I woke up in Subaru's room, sitting in my chair by the bed. My body was paralyzed. Fear and pain were etched onto my face, my heart was pounding relentlessly, and a cold sweat was running down my forehead.
Memories of my brutal death—the sound of chains, the agony of my limbs being torn off, the final shock of the morning star—flooded my mind. A wave of terror so intense swept over me that I fell from my chair, shaking all over.
Subaru, confused and shocked by my state, looked at me. He noticed that his own wounds and bandages were gone. He stood up and approached me, looking worried.
Subaru: "Why are you shaking like that? What happened to you?"
I couldn't answer. Fear held me captive, my death had been horrible, but questions swirled in my head.
Someone knocked at the door. I recognized the knock,it was probably Emilia, just like in the last loop.
Subaru: "Don't come in! I'm... I'm naked in my room. Please, you can leave for now."
The exchange with Subaru and the diversion allowed me to calm down a little, my trembling subsiding.
Me: (My eyes were wide with terror.) "Suba... Subaru, did you die too?"
Subaru: "Wait... Wait, you're right. I woke up without my bandages. But how is that possible? I finished my tasks and went to sleep. Why did I die?"
A question hit me, stinging like a whip, "If the world has been reset, is all my progress in vain? Are my contract with the spirits, my Yin and Yang spells, all my efforts for nothing?" I refused to accept this reality, but deep down, I knew it was true. The physical pain was gone, but the terror was real.
Subaru: (Confused and a little angry.) "Let's start all over again. Explain to me what happened to you and who did this to you."
Me: (My expression was scared, but slightly more relaxed.) "I think it's an assassin..."
« If I tell Subaru who the assassin is (Rem), I risk deviating from the original story and getting involved in a catastrophic "what if." I must keep it a secret, even though she killed me. »
Subaru: "An assassin? Why would an assassin want to kill you?"
I decided to avoid the question and answer vaguely, but with palpable urgency.
Me: "Subaru, there is... an assassin in the mansion. We must be careful. We must stick together."
The fear of the assassin and the horror of my death had to come after verifying my status.
Me: (I stood up abruptly, ignoring the residual pain of my imaginary death.) "I have to go. Now!"
Subaru: (He straightened up, confused.) "Go where? Wait a minute, who is the assassin? And why are you running?"
Me: "I'll explain later! Stay here, lock the door, and trust no one! Especially not..."
I stopped before uttering Rem's name.
Me: "Especially not if someone other than Emilia offers you overly kind help! I'll be back."
I rushed out of the room, leaving Subaru stunned. I had to reach the Forbidden Library. If my contract and my Quasi-Spirits had disappeared, then I was doubly in danger, I was weak, and I could no longer rely on training to survive.
I ran through the corridors, opening several random doors for tens of minutes until I finally found the right one.
I arrived in front of Beatrice. My face was drenched in sweat, and my red eyes fixed on Beatrice, who was sitting on a stool with a black book on her lap and looked annoyed.
Beatrice: "What are you doing again in Betty's library! I suppose. I helped you find your friend in exchange for sweets, and you come back to bother me?"
Me: (Out of breath, heart pounding.) "Mistress... I mean, Beatrice! Did we make a contract for you to teach me magic?"
She looked at me as if I were crazy, her eyebrows furrowed.
Beatrice: "What are you talking about to Betty! We never talked about a contract or about Betty wasting her time with a public waste like you to teach him magic! Get out now!"
The truth hit me hard. Zero contract. Zero learning. Zero Quasi-Spirits. The reset was total. Only the Pure Mana that was part of my constitution remained, and the memory of the days of training was now lost.
I stepped back, my hands trembling. I was back to the beginner I was the day I arrived.
Me: (Whispering, my voice broken.) "Okay... sorry, Beatrice."
I left the library, the feeling of failure mixing with the terror of past death. The danger was here, and I was defenseless again.
I walked down the corridor, haunted by the bloody memory of my death and the weight of my weakness. I had returned to the start, but with terrifying information and a countdown ,Rem's attack would occur in about five days.
Five days. That was the time I had to physically re-train, resume my Pure Mana exercises, and above all, find a way to convince Beatrice to teach me magic. I couldn't afford to waste a minute.
Since Subaru had been vaguely warned and was supposed to stay safe in his room, I now had to return to normal life so as not to arouse suspicion.
I headed toward the main living room. Fear still constricted my throat, but I forced it to turn into concentration. If I wanted to survive, I had to play the role of Subaru's clumsy friend.
I reached the dining room. Emilia, Ram, and... Rem were there. My presence immediately interrupted the conversation.
Emilia: "Trizz! Where did you go? Subaru came back a while ago, very agitated. He said you needed to talk to him. Is everything alright?"
Ram: (Her gaze, usually cold, was slightly more piercing.) "You two share a tiresome tendency for morning agitation. Ram hopes you won't cause trouble for Roswaal-sama."
I felt my body stiffen as I saw Rem. She was there, smiling, offering tea. The image of the morning star crushing my head flashed in my vision. I looked away.
Me: (I quickly put together an excuse, forcing a look of contrition.) "I... I'm sincerely sorry. I was struck by a morning panic attack. I had a terrible, very realistic nightmare, and I thought I had lost something important."
I patted my pockets and feigned a sigh of relief.
Me: "Everything is fine now. Subaru is just worried."
« I no longer have the luxury of training. The five days are crucial. I must first find a strategy. The phone and the stone are useless. My only path is magic. »
(Time Skip...)
I sat down next to Beatrice again, but this time, I didn't respond to her knowing smirk. I was too lost in thought, desperately looking for a way to resolve this loop.
Roswaal repeated the same speech about the royal family and the selection Emilia was participating in. As in the previous loop, I chose to be an indefinite guest and asked to learn to read and write with Subaru every night. Subaru made the same request as me, unaware of my warning.
Shortly after lunch, I found myself alone with Emilia and Subaru in the garden. This was the perfect opportunity to redo the zero point of my training.
Me: "Hello, Emilia. What a beautiful day, isn't it?"
Emilia turned to me.
Emilia: "Hi, Trizz. Yes, you're right, the weather is nice today."
Me: "Emilia, I have a question."
Emilia: "Yes, what is it?"
Me: "Could you help me with the spirits, since I have an affinity with them?"
Emilia: (Surprised and visibly happy.) "People who have an affinity with spirits are very rare. I'm happy for you, and yes, of course, I can help you!"

Me: "I knew I could trust you, Emilia."
Subaru remained silent, thinking about what I had told him about the assassin in the room. I performed the same action as in the previous loop, and I managed to gain two lesser spirits again. I thanked Emilia and returned to the mansion, eager to find Beatrice.
As soon as I entered, Beatrice stood in front of me, as if she knew I was coming.
« That's strange. Last loop, she was in her library. Is it because I arrived earlier? »
Me: (Sweat beaded on my forehead from my run and apprehension.) "Yo, Beatrice, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be in your library..."
Beatrice: "Stop talking, human. Did you want to ask Betty something?"
I was perplexed and shocked by her foresight, but I didn't have time to dwell on it.
Me: "How do you know? It doesn't matter. I want you to teach me magic. In exchange, I'll make you sweets, clean your library twice a day, and you'll take a part of my mana. Do you accept?"
Beatrice: (She gave a knowing smirk.) "No. You will clean Betty's library three times a day and make me two dishes of sweets a day."
« What?! This is worse than the first loop! Does she sense my desperation, or what? »
Me: (I put on a forced smile, feeling the servitude grow heavier, but it was the only way.) "I accept your terms, Mistress Beatrice."
Beatrice: "Be happy that Betty is in a good mood today. Now, go to the kitchen, hum... I mean, Trizz!"
I had a contract again. But if I wanted to master Shamak and Aka in time to defend myself, I had no choice but to accept.
(Time Skip...)
I then headed to Beatrice's library to begin my forced lessons. I had a heavier contract, but a clear goal: survival.
Beatrice taught me two specific spells, going beyond the basics.
First, she taught me Aka (Yang), a simple buff spell. It was easy to master thanks to my Gate. It allowed me to increase my strength, my speed, or enhance the effectiveness of a weapon temporarily.
Then, she showed me Minya (Yin). This spell was much more difficult. It's an advanced technique to create a small projectile that, according to Beatrice, has the ability to freeze mana or slightly alter the time of an object. I struggled to understand the concept of time alteration, even if I managed to produce the projectile.
[Later, at nightfall...]
I joined Subaru in his room, finding him agitated as expected. He had had all day to stew over my warning.
Subaru: "So, what killed me was a curse?"
Me: "Yes. Tomorrow, or rather now, we need to earn Rem and Ram's trust so they don't see us as spies from a rival camp. If they trust us, they might let their guard down, and they are our best bodyguards, even if one of them is the danger."
Subaru: "You know, Trizz, I still have a hard time believing an assassin killed you... especially after seeing you run around like crazy and saying not to trust anyone."
Me: "Me too. If you had died before me, I would agree with you. But I can tell you the pain was real, Subaru. And the assassin is fast and brutal. We only have a few days to integrate and find a loophole, or we will both die."
I felt the weight of the secret pressing on me, but I had to maintain it to avoid chaos.
Day 2: (Time Skip)
I repeated my tasks and learned magic with Beatrice for five hours. Afterward, I took advantage of the rest of the afternoon to train in the forest, pushing my physical limits and instincts to the maximum.
At nightfall, I returned to the mansion, my clothes soaked with sweat and dirt. I went straight to the bathroom, then to my room without speaking to anyone, not even Subaru. Every minute was dedicated to my magical and instinctive training to avoid dying again.
Shortly after I came in, Subaru pulled me aside. He pushed me into an isolated corner and whispered with new gravity, as if he had spent the day thinking.
Subaru: "Listen, I get it. The assassin is too fast for us. If you died in one blow after exhausting yourself and panicking, we can't avoid it. We have to sacrifice this loop to get more information in the next one."
Me: (I nodded. It was the most logical strategy, but the hardest to accept.) "Okay. What do you suggest?"
Subaru: "The assassin attacked you inside, at night. I can't leave the mansion, but if we know who the killer is, we can outsmart them. The assassin is probably Rem. If so, she'll probably kill us on the fifth day for some reason. I need to leave before that."
Me: "Leave where?"
Subaru: "I have an idea. The assassin won't kill you if I'm not there, according to my theory. I'm going to leave the mansion on the fourth day under a false pretense. If I don't die, we might succeed this loop, but the Return by Death (the spawn point) seems linked to the mansion."
Me: "And who will help me determine if it's really Rem?"
Subaru: "I believe that's my role. I'll leave the mansion on the fourth day to verify the assassin's true identity. If I have to die, it will be far from Emilia and you to avoid any risk."
Day 3: (Time Skip)
I repeated the same activities, but this time, I took a wooden sword into the forest to train with and test the Aka spell.
I quickly made an interesting discovery. When using Aka, my aura turned white, giving me an instant strength buff. However, when I concentrated my own Stamina or my Pure Mana, another aura manifested ,a red aura.
This red aura was different from the white aura of the Aka spell.
It allowed me to increase my strength and speed by consuming both my physical stamina and my mana.
Trizz (Internal): "I see I have a skill like Subaru, but it's different. My skill is not just remembering the loops, but also a hidden skill that allows me to use my Pure Mana as a physical catalyst. This is my Isekai power."
It was an interesting discovery. Assimilating this technique had taken me seven days in total (counting the days of the failed loop). I couldn't channel it onto a weapon, so I decided to only use it as a last resort.
I then moved on to the most difficult training,replicating the surgical attack of Elsa the psychopath. I remembered the surgical precision, not brute force. The attack had to be a whisper, not a shout.
I lunged at a tree trunk. My hand, armed with the wooden sword and reinforced by my red aura, described a perfect arc, aiming for the same spot just below the midline of the trunk.
Trizz: (Gasping) "No... not fast enough."
I stepped back, frustrated. I repeated the movement. Again. And again.
I struck the bark with the intention of hitting the inside, not the surface. I was looking for that feeling that the blow was an idea, not a collision. Elsa's blade cut through the outer defense and made the soul of the body bleed.
Trizz (Internal): "I saw it. I saw the blow she struck. An injury waiting for its time, a failure that only appears when the adrenaline subsides. I am capable of analyzing every movement, every angle, every intention. My brain (pride) tells me it's possible."
I lunged forward for the twentieth time. The impact was dry and precise. I backed away, staring at the bark. The mark was there, a new scratch on the wood. I waited, my jaws clenched.
Nothing.
The tree didn't bleed. It didn't waver. It remained perfectly still, indifferent to the will of the good-for-nothing I was.
Trizz: (I struck the wooden sword in frustration.) "Another failure! I understand the kinetics, the pressure... What's missing? A magical secret? A Divine Protection that allows the phantom strike?"
I stopped training on Elsa's moves. I had two days before Subaru's death, and I had to focus on what I could master: Yin and Yang.
Day 4: (Time Skip)
I repeated the same training activities, concentrating my Yin and Yang magic to maximize my chances. Today is Day 4, the crucial day when Subaru must leave the mansion to try to avoid the reset and give me a head start.
I finished my training earlier than planned and retrieved a rusty but usable sword as a weapon. I waited until sunset to join Subaru in the forest, hoping to catch him before the assassin struck.
But I was too late. Rem was already there.

I spotted her, her face contorted with pure rage. She was holding her Morgenstern, the chain already taut, ready to strike. She had noticed my presence.
Rem: (Her face was twisted with hatred, the Demon horn hadn't come out yet, but her fury was palpable.) "What are you doing here? Do you want to save one of your Cult companions?"
I had no time left for hesitation. My goal was to understand the source of the hostility before dying.
Me: "I'm not going to waste my time. But why did you attack Subaru? And why are you so angry in my presence?"
Rem: (She almost spat out her words.) "Your scent and your friend's are the same as those of the... Witch's Cult! But... yours is much more dangerous, cultist!"
"I understand better. It's because of the miasma. The riddle is solved. But if I have the miasma, does that mean I also have an Authority? But which one? This confirms my theory that skills are not the cause of the Return by Death."
Rem didn't give me time to think. She threw her Morgenstern at me. I managed to dodge her attack thanks to my enhanced instincts and the speed provided by my Red Aura, which I activated instantly.
I used the "Aka" spell to increase the force of my strike, and I charged Rem with my rusty sword. She dodged and parried my attacks. I then cast Minya, the small Yin projectile, and she avoided it by jumping back.
I saw my chance (she is much weaker in close combat without her horn.)
I charged again, focusing on speed. I managed to reach her,my sword cut her arm. But the victory was brief.
She quickly healed herself with her Water Magic, her face showing a mix of pain, rage, and surprise at my abilities. Her surprise at my abilities turned into doubled fury.
Rem: (Her smile was gone, replaced by animal rage. She took a step back and prepared to launch a new attack.) "You are more dangerous than I thought. But you will not leave here alive, Disciple of the Cult!"
She swung her Morgenstern above her head, the spiked ball whistling dangerously.
Knowing Rem was fast, I didn't try close combat again. I activated my Red Aura, strengthening myself to the maximum, and backed away, placing my hand in front of me.
Me: "If it's energy you want, I'll give you some! "Jiwald!" "
A bright yellow light burst from my hand, condensing into a focused beam. Rem, caught off guard by the speed of the Yang spell, used her Morgenstern to deflect the beam, the metal of the chain twisting under the intensity of the heat. The maneuver was effective, but she lost her balance for a moment.
It was the opening.
Me: (I followed up without catching my breath.) "El Jiwald!"
This time, the Yang spell was not a beam, but a massive burst of pure, blinding energy. The explosion of light hit the spot where Rem had just moved. She was forced to use her Water Magic to erect an ice wall in front of her, slowing the impact of "El Jiwald", but the force of the shock violently threw her against a tree, making her drop her Morgenstern which sank into the ground.
As the blast faded, I heard a scream. I turned my head toward where Subaru had gone to see him. He was on the ground, pale-faced, looking at his legs.
Subaru: (Confused and shocked, he yelled.) "Don't kill her, Trizz!"
My gaze fell on Subaru, lying on the ground, missing a leg. Rem's attack had reached him before my confrontation.
Me: (My voice was hard, emotionless.) "Look what she did to you. Even if I had tried not to kill her, she would have taken this opportunity to..."
I didn't have time to finish my sentence. I dodged a sharp ice crystal attack with a jump. It was Rem's water magic, launched from her position on the ground.
Rem: (Her voice was filled with unwavering rage despite the pain.) "Don't ignore me, cultist!"
I instantly retaliated, casting Shamak to avoid the continuous ice shots. The black fog spread, offering a brief respite and masking Rem. I waited for the moment when I knew she must have finished casting Huma (major ice spells).
I fired a powerful El Jiwald through the fog, aiming for her stomach to neutralize her. The cry of pain was muffled, and silence returned.
I rushed over to Subaru.
I sat down heavily next to Subaru, catching my breath. The use of Aka, the Red Aura, Jiwald, and two El Jiwalds had exhausted me.
Me: "Subaru, are you okay?"
His face was distorted by pain and the shock of his injury, as well as the violence of my fight.
Subaru: (He panted.) "Is she alive?"
Me: "Yes. She must still be in the black fog. She is unconscious and neutralized, but try to land on my..."
I couldn't finish my sentence. The fatigue was too overwhelming. I collapsed onto the ground next to Subaru.
"I survived, but Subaru is mortally wounded and Rem is neutralized. We are at the end of Day 4. Night is coming."
Ram arrived running, her eyes fixed on her inert sister, then on me and Subaru. The air around her grew heavy, charged with a bloodlust and pure rage that, thanks to my instinct, I felt instantly. This fury was much more intense than the hatred Rem directed at me—it came from a place of loss and vengeance.

Ram: (Her voice was icy, a deadly whisper.) "Rem..."
She knelt near her sister's unconscious body, completely ignoring Subaru, who was moaning in pain for the moment. Her hand brushed Rem's forehead, then settled on the smoking cut that the "El Jiwald" spell had left on Rem's uniform. The wound, although superficial, testified to the violence of the attack.
Ram: (She looked up, her single visible eye fixed on me. The fury was there, but mixed with deep sadness.) "You dared to hurt my sister. Trizz!... Ram will make you regret you were ever born."
The atmosphere grew heavier still, the wind suddenly rising, whistling through the trees. It was Ram's magic, a concentrated gust of wind that threatened to slice everything. I was exhausted from my previous fight; I no longer had the energy to cast another powerful El Jiwald.
Me: (I got up with difficulty, my body shaking from fatigue. I pointed at Subaru.) "She attacked Subaru first! She mutilated him! She wanted to kill us both because of an odor! I defended myself!"
Ram didn't even glance at Subaru, whose leg was bloody. Loyalty to her sister took precedence over everything.
Ram: "Rem is the only one here with the right to judge. You are a monster, Trizz, you reek of the scent of madness. Die."
Ram: "Fura!"
A sharp, invisible, and violent wind swept down on me. It was a short-range Wind spell, intended to lacerate.
I couldn't dodge it completely. I threw myself backward, but the invisible blade of the wind cut my cheek. The pain was sharp, and blood spurted.
Trizz (Internal): "That's her power. She's fast, and I'm running on empty! I have to go all in."
I only had a fraction of mana left; everything else was tied up in my physical exhaustion. I couldn't heal myself.
Me: "Shamak!"
The Yin fog spread, fast and dark, instantly hiding Subaru and Ram.
The effect of Shamak is not a physical veil, but an intense sensory distortion. Ram was plunged into a sudden night, where sight, hearing, and even the sense of direction were twisted. However, as I had forgotten, Ram was a gifted Oni and a wind mage. She couldn't remain disoriented for long.
Ram: (Her voice resonated, cold and troubled, through the illusion.) "A Yin spell... What a ridiculous trick. A disciple of the Cult has only the cunning of a child!"
In the moment of confusion, Ram focused, using her Wind magic not to attack, but to purify the air around her. The Fura swept away the illusion like a gust.
I only had a few seconds' head start. I collapsed next to Subaru, my hand pressed against the blood-soaked ground. My face was cut, my magic exhausted, my body on the verge of fainting.
Me: (I whispered, my voice hoarse.) "Subaru... Are you okay? Hold on."
Subaru didn't answer. I placed my hand on his chest. His heart was beating weakly and erratically. His face was pale, not from confusion, but from shock and fatal blood loss. The leg injury was too severe, inflicted by Rem.
"It's over. He won't survive. He's going to die now."
I could feel a sensation on Subaru's chest as if a person was placing their hand on his chest. My work was done.
The "Shamak" quickly dissipated under the force of Ram's purifying wind. She appeared, her face again distorted, with the pure fury of a wounded beast. She had spotted me, weak and next to her other victim.
Ram: (She raised her hand, a whirlwind of wind accumulating at her fingertips. It was a final, stronger spell, undoubtedly intended to dismember me.) "Die! Ul Fura!"
At that precise moment, Subaru's heart stopped.
END OF CHAPTER V
author: "What did you think of this chapter?"