

"Anyone would. That kid will never be the same after what he's been through." Julius emotionlessly muttered, making Rem and Emilia clench their hands and look away from the boy.

"At least the worst is done," Mimi called out in enthusiastic glee.

Some shook their heads with haunted-looking eyes.

They didn't believe it.

[The screen slowly lights up to show Subaru's sleeping form in the darkness having light from the sky above him beam and fill the world with magnificent sparkles.

The beautiful sounds of choirs playing a strange tone were heard over the screen.

As the beautiful music played around Subaru. Four majestic angels with wings slowly fluttered down and pulled the boy's covers off.

Only one problem with these beautiful majestic baby angels…]

"AAAAAAAAAAHH!" Petra and Mimi screamed for dear life as they witnessed a sight so messed up.

While the rest were just laughing their ass off. All the candidates and their camps were just laughing, even Wilhelm was giving chuckles into his fist.

Roswaal was just on the floor, rolling.

[They all had Roswaal's head.

The baby Roswaals slowly grabbed the sleeping Subaru and began flying with him.

The screen showed Subaru's content face as the music played around him while he flew.

"Huh?"

Only for him to wake up and find that,

1 There was no baby Roswaal angels that were probably representing his deepest, darkest desires in life,

2 The music playing wasn't some heaven-sent choirs that were used in Viva la vada but actually it was his phone's alarm playing the theme song to his favorite anime show, and finally,

3 The world around him would've been better as a void of darkness instead of the frozen atmosphere around his room. His snot was frozen from how cold it was.

"It's so cold! I'm gonna die!" Subaru shivered in place as he sat up.]

Everyone stared at Emilia as she looked down in guilt at the state her knight was in. "I should have warned him," she muttered to herself angrily.

"You weren't the only one who knew what was going on, in fact." Beatrice sighed and wished she could help her contractor.

"What's happening?" Anastasia asked in suspicion.

"Just watch, I suppose."

![

Slowly, the boy opened the door while covering himself with the blanket.

"It's gotten even colder than yesterday, what's going on?" Subaru looked around the hallway, shivering.

"Huh?"

He found a little librarian looking out of a window.

"Beatrice."

The girl quickly turned and looked alarmed.

"What are you doing so early in the morning?"

"N-Nothing! It's none of your business, I suppose."]

"Suspicious!" Mimi shouted, making many nod.

["By the way, don't you think it's very cold in here? I have a date with Emilia-tan today, is it going to be okay?" Subaru looked up at the ceiling of the hallway in worry.

Beatrice started walking away from him with a bored expression. "As if I care about that. Betty is busy right now. I have no time to play with you, I suppose."

"I'm not asking you to play with me or anything. Anyway, it's easy to catch a cold during this period, so be careful."]

"Awe! He cares about Betty-chan!" Petra doted on her hero's nature.

Beatrice just glared at herself on screen.

"How hard is it to treat him just a little nicer, in fact?" She growled at herself.

["I'm not that careless for you to worry about me, I suppose."

"Rather than worrying about you… If you catch a cold, finding you would be difficult, so I would feel bad for Rem if the rice porridge she made you went cold. You should at least rest in your bed when you catch a cold!" Subaru waved at the spirit with a smile.

Beatrice quickly turned around and looked at him with a pissed-off expression.

"Just why do you have to lecture me about the what-if results of this scenario, I suppose?! Anyway, I'm very busy right now, don't make me repeat myself, I suppose?!"

Subaru was thrown out of the window.]

"Beako!" "Beatrice-sama!"

Beatrice just facepalmed as she was glared at by two girls in love with the boy she had contracted with.

"How hard, in fact?!" She despaired again.

"My… Life really was hectic with Beatrice ignoring her feelings towards her contractor." Frederica sounded amused as she watched the time everyone had spent in her absence.

"Hmph! I think everyone is meaner than they are supposed to be!" Petra huffed, pouting.

Frederica glanced at the little girl with surprise.

The little maid was braver than she had let on. She also possessed uncertain darkness in her, enough to act one way with someone and hold other feelings than what she shows them.

[Scene change…

Subaru and Rem were both cleaning the marble floor with their wet brooms.

"So, is that why your date with Emilia-sama was canceled?" Rem asked as she wiped with the boy.

" Postponed, not canceled. It would be a waste if the cold ruined our long-awaited date. Emilia-tan… "

Subaru remembered the strange scene that happened to him that morning.

"You're right! It may be better if we postpone it! Since you know, it's this cold, and I know how much you were looking forward to it, and I was the one who promised you, but of course, it's not just because I promised you or anything, I too was looking forward to it, but since it's this cold, we have no choice. Yes!"

Subaru looked haunted as he remembered the sight of Eminem Emilia, rapping and waving her arms around as she spat her new song's lyrics at his face.

"Meanwhile, her somewhat relieved face is still bugging me… " Subaru said to himself.]