Subaru sleeps in his room after more than a year of being in another world, but... he's not having a normal nightmare.
— ??? —
He was in a sea of darkness, where he could neither feel nor hear anything except his own thoughts, which were narrated by himself in the third person.
Although he did not remember being here, he felt an unavoidable sense of familiarity in his chest, even though he did not have a physical chest, as only his consciousness—or rather, his soul—was there.
He was there for what seemed like an eternity—although he had no way of knowing, since the concept of time did not exist in that place.
At some point, in the midst of all that darkness, he regained consciousness.
Subaru: *Where... am I...?* Subaru felt his consciousness, which seemed to be submerged underwater, slowly floating to the surface, gradually awakening.
Subaru: *This place... I've been here before... yes...* Subaru, feeling that he could now form some thoughts, began to remember.
Subaru: *I think... I see...* Subaru, feeling that with each passing moment he could formulate more coherent thoughts.
Subaru: *If I remember correctly, at the Shrine, after I revealed my secret to... Echidna.* He paused for a moment when he uttered that name, the name that belonged to a certain witch, a manipulative, evil, and totally apathetic witch who was only interested in knowledge, even if it meant lying or sacrificing the lives of others.
After that wave of hatred he felt for that witch, he continued to form his thoughts.
Subaru: *Satella swallowed me with her shadow, and I appeared in this place...* Subaru remained thoughtful at this conclusion.
Subaru: *But then...* Although he already knew where he was, or at least had an idea, he still had another mystery to solve.
Subaru: *How did I get here...?* He began to think and formulate multiple theories in his head at once, trying to discover even a single clue.
Subaru: *Let's see... when I went to sleep with Beako and Julius in my... old room.* Subaru began to recall the most recent events, and his consciousness fully returned (or so he thought).
Subaru: *Everything seemed normal, I don't remember Satella being there, and I didn't do anything to activate the taboo, right?* His head hurt from thinking about it, but he forced himself through the pain.
Subaru: *So... how did I end up here?* Subaru was quite confused, as he didn't remember doing anything to activate the taboo, and Satella summoning herself made no sense, as there was always a reason.
As he continued to think about it, light appeared in his eyes out of nowhere, although it would be more accurate to say that he "felt" that he was able to do so, since he was in a world of absolute darkness.
Subaru: *What?* Subaru began to touch his body, which he had been unable to see a few moments ago, and in doing so, he also realized that he had regained his sense of touch.
Subaru: *Seriously, this is very strange, I need to get out of this place before—* He was unable to finish his sentence, as a voice interrupted him.
A beautiful voice that would make anyone fall in love instantly, that would calm even the most aggressive of men.
A voice as fragile as a flower, like a silver bell, echoing throughout the world.
"Where are you?"
That voice, which he had heard so many times before, that voice that spoke to him with such passion and love, enough to love the whole world at once and still have plenty left over.
But unlike those times, when she confessed her feelings of love to him, this time... instead of that voice being full of love, he could only feel sadness.
Sadness, melancholy, despair, longing, pain, confusion, and a mixture of emotions that could not be understood.
Subaru kept trying to find the source of that voice, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see it, not even its silhouette, which he always saw, even when there was no light, when he was in this place, he was always able to see it clearly, something totally unusual.
"Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?"
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the woman who was crying.
Distressed at not being able to find her, he tried to stand up.
As he tried to do so, he realized that the shadows were like quicksand; the more he moved, the deeper he sank, and he didn't know what would happen if he were completely submerged in them.
So, changing his strategy, instead of making sudden, rapid movements, he made slow but steady movements.
"Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?"
With difficulty and what seemed like years, he finally managed to stand up and began to walk slowly in one direction, as if he instinctively knew where that voice in his head was coming from, and he felt it in his body, calling him.
He walked and walked, for hours, days, weeks, months, years, centuries, at least from his perspective, but no matter how close he got, he didn't feel the voice getting any louder.
"WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?"
A kind of earthquake shook the whole world of darkness and shadows, and Subaru fell back into the shadows and began to be absorbed.
Subaru: *WAAH?! What happened to me...? The last thing I remember was thinking about how to get out of here, and then...* Subaru, while still being absorbed by the shadows, came out of his trance and tried to remember what had happened.
"WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?"
The same voice as before, that voice, which undoubtedly belonged to an angel, called out to him again.
He had to find her, she was desperately calling out for him, he had to see her again, he had to hold her, love her, he had to—
Subaru: *AGHK*
Subaru: *AGHK*
Subaru, feeling his consciousness slipping away, bit his tongue hard to stay conscious, something that took all his concentration.
"WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?"
The tremors returned, and Subaru already had 70% of his body submerged in the shadows, and at the rate he was going, he would be completely submerged in them in a matter of seconds.
Subaru: *This is bad... if I'm completely absorbed, I won't be able to get out of here, so I have to...* Subaru, who already had 80% of his body absorbed by the shadows, remembered that he had been in a similar situation before.
During the events at the Sanctuary, after breaking the taboo and telling the Witch of Greed, Echidna, that she could return from death, Satella manifested herself in the Sanctuary and swallowed Subaru.
In that world of darkness, he used Petra's handkerchief, which was manipulated by Echidna to become a blade, and stabbed himself in the heart to get out of there.
Then, she just had to die to escape this place.
He began to bite harder, trying to cut her so he could die and escape.
He felt himself getting closer and closer, the taste of warm blood in his throat, and it was hard to breathe.
"WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?"
The voice began to scream louder, and the tremor grew even stronger, completely engulfing Subaru.
Subaru: *What... is happening...*
Subaru felt the suffocating sensation recede, and began to feel his body grow tired, drained of energy, and losing sensation.
He was about to lose consciousness, possibly forever, so since he could no longer cut his own tongue, he had to do something quickly.
Subaru: *Invisible Providence*
Subaru, about to be swallowed by the shadows forever, made an all-or-nothing gamble, as he didn't know if he could use the Authorities in this space, but he succeeded.
Activating the Authority of Sloth, and his only ability, which he had as a last resort to die.
Subaru planned to use the invisible hand to crush his own heart and die, but the instant the hand came out of his stomach, intending to go to his chest, it disintegrated.
He began to panic, the drowsiness growing stronger, and he felt like he was going to pass out, and perhaps never wake up, remaining in this place for all eternity.
He didn't know why it had disappeared. The best theory he had at that moment was that the shadows were absorbing his energy, as he lost strength with every moment he spent submerged in them.
"WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?"
Then, in an all-or-nothing gamble, he tried to use his Invisible Providence again, but this time in a different way; instead of summoning the hand from his stomach, as usual, he would summon it directly from his heart, without having to leave his body and do the work immediately.
But saying it was easier than doing it.
No matter how hard I tried, or how I kept the "image" in my mind, something very important in the process of performing magic, or in this case, manifesting Authorities.
As soon as he concentrated on changing the origin of the Invisible Providence, and felt it beginning to form, it broke instantly.
There was no time left.
He couldn't do anything, no matter how hard he tried.
He was useless, even at the end, he couldn't do anything.
He wanted to deny it, say it wasn't true, and prove otherwise.
But he couldn't.
He was useless, he had no talent, no strength, no intelligence, nothing.
He was empty.
He already knew it, he knew it was painfully obvious, that everyone knew it and that they stuck with him out of pity.
But even so, he thought that maybe he could change.
Become stronger, smarter, more useful.
But even after everything he had been through, all those experiences, he remained the same.
He couldn't do anything.
He couldn't save anyone, not even himself.
He was sure that if he were less useless, he could do something as simple as summoning the hand elsewhere, but no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't.
Seeing that despite all his efforts, he couldn't do anything, he stopped trying.
"Where—are—you, D—?"
The voice sounded increasingly distant and confused, although he knew it was still asking the same question.
I wanted to go to her, comfort her, dry her tears, and love her, love her for all eternity.
But she was so far away, he didn't even know where she was, or how far away she was.
His body and mind were tired; he just wanted to sleep forever and do nothing else for all eternity.
She could no longer do anything, nor did she want to.
All his life he tried to show the opposite, pushing himself harder than he could, trying things over and over again, trying to be diligent, but it was all a lie, an image, a performance, a facade, so that others would not see how pathetic and useless he was.
He really was...
"You really are Sloth"
A voice that came from a man he hated with all his being, but now didn't even feel like hating, told Natsuki Subaru exactly what he was.
Sloth.
He didn't know if the voice belonged to a memory, or if it actually came from his mind, or more specifically his soul...
But he didn't care.
His consciousness slowly faded as he sank deeper and deeper into darkness. He stopped feeling his body, the taste of blood in his mouth was gone, and he began to fall asleep.
Sleep... yes... sleep forever, and never wake up.
After all, he deserved a rest for everything he had done, didn't he?
Even if it was less than everyone else, even if anyone could have done better, he deserved a little rest, right?
Yes... a break, forever.
A strange but comforting feeling formed deep within his soul.
He felt as if something that was there by force, and that did not belong there, accepted and longed for him, was calling him, begging to be activated once more, as if his very existence depended on it.
The Authority of Sloth, he accepted it completely, acknowledging his Sloth.
But... what did it matter?
As the last of his strength left his body, he could finally rest forever...
"Giving up is easy, but it's not in your best interest, since I know how incredible you can be, Suba
"Surrendering is easy, but it's not in your best interest, since I know how incredible you can be, Subaru-kun."
A female voice, different from the now almost non-existent voice that was crying, arose in his head.
Subaru, who was almost falling asleep for eternity, stopped, and felt the strength he thought was no longer there slowly rising from deep within him.
"Thank you for saving me, Subaru."
Once again, a female voice, very similar to the woman who had begged to know his whereabouts, called out to him.
"I guess Betty's contractor promised to stay with her, I suppose."
Another voice, also female, but childlike, called out to him.
"Barusu."
"Natsuki-san!"
"Captain!"
"Subaru!"
"Subaru-sama!"
More voices were calling out to him, giving him the strength to keep going.
"Subaru-sama."
"Subaru-dono"
"Subaru-kyun!"
"Natsuki"
"Subaru."
"Big brother!"
"Subaru!"
"Onii-san!"
"Master!"
More voices, coming from his soul, called out to him.
There were many voices calling him at once, so he couldn't recognize them all, but he was sure that all his friends were calling him.
It's true, if Subaru stays here, he will never see his friends again, the ones who were everything to Subaru.
He wanted to see them, no... he HAD to see them.
"Subaru!"
"Subaru!"
Those last two voices, from two very special people whom Subaru admired completely, gave him the push he needed.
Using all his remaining strength, he gave it his all one last time, focusing his concentration on materializing the Invisible Providence in his heart.
He felt that his eyelids (already completely submerged in shadows) were not as heavy as steel, no... he felt them as heavy as if the world itself were on them, but even so, he did not give in.
He had a few seconds left at best before falling unconscious forever, but that was all he needed.
Subaru: *COME ON, INVISIBLE PROVIDENCE!!!* With all his strength, he shouted from his soul, and, following his command, the Authority of Sloth responded.
A hand of darkness materialized in his heart and crushed it mercilessly.
Subaru: *AAAAGGHK*
The pain was unbearable, as he could feel as if he himself had crushed his heart with his own hand, something repulsive.
Although he already had some experience with heart palpitations, having his heart crushed was a whole different world.
Subaru felt like he was losing consciousness, but this time, he would not give up.
As he lost consciousness, he began to remember his friends, each one of them, as he saw the memories he had formed with them.
Subaru wanted... no, he needed to protect them. They were everything to him, and the reason he kept going.
As he fell unconscious and began to feel cold, he uttered one last statement.
Subaru: "I... will save you all. I will do it as many times as necessary, even if... I have to die to do so."
With that final promise, Natsuki Subaru died.
...
...
...
— Natsuki's house —
In a house from another world, the place where people (also from another world) had arrived, there was an atmosphere of peace.
It was morning, although still quite early, as the sun's rays were just beginning to shine through the window, and the birds were starting to sing.
You could also see some people on the street, such as grandparents walking to the store in the morning, or someone walking their dog, but in general, everyone was enjoying the morning.
Except for Natsuki Subaru, of course.
Subaru: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Subaru woke up with a scream, his eyes wide open, while clutching his shirt tightly with both hands over his heart.
Subaru: "HAAAAH, HAAAAH, HAAAAH"
Subaru began to breathe heavily as sweat ran down his body, along with fear.
Beatrice: "S-Subaru! W-What's wrong, I suppose?" Beatrice, who had been sleeping beside him just moments ago, sat up beside him in panic and concern for her contractor.
Beatrice: *The miasma... has increased, I suppose!*
Julius: "Subaru! Are you okay?!" Julius, who had also been sleeping, woke up instantly, and in a split second, he had grabbed his sword and stood in front of Subaru.
Subaru was still breathing heavily while Beatrice cast a spell to stabilize the emotions Subaru was feeling.
???: "Subaru?! Are you okay?!" A female voice was heard that, although familiar to Subaru, he couldn't process who it belonged to.
Subaru, who was still breathing heavily, began to calm down little by little thanks to Beatrice's spell, and was able to start formulating his thoughts.
Subaru: *I'm back? Apparently, I was able to leave that... place. Thank goodness, I didn't want to stay there for even one more second.*
Subaru, calming down a little, began to control his breathing little by little and recognize the place.
Seeing that Subaru was calmer, Beatrice began to question him, since...
This had happened before.
After the events at the Shrine, Subaru and Beatrice began sleeping together, and that's where she discovered it.
Every night, Subaru had horrible nightmares that woke him up in the middle of the night, screaming and saying nonsensical things, while scratching his arms until they bled.
Beatrice had no idea why this was happening, because whenever she asked him what the hell was going on with those nightmares, and why he was always suffering, he would avoid the question or give silly answers like, "It's nothing, don't worry."
Beatrice had to treat his arm wounds every night, and she didn't even know why this was happening.
The rest of the day, Subaru acted happy and cheerful, full of energy and helping everyone, always smiling.
But Beatrice knew.
She knew it was a charade, a mask he always wore for everyone, to hide his suffering.
Beatrice knew that Subaru was suffering, and he didn't tell anyone, not even her, his spirit.
One night, while Subaru was asleep, Beatrice focused on the bond created by their contract and began to concentrate on the emotions Subaru was feeling.
Just as Subaru woke up screaming, she felt his emotions.
Terror, agony, fear, and despair were some of the things she felt.
After this, Subaru began to touch his entire body aggressively while hyperventilating, whispering with obvious pain in his voice.
"They're eating me. They're inside me. There are too many of them."
Subaru began to scream louder and louder as he writhed and kept repeating the same things that would make no sense to anyone else, but Beatrice knew they were true.
Beatrice quickly absorbed his mana to knock him unconscious, and began to stabilize his emotions.
Beatrice, with tears in her eyes as she worried about her contractor, always had one question on her mind.
"Why are you suffering so much?"
...
Subaru: "Woah, Beako! This..."
Subaru noticed how Beatrice was hugging him, worried about her contractor, as she assumed it was another one of those... disgusting episodes.
Julius: "Subaru! Are you okay?! What happened to you?" Julius remained in combat position, ready for battle.
Subaru: "Julius! Ah, it's nothing! It's just that..." Subaru began to reassure Julius, as this was just a... misunderstanding.
Emilia: "Subaru! Is everything okay?! I'm coming in!" They heard multiple footsteps outside their room, followed by Emilia's concerned voice and the sound of a door opening.
Emilia and Anastasia entered his room, with Echidna's scarf around her neck, her eyes shining slightly, as if she were ready to switch with Anastasia at any moment.
He could also see Meili behind Emilia, who had Shaula in her scorpion form on her head.
He couldn't see Rem or Ram, probably because Ram stayed behind to look after Rem in case of an emergency, since she couldn't walk.
Subaru: "Waaah, wait a minute, it's all a misunderstanding—"
Subaru was interrupted again as his parents' door burst open, and Kenichi and Naoko came out.
Kenichi and Naoko: "SUBARU! ARE YOU OKAY?"
The married couple stood at the door of the room, breathing heavily from waking up to their son's cry, a cry filled with pain.
Subaru's room was full of people, and he began to feel embarrassed for waking everyone up for such a silly reason.
Subaru: "STOP, STOP, TIME OUT!" Subaru raised an arm to put his hand in front of him, to get them to stop.
Patrasche: "KYAAAAAA!"
Patrasche's scream could also be heard. She seemed determined to go up to the second floor to join her rider, and even though she couldn't fit on the stairs, she was willing to destroy the house for Subaru's safety and well-being.
Subaru heard this and, knowing what could happen, stopped her before they were left homeless.
Subaru: "PATRASCHE, DON'T WORRY, I'M FINE, STAY CALM!"
Everyone, seeing that Subaru was visibly fine, and because of his statement to his earth dragon, relaxed a little, but still...
The scream they had heard was real.
Naoko approached Subaru with concern in her eyes and touched his forehead, her face showing nothing but worry.
Subaru: "M-Mom?"
Naoko: "Subaru? Are you okay? What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
Subaru: "Ah, it was nothing, just..."
Emilia: "Subaru, are you sure? Does your chest hurt or something?"
Emilia, also concerned about her knight, approached him and stood next to his mother, touching his left hand.
Subaru: "E-EMILIA-TAN?!"
Subaru blushed completely, because even though they had held hands last night, at least it was discreet, but now it was in front of everyone, and there was no chance that his parents would turn a blind eye.
Emilia: "Subaru, why did you scream? Did you have a nightmare?" Emilia ignored her embarrassment, as Subaru's safety came first, and she continued to ask worriedly as she held his hand tighter.
Beatrice: "I suppose Betty's contractor should trust her spirit with everything, I suppose."
Beatrice didn't waste the opportunity to ask Subaru about his nightmare, because if she didn't get an answer from him herself, perhaps with everyone pressing him, he would tell them what was happening.
Beatrice: *Maybe that thing in his Od has something to do with his nightmares, I suppose.*
Beatrice theorized, as she was recalling the events of last night, where Subaru was saying strange things and panicking.
Beatrice hugged Subaru's right arm tighter, which made the situation even more adorable than it already was.
For some reason, the red scorpion that was on Meili's head jumped onto Subaru's head and began to roll around there.
Subaru: *Idiot.*
Subaru, realizing what Shaula was trying to do, quickly removed her from his head, though gently enough not to hurt her, and set her aside on his bed.
The scorpion, dissatisfied with this treatment, landed on his lap and lay down.
Subaru sighed at her action, but gave up on doing anything against the annoying scorpion, so he left her there, as long as she didn't bother him.
Subaru tried to open his mouth to come up with an excuse for why he had shouted, when the last people arrived in the room.
Rem: "Subaru-kun! Are you okay?" Rem, being carried on Ram's back, quickly arrived at his room.
Both of them were worried about Subaru, but neither would ever admit it.
Rem, upon entering Subaru's room, could smell him.
Rem: *The witch's scent! It's gotten stronger on Subaru-kun!*
Rem could smell that the miasma had grown stronger, something that happened from time to time, but...
Rem realized something.
Rem: *Every time the witch's scent grew stronger, he began to act strangely. The last time was...*
"Run away with me, Rem, as far as we can go."
Rem remembered that the last time she remembered the miasma increasing, Subaru, who had been at the market a moment ago buying some supplies, had suddenly given up completely and asked her to run away with him, far from Lugunica, escaping the troubles that were coming.
Rem, who was still connecting the strange but somehow related dots, was interrupted by her twin sister.
Ram: "Tch, Barusu, what's all this drama? Did you bite your tongue or something?" Ram growled in annoyance at being woken up, but inside, she too was worried about Subaru, and she knew there was no way that scream could have come from something as insignificant as biting his tongue.
Rem, returning to reality, saw how the four women (Naoko, Emilia, Beatrice, and the scorpion) were close to her hero, showering him with affection.
Rem also wanted to join them, but unfortunately, she couldn't walk yet. However, she felt that her legs were a little stronger than before, and she felt more energetic.
Subaru: *Agh, how stupid I was, because of my senseless shouting, now I have to explain everything with a cheap excuse, because I couldn't keep quiet, damn it.* Subaru cursed to himself, as he now had to figure out how to explain what had happened.
Subaru: "Well, first of all, Julius, Echidna, relax, there's no danger, just something pretty silly happened, really." Subaru nodded for Julius to lower his sword and for Echidna to stop preparing to switch with Anastasia.
Subaru's parents were a little confused, as they didn't know who he was referring to as Echidna, but that could be dealt with later.
Julius: "Subaru, are you sure?" Julius, still upset by Subaru's shout, asked again.
Subaru: "Yes, don't worry, it was just a little misunderstanding, okay?"
Julius: "I understand, then. I'll trust your judgment." Julius put his sword aside and relaxed his muscles.
Echidna, who for some reason hadn't shown up yesterday, stopped getting ready to change.
With the atmosphere more relaxed, Naoko was the first to ask a question.
Naoko: "So, Subaru, what was that scream? Did you hit something?"
Subaru began to devise a plan, as he obviously couldn't say that he was in a strange dimension with the Witch of Envy, and that he had to crush his own heart to get out of there, using his ability to return from death.
Subaru thought for a moment, as he had to come up with some excuse right then and there, and something occurred to him.
Since he knew his excuse would be weak and lead to many questions, he would just have to reinforce it.
Subaru: "Ah! It's just that I woke up so quickly, I was still half asleep and hit my head hard against the wall!"
Rem: *That's a lie.*
Rem, who knew Subaru, knew that for some reason he didn't want to share his problems and always wanted to carry everything alone. She also knew his body language, and everything indicated that he was lying. Besides...
Rem: *The witch's scent, which was always present in Subaru, albeit moderately, is now sky-high.*
Rem wanted Subaru to tell everyone what was really going on, but she knew it was useless, and that he always insisted on doing everything himself.
Although it was just like a hero would act, Rem also wished she could lighten that heavy burden even a little, that he would share it among his allies.
Naoko: "Subaru, but your forehead isn't red, and it's not like you slept facing the wall." Naoko, knowing this was a lie, emphasized the weak points in his defense and would continue to attack until she knew the truth.
Naoko: *Besides... that scream... it couldn't have been from a simple blow to the head...*
Naoko had heard that scream that woke her and her husband up clearly.
It was a scream full of pure pain and despair, but not physical pain, something else... deeper.
Emilia: "It's true, Subaru, you know you can tell us the truth, right?" Emilia, who was usually somewhat naive, was surprisingly perceptive in these kinds of situations if she put her mind to it, and Subaru's safety was one of them.
Subaru, feeling bad about lying to them, activated his safety net and a way to escape the questioning.
Beatrice was about to speak up to question Subaru when she sensed a distress signal through her contract, something they had thought about in the year after the Sanctuary.
Beatrice, realizing what Subaru intended, gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, because even though she also wanted to know what was wrong with him, if he asked her for help, she had no reason to refuse.
Beatrice: "...I suppose what Betty's Subaru says is true. He was sleeping on his side against the wall, and he woke up very quickly and hit his head." Beatrice said with a slight tremor in her voice, only noticeable to Subaru.
Subaru: *Damn, I'm such a jerk... I'll make sure to make it up to Beako later, definitely.*
Julius, however, who had been present, knew that this was not the case, and that Subaru had not hit his head.
Subaru noticed that Julius was opening his mouth to object, but looked him in the eyes, silently asking him not to say anything.
Julius' eyes widened as he understood this, but reluctantly, even if it meant deceiving his mistress, he would comply with his friend's sincere request.
Julius: *All right, Subaru. I won't reveal anything now, but I'll ask about this when the situation is right.* Julius responded with his gaze, and Subaru seemed to understand and nodded.
Naoko, who was now wondering if it had really just been a blow to the head, continued;
Naoko: "Umm, Beako, I don't mean to call you a liar or anything, but... Subaru's forehead isn't red, and if he had hit his head hard enough to let out that scream, it would definitely leave a mark.
Apparently, the rest of the group didn't buy that cheap excuse either, but that was part of what Subaru had anticipated.
Ram: "Beatrice-sama, with all due respect, I ask you: Are you sure about what you saw? I think Barusu's fragility is obvious to everyone, and if what you say is correct, Subaru's skull should already be crushed, and even if you exaggerated, which wouldn't surprise me, he should at least have a red mark or bruise on his forehead, where you claim he was hit." Ram clicked her tongue as she finished speaking, irritated that they thought such a stupid excuse would be enough to fool her.
Beatrice: "That's because Betty immediately applied healing magic to Subaru's forehead, I suppose."
Ram frowned, because even though it made sense, considering that Beatrice was a Great Spirit who had lived for over 400 years and was skilled in all kinds of magic, she still felt that something wasn't right.
Anastasia, seeing Ram fall silent for a moment, decided to intervene and ask her knight, who was a key witness, since he was in the room in the first place.
Anastasia: "Julius, you were here, can you tell us what happened in more detail?"
Julius said nothing, looked at Subaru and Beatrice for a moment, and began to speak.
Julius: "...What Beatrice-sama said is true. Although I woke up a little after the scream, I saw Beatrice-sama applying healing magic to Subaru's forehead. Then you all arrived." Julius said confidently, without a hint of doubt, as he looked his mistress in the eyes.
Anastasia: "I see... Thank you for the clarification, Julius."
Anastasia narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but it lasted only a moment before she quickly replaced it with a smile.
Julius felt a chill run down his spine.
Julius: *Subaru... you're definitely going to tell me everything later.*
Julius promised himself that he would get to the bottom of this, as he had just broken one of his promises to his mistress, something that should never be broken.
Julius only agreed to lie to his mistress because Subaru had asked him to, and since it was technically a minor thing, he would let it slide.
However, after he spoke with Subaru, and Subaru gave him his permission, he would go and apologize properly to his mistress.
There was an awkward silence in the room for a few moments, so Ram decided to continue with her questioning.
Ram: "So!"
Subaru jumped a little, but Ram didn't give him time to catch his breath.
Ram: "If you hit your head, why are you clutching your chest so tightly? Don't tell me your forehead and heart are connected, Tch." Ram clicked her tongue again when she finished, and stared intently into Subaru's eyes.
Everyone in the room fell silent and shifted their gaze from Ram to Subaru's chest, and sure enough, it was there.
Subaru immediately tensed up and lowered his head to look at his hand.
He was clutching his chest very tightly, right where his heart was.
Subaru quickly removed his hand from there, though the damage was already done.
Ram: "Well? Why is that?" Ram continued to interrogate Subaru with her gaze, which felt like it could cut through him, just like her wind magic.
Naoko: "Subaru? Is your heart hurting or something? Don't be afraid to say so, we can go see a doctor right now."
Subaru: "Ah, that's..." Subaru didn't know what to say, as he hadn't realized he was still clutching his heart unconsciously.
Beatrice: "I guess that was a little magic blast from Betty as punishment for waking her up, I suppose." Beatrice came to Subaru's rescue, making him feel even worse for forcing her to lie on his behalf.
Kenichi: "I may not be an expert in magic, but shouldn't that have killed him?" Kenichi said somewhat worriedly, as the magic in the anime and manga he watched were spells to destroy countries and planets, while making strange hand gestures that only the inhabitants of this world would recognize.
Subaru: "Ehh, no, Dad, they didn't give me a hollow purple or a kamekameha to my chest, it was just a small discharge of mana," Subaru said as he scratched his cheek.
Emilia: "Hollow Purple? Is that a Yin magic spell?" Emilia tilted her head, as she had never heard of that spell before.
Anastasia was excited inside, although she showed no reaction on the outside, as the opportunity to learn new magic spells, which could perhaps be recreated in her world, was too valuable an opportunity to pass up.
Echidna was also curious about these spells she hadn't heard of in 400 years, although perhaps this curiosity came from the remnants of her creator's insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge that remained in her, who knows.
Kenichi was excited and, with a smile, began to open his mouth to explain what these "spells" were, since apart from Subaru, he had no one else to talk to about this Otaku knowledge.
Beatrice: "I suppose the 'Hollow Purple' is a spell from an 'anime' that is created using 'cursed energy,' which for us would be mana. According to what Subaru told me, the strongest "sorcerer" in the world, "Satoru Gojo," uses his cursed technique, which for us would be a spell, to combine attraction magic, blue, and repulsion magic, red, to create an even stronger technique, the "Hollow Purple," a technique that disintegrates everything in its path. And the "kamekameha" is basically gathering energy in your hands, compressing it, and then releasing it in the form of a beam, which also destroys everything in its path.
Beatrice said as she followed alongside Subaru, proud to be the only one besides Subaru's parents and Subaru himself who knew these things from the stories Subaru told her.
Silence fell once again in the room, and the inhabitants of the other world were very surprised to hear about such powerful magic. Although they knew it was not real in this world, they wondered if it would be possible to do something similar using their magic.
Anastasia was literally drooling over her good fortune in learning about magic never before seen, which no one in her world could even imagine, and learning how such powerful and destructive spells were cast.
Anastasia: *This... this is incredible! Although I don't know if it's possible to recreate them, if it were possible... The potential these spells would have in war, if I sold the idea, I COULD MAKE MILLIONS! No... what if I keep it to myself? What if the Iron Fang were the only one who could use it? We would be invincible! Contracts would be pouring in from everywhere, and the profits, the profits...*
While Anastasia continued to fantasize about the profits she could make with this information, Echidna, her scarf, moved her arm slightly to wipe the drool that continued to flow from her mouth, an image that a royal candidate should not display, so she was grateful that they were not in Lugunica, where it could cause problems.
Subaru's parents, the inhabitants of this world, unlike those of the other world, were very surprised to hear this, and their eyes were wide open, as were their mouths.
Beatrice: "...Did I say something strange, i suppose?" Beatrice was confused, as she had said the same thing her contractor had told her in his stories, so there should be no mistake, so she was somewhat confused.
Subaru: "..."
Subaru slowly grabbed Beatrice and got up from his bed while carrying her on his back.
Emilia let go of his hand and moved back a little, as she had an idea of what Subaru was going to do with Beatrice.
Naoko, who was still surprised, slowly moved back reflexively.
Shaula, in her scorpion form, remained on the bed, but seemed somewhat annoyed at not having her master's attention, but
Beatrice: "WAAH?! S-Subaru? What are you doing, I wonder?" Beatrice was somewhat embarrassed to be carried like a princess, but she quickly learned the reason.
Subaru: "My Beako is so smart! She remembers all the stories I've told her, what do you think, Dad?" Subaru was hugging Beatrice tightly while rubbing her cheek against his.
Kenichi: "Subaru, you told your... spirit about your sleeves? And she paid attention?!"
Kenichi slowly approached Subaru, who was still hugging Beatrice.
Beatrice thought that perhaps he would come to her rescue, as the situation had become very embarrassing, but she had forgotten one thing.
Subaru is an idiot, and he's just like his father, which means...
Subaru realized what his father wanted to do, so he slowly let go of her and handed her over to him.
Beatrice: "Thank goodness there's still someone with common sense— WAAAAH?!"
Kenichi: "Beako is so adorable! Who would have thought that a little girl could become an Otaku!" Kenichi said with a big smile as he lifted Beatrice up with both arms in the air.
Beatrice: "WAAH?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! P-PUT ME DOWN NOW, I S-SUPPOSE!" Beatrice blushed with embarrassment, while she was waving her arms and legs adorably trying to get down.
Subaru: "AWWW, My Beako is so cute, right, Dad?"
Kenichi: "That's right! Her cuteness is truly out of this world! Not even anime lolis are this adorable!" Kenichi replied as he continued to spin Beatrice around, who continued to complain and pout.
Emilia: "Hey! Stop bothering Beako so much! If she says to put her down, put her down!" Emilia said with her cheeks puffed out, because even though she had to admit that Beatrice looked very cute and adorable right now, she could get dizzy.
Naoko: "Dear Subaru, Emilia is right, put Beako-chan down before she gets dizzy." Naoko said with a calm smile, although it was clear that it was not a suggestion, but an order.
Subaru: "Igk!"
Kenichi: "Y-yes, you're right, dear."
Subaru and Kenichi shuddered in fear, as they felt a chill run down their spines and could swear they saw Naoko emanating some kind of aura.
Naoko would usually beat them both mercilessly, but she also recognized Beatrice's boundless cuteness, so she simply gave them a warning.
Kenichi quickly lowered Beatrice from the sky, her hair tousled from so many turns.
Kenichi: "Well, there you go. My apologies, Beako. You were so cute I couldn't resist."
Subaru: "It's true, you can't blame us for not being able to resist your cuteness, Beako." Subaru said as he hugged himself.
Beatrice: "I guess you're both fools, but since Betty is so understanding, as well as cute, she'll forgive you, I suppose." Beatrice said as she sighed and adjusted her dress.
Ram: "...Father and son, you're both a pair of buffoons, but what else could I expect from Barusu." Ram said and crossed her arms.
Subaru: "Nee-sama, that comment was unnecessary, you know?" Subaru said as he held his heart with his left hand and his forehead with his right, as if in a drama.
Kenichi: "Wow, Subaru, what did you do to this girl?" Kenichi put his hand on his forehead as if searching for something.
Subaru: "NOTHING! I don't even know why she's treating me like this," Subaru said, now feigning tears.
Beatrice: "I guess the pink maid is right, you're both fools."
Emilia: "Hehehe, it's true, Subaru is a fool."
Rem: "Well, he may be a little like that, but don't worry, that's also a part of Subaru-kun that I like."
Everyone laughed and the atmosphere became very happy, making everyone relax from that... false alarm.
Subaru: "Haaa. Well, it's pretty early, so shouldn't we go back to bed again?" Subaru quickly changed the subject, as he wanted them to leave his room quickly.
Meili: "I don't mind! Good night, everyone! Take care of Onii-san!" Meili took the opportunity to go to sleep right away, as she was very sleepy, and ran off to the guest room while waving goodbye.
Emilia: "Well, I don't object to the idea, but—" Emilia, who had also calmed down after confirming Subaru's well-being, didn't object to the idea of going back to sleep either, but when she turned her head, she noticed the... peculiarity of the room.
Everyone, who had been focused on Subaru, also began to analyze his room.
When they entered, they noticed some strange things, but they had focused all their attention on Subaru. Now that they had confirmed he was okay, they could go back to analyzing his room, the room of someone from another world.
And this room from another world was...
The complete opposite of what they expected.
There were many posters of people with swords or doing something that looked like magic, but among these, something stood out: most of the girls in these posters had one thing in common.
They had silver hair and pointed ears, similar to Emilia.
On a shelf, there were lots of figurines and... weapons? There was a sword that looked like a kitchen knife, with bandages wrapped around the handle, which didn't seem very efficient to use, among other things.
The figurines were quite different from each other, as there were people of all types and races.
Muscular men with swords and armor, wearing strange clothing, and with equally peculiar hair colors and styles.
There were also girls who looked like they had come straight from heaven, with divine figures and proportions, who also carried weapons and accessories that the average woman would not even consider wearing.
Also, for some reason, most of these girls had... the part of their breasts... that was not proportional to the rest of their bodies.
That detail puzzled everyone, but they quickly found another coincidence in their figures.
There were many girls with silver hair and pointed ears, and they looked very similar to Emilia as well.
Emilia tilted her head in confusion as she looked at a figure that resembled her, as it was strange to see herself like that, even though it wasn't her.
Subaru froze when he noticed the stares of everyone except Julius and Beatrice, who had already seen her last night.
They were in her room, looking at her figures and Otaku room. The worst nightmare for anyone with this hobby was happening to her right now!
Ram began to devise her evil plans to humiliate Barusu, since unlike the rest who had entered fully focused on confirming Subaru's well-being, they did not pay as much attention to Subaru's room.
(Although she was also concerned, only a tiny bit!)
When Ram confirmed that Barusu was alive, she began to thoroughly analyze the room in search of material to annoy Barusu, and boy did she find what she was looking for.
While Barusu was giving his pathetic excuses (she knew it, but she couldn't prove it!), she thoroughly analyzed every inch of the room, and smiled as she was about to open her mouth to tease him.
This would have killed any teenager with embarrassment, and it certainly would have killed Subaru.
If it weren't for the fact that he wasn't really Natsuki Subaru, but Natsuki Subaru.
Perhaps Natsuki Subaru would have died of embarrassment seeing his friends and loved ones look at his otaku room, with all the figures and posters, especially the ones of girls.
But Natsuki Subaru had died, murdered, for the sake of Natsuki Subaru.
Although technically they were the same person, they were not.
The Natsuki Subaru who had lived in Japan his entire life, until he went to that convenience store and was summoned to another world, and the Natsuki Subaru who continued where Natsuki Subaru left off, and lived in another world for over a year, were different people to him.
Although Natsuki Subaru remembered living in Japan for most of his life, Natsuki Subaru did too.
Natsuki Subaru, who a moment ago had been outside a convenience store, suddenly appeared in a green room in the Pleiades Watchtower, without the memories of Natsuki Subaru.
The Natsuki Subaru who had this room had died for the sake of Natsuki Subaru.
He had sacrificed himself for the sake of his friends.
Natsuki Subaru was proud and grateful for Natsuki Subaru's sacrifice, so he had no reason to be ashamed of him.
Natsuki Subaru was a true hero, at least to him.
Subaru: "It's true... guys! I present to you the room where Natsuki Subaru lived for over 17 years, his present and my past!" Subaru smiled broadly and spread his arms wide.
Everyone was a little taken aback by this gesture, to which Ram clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked away.
Her plan had failed. Barusu felt no shame about his old room, and he surely already knew what to say to any accusation Ram might throw at him, such as, "Barusu, why are there only pictures or images of women in your room?" And if he was prepared for her accusations, it wasn't funny.
Ram: *All right, Barusu, I'll let you win this one, but it's only a matter of time before I get another chance, and as soon as I see it...* Ram smiled macabrely at this idea, causing Rem to shudder a little at the feelings she sensed from her sister through synesthesia.
However, if no one asked about Barusu's lust, she would be the first to accuse him, obviously.
Everyone was stunned, and they didn't know where to start with the questions about this... room, but a certain married woman was quicker.
Naoko: "Uhh, Subaru, why are you talking about yourself in the third person? !!! Could it be that you've already reached your... Chuuni stage?" Naoko asked with concern, as this was a fear that all parents had, and hoped would never happen.
Kenichi: "HAHAHAHAHAHA, IT SEEMS THE SAME THING HAPPENS TO ALL ISEKAI PROTAGONISTS. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW, SAY YOU'RE THE EMINENCE IN THE SHADOWS OR SOMETHING? HAHAHAHA" Kenichi laughed out loud while holding his stomach with one hand.
Subaru: "HEY! THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING CHUUNI, THAT WAS BECAUSE OF... SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, OKAY?!" Subaru pointed his finger at him and then crossed his arms and grumbled, looking away.
Kenichi: "HAHAHAHA OF COURSE IT WAS, HOW CONVENIENT, RIGHT?" Kenichi continued to tease his chuuni son, while Naoko covered her mouth with her hand, as she had to admit that the current situation was a little funny.
The rest of the group began to smile, as the happiness radiating from the Natsukis began to spread to them, and although they didn't know what a "chuuni" was, the intention behind those words said it was something funny, and they began to giggle.
Subaru, who realized the current situation, also began to laugh, because for a moment, just for an instant, he could forget everything and just focus on enjoying the moment.
Subaru: *... How long has it been since I felt this way? So... free, it feels a little strange.* Subaru wiped the tears from his eyes caused by laughter and looked at his parents who were laughing.
They looked happy.
Subaru: *It's true... they spent over a year looking for me, they didn't eat well, they must have been constantly depressed because of me...* Subaru began to blame himself mentally, but quickly put those feelings aside.
Subaru was happy that, after everything his parents had been through, they were able to enjoy this moment of happiness after finding him again after a year.
But this happiness was miniscule compared to what they must have felt during the year Subaru was missing, so Subaru made a promise to himself.
He would stay with his parents and never abandon them, no matter what happened, in order to give them back all the happiness and love they deserved.
Even if the time came to say goodbye, perhaps forever, he would always remember and love them, just as they loved him.
He would do everything in his power to give them back even 1% of what they had done for him.
Because that was the kind of person Natsuki Subaru failed to become, but Natsuki Subaru would not give up on becoming that person.
...
...
...
Well, I finally finished this chapter, and before we wrap up, we need to have a little chat about a few things.
First, I hope you liked this chapter, which I know is shorter than usual (only 8k words), and nothing important happened, but there is an explanation.
While planning Subaru and the others' first day in Japan, I realized that there are TOO MANY things to explore, such as the explanation of their adventure, Shaula's return (I'll get to that now), and a little conversation I have planned, which I feel will be very important for Subaru's character and development.
Of everything I have planned for this day, keep in mind that the day hasn't even started yet, and the chapter is already this long. There could easily be more than 40k words in a single chapter, and although I know you would like that, it's not that easy for me, mainly because I couldn't get into the "flow state" (🥀💀), and these last few weeks the university semester is ending, and exams are raining down (literally, I have a math exam tomorrow that I haven't studied much for 😭).
So, since I didn't upload a chapter last week, and the chapter was going to be VERY, VERY LONG, I decided to upload this "short" chapter for now so that my house doesn't get bombarded.
By the way, the reason there was no chapter last week was because I was very sick and busy with homework, and although I'm better now, there's still a lot of homework to do at university, so there will probably be another 10k~ word chapter next week.
As for Shaula, she is still scheduled to return on "Day 1," but I don't know if it will be in the new chapter or the one after that, depending on how many words there are, so Shaula fans, don't worry, she hasn't been forgotten.
You'll probably find this chapter boring and very "mid," but I want to take my time developing the characters and not stray so far that they seem OOC (Out Of Character), so I hope you'll forgive me.
Yes, before you go and put it in the comments, saying that Jujutsu Kaisen was published years after Subaru's summoning, and that they shouldn't even know of its existence, since the current year in Japan would be around 2012, guess what. I DON'T CARE. Jujutsu Kaisen was published in 2008 in this universe, and that's that. (Same as Eminence in the Shadows)
If anyone comments saying that this is inaccurate, I promise I will go to their house at night and watch you sleep. You have been warned 😊.
Nah, just kidding (or not?!), anyway, point out any other errors in the dates if possible.
From now on, the upload date for each chapter will change from every Friday to every Sunday. It will still be a weekly update, but the chapters will probably be shorter, around 10k words.
Don't complain, though, you guys eat better than most fic authors, okay?
The issue of Subaru's "death" will be explained in the next chapter, and at the end of "Day 1," a very important event will take place.
(Spoiler: Subaru should be careful not to contradict himself in what he says, there may be things that never happened, or did they...?)
The next chapter will deal with Subaru's explanation of his "adventures" in another world, which kills two birds with one stone, and Rem will also take the opportunity to find out what happened while she was asleep.
Shaula may or may not appear in the next chapter, depending on the weather, ha ha ha.
By the way, while planning the scripts for future chapters, I realized that this fic is very ambitious, as I have MANY ideas for future chapters and arcs, so I will do my best.
For example, what is going to happen with the world of Re:Zero will be a very interesting topic to address, especially now that Satella is leaving the Pleiades Watchtower, and the rest of the characters are wondering where the conquest group is and what happened to them.
Another thing, remember that there is an English and Spanish version of this fic on the four platforms where the fic is published under the same profile "Zorretox" (FF net, Ao3, WebNovel, and Wattpad).
Comments section:
Well, while I was writing the fic and reading your comments, I thought I'd post a couple of comments here that I found funny or that I want to acknowledge. I don't know if you like the idea, so let me know, since I'll be reading the comments.
Ao3:
Skipbarusu Oh, hi Mom and Dad! I died about 58 times and was even eaten by thousands of rabbits! Oh, and I lost my memories and got them back, and now I don't consider myself the original Subaru natsuki! Cool right?
JamesKael
Btw, my own friends and allies have also assassinated me multiple times, BUT it was due to misunderstandings and accidents.
TheAwsomeManny
Rem over there bashed my skull in once and tortured me too then her sister sliced my throat with her wind magic. Patrasche bit my head off once, Meili tried killing me, and Anastasia once left me and Emilia's entire camp to die to the witch cult.
AverageReZeroFan
Lmao bro is accidentally going to bring something up at breakfast, immediately cooks himself. Especially if when he's retelling how his "isekai adventure" went, he contradicts himself at some point with a failed loop.
Kazulixo39
Good news Shaula is coming back!!!
Bad news she gonna meet Subaru parents and i doubt she gonna do a decent first impression.
Shoutout to these goats, and btw, i read every comment and is one of the best things while making a fic, so thank everyone for reading and supporting this fic, it means alot to me fr.
(Also, AverageReZeroFan, please remove your cameras from my house, i alr found one 🤨👀✌️🫵 and im getting all of em, cus theres no way u can predict this much about the future of the fic, you know way too much)
By the way, for those who read on WebNovel, please comment something. It feels a little sad that there are no comments, and I feel lonely :c
By the way, since the Spanish version of the fic on Wattpad and the English version on Ao3 are the most active, I propose a competition between the two.
Until Sunday, December 7, whoever has the most unique comments (without repeating themselves), not including my replies, will receive the chapter a little earlier and a small preview of the next one, which only the winner will receive.
Other platforms such as WebNovel and FF net are also invited to participate. The winner of these four will receive the preview.
New chapter date: December 7.
Remember that I always post about the status of the fic on Ao3 (Archive of Our Own), so they were the first to know about the chapter delay. If you're wondering if something happened to the fic, always check Ao3.
Ao3 (Spanish): https://archiveofourown.org/works/73726306/chapters/192237636#workskin
Ao3 (English): https://archiveofourown.org/works/73727676/chapters/192241456
(By the way, you're not allowed to go to the winning platform to read it, okay? I'm watching you 👀)
Translated using DeepL btw, please tell of any error so it can be edited.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading the chapter, and see you next Sunday!