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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Greetings From the Holy One (Prologue chapter.)

Ashes… Fire… Rubble… Devastation… Ruin… Elimination… wreckage…

"…*Deep Breathing* God Fucking damn it…" A wounded man spoke as he laid out on the remnants of a demolished car. Havoc and desolation surrounded the bleeding man. Wounds littered his body from all sides.

"God *cough!* fuck-*Cough*-ing damn it!" The tattered clothed man struggled to breathe out of his crushed lungs, spitting out blood and bits of food as he tried to speak, deciding that it was better to keep his pipes used importantly for the much-needed air instead of filling it with bits of his dissolving guts and bleeding innards.

He softly turned his head to take in more of the sight that tore him. The effort it took him not to sob so he wouldn't disturb his desolated injured body was intense, but the tears kept flowing down his scarred cheeks, the pain of the wounds his body had accumulated had nothing to do with his emotional breakdown.

It was the sight that was scarring him, torturing him, breaking him, making him want to do nothing but scream.

The sight of the bodies bleeding out beneath the wreckage of the buildings that fell over.

Bodies of little school kids that happened to be in the same school he blew up with his magic.

The same magic…

the same attack…

"You really shouldn't have dodged that one, little Jack." A deep, hoarse, and itching voice boomed and filled the world around the bleeding man.

He didn't turn, he didn't acknowledge the godly echoing voice or its owner.

Jack only kept his eyes on the heavily crushed face of a little girl, staring at him with glassy eyes.

"Hmmm, I did tell you that your intervention would make things worse. You shouldn't have disturbed Flugel's plan, Jack."

A dark, colossal shadow covered Jack's broken form.

The man couldn't face the giant entity, he couldn't turn his head for his neck was burned, couldn't stand to face him for his legs were crushed beyond holding a shape, his arms weren't usable because they were completely burned all over and covered with slash wounds that bled.

The less we talk about his face and midsection would be the better, no one could handle the sight of melting guts…

I doubt anyone would be able to describe it in words either.

Jack's tearful eyes closed, his expression unseen because of all the blood that covered him.

"Ah," the giant beast sounded in amusement, probably raising an eyebrow while looking down at the broken man. "I see you've given up. Wouldn't have been a surprise if you weren't a mere mortal."

The dying man didn't give any reaction to the amused mocking of the deeply voiced beast.

"Hm," the beast mused, "this isn't much fun when you're not able to reply rudely to me." The beast's voice sounded almost offended by the fact that the man was ignoring him.

"I guess… you should be punished immediately… They're all anxious to get their hands on you… Especially little Flu and Tella… I highly doubt she would be the one in control when you are thrown at her mercy… Such a troublesome side effect her mind had to uphold."

Jack stayed silent as he let the beast continue to muse by himself.

Memories between the both of them played.

"But you know why Satella is the way she is, don't you, Jack?" The scaled entity stopped looking at the outskirts of the destroyed Tokyo and gazed at the smudge of blood that he recognized as the little troublesome person that caused all of this.

"You made her take that dangerous curse. You made her turn her soul for the darkness of an incompatible authority. What happened 400 years ago. What was brought upon our worlds… It was all because of you."

The hot, melting air that was exhaled out of the beast's nose covered his wounds and broken body parts.

The fearsome, reprimanding creature faced its snout downward towards Jack.

"Not only did you decide to come back after all of that, but you also managed to interfere with Flugel's plan to fix your mistakes and took Subaru away into another one of your nasty interventions… you took him away from Satella's grasp… AGAIN!" The roar was strong enough to tumble a few more of Tokyo's building crashing down.

Jack remained silent.

The mountainous Dragon took a deep breath, but he didn't exhale, only closing its snout for a moment, the faint flare of blue fire emitted out of his lips and nostril with faint smoke trailing out.

The beast's mouth opened and imitated a small pit of hell that had just opened as its insides burned from the inner parts of its cheeks to the opening of its throat with blue fires stretching all over.

"Now," the holy dragon telepathically spoke inside of the soon-to-be-burned man's head, "I shall give you a merciful end… better for me to end you than let the others have their turns." Although the dragon sounded a bit sympathetic, his fury was still deeply engraved in the delivery as he increased the flames bolstering inside of his throat.

Settling to make his head turn, ignoring the ever-burning pain that was scorching from his pumping head as it had been smashed a few too many times against various surfaces after a run-in with an angry Envy possessed half-elf. Opening one of his swollen eyes, the bleeding youth faced the mighty dragon with his eye barely holding open.

Jack's tearful eyes closed, his head was settled against the rubble, his limps fell limp, his expression went calm… Jack Winston has given up the fight in a 500-year-old struggle.

"After your death, Subaru and the important pieces of Flugel's puzzle will be returned to the timeline you ruined." Volcanica delivered emotionlessly and hacked his throat to make his flames intensify.

Towering over the broken human, the dragon glared down with its sharp eyes at Jack.

"You were wise to finally give up this fight. With you gone, Flugel has one less enemy to worry about, our perfect future is finally at hand."

"Uh… hagh…"

The dragon stared in silence at the youth as he finally tried to speak, with some trouble because his damaged body wouldn't let him.

"Wh-...Who said… that I gave up?"

…

…

…

The menacing sharp eyes narrowed, the scaled snout turned snarling as Volcanica's mouth flared with combusting flames.

He was supposed to be a broken, dying, bleeding man, waiting to be burned to death from the holy dragon's mercy, Jack Winston, the Warden of his theater, should have given up at this moment for this is no fight he could put up that could save him at this moment.

But Volcanica was ignorant to one fact, this was a person that had nothing to lose. And because the dragon couldn't understand this crucial fact, he stared at the smirking boy beneath him with sheer bewilderment.

"Why are you still fighting this, Jack?" The holy dragon has been trying to kill this boy for eons. He had seen this boy's nastiness and unmatched tenacity to survive…

"What… are you planning?" Now closing his snout, the dragon stared the human down with ferocity and anger as he demanded to know why he still held hope.

Jack softly gazed back towards the bodies of those he failed to save… The children that were killed because he had dodged all of the blasts…

His fists shook, the boy's eyes narrowed as raging fury and determination filled them.

The holy dragon didn't know what it was, maybe the sheer strength the boy was showing, maybe it was simply curiosity the ancient entity had for what the little human has planned to get out. No matter what it was, the boy had no qualms or powers to use anymore, his hold over the theater should be weakened enough so that one of the strong candidates or knights to escape. Even Satella let the shadow Witch have control when facing him, the boy wasn't even worth the effort in her eyes.

As the dragon pondered how pathetic and weak the Warden had become ever since he started this fight, he couldn't see the small human as he forced his upper body up so he could gain some semblance of control over this situation.

"I...I'm doing all of this… for… " Jack struggled to speak as his mouth overflowed with blood, "It's all for this world, Volca-sama."

"DON'T CALL ME BY THAT NAME!" The holy guardian howled ferociously as it stood atop the human.

"You have no right to say that to me. That was what my friend used to call me, that friend betrayed me, betrayed us, and killed my daughter's love to please his ego."

Jack ignored the spiting venom the godlike beast howled towards him, he kept the tears in and stared up once again, meeting the sight of Volcanica's smiting gaze with his guilt yet determined own.

"I never denied my crime. I know what I've done to you, to Subaru, to Tell-… Satella… But you have to believe me, Flugel's plan is not what you need to fix this world."

"HE'S DOING MORE THAN YOU'VE EVER DARED TO DO!"

"HE'S KILLING EVERYONE YOU OLD FOOL! YOU, ME, SATELLA, NO ONE WILL BE SPARED!"

"Flugel's plan has flaws, yes. But he's always done what he could for the greater good."

"HA! Greater good my ass! Look around you, what did this world do to deserve all of this destruction? Answer me why Earth was punished for Lugunica's disruption?!"

"You don't get to talk about Earth or Lugunica after what you caused them, Winston. You've lost all dignity to do so when you escaped here to hide from us."

"SO YOU KILL FUCKING CHILDREN?!"

"We did what we had to do."

The younger man stared at the dragon with a burning, raging look filled with hate and pure frustration.

The ancient guardian simply stared the human down with disdain clear in his sharp eyes.

It was clear that this won't be solved over something like morality, they both were too different to take this road as a solution.

"You asked me why I think I can escape from you?" The bleeding Warden held his head low, muttering emotionlessly, coldly.

"You won't escape from here, Jack. You've lost." Volcanica stated softly and a little sympathetically, ready to burn the boy to crisp.

"Let me show you why little Fluy can't be trusted."

The dragon emitted a sound of disappointment and tiresome. "You can't change m-"

"Roswaal kills you."

…

…

…

"What?" The old wise dragon raised a brow and gave the beaten human all of his attention.

Jack slowly… smirked in triumph.

"Did you know that I'm showing the events of their world? Of this timeline that Flugel created? Do you know that at the end of it, you would be the clown's pet? Killed by him for a goal that's not even real."

…

…

…

Jack's smirk widened as the dragon fell to silence, his heart was crash beating into his broken ribs, his mouth was filled with blood and some of his bleeding guts… but oh, how setting this old fool into a coma of silence was worth it.

"If it is what must be done. I sha-"

"Course you would agree, but I know for a fact how much you hate the idea of losing your life to that creep. But that's not the only thing Flugel robbed from you."

"Robbed? What are you-"

"Why do you think Flugel told you to give him control over the dragon stone after Farsel's line was dead? He chose the select five candidates using your name, right?"

"Those five candidates were the exact ones I had already chosen before Flugel asked for them to be nam-"

"There's a sixth."

The holy dragon lowered its head and glared sternly at the human male. "What?"

"While you gave Flugel control so he could create whatever he saw as the most perfect of timelines, you gave away the chance to make a timeline where everyone can be saved, where the kingdoms of the world would find peace and Envy could be defeated without any massive loss of life needed. One where Satella is happy."

Volcanica's gaze narrowed as his claws dug through the vacant streets beneath him. "You mean… There's a world where I was the one planning the events?"

Softly shaking his head, Jack looked at the dragon with as much sincerity as he could. "No, you only made one different choice that derailed the world's events into a newer much cleaner timeline where things went differently for this Subaru's sake. A timeline where you ignored Flugel's plan for once and chose to trust your merit to make a sixth person the dragon maiden for the throne."

"…"

"…"

The dragon and bleeding human stared at one another with no emotion clear on any of their expressions.

Only the distant voices of ghostly screams from Tokyo's residents that had died because of Envy's wrath could be heard… to Jack they were heard, at least. And they shall be remembered.

Volcanica's gaze softened and his eyes closed.

"I don't believe you."

Jack's head fell, lowered in disappointment as his fists shook in anger and frustration.

"… But I do want to see this through."

"What the hell are yo-"

"Show me that world, that choice I decided to make that set things in a greater direction… "

Jack's eyes widened and his bloodied jaw hung low, his mouth trialed overflowing blood but he didn't care, the holy dragon himself stared the boy down with his claw inched closer before him.

Menacingly and proudly, the god towered over the broken Warden with his claw outstretched for one last chance.

"If what you say is true, and these events that could've come to pass were better for my Subaru and Tella… Then I shall help you… Od has been trying to convince us to stop siding with Flugel for eons… maybe that's why I'm hearing a monster such as you out."

Receiving a gesture of kindness yet still able to read the sheer amount of disdain his old mentor held towards him, Jack could only shake his head and softly raise his battered, burnt arm to touch the dragon's claw.

"I will be showing you that timeline at a speed faster than the others… I need to finish this quick before She comes."

The ancient god simply nodded and let the human cast his only magic… the magic of (=====).

And with that…

Warden had a holy dragon on his side.

Jack Winston, was one step closer to beating Flugel.

Next chapter,

The dragon's demand.

Confusing? I know.

This was just a fun project being made by both me and ArcherfromAnor who owns the story.

Yes, we only made this so we can start another shitty trend in the fanfiction community.

Come at me.

Chapter Text

Dragon's Candidate Chapter 1

Author's note:

Just a few more words from us two authors of this reaction.

We know it may start a new trend, this fiction isn't the only one that would deserve reactions after all.

But please, before you do anything.

Ask the Author First.

We are doing this fiction because we are working together on this. Because we both accepted.

No matter how much you love a fiction and you want to see or make a reaction about one, do not do anything before contacting the said author first. It is a question of respect and consent, we hope for you all to understand this.

Thank you

"Betty will not have any of it, I suppose!"

"But it's what Subaru-sama would've wanted!"

"Don't come closer to Betty or I swear you'll regret it, I suppose!"

The shrill scream of one Beatrice, the great spirit of shadow magic, filled the hallways of the theater. The twin-tailed blonde spirit was shown running through a room with a panicking expression on her adorable face.

"What is going on in here?!" Seeing her opportunity for escape, Beatrice quickly jumped away from her chaser and ran out of the door, convinced that the startled stern beast-woman was standing in the doorway.

Frederica didn't need to give the great spirit a second glance, choosing to glare at a far easier-to-catch troublemaker with her hands on her hips, "What's going on here, Petra-chan?"

The cute little maid quickly blushed in embarrassment and hid her two hands behind her back, a child getting caught for doing something inappropriate, "N-Nothing at all Frederica-sama! Beatrice-sama was just being mean again!"

"I do recall us agreeing that lying was a bad thing, Petra-chan."

The small maid could only flinch, the stern look Frederica was shooting at her reminded the village girl of her own mother when she was disappointed by her actions.

lowering her head down, a defeated expression almost like a pout, the small maid lowered her arms from behind her back and showed the older maid what she had in her grip.

Frederica gave a confused hum as she recognized the item, bunny-ears.

"Why do you have that? And why were you chasing Beatrice-sama with it?" Asked the confused blonde maid.

Petra only gave an embarrassed squeak and sighed in frustration, her adorable cheeks red, "I just wanted to make Subaru-sama a bit happier when he wakes up today! I remembered how cheerful he looked when Beatrice-sama and Emilia-sama had these on and I wanted him to have that huge smile as soon as he woke up and saw it on them both!"

Frederica blinked with bafflement, "Why wouldn't Subaru-sama be happy?"

Petra's eyes seemed to dim slightly, her frown replacing her soft maturing facial features as her gaze fell to the ground, "I just need to see him cheerful… I can't look at those eyes of his the same way again… "

"Petra..." Looking at the little girl, anyone from a mile away can tell that she had seen something so horribly wrong that her entire aura seemed almost colorless from the darkness that had befallen her, the little girl was simply in despair and barely hanging on by a thread.

"Petra-chan… It's not on you to hold this," Frederica spoke with a hurting motherly tone, hugging the small girl with her arms and lowering herself to fully embrace the girl, not questioning why the little girl such a look… the reason was clear on all those in this theater, Frederica need not question it… Just try to help as best she could.

"I wanted to be there..." The small girl trembled, her voice on the verge of breaking, "I-...I wanted to be on that hill as well… with Subaru… " Petra whimpered with her tears fully leaking on her chubby cheeks as she held the ear band tightly, not feeling the need to keep up an honorific that she didn't care for just for her status when mentioning the boy who'd saved her time and time again.

Frederica closed her eyes, and patted the girl's head in comfort, remembering the last viewing session and the hill-side scene that it ended on, showing the happiest of endings for the hero who suffered for so long.

"He deserved so much more than that! Emilia-sama is kind, but she doesn't understand how much pain he was in… I...I do… yet I wasn't able to help him either..."

Staying silent, Frederica let the younger maid shout her grief into her embrace, feeling all of the confusing mash of emotions the little girl was holding inside for so long.

"I don't wanna see him die again..." Petra gave a heart-wrenching sob, "I just want to see him smile and laugh again… be happy again… "

"I understand." Giving her a small nod that nudged the tip of her head with her chin, Frederica simply held the poor girl as she cried, "We all want him to be happy as well… And the hero that saved us will wake up soon… You could have your own moment where he smiles after that. But you must be strong. You must be the one to pull him out of his cursed darkness. We will all be trying our best as well, but you must be strong, Petra."

"How can I? After what he's been through… It's not good to keep everything in by himself!"

"He's not by himself, infact."

Before the older maid can refute what the village girl had said, the shrill voice of an upset girl sounded throughout the room.

"Beatrice-sama?" Glancing at the doorway, the once cowering spirit girl was now standing with a look of outclassing determination on her pouting face.

Petra only met her with a confused teary-eyed look.

"You think you're the only one entitled to give him help because you have feelings for him, but doesn't that make you just the same as those so-called dragon maidens in the other room, I wonder?"

"I'm not like them! I want to help Subaru-sama not use him!"

"Help him with what, infact?"

Petra's words fell silent, Beatrice's intimidating glare sitting a sense of helplessness within her, she couldn't argue back.

"You're not a strong half-elven princess, not even a smart merchant queen that helped free an army of slaves by just her wits, you can't even hold a conversation without stuttering, much less try to get someone with the deepest of walls around his soul to talk, I suppose. You are not going to be any good for Betty's contractor alone, infact."

At the elegant spirit girl's words, Petra only flinched harder and harder until she sunk, her hopes and determination crushed by the cruel perfect argument the spirit beat into her. A normal, insignificant, peasant little girl with no power or authority, she couldn't help the boy who suffered through hell itself. Images haunted the small girl's head, drowning her by nightmares of what her hero's been through.

She could not help him, she could not be of any importance to him.

Just a village girl.

"Not if you're alone, infact."

Petra's eyes could only widen as Beatrice's smirk did the same.

"I'd rather not have that discussion with you," a man said, briefly showing a hint of amusement in his tone.

"C'mon, you gotta tell me how ya did tha' jump!" A brutish young man shouted with a broken accent, appearing to be excited.

"This is hardly the place or time for that, I don't intend to bore myself with the details."

"You're really a bad teaser Julius-san~."

"Pardon?"

In the far right side of the dimmed theater, three young men from different factions were conversing fondly with each other with the rest of the filled room being ignored by them, Julius Juukilius, Otto Swen, and Garfiel Tanzeil all sat in their own little corner, conversing with each other after having seen the last of Subaru's arc 3. They did not know why they were called arcs but each arc seemed to represent a part of Subaru's journey or significantly dangerous situations that he had to overcome, much to the regret of the three friends.

"Cap'n's poses are the best! But I have to learn how ya used the air to jump like that!"

Julius simply sighed in his seat with a small smirk reaching his lips, enjoying how the blonde beast boy looked at him like one would a teacher or a child would look at a hero, he was not worthy of such a look of course, but the attention was appreciated since it was a hard move to master on Julius' part. The move-in question was that of the one he had used against the vile Archbishop of Sloth during the very last showing the screen had just finished projecting a few mere hours ago.

"Can't believe that the last one was the end of it… We've been watching this entire ARC for so long now, I can't even remember the ones that came before it."

Both, Julius and Garfiel stopped their gig and looked towards the muttering merchant boy, his eyes looking glassy yet determined. The boy remembered almost all of the horrors his brother had to endure, his expression showed every bit of relief seeping through his heart for it being over.

The two thought the same of course, both of them.

Seeing the boy's journey was an excruciating experience for everyone in this room, many of them went through a plethora of changes mentally that would've never been accomplished had it not been for the Warden's truth.

Especially the tired merchant boy and the bruised knight…

Julius held a hand to his cheek and frowned as he remembered how he acquired it, for the foolish action he was hastily taking after watching what the warden called Viewing episode 12 right before watching the final session of Subaru's arc 3. (I'm referencing an event that happened in the reactions of chapter 15 in whdaaa)

"I hope that heals well," a friendly, guilty sounding man pulled Julius out of his revere, "Sorry if I'd startled you, I just thought I may need company since… well… " The trio stared at Reinhard as he slowly trailed off and glanced at another part of the room with a sheepish face, "Since my lady seems to have found herself a new seat." Reinhard chuckled while looking where the small blonde had been seating with a proud smile.

"Your lady is really something else, man. I respect you for it."

Reinhard gave a little shake at Garfiel's words with a warm smile, "My lady will show the world greater colors than her attitude portrays."

Shaking their heads at the ever-loyal answer the happy Reinhard gave, Otto was ecstatic to pat the empty chair beside him for the legendary protector to sit.

"Thank you for having me, Otto-sama, Garfiel-sama, Julius." Giving a bow of respect, Reinhard took the seat gestured to him by Otto, not giving the purple-haired knight a second look.

Julius simply stayed silent and looked away from the redhead that had come to join the trio.

"I apologize if I'm inconveniencing you-"

"Man, do you ever stop apologizing?! Cap'n was righ' you really are an off-the-charts nice guy!" Garfiel growled with exasperated grinding of his teeth, Reinhard simply smirked and said.

"Sorry if-"

"Stop!"

Otto laughed at Garfiel's red face while noticing Reinhard's newfound confidence as the knight clearly teased the blonde beast boy.

Julius also gave a reluctant smile of his own, sliding a hand towards his black eye.

"Are you doing okay?"

"Yes, I am doing just fine, Crusch-sama. Please don't fret over me."

"You're my knight, I will express my worry for you whenever I want!"

Sitting in another corner of the theater, far away, were Crusch's camp including the duchess herself, the butler, and the healer cat demi that usually would look so cheerful. Now, the boy only looked to be in a completely tarnished state with his eyes red, his fur scraggly all over, and his clothes just wrinkled and drenched.

The worst thing in all of this was the way his eyes looked, no hope or purpose inside of them.

"I'm not a knight," he whispered with his head down low.

Crusch only glared at him, her fury and disappointment not over-shining her worry for him but increasing it, "You shall say no such thing! I will go over this however many times you need to hear-"

"Crusch-sama."

Barring her furious eyes towards the butler, Crusch gave the ever stoic Wilhelm a look of demand so he can get on with it and let her drill her thoughts into her stubborn knight's head.

Giving a shake of his head, "Crusch-sama, this is pointless."

"Don't you dare say that-"

"I don't mean to infringe upon your authority, my lady. But this is what Felix-dono chose, you can't force his hand unless you want to deeply hurt him."

The duchess only wavered with her furious look turning to one of remorse and sadness, "I can't let him keep thinking like that! It's bad enough Subaru…" Wilhelm stayed silent and let the trembling girl hold herself for a moment, letting her lament on her pain.

"He's a good one," a voice devoid of emotion whispered.

Wilhelm and Crusch looked over towards the down-trodden cat, Crusch had tears in her eyes.

"Natsuki Subaru… He would make a great knight for you, Crusch-sama… Better than me."

Crusch tightened her fists in anger, "Felix-"

"Please, Crusch-sama… Please don't fret about me…"

The duchess could only grit her teeth harshly, allowing her tears to fall as the healer gave her nothing but a broken smile devoid of hope, a gentle push on her arm from Wilhelm and the look of sheer hopelessness made on Felix's face forced the duchess to give up on the matter, for now, letting herself be moved into a seat far away from the depressed healer she used to call knight.

"I'm sorry, Crusch-sama. He needs time." Wilhelm whispered encouragingly, pitying his master as she sniffled.

"I know..." Crusch muttered with anger and frustration filling her tone, "I know that he needs time… I just didn't want to fail someone else that I hold dearly..." The royal heir to the Karsten house gave one short glance toward a black-mope of hair she was so dearly familiar with before looking down at the ground in shame, her mind filled with thoughts of her shame and helplessness in helping them.

Fourier, Subaru, and now Felix… Men who she turned her back on and ignored time and time again until they broke under the pressure that was unseen because of her ignorance and hot-hotheadedness.

Truly, she was no better than scum.

"Hmph! Aldebaran, I want a drink from those fancy bottles I saw in my room, go over there and bring mineself the best one at once!"

"Y-Yes, princess." The helmet-wearing one-armed man sighed deeply and moved to obey the snobbish Priscilla Barielle, ordering with a crossed leg under her magnificent dress and a luxurious fan in her hand.

The princess used the time she had alone to observe all of the peasants below her, she had been amused for a little while with that Karsten girl's blight and managed to form a sense of pity for the green-haired pig, pity for how pathetic her knight was, he was downright pitiful.

Priscilla scoffed at the horrid sight of the demi-human boy, truly an unkempt beast in both body and soul. Her senses simply revolted at the thought of having to deal with someone like him, in that she respected the Karsten filth indeed.

"What a pathetic lot..." The fiery-eyed matriarch waved with her fan, while inspecting all of the pathetic animals sitting all around her in the same theater.

All of them were weak, dishonorable, don't have any amount of noteworthy pride as they worried and failed to protect what was dear to them time and time again.

Her beautiful ruby irises moved over to the one person who settled a source of fascination within her since she learned about him. This boy, weak, pathetic, delusional, and broken in every form of pride or honor… A boy the entire world had failed him.

Someone that Priscilla truly wanted to see fall and stop fucking dying over and over again for people that didn't even have the decency to say I love you back to him.

The royal-bound lady was talking about none other than a most infuriating naive girl sitting in the front row. Taking up a spot that she did not deserve beside the boy she had ruined with her stupidity.

"Damn half-wit," Priscilla whispered deadpanned.

"Brought you the drink, princess. I don't know which one was the most expensive so I brought the most fancier looking one.

The scarlet-eyed lady glanced at the knight for a moment, her eyes observing him, "Where's the cup, you useless dog?"

Al simply tapped his helmet, "Knew I forgot something, damn!"

"So… "

"What is it, Ricard-san? I'm in no mood to play guessing games."

The dogman sitting beside her raised his hands with an uneasy smile on his muzzle, "Calm down~! I'm just asking you how you felt after… ya know?"

Anastasia breathed and glanced at the dogman with a tired flare surrounding facial features, her entire mood just looked… damp.

The twins and the dogman had stayed with their lady ever since the last showing had occurred. (Chapter 15 whdaaa)

They've been wary of their boss after she had left such a scarring 'review' towards a certain person she was displeased with and the actions they've taken so far.

"I think you're being a bit too harsh about this, boss."

Anastasia simply breathed heavily and kept her hands moving in a rubbing motion on the scarf around her neck, "It's nothin'," the merchant princess breathed heavily, "That girl jus' really gets on my nerves is all!"

Though the princess before him was growling, the dogman simply carried through, "What's got ya all heated, boss? I get why y'er pissed about the kid's princess, but I don't get why yer trying so hard to take the boy into our camp."

Anastasia stared her subordinate down, pursing her lips into a thin outline and letting her eyes grow cold as she stared him down, "Because he would be much more appreciated in our company rather than be wasted on that naive girl."

The dogman just kept his muzzle shut, seeing how his boss clearly was still fuming by the last presentation, he understood to keep his boundaries.

Sitting a couple of seats away, Ram was surprised to find that her sister had moved away from the front rows to sit beside her in the back lines of the theater room, "Rem?"

"Sister?" The blue-haired maid asked with a soft guilty smile.

"…" Ram blinked in confusion, "Are you gonna sit here?"

The blue-haired twin gave a slow nod, gazing at the front of the room with damp eyes for a moment.

Ram held an expression of understanding as she pieced everything together, "You don't want to be near Barusu… Because we will get to see your fight with those witch-cult dogs."

The girl held her expression of sadness as her sister stated exactly what was on her mind. Her sister was so smart, always.

"I'd never let go of my hero," Rem stated adoringly, making her sister smile softly, "And I shouldn't have let go of him so easily back then."

"Rem, Barusu already told you that he loved you, you were too hurt to help him with the rest of the mission after taking on the Whale." Ram kindly placed a hand on her sister's own, giving her twin a gentle smile assuming Rem was guilty for leaving the boy to deal with Betelgeuse on his own.

But Rem shook her head, "I'm not talking about that, sister. I abandoned him in a much more terrible way…"

"…"

"… I didn't think it through, I just jumped into the fight between those men thinking that perhaps no one will care if I would've been struck down… That at least I could make him think about me for one moment… I was selfish… "

Ram noticed the tears of shame building up inside of her sister's eyes, she couldn't speak as she mulled her sister's deep self-deprecation. Guilt and shame overwhelming the older twin.

"I didn't think how sad he could be sister!" Rem sobbed in grief, remembering everything the boy had been through just to save her and how she turned around to tarnish that as soon as he left her on her own for a moment, "I only thought about making him think about me… I'm worse than scum…"

"You were saving people that couldn't fight back," Ram whispered, holding her sister's shoulder firmly, making her look up at the stern older twin, "You may have been too rash to sacrifice yourself so easily. You may have hurt me, your dear sister by not caring for how I would've felt about your death," as Ram hammered in her points with stern whispers, Rem could only flinch underneath her older sister's scolding, "You were lucky to have been cursed by the cultists instead of being killed, sister. That would've destroyed us, Barusu and me most of all."

"I'm sorry. I understand my mistake, sister." Rem said with a shameful nod of her head, drooping her shoulders in misery and despair after Ram's stern disparaging of her actions.

"You must learn to have love for yourself. You must learn to value how we look at you, Rem… Barusu loves you, the boy loves you," Ram couldn't help but either snort out of amusement or fake being disgusted before she continued, "do you really think he wouldn't be crushed when founds you in the state you've been in for over a year? You should trust us more than that sissy, we love you."

Ram whispered in her beloved twin's ear as she engulfed the trembling girl in a tight hug, a warm tender smile on Ram's lips.

"I'm sorry sister!" Rem sniffed and happily melted in her sister's arms, "I'm so sorry!"

"Shhh, It's okay… just let it all out before someone finds us like this, we have to look our best before everyone less we ruin our lord's image," though that won't be standing for long unless the screen has mercy on Roswaal-sama.

Ram thought as she patted Rem's back, wondering what her sister's reaction would be once she learns of just how much pain Roswaal has caused the black-haired boy she loved.

I hope this will finally turn him away from his obsession for good.

Thought the pink-haired maid, thinking of everything her beloved lord is going to go through to earn redemption of his horrid deeds.

She was worried, but she did not pity him.

To Ram, Subaru didn't deserve any of the deaths Roswaal's obsession placed him through, and she needed to make her own amends with the boy she strongly wanted to protect along with her sister now that she sees how much he had suffered.

She will be an older sister just like he always joked.

A clown-faced the mirror inside of his personal bathroom.

A strange arrangement this room was, very fancy yet feels warm and cozy.

Made for the happy to feel comfortable…

Roswaal L. Mathers was anything but comfortable…

Anything but warm, cozy, fancy, or even happy.

"I guess today is the day I shall face them," he whispered to himself in the empty room, looking down at his sink, away from the mirror, away from his judging eyes.

"My grave sins," the clown sobbed without a tear coming down, "all of them."

He did not intend to beg for mercy, he didn't expect forgiveness nor will he ever accept it from anyone.

He could never forgive himself.

Everything was for his teacher. No matter the cost or sacrifice, he shall pay it.

But this cost… what he's done to the boy…

Roswaal would not be feeling any guilt about any of his other mistreatments… he regrets nothing yet feels guilty about everything.

He was a rascal, escaping from punishment and carrying through fates clutches, burning everyone's lives around him just to achieve this one cursed goal.

He would not earn forgiveness today, he didn't want it.

A man that was sentenced to die, and he was happy with his sentencing because he knew it was deserved from the start.

So Roswaal L. Mathers, lamented on his guilt for a few moments. Precious were these moments, for the screen shall show his crimes in full detail once the viewings of the fourth 'arc' starts.

Roswaal excepts his fate today.

"I guess it's time," the man whispered diligently and moved to wrap his coat around his body before walking out of the room, a wide, eccentric smile that could not reach his soulless eyes plastered on his clownish face.

"Are you okay, big sis?" A short girl, sitting in the front row, asked of another person sitting beside her with worry filling her voice.

"It's not healthy to keep ya're silence over stuff like this… I should know." The girl tried again once she saw that she wasn't getting an answer.

The short-stack speaking was none other than Felt, the royal candidate to the throne that had been picked up from the slums after one turbulent night.

She was now sitting right beside the sleeping Subaru, having stolen the seat immediately after Crusch gave it up to sit with her knight in one of the viewings. She had been waiting to sit next to her big brother for a long while and she was very happy to take a closer look at his peaceful innocent face. It warmed her heart to see him so at peace. She wanted to protect her big brother, stop him from getting involved in it all.

"He did a lot on his own, he would've been out of the slums in no time had he been born there," Felt commented softly, smile so soft and fond of the boy she called brother. Tone filled with respect and admiration for his deeds and achievements.

"He is really smart," Felt looked up in surprise.

"Finally talking, big sis?" The blonde teased her other companion sitting beside Subaru's right side.

"I just… had to take care of my own thoughts, Felt-chan. I apologize." Emilia whispered hoarsely, her eyes puffy and her hair is a bit of a mess.

Felt simply nodded her head with a soft smile, "Please take care of yourself, Big sis! Big bro will be waking up soon."

"He will wake up soon," Emilia whispered in repetition, glancing at the boy with her heart clenched miserably with guilt and fear of his reaction once he wakes.

If he learns of how much they saw and learned… will he demand to go back home? Demand a better master fit to protect him? Have another life elsewhere away from her?

Emilia didn't want to face Subaru.

Not after what she had seen in the final viewing. Oh so sweet was his patience with her, as she made him put all of his burning feelings on the back burner just so she can take it easy. Even after he had died time and time again. Yet he still gave her a shining smile of goodwill and waited for her to understand how much she loved him.

She can never find someone like him.

She will never find anyone like him.

That's why Emilia didn't want to lose him once he wakes up. She was sure that he would've hated her for all of the pain she had caused him, for all of her incompetence and weaknesses.

"He won't be angry with ya."

Blinking, Emilia glanced at the golden-haired ex-thieve, smirking at her with hands behind the back of her head.

"He will probably start blaming himself for all of this, he will also blame himself for making you worry about him. Dealing with him is just like dealing with Reinhard, ya gotta slap him in the face until he stops saying sorry."

Emilia couldn't help but giggle wistfully.

"Yeah," the half-elf whispered with a warm smile, "He's a real piece of work, my Subaru."

Felt proudly grinned.

"I don't see why you should be sitting in Betty's place, I suppose."

A rigid speaker growled from the side, making both Emilia and Felt glance towards them.

"Let Betty have her place beside her contractor or there shall be hell to pay, girl." The spirit of shadows, and Subaru's number one companion stood with her arms crossed and an adorable pout covering her face as she glared jealously at Felt.

The ex-thief simply glared back at the spirit with a look of defiance, "Nope. This is my place for now."

As the two glared at one another, Emilia couldn't think of a way to stop the situation from escalating further so she watched between them, not knowing what to do.

"That's enough!"

A fourth person interjected on the situation, walking right beside the angry blonde loli.

"Beatrice-sama shouldn't be so possessive with Subaru! He doesn't like that!"

"Hmph!" Beatrice huffed at the interjecting Petra, crossing her arms and sending her pout sideways to not face the miffed-out small maid, "You should be quite, I suppose! Betty bets anything that you would be delighted to steal her spot just like that blonde girl!"

"Stop calling me girl and speak to me face to face, twat!" Felt spoke out against her belittling with a dignified, battle-ready expression.

Beatrice glared at the thief hatefully as if honoring her challenge.

Yet before anything could break out, another person cut into the duel of stares and sternly spoke, "That's enough. The Screen-sama will return as soon as we're seated, we might get Subaru-sama to wake up today so please don't start fights over him… not just yet."

The three younger girls all huffed as Frederica asserted authority over them with a disappointed glare.

"Fine, I suppose! First a blue-haired twerp and then the green-haired plotter, I guess you're at least better fit to sit there instead of someone who's gonna hurt Betty's contractor, I suppose."

Surprised that the great spirit relented, Felt stuttered, "Y-Yeah! Big bro's safety is my number one rule!"

Beatrice raised a brow at this, "Hm, you may not be that imposing, I suppose."

"Where will you sit now, Beatrice-san?" Petra asked innocently as she noticed Roswaal and Al beginning to sit down in the back.

The blonde loli sighed and trotted towards the sleeping black-haired boy, not caring for the stares of the two candidates sitting at each of his sides.

"Where Betty will always be, in fact," answering the maid without even glancing back, elegantly placing herself on top of Subaru's lap and flicking her hair tails back and holding a pompous yet proud deadpanned expression.

The great spirit was right where she is supposed to be, by her contractor.

Emilia couldn't help but feel pain at the scene, remembering how manipulative and controlling her own spirit was in contrast to what Subaru had gotten out of Beatrice. She couldn't help but smile anyway for she was happy for the two's relationship no matter how much it made her resent her own relationship with Puck.

"Alright then, let's go and settle Petra," Frederica nudged the little maid to bow before Emilia, Felt, and Beatrice before moving with her towards the back seats.

"It seems you're doing well, Beatrice-chan." Emilia tenderly spoke to the girl now sitting beside her.

"Hello to you as well, I suppose." Beatrice gave no more a greeting, for the boy's sitting just to Felt's left began howling.

Or, it was only one boy screaming at the top of his lungs and two twins hollering with him.

"Come on ya dumbass! We're all 'ere!"

Everyone shared the blonde boy's enthusiasm, brutish as his excitement may be, it was shared by everyone, especially by his own camp members.

"Wake up Subaru!" Petra called from the back, impatient and excited, beaming with hopeful eyes at the dark and empty screen above her.

Emilia withheld a breath for a moment, handling her knight's hand with care as her heart raced heavy with the thought of not holding it again once he wakes up.

"Is Subaru-san waking up today really?" Tivey asked, correcting his glasses position.

"We will get to watch what truly happened with to Crusch-sama's wounded carriages on their way to the capital first, I think that was what he had told us." Julius chipped in naturally, recalling the warden's last promise.

"Would he really show us who ambushed Crusch-sama?" The reserved Felix, tiredly spoke up, his eyes turning from melancholic to vengeful in a mere moment. He wanted answers. He wanted to see why even Subaru couldn't save his lady from Gluttony's curse.

Crusch gazed at him from the corner of her eye, her lips thin.

"I don't think Screen-sama gave us any grief to doubt him… He's shown us things we could've never seen before." Reinhard told him, looking apprehensive.

"We might be seeing that vision last before having Barusu awake."

"Oi! Let's go! We're ready!" Garfiel shouted, not liking how they were all just theorizing about the next showing.

Everyone expressed excitement and rapid interest to watch the next viewing, to see what happened to the Duchess and the obscure factions of the Cult. To finally stop watching the suffering of the boy and have him awake and able to speak his pain.

An exciting venture and a hopeful dream, awaited by most of them in the theater.

And then a loud voice broke out,

Change of plans!

Change. Of. Fucking. Plans!

Wooooh!

"The hell?!"

Everyone stared at the screen in shock, hearing the usually calm and sarcastic voice of the faceless person holding them hostage in such a happy-go-lucky tone. As if he was excited.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Priscilla snarled in annoyance, not liking the feeling of doom her aura was sensing.

This thing working? Good!

Sorry for the delay, I had to take care of something while you were doing… whatever.

Anyways…

Change of fucking plans.

"What the hell does tha' mean?!" Garfiel shouted once more in frustration and anger.

"Please explain." Julius sternly demanded, having a soured look on his face.

You guys don't know this, but I've been fighting a few powerful people all at once ever since you've been summoned inside here. And it's a bit tiring.

"What?" Otto blinked with a look demanding more answers stretching over his expression.

"I do remember you struggling with something on the outside," Felix muttered, remembering all the short pauses where the hidden man would be screaming or appearing to be in a panic.

Yes, yes. So anyway, I got so badly beaten by one of those people that I almost gave up the fight today.

"You… were almost beaten?" Rem whispered in shock, thinking of how powerful this entity must be, it harbored the most powerful magic users and capable fighters known in Lugunica inside one single room and forced them to watch something even the Witch of Envy forbade.

For the warden to suddenly struggle with his fight means that these other people he fought were a real problem.

"Who was it?" Crusch sternly demanded, face deadly serious.

No one you should concern yourself with, for now.

But today, I've hit a lucky break.

See, I managed to broker a deal of sorts with the one that almost beat me until my bones were crushed.

"A deal?" Anastasia didn't like the sound of this. Deals made at the edge of death can be very catastrophic.

"Crushed bones?!" Petra squeaked in worry.

"What was this deal and what does it have to do with us?" Otto asked nervously, not liking the fact that they were tied to this Warden's mercy.

The deal was, for me to show you…

A possible reality.

"What the hell does that mean, nyan?!" Felix asked in outrage, not liking the fact that he won't be able to see his long-awaited fight between Crusch and Gluttony.

Let me explain.

Throughout this viewing, you saw Subaru pick the right and wrong choices every time.

He faced and met the consequences of each choice he made, if they were wrong, he suffered. If they were right, he carried on to the next choice.

Every choice had a possible different version of events tied to it had Subaru stuck with them.

"I don't understand…" Reinhard quickly muttered in bewilderment.

"Me neither." Ricardo rubbed his forehead.

"Is there going to be snacks?" Mimi whined feeling sleepy.

… Man… You all suck.

"Hey!" Garfiel shouted with an expression of deep offense.

"Don't lump your goddess with mere common brats, indignant swine!" Priscilla snarled dangerously as she pointed the tip of her fan towards the screen.

"P-Please continue, what does this other reality mean?" Emilia quickly decided to get back on track to understand what will happen to her knight.

"Yeah, what does big bro have to do with this?"

Okay. Let me explain it to you in simple terms.

'Other realities' is a term used for the many other worlds surrounding us.

They are infinite and they are all real and true.

"Such a theory has always been denied though." Tivey raised an eyebrow as he remembered many laughing at the idea of infinite worlds outside of the waterfalls off in books and scientific journals.

"What do we have to do with these other worlds then? I know Subaru is from another world than ours so it must be something else you want us to watch." Julius weighed in.

… Hm.

Okay.

Let me try to explain it better.

There's a strict difference between the terms, 'world' and 'realities'

Think of the universe as a bubble, a ball holding every single world in existence inside of it. Lugunica, Earth, Xeno, Nirn.

All are different worlds and systems of planets tied together inside of the same bubble, this is called the universe.

Many widened their eyes at the knowledge being spewed forth by the screen, showing them a small showcase of a circle with various small dots, each one of them called a name they've never heard of.

"Lugunica is barely in there," Reinhard whispered in astonishment, noting how small and fragile his country looks compared to the others.

"All of them are real? All of them are with us in the same 'bubble'?" Felix whispered in shock, never believing that there could've been life outside of Lugunica's world.

Priscilla pursed her lips, clearly hiding her surprise at such a revelation but her eyes narrowed, "I don't see the use in knowing such knowledge. These worlds are far away from us so why should we learn about them?"

For once, Anastasia was happy to face the fiery princess with a stern look, "Because most of these worlds held powerful knowledge that could advance us into thousands of years, Lugunica has been dealing with waterfall survivors from each of these worlds for a long time. Natsuki-kun is simply one of those people that made a difference with his knowledge from his world. Imagine how many times we've been influenced by these waterfall guys over the years… We wouldn't even have a chance if they decided to change our way of life into something more… 'sinister'."

"We couldn't prepare, even if we wanted to." Julius quickly entered the same wavelength as his mistress.

Understanding the sheer seriousness of the situation, everyone began thinking of the worst possible scenario.

"L-Let's not jump to any conclusions yet! We don't know if they truly will work to harm us! Subaru was sent here on his own and he only got hurt time and time again." Emilia tried to defend the future isekaid people that may come into their world.

But most of the candidates were unconvinced.

"Yeah, but big bro is just a forgiven person… what if it was someone else who got sent into our world? Someone that would've wanted revenge…"

Felt's words sent a chill down Emilia's form.

"That is serious…" Frederica whispered, holding Petra close.

Now, now. You don't have to worry about that for the time being.

Other worlds are not what I want you to see.

Realities… that's what concerns us today.

"What are those?" Felt asked in impatience.

You just proposed one of them.

"What?" The little blonde asked in surprise.

Emilia's eyes widened as the fear in her heart grew.

A world where instead of Subaru being the one to get transported to Lugunica that day, another person would've been chosen instead.

Whomever that person may be would be the one to decide how to go about their journey instead of Subaru.

They may take a different route, they may take the same route. But the difference between your reality and that one would always be clear.

"Impossible, in fact! Betty wouldn't choose anyone else as her contractor." The great spirit shot the loyalty in her heart straight and true. Not wanting to think about another person coming into their world that wasn't her Subaru.

Emilia held the boy's hand tightly, yet tenderly, keeping a composed glare on her face. Her heart clenched hard.

That is a 'reality'

Realities are basically bigger than the universe itself.

If the universe is a big ball filled with worlds and cultures, realities are just the grand space where those universes exist together.

Each reality is basically a copy of the universe.

Everything in it is the same, Earth is the same, Lugunica is the same.

All the worlds are the same in each reality…

But there's always one single difference.

It could be a small difference like someone in your world having a different color in the other reality.

Or it could be a very big difference.

Like if the royal family found a cure for the plague that wiped them out in your world in another reality.

"Th-This is real?!" Crusch stuttered as her heart dropped in shock. Her mind going towards another face that haunted her dreams, the face of a prince long gone. Her divine protection never was as questioned as it was today.

"This knowledge that could be life changing," Otto whispered in shock, as everyone else looked just like the merchant, astonished and in awe.

Not really, realities have always been theorized about everywhere. They are fascinating to think about.

Think of your world, for example, if one simple choice you've made could change your entire life as you know it, you can see what would've happened if you hadn't made that choice in a different reality.

Like… when Subaru decides not to leave Lugunica and run with Rem.

"…?!" The blue-haired maid in question perked her head up, staring at the screen with anticipation in her eyes, her heart clenching as she suddenly found herself nervous. "I-I thought about what it would've been like to run away with Subaru-kun many a time. I'm sorry, Emilia-sama." The maid bowed her head apologetically, noticing the sad look on Emilia's face.

In your world, Subaru decided to not run away from these monsters and faced them head-on.

In the other reality, Subaru ignored his heart and ran away with Rem to a peaceful state in Kiriragi. They lived together happily for many years, even bringing three beautiful kids into this world.

"Damn! That's nice!" Al shouted, happy that the boy could at least have a fine life worthy of what he's been through.

"Oi!" looking down the bleachers, Al noticed everyone glaring at him.

"What… oh." The knight slammed his helmeted face in acknowledgment… "Yeah, my bad. I forgot. Everyone must be dead in that world without our pal to get in there and save them."

Emilia looked down at the sight of the three children, not finding it in her heart to watch them play as her guilt grew to exponential levels. Not wanting to see how happy her knight truly was when he wasn't with her.

"M-my..." Rem's breathing hitched, her eyes wide and a hand on her mouth, slowly trying to process what the screen was showing her.

Much like her, several people in the theatre watched the screen in sheer disbelief. The sight of these young children bringing making them tremble in confusion and fear.

They knew what their friend went through, and they knew that out of everyone here, he is the one who deserved such peace.

But, knowing the price hidden behind such peace...They could only feel conflicted.

A feeling of guilt grew even stronger, as they started to hear the cries of a certain maid.

"They are so wonderful!" Rem sobbed, her tears running as soon as she saw the first boy playing with his little sister, a carbon copy of Subaru but with her blue hair.

Much like her, many were those whose expressions softened. That young boy looked exactly like his father, he was living a beautiful and happy life.

And that young boy added so much weight to their guilt, they could nearly get crushed under it...

As all of them were relieved to know this reality to not be theirs.

Almost all.

"They really are…" Ram commented warmly, smiling wide with tears of her own at the sight of her sister's kids.

That is one reality. A world that's the same just look yours. It's just that one simple difference made it derail into a new set of events.

Like a world where Subaru didn't contract with Beatrice but did so with Puck instead.

"Preposterous, in fact!" Beatrice shouted in anger and shock, her face proving how sad and betrayed she was knowing that her contractor actually chose someone else to be within another world.

A reality where Beako actually contracts with Emilia because Puck died protecting her and Subaru from the Witch's Cult.

"...gh?!" Emilia didn't comment on that, seeing enough of the cat she once called her father to understand how selfish he was. Of course, he would leave her and Subaru to die so simply.

"I wouldn't choose you in a million years I suppose. Hmph!"

"Stop being a tsundere, Beatrice-chan," Emilia commented offhandedly, smirking at the surprised expression of the spirit.

"Subaru isn't the only one who can use that word, mhm~~"

Beatrice growled in frustration as Emilia looked proud of herself.

A reality where Subaru was actually brought into Lugunica 2 years before Emilia's insignia was stolen. Where he was found by Julius and trained to be a junior knight by Julius himself.

"What?!" Felix shouted in shock and a little bit of delight, wanting to see how these two would've interacted and how Subaru would've turned out as a knight under Julius' mentorship.

"That is… incredible!" Reinhard quickly beamed towards his friend, a feeling of happiness emanating from him. Happiness...And jealousy as well.

Julius himself did not comment, just looking at the screen with his jaw hung open as images of Subaru's training with him played.

"He has good form." was the only comment given from the bewildered knight.

Anastasia smirked as she noticed how his elegant eyes almost sparkled with the attention he was giving the screen.

"Hopeless, Julius-kun~~~"

A world where Subaru decides to join Anastasia's camp instead of Emilia's.

"Ooooh, I love this!" Ana coed as she noticed the many wonders Subaru created for her distribution.

"Won't happen," Emilia growled heatedly, glaring at the screen.

"Yeah, cap'n is ours!" Garfiel followed the princess and growled as well, much more anomalistically though.

Near them, a little blonde silently clicked her tongue in distaste. Seeing her big brother with someone else than Emilia, without being her was extremely annoying to her.

A certain duchess as well frowned heavily upon seeing the merchant princess happily interacting with the black-haired boy.

A different version of your world, where Lugunica isn't the dragon kingdom and is broken into several states because Farsale wasn't able to secure the Dragon's protection.

"Oooh~, is the dragon useful? I would've never known~~" Anastasia clearly teased towards the duchess sitting beside her.

Crusch simply snorted at the feeble attempt at humor, "The kingdom has already gotten used to the status quo, there will be no warring states because the people are one with our throne, we don't need a dragon that does nothing but wastes our abilities to help us."

The knights all shook their heads including Felix at the two girls, not wanting an argument to break out.

A world where Subaru decides to keep his pride and not lick Priscilla's foot, making her notice how he wasn't just some pig following his master blindly and actually helping him with the whale and Betelgeuse.  And thus, ends up following her instead of Emilia-sama.

"What?!" It was now Emilia's turn to stare at the screen in shock, seeing how her knight completely demolished the cult and the whale using nothing but Priscilla's support. Until the events of the screen changed, showing Subaru interacting with Priscilla, Schult, and Al. The half-elf's expression slowly turned grim, fearing with all of her soul such a situation to happen.

Seeing this much was enough to anger more and more people. From a Garfiel to Felt. From Felix to Ram. Even Reinhard felt a bitter taste in his mouth at the sight of his friend forsaking his loyalty to the half-elf princess.

A sentiment only strengthened by the sight of the screen showing Subaru kneeling before the fiery princess.

"Hmm, he does look like an obedient dog," Priscilla noted in disinterest, seeing how she completely forced the boy to abandon the girl's camp and bow to herself. Liking the tears on the silver-haired winches face as Priscilla took fealty of the black-haired boy kneeling before her.

This wasn't a simple vision… it was simply a future for the fiery-haired queen.

"This won't happen either!" Otto was the one to denounce it this time, not forgiving the terrible princess for what she had done and said to his brother.

"Unruly and foolish, truly a requirement to be a part of the half-wit's camp." She sighed in annoyance, her ruby irises keeping their stare to the sight of the boy knelt before her, noticing as well the delighted expression of her 'other reality counterpart.

"Finally a satisfying sight for mine eyes." She commented to the screen.

These worlds are all real and true.

They exist just as yours does.

One simple move can change the world.

Imagine what would've happened had Subaru not saved Emilia in the slums.

What could've happened, had he joined with Betelgeuse's cause to the Witch's Cult.

And most importantly, what could've been… had Betelgeuse been blue instead of green.

"Oh my god!" Frederica shouted in despair.

"Those are all so terrible!" Mimi sniffed while hugging her twin tightly.

"I don't like any of those," Rem muttered nervously, not knowing if she should be distressed over them since they were different worlds from hers, slowly getting herself together as the memory of her other reality children played in her mind.

Rem was sure to keep these images engraved in her memory for the rest of her life from here on out...A simple memory, a simple sight...Yet bringing her so much joy.

Just like everyone here, however, she wondered what reality she was about to witness. What would be as important, as powerful, and critical...

And that's what will be shown to you today.

My new ally in this fight has decided that it would be useful for you all to see a certain reality.

One where a simple 'motion' changed Subaru's story to something else entirely unforeseen.

Your meetings with him changed, your interactions changed, and his entire personality changed.

"Although the prospect is interesting… we were already watching something real to us… our world's events take priority over another that may never come." Ram interjected dryly, her expression miffed out since she wanted to watch her sister's attackers and learn their faces.

Your normal viewings shall continue.

I just have to show you this other reality in accordance with this deal.

You may learn a lot of things about yourselves and your friends from it.

"Can you at least… wake him up," Emilia whispered, not liking how forced this all felt over her and the others in the audience.

"Will you?! Please! Please!" Petra begged from the back with hope in her eyes.

Otto and Garfiel looked hopeful as did the two knights beside them.

Beatrice just held her contractor's arm and hugged it.

Sorry. I can't.

If he wakes up, everything would be ruined.

"Why not?! This is another reality anyway so what does Subaru-kun have that may ruin our viewing?" Rem asked in outrage, wanting nothing but to pummel the speaker.

I told you before… Subaru's being followed by other entities.

If he wakes up, they will start attacking his mind to get into the theater.

I can not risk it. Sorry.

Many looked disappointed at this notion. Others looked extremely alarmed.

"Will we ever see him awake?" Otto whispered his head down low.

Emilia, Rem, and Beatrice all looked up with pleading expressions.

…

If you can help me and watch everything… absolutely.

He will wake up.

"Alright then," Reinhard said monotonously without expression.

"Let's do it then." Felt nodded her head and faced the screen, feeling comfortable beside Subaru.

"What's going to be the difference in this reality though? What makes it more special than the others?" Al asked from above the rows of seats.

My  friend…  I'mma call you friend… anyways! My friend has a special connection to this reality you will be seeing. He kind of makes the choice that changes everything.

"So the person responsible for the final choice is with you right now?" Reinhard asks, noting how the warden was speaking with someone else gleefully.

Yes.

That's exactly why I'm showing you this one instead of anything else.

"Okay? What's the choice then?" Ricardo asked as his confusion mounted more and more at the vagueness of it all.

The choice that changed the world.

You will have to see it for yourself.

At the warden's mischievous tone, everyone groaned across the wide factions of the theater.

"I hate him!" Beatrice seethed, rubbing her Subaru's arm for comfort as she thought about the warden's irritating suspense.

"Okay, let us see this through to the end!" Emilia encouraged brightly, slightly relieved that she wasn't going to confront an awake Subaru and yet greatly saddened by it.

Her curiosity was also tumbling over her sadness as she truly wondered what a different world would look like to theirs.

"Tsk! Alrigh' alrigh', let's see how this goes!" Garfiel grunted in annoyance. He wanted his captain to be awake and see the rest of the adventure. But in the end, as long as the viewing could tell him how to help his captain...

"Damn right I'mma watch." He uttered with narrowed eyes.

"Well..." A green merchant sighed with a tired expression, readjusting his hat on his head. "We don't really have much of a choice do we...?"

"I just hope he won't suffer as much as here..." Petra whispered as she held onto Frederica's dress, a hand on her heart.

Her older maid, noticing her dress being pulled, slowly brought her arms around Petra, giving her the warmth she needed to soothe her mind.

"I beg of you, oh Od, oh dear Dragon...I beg of you to keep Subaru-sama safe, at least in this reality." She whispered, keeping her tears from flowing.

"Eh, ya're not cool being this secretive pal," Ricardo grunted in annoyance, leaning on his chair and patting the heads of the twins.

"So here we go again..." Tivey sighed.

"I think it's exciting tho!" Mimi exclaimed, her tail wagging in joy.

A small smile found its way on Anastasia's face as she got to see the little cat's excitement. Even though it wasn't the case for some people here...For someone as opportunistic as Anastasia Hoshin, every piece of information she could get her hand on was more than worth it.

Thus, this new "reality" was more than welcome for her.

"Go on~Show me some interestin' stuff will ya~?" She said, rubbing her scarf in anticipation.

"I just hope that in this one...I didn't..." Julius uttered, clenching his gloved fists with a hardened glare.

"A choice that can change...The world?" Crusch uttered, glancing towards the boy in the front row with confusion clear in her honey-colored eyes.

"What are you going to do...Subaru?"

Felix simply stayed silent. Accepting the choice of the warden and ready to see this reality. He knew he would get to see his mistress's attacker soon enough.

"Subaru-dono...What are you about to live this time?" Wilhelm wondered with a soft glare towards the boy, his blue eyes showing his worry and concern.

He didn't want to see him suffer more than he already did...

"Hell, another world, another reality...Is it me or that boy really never gets a fucking break?" Al grunted, knowing very well that what he was about to see wouldn't be a pleasant viewing for him.

"Hmpf. Let us see if this is worth my time." Priscilla huffed haughtily, leaning in her chair and putting her fan up to her face, eyes narrowed to the reality she was about to witness.

Strangely, she felt a glint of excitement. As the world seemed to tell her she would somehow find this...Interesting, at least.

"Don't disappoint me."

"Another reality… a small choice that changes the future… " Roswaal whispered, wondering in his head about all of the choices he could've made differently had it not been for the gospel choosing his path.

Wondering how different he would've been in another reality had he broken his ambition.

And the screen lit up once more.

Dragon's Candidate Chapter 1:

A Trick Pulled By Fate

It was now the fourth time that Natsuki Subaru, a shut-in NEET, had been summoned to another world with nothing but the power of Return By Death, an ability that allows him to come back to a certain point in time, every time he dies.

Up until now, the shut-in NEET has fixated himself on one simple goal: save the mysterious silver-haired half-elf from the grim fate that awaits her in the loot house by the hands of Elsa Granhiert A.K.A The Bowel Hunter.

After a fierce standoff in said place, things began to go in his favor when the young blonde mischievous thief, Felt, ran away from the battle into the depth of the slums to look for help, only to come back with the Sword Saint himself, ready to end that battle once and for all.

Ultimately, the bowel hunter got defeated but at the cost of Subaru getting his stomach open by one last strike from the assassin, causing him to faint from the blood loss.

The screen stopped flashing the images of the scenes foretold by the narrator, changing the scene into one that was previously shown of a relieved-looking elven princess sitting atop an unconscious black-haired boy with slow fading light dimming as her healing magic died down.

"Whoa! We went back by a lot!" Ricardo whistled in shock.

"I don't even remember when we saw this… it's been too long since the first arc…" Otto whispered, the deaths of his brother playing in his mind, making him feel slightly nauseated once he realized just how used he was getting to the sight of Subaru's death.

"So… the choice is happening way back during bro's first moments…?" Felt asked weakly, still heartbroken at the memories of her old man's deaths at the hands of the assassin.

"What could possibly happen differently here that causes such a massive change like the one screen-sama talked about?" Julius muttered dryly, not understanding the point of this all.

"Subaru's unconscious right now… I'm supposed to be taking him to the mansion with me," Emilia whispered, understanding immediately where her knight would end up in this reality. Either in an inn or Reinhard's manor, either way… "It's going to be a world where he doesn't go with me." The silver-haired girl gave a harsh whisper filled with sadness and grief.

"Let's watch, princess," Garfiel muttered nervously, looking at the screen uncomfortably. Thinking about how he would've met the captain in this reality or if there's a chance they even meet once since it was because of Emilia and Roswaal that Subaru tagged along in the true reality.

Hearing this much made several people around her flinch in surprise. All those who heard the silver-haired princess widened their eyes to the screen. Wondering if this would really be…

A world where Natsuki Subaru would not be by Emilia's side...

"Then…How…?" Crusch mused to herself with narrowed eyes, earning the glance of the sword demon by her side, thinking much the same.

Up in the back, a certain magi narrowed his eyes in suspicion as well, glancing towards the red-haired knight in the front row.

"A choice that will change the world…" He whispered. "Is that actually…?"

"I've finished his treatment, looks like we're past the worst of it." Said the half-elf, sighing in relief as her benefactor seemed to be alive.

"That's splendid news, Emilia-sama…" Voiced Reinhard, praising her with a slightly forced smile, his eyes glazing over the sleeping form of the weird boy that had been injured during the battle, signs of guilt seemingly appearing on the knight's expression.

"Reinhard?" Emilia called, looking at him with a curious gaze.

The sword saint shook his head and flashed her with another one of his smiles.

"Forgive me, Emilia-sama. I was just lost in my thoughts." He voiced, seeming to have regained composure.

"Is that so…" She replied, still a bit bewildered.

Both the sword saint and the princess slowly turned their eyes down to the sleeping boy. The sword saint approached and knelt in front of the unconscious figure, remembering the first time he met him in the alleyways of the capital and his rush to the loot house. The perfect description the boy had given to describe Emilia to Reinhard came back to his mind, taking him aback as he turned around to meet the lady in question.

"If I may ask Emilia-sama, what is your relation to Subaru?" Reinhard asked as he remembered the boy's rush to the loot house.

"A passing acquaintance?" the lady shrugged with a baffled face, "I don't recall ever meeting him before. I thought our meeting today was the first time." She replied, holding a hand to her chin as she seemed to search in her mind if ever she met him before.

Hearing this much made Emilia look down in shame, biting her lip as she felt guilty taking her over for what she dared to say…Of course she knew that she wasn't to blame. But still, now that she knew the truth behind her dear knight's secret…She couldn't help but feel disgusted to say "I don't recall ever meeting him before."

"However, he was looking for you. He said he had something to give you." Reinhard urged with a look of suspicion.

Emilia widened her eyes, frowning a bit as she really couldn't remember ever meeting with the boy below her.

"That's why it is strange..." She muttered in confusion, her eyes fixed to his sleeping face.

"What shall we do with him? If anything, my family can take him as a guest," the knight softly suggested, smiling as he showed something akin to eagerness to host Subaru in his home.

"No," Emilia shook her head with a firm look, "I'll take him home with me, so I can learn what's really going on, thank you for your concern." She replied, giving the knight a small smile showing gratitude for his proposal.

"Everything seems to be in order…?" Reinhard mused, a little sad he got his hopes up when he offered to have Subaru as his house guest, feeling crushed when Emilia rejected it just like the other reality.

"It does..!" Emilia couldn't help but beam slightly at this. Maybe it wasn't a choice made in the slum house after all! Maybe her knight would still be by her side!

"Let's just keep watching." Crusch mused sternly, wanting to see where this goes and how this is different from what happened in her world.

Her eyes moved towards the far end of the room, glancing at the two persons that had been sitting in the corner of the now wrecked loot house. A little blonde with scarlet eyes, hunching over a beaten giant demi-human male.

"What would become of them?" Emilia asked the knight, her eyes filling with pity.

"Officially, I cannot overlook what they've done. But… unfortunately, I'm off duty today." He answered cheekily giving a small shake of his head.

"Fufu, you're a bad knight~," the lady in white robes teased a little relief seeping through her tone, her eyes wandering back towards the pair of thieves that had suffered from this unfortunate turn of events.

"Ain't that true, eh?" Garfiel laughed loud, tapping the sword saint's shoulder.

Reinhard only gave a slight smirk to him, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as Julius shook his with a false disappointed attitude. He already saw this scene, but it was still a fun one to see.

Few were the times he had the chance to see Reinhard acting like this after all.

Emilia slowly sat next to Felt, the little girl trying to look away as she was filled with guilt.

"Is this old man your family?" Emilia gently asked, taking the girl by surprise to the lack of resent she presented.

"Something like that, he is the only one I have… he's like my grandpa." Felt softly whispered, her scarlet eyes filled with grief.

Felt nodded her head, smiling fondly at the memories of her grandfather. Thanking the stars for all three of her heroes for helping her and her only family on that night.

Roswaal, simply closed his eyes as he breathed out heavily, wincing faintly as he remembered that he was the reason why that little girl might have just lost the only family she had.

He had to do it. He had to do it for the sake of his goal. This wasn't the first time he forced himself to do something like this…

But it never got easier.

"I see. I only have one family member, too. But he's always asleep at the most important times." Emilia replied, showing her green necklace to the little thief.

"We know it's deliberate now." Shockingly, before the souring Emilia could comment on her hatred for the cat being mentioned as a father, Beatrice took it upon herself to shine her snide with a glare of disgust.

"I wouldn't consider him a father anymore, Emilia-sama." Ram emotionlessly and politely said, holding her anger behind a cold facade, while her sister outright snarled at the mere mention of Puck's existence.

The murdering of millions and the breaking of Subaru's sanity just because he couldn't do an impossible feat…

The spirit was truly disgusting to many in the audience.

"Let's move on, nyan!" Felix yelled, miffed.

Felt widened her eyes, confused as either she had to smile along with her or be scared by this display of goodness she witnessed.

In the end, she decided to trust Emilia's smile to be genuine.

"I-I thought you'd be a lot harsher on me. I'm sorry. You saved my life and I can't let a debt go unpaid. I'll return what I stole, keep it hidden so no one can steal it again!" She smiled back to her, rubbing the back of her head.

"It feels funny, having you give me that warning." Emilia gently replied.

Felt then took the item from her chest and handed it over to her owner under the look of a thoughtful Reinhard, observing the scene from his position near the sleeping boy.

Though, while trying to retrieve it, by making a move that may be too hasty for her precious item, she ended up tossing it towards Reinhard with an unconscious Subaru at his feet.

He recognized the insignia of the dragon kingdom right away and was already advancing to retrieve it.

Until, like a trick pulled by fate itself, under the referee of a long lost entity from beyond the webs of interlocking futures and combined destinies, The insignia made its own way until reaching the laying hand of Subaru Natsuki, emitting a red shine only perceived by the knight who knelt to pick it up yet stopped frigidly as soon as fate cemented its final word before him.

The screen only showed the jewel reaching Subaru's hand but cut out before the glow was emitted… the cast didn't see what the insignia signified in its call of fate.

Priscilla raised an eyebrow in surprise, noticing the change in this reality compared to the first viewing she saw, her expression of boredom not changing a bit.

"Hmm, this is new," Anastasia muttered, as she didn't remember the screen slowing down when the insignia fell… she couldn't even remember if the insignia had fallen in such a manner.

"I remember you handing it to me, Felt-chan."

"Really?"

"Mhm. I just got it back from you, so I grabbed it tightly as soon as I could've touched it."

"Jeez, feeling the trust."

Emilia simply looked deadpanned at the girl for a moment, while the pouting Felt just rolled her eyes and raised a brow at the screen.

"I still don't understand what happened, so the jewel fell out of my hand… how will this create a different world for big bro?"

Emilia shrugged, not understanding the answer either.

"Just watch, I suppose!" Beatrice growled seriously, her eyes honed in so sharply at the scene as if it killed her mother. She was a spirit… she can sense the sheer mystical aura of that moment. It was a very important moment that destiny itself called for its existence.

"So why did it happen in this world and not ours, I wonder? And what did this jewel do exactly?" the small girl questioned curiously with her head leaning back against her contractor's heaving chest.

"Reinhard?" The silver-haired princess inquired worriedly from behind the hunched knight, staring as the Sword Saint seemed to be frozen over the form of the sleeping boy, not moving a single muscle as his mind was solely focused on  something . her mind wandered for a moment that another problem might have occurred when she wasn't looking and couldn't help but show it, earning the worries of the blonde little thief as well.

"Okay, this clearly didn't happen!" Otto detailed, looking nervous about the Saint's actions.

"What is happening with ya man?" Al chuckled at the Sword Saint, finding the confusion of it all kind of entertaining.

The red-head swordsman wouldn't answer anyone, too busy pursing his lips and watching the screen with hopeful eyes.

Without thinking twice, the little thief hopped from her place towards the sword saint, tapping his shoulder to gain his attention as she looked to Subaru with a serious face, mixing her worry and confusion.

"N-no it's..." The usually composed knight stuttered for a moment, before facing the serious-looking girl that had inquired his help and got him into this situation, recognizing the look of demand as if the girl wasn't gonna budge on not knowing if something was wrong with the boy laying before them.

"I'm sorry Emilia-sama. But in the end, it looks like I cannot let you take Subaru-sama with you. It would be too long to explain right now and without further confirmation so please, I beg you to understand."

"What?!"

"You can't just do that!" Petra shouted in outrage, standing on her seat to face the swordsman with her most protective glare.

"Why would you take Subaru-kun? Your lady is right there!" Rem irrationally pointed at the screen without noticing the troubled look on the redhead's face.

"Calm down! All of you!" Crusch tried to keep the peace but was struggling with so many panicking at once.

"Ya're really bout' to take capn' like this?! Without explainin' shit?" Garfiel grunted to the sword saint, eyes showing his confusion to what he was seeing on the screen.

"STOP!" Everyone stopped yelling at the knight and looked at the deathly stare one little blonde with blood-colored eyes was sending them, "We will have'ta watch! Rein isn't the one in that reality so he won't answer you with anything you want to know!"

"I-I wouldn't focus on anyone except for my lady. Felt-sama's candidacy was the only thing on my mind that night. I don't know what this me saw…"

"Whatever it was…Reinhard seems to have taken his decision," Julius commented with a hand on his chin, trying to understand the decision of this sword saint.

"Yeah. I guess we'll see the reason in question soon." Ricardo grunted, his hatred for the suspense clear on his face.

"That's enough, grandson. We understand. Let us see what's going on." Wilhelm nodded for his panicking kin to calm down and take this with grace. The old man intrigued out of his mind as to what had set this off so differently than what had happened in their world.

Meanwhile, a silver-haired half-elf was looking crushed after hearing that the knight is taking away Subaru.

Her Subaru… living somewhere far away.

Garfiel, Petra, Rem, and Beatrice all held that same fear and sadness in their hearts.

"What?!" Felt shouted at the knight, "You can't just do something like that and keep quiet!"

She glared at Reinhard with a wrathful glare, showing how determined she was to obtain answers as she stood in front of Subaru.

Even though Reinhard asked with an incredible polite behavior worthy of the "knight among knights" he was, his serious expression and gaze didn't help to reassure the two girls.

"This may actually be quite serious," Julius mused again, reducing himself to a natural onlooker, knowing that the events would just play out all the answers for him without the need of a fuss.

"It's rare to see Reinhard with this expression nya…" Felix mused from his seat, earning the nod from Julius.

Otto noted the same thing Julius did right away, "Reinhard-sama looks really serious here… what just happened?"

Emilia walked towards them and put a hand on Felt's shoulder, shaking her head slowly, telling her to let it go.

"But I am actually even more worried right now you know..." The pointy-eared girl muttered with her eyes narrowing with a hint of disappointment towards the knight and the unconscious boy.

"Can't you at least tell these two so we can be spared of the suspense?!" Anastasia mumbled in annoyance at the knight, hating his secretive behavior even more and wanting to know why Subaru was taken instead of the blonde.

"Wait… I'm not going to be forced into the election…" Felt realized that the knight would be leaving her and her old man in the slums. Instead of napping her and forcing her into this stupid race…

"I won't be living with Rein anymore…" Felt whispered in sadness, her heart clenching at the memories this her won't get to make with the annoying self-righteous knight.

Seeing how much the situation seemed off for most, Reinhard decided to clarify as much as he could.

"Don't worry, Emilia-sama. This is not something that could bring harm upon him but...Something that I cannot let pass without further investigation."

Emilia raised her eyebrow in confusion and incomprehension. She wanted to know more, push her investigation further, but it didn't seem to be something possible as of now. Reinhard walked forward as he picked up Subaru in a bridal style.

Seeing this, Felt could not help but let out a small chuckle at the ridiculous sight.

Garfiel couldn't help but let out a boyish chuckle of his own.

"Because you really think this is enough of an explanation?" Crusch sternly commented, shaking her head not having the heart to smile at the comedic sight presented to her.

"You really need to learn how to deal with situations like this… Your lacking explanation only made the girls worry more." Julius commented offhandedly to the knight beside him.

Reinhard only frowned deeper.

He approached Emilia with the insignia in hand and presented it to her, the red jewel shined brilliantly, something that made Reinhard only frown more.

It represented what was at stake.

"I shall contact you once I'll be sure everything is in order."

The knight bowed to Emilia who wordlessly gazed at him once she accepted the insignia, walking away with her savior with him.

As he walked out, the clouds dispersed to let the moon shine brilliantly above him, as if it was watching over the knight and the boy making their way to the Astrea mansion. Reinhard looked up to meet the white orb with his sky blue irises, narrowing them, thinking about the recent events and most importantly, the moment the jewel shined.

"Tonight…Might be our last chance to gaze calmly at the moon," whispering wearily, Reinhard van Astrea lamented the moments of past events and worriedly thought about the future, feeling a more significant weight placed upon him that is greater than the noble-hearted boy being carried in his arms, or perhaps it was the feeling of heaviness that carrying this boy's destiny in his arms would feel like.

"I really did leave my lady behind..?!" Reinhard would've thought that something else was going to happen to make him take the golden-haired girl and achieve his own destiny. If he didn't take Felt… what happened to the royal selection?

"So, when you take me, you leave big bro behind with big sis. Yet when you take big bro… you leave me?" Felt glared at her knight for a moment, looking pissed.

"I-I...um…" Reinhard couldn't express his shame, horror, and guilt at this. Wanting to make it up to his lady which had been clearly offended by the Reinhard on the screen's display.

"Rein…"

"Yes, Felt-sama…"

"I'm just messing with you."

"Oh…" Reinhard couldn't help but smile with relief as Felt shot him a grin.

Back in the loot house, the thief and half-elf looked to each other after observing the sword saint take his leave. The situation was still unclear for them but when they saw the insistence of the Sword Saint himself regarding this matter, they knew that they couldn't negotiate.

"Well...That was something...What now?" Asked Felt, expressionless, looking up at Emilia.

"Mh...I don't reall-"

"Emilia-sama?"

As she was looking at Felt, a pink-haired maid made her appearance in the destroyed loot house, looking both worried and relieved to see the silver-haired half-elf.

The screen cut to black for a moment, and then lit up once more, with a changed scene…

"It didn't show us much!" Emilia pouted, she would've loved to at least house Felt and her grandpa! She was still absolutely bitter about the knight taking away Subaru into his own house.

"I don't think this story is meant to follow us, Emilia-sama," Ram told in a monotone voice.

An elegant, king-sized bed, with a tired black-haired boy, resting in it.

Slowly opening his eyes, Subaru was met with a polished well-carved ceiling.

"…I don't know that ceiling."

Reinhard couldn't help but have a small smile on his face, even if the election and his own destiny as a knight were delayed, he couldn't help but feel happy to see Subaru actually present inside of the cold, lonely manor with him.

Makes it livelier.

He got up a bit sitting down on his bed, to find himself in a white night-robe that didn't belong to him, he slowly opened the front and gazed at his exposed stomach, "The wound is gone...was that Emilia's doing? I gotta be sure to thank her properly later!" Subaru said, smiling to himself as he thought about how he was healed and away from death.

Emilia looked down, biting her lip at this. "Oh, Subaru…". The girl whispered lovingly, wishing more than anything to be by his side when he had woken up.

"He's already in love with her here…" Ricardo hummed in slight confusion.

"He might leave the sword saint to go to Emilia's." Tivey nodded his head, making the knight and the half-elf flinch in surprise.

He got up on his feet and started to look around his room. It was kind of a luxurious place; everything was white or gold-colored.

"Talk about a fancy place...Wait why am I alone again?! Isn't it supposed to be the moment when I wake up with the main girl just next to me who slept in my room because she cared for me all night?! I feel betrayed!" The boy whined pathetically, holding his head in his hands.

Crusch let out a chuckle, finding his behavior amusing and a bit childish. The duchess couldn't help but feel comfortable watching this reality… at least no one knows when he will start looping.

Of course, she wasn't the only one to enjoy this sight. Subaru's suffering and horrific journey managed to engrave fear into everyone's heart by now. Seeing him cry, bleed and sweat…Again and again.

So seeing these kinds of moments where it was just him, being normal…Was pleasant to see.

"If only I would have…" Beatrice whispered, tightening over her contractor's cloth. "If only I would have known sooner, I suppose…"

In the middle of his lamentation, the door of his room opened. Subaru quickly turned towards it with a bright smile on his face, jumping towards the door with open arms to welcome his sav-.

"Emili-WHY IS IT YOU?!" He yelled out, expression one of anger and deep-rooted disappointment.

To his surprise who felt more like a stab through the heart than a pleasant one, it was not Emilia but a young man with blazing red hair and eyes blue as the sky, entering the room giving a shining yet uneasy smile, he answered his disappointed guest.

"Good morning Subaru-sama...I apologize to not meet up with your expectations..." The sword saint said, rubbing the back of his head with an unsure smile.

"Sorry…" Reinhard didn't look sorry at all, in fact, he was smirking.

Not far from him, a little blonde girl was smiling warmly, happy to see her big bro and her knight interact. She knew how much Reinhard needed this.

Subaru who already began sulking with his arms down simply sighed and raised his head to Reinhard with a deadpanned face.

"Nah, don't worry about it. It's not like I'm not happy to see you, Reinhard, it's just that...Well you know, it's every man's dream to wake up to the beautiful girl of their dreams." He said while closing his hand into a fist, looking determined.

"Stupid boy…" Emilia whispered fondly, blushing as she heard his compliments.

Wilhelm could only shake his head in fondness, acknowledging the boy's words as he remembered the days he woke up by his wife's side.

Every man's dream, truly.

"Tch." Priscilla spat from her position, grimacing in disgust upon hearing the boy qualify the half-elf as "beautiful."

Near her, Al only sighed tiredly.

"Don't sulk, Rem." Ram teased from the side, making the pouting blue-haired girl look away from her.

Reinhard couldn't help but chuckle at Subaru's statement, that he tried to hide behind his fist.

"I think I understand what you mean. But I still must apologize, Emilia-sama is not here at the moment," the knight's curt reply was met with nothing short of despair from the crushed boy.

"Ugh! You're crushing my heart! Does that mean that my fantasy love ended before it could have even started?! I feel even more betrayed right now!" He lamented, holding his head with his hands.

"Subaruuuu…" Emilia whispered with a low voice, a large smile on her face hidden by her hands from embarrassment.

"Nothing ended at all you know…" She whispered again, in a voice so low only she could hear, caressing the hand of her beloved knight.

Of course, everything was just a pure act from Subaru, Reinhard was fully aware of it but didn't know how he should actually react since those kinds of interactions were something he wasn't used to knowing.

"I'm...Sorry?" He tried to say, unsure if that was the appropriate response.

"Oh, come on! Reinhard!" Felix facepalmed as his excitement for his friend finally getting a chance to interact with someone in an act of teasing was ruined by the knight's obliviousness.

The redhead simply dropped his head in shame, "I'm sorry," came his whisper as he was patted by both, a consulting Otto and a firm-looking Garfiel.

"It's okay, I had to learn too," Garfiel assured with a nod.

Julius simply shook his head at all of them.

Subaru immediately raised his head towards him with dead disappointed eyes. Though he was the sword saint, even he was feeling uneasy when he met that gaze.

It was and for a real first time for the Saint… a truly awkward moment.

"That's not it! You're completely in the wrong Reinhard! When your best friend is actively falling into depression right in front of you, you have a duty to console him! Like 'Don't worry, when you lose one you get ten more!' or 'She was not worth it anyway, you deserve better!'" Subaru explained in a teacher-like tone with a disappointed firm stare aimed at the increasingly baffled knight.

"Best friend?! Oi! You are going too fast ther' Cap'n!" Garfiel shouted in jealousy, his fangs coming out in protectiveness, feeling left out.

"This is simply ridiculous," Julius commented dryly, crossing his arms and not at all pouting at the screen.

He was a knight.

Reinhard couldn't help the warm grin appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, Emilia was looking at the screen in shock and hurt.

"He thinks… I'm not worth it?"

It was clear that these types of interactions weren't in the job description for the poor confused knight.

Reinhard got startled by those words, especially "best friend" He didn't know why but hearing this made him feel kind of warm and happy. He unconsciously started to smile, even though he didn't know what to respond and so, tried to find something. However, his logical sense took the upper hand and made him come up with one answer only.

"Wait, you mean Emilia-sama wasn't worth it…?" He voiced out loud.

He put his hand on his mouth immediately with a shocked face as he just realized what he said as Subaru fell on his back while putting his hands on his face, faking a cry.

"You tell me." Anastasia heartlessly spat, making some faces turn to her with an annoyed glare. Only one agreeing with her being a smirking fiery princess.

"You should hold your tongue if it's to say anything that isn't relevant, Anastasia." Crusch sternly replied, taking the defense of the silver-haired royalty.

"hm? Ya're going to prevent me from speaking now, Duchess? Wanna take my right to breath while ya're at it?" She offhandedly answered, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"What an interesting idea…" Crusch didn't hesitate to reply, turning her threatening glare towards the merchant princess.

"Hmpf!"

"Of course, she was! Dammit!" He cried, "You really suck at this! We'll have to work on your behavior towards your friends! And lord help us all because we're in for one hell of a time!"

"It's okay… pfft…" As the sword saint held both hands to his face, hiding his embarrassment, Otto tried to counsel him by tapping his shoulder and whispering encouragement… But he couldn't keep his laughter in as the rest of the theater giggled and chortled at the scene.

"You dunderhead…" She whispered with a hand on her heart, smiling in happiness to see that her knight was joking earlier. Truly, Subaru was a cruel man.

"That's true!" Felt laughed loud, adding to the redhead's shame. "Big bro pierced through you like it was nothing!"

"They really have a good dynamic…" Tivey commented with an amused tone.

"Yeah! I thought so too!" Mimi replied.

Rem and Ram couldn't help but slowly glance towards one another with a grim expression on their faces. Comparing Subaru's awakening to this place compared to theirs in this reality.

A part was because the sisters' hearts ached to see this moment supposed to be theirs…Kind of robbed away from them. Someone else was in their place to see Subaru. Someone else was greeting him. This was supposed to be the representation of the first time they got to meet him…

And another part…Was because they knew that Subaru wouldn't have to die in that manner compared to this reality.

Again. He felt it, again. Subaru's behavior and words made him feel differently. He did not understand why at first, he only met him yesterday but...The way he had to treat him like any other person had a long way with him. His past and reputation were not something to explain anymore. The way people treated him, the way he led his life, everything was based on one thing, him being the sword saint, him being the hero, and someone that had to be treated as such.

Reinhard simply smiled warmly at his new friend and acknowledged his words.

"Well...I-I'm counting on you then!" He exclaimed with eagerness.

"That seems… a bit sad…" Petra said, looking at the older knight with pity.

"Man…" Garfiel winced, glancing towards Reinhard on his side. He didn't seem to take the comments he was receiving into account.

Reinhard just kept watching the screen. A childish grin on his face.

Julius and Felix kept their heads down, not wanting to admit the shame they felt for not helping out their friend with this problem.

"Pathetic," Priscilla commented offhandedly, keeping a stern stance on her hatred for Reinhard as a weak child given too much power.

He approached him and excitedly extended a handout.

To which Subaru smiled and grabbed it firmly as he got lifted to his feet.

He started to rethink his encounter with Emilia, Felt, the loot house, and of course, his many deaths by the hand of Elsa.

"Hey, by the way…" He inquired, making Reinhard look at him curiously, "Where are the others then? Felt, Emilia, Rom…Are they okay?" He worriedly asked.

Reinhard smiled as he understood very well the meaning behind this question.

"You don't have to worry. Emilia-sama came back home safely, I saw the dragon carriage of the margrave's domain where she resides retrieve her when we came here. As of Felt-chan and Rom-san, I went to inspect the loot house along with other knights after the incident, they were not there but some of their belongings were missing. I assume they moved somewhere else." The knight explained.

"Even after all of that…One of the first things he asks is how the others are doing…" Otto said with a warm smile on his face, recognizing his dear friend's character.

"That's just how foolish Betty's contractor is, in fact." The little spirit commented with an annoyed tone.

"Yeah but that wouldn't be our boy anymore would it?" Ricardo exclaimed, making the spirit sigh in agreement.

"However…It seems that Felt-sama won't be appearing once more in the story…" Crusch mused with a serious expression.

"What happens to the election then?" Anastasia inquired, feeling the slightest bit annoyed that they needed the blonde to finalize the candidacy of the maidens.

"In regards to the fifth candidate of the dragon stone, if they weren't found, the race for the throne would still be postponed," Julius answered elegantly, making everyone else think.

"So… I'm still important, you just have to start looking for me." Felt couldn't help but grin smugly.

Subaru sighed in relief and smiled to know everything went for the best. He couldn't help but remember the deaths of Emilia, Felt, and Rom every time he closed his eyes by the hand of the bowel hunter, images of gory corpses standing around him, blaming him for the failure Those memories were stuck with him forever, but at least, they wouldn't be real to some extent.

'I just need to think of it as a nightmare. Right…Nothing more but a nightmare…'

As he took a deep breath once more, he looked up to meet the slightly confused look of the sword saint gazing upon him.

"Looks like he's affected by what he saw." Crusch frowned sadly.

"Of course he is. This is way more than one boy can handle, and this is even the start of Subaru-dono's journey." Wilhelm wistfully ordained for his lady.

"Not to mention that he's now much safer than when he first started in our world," Anastasia commented with a pointed look.

"What would that mean?" Frederica couldn't help but ask, as she didn't understand the royal's statement.

"It's not clear? Oh well…" Anastasia seemed to relent her point, content with earning everyone's attention and keeping it to herself.

"What is she trying to say?" Otto questioned the lady's knight, sitting beside him with a forlorn look.

Julius answered him emotionlessly, "My lady is referring to what the situation was like for Subaru when he first woke up in the Mathers mansion."

Otto's blood ran cold. The memories of every death coming around Subaru from every corner unforeseen played inside of the merchant's head.

"...gh!"

Subaru shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Well, time to...Uh ...Wait, where are we?" The boy asked, realizing just where he was.

"Ah, we're at my home. I took you hereafter Emilia-sama healed your wound, back at the loot house..."

Subaru noticed the disappointed look on Reinhard's face. He could not help but be concerned and made a wave of his hand in front of him. Yet Reinhard continued to keep his head down.

"I...I'm sorry...You got wounded because I let my guard down...It could really have gone to the worse if-"

In the middle of his lament, Reinhard got stopped by a punch right on his chest that kind of startled him, he raised his head to meet Subaru's brown-yellowish eyes gazing into his blue-sky ones, along with a dead serious look on his face.

"You're really true to your code, huh white knight? Even though I fully understand your way of thinking, I will have to stop you right now before you end your speech with something like 'I'll accept any punishment' or whatever." Subaru said, closing his eyes as he nodded his head several times.

Reinhard was surprised beyond compare, this is exactly what he was about to say.

"You're not going down that way in front of me. You saved my life, that's a fact. You also saved Emilia's, Felt, old Rom, and probably any other unfortunate soul who would have met with that freak afterward," Subaru shuddered and growled in place at the memory of the black-clad sadist that had haunted his scared mind, keeping a focused look and shaking his head afterward to stare the knight down, "So that's why rather than lamenting on the 'My lack of sense of duty led to you being hurt, I would rather hear an "I'm glad you're okay with a smile so that I can thank you. Along with thanking you for everything I've just said while sharing my bright smile as well!" He exclaimed, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"...Ghk!" Reinhard was too absorbed in the scene to notice the punch that had come flying into his gut courtesy of Garfiel.

"There! Even Cap'n appreciates ya!"

The knight looked at the blonde boy with shock, overwhelming shock. Garfiel only grinned toothly at the man, holding his hand in a thumbs-up gesture.

"It seems you two actually bond well when you're on your own," Julius admitted sourly, slightly happy for his friend for coming closer with someone like Subaru but also very ashamed of how his first meetings affected the relationship between himself and the boy.

Reinhard couldn't help but smile widely, fist-bumping Garfiel and nodding to Otto, feeling happy for the first time in a while that he gets to sit with friends.

"I really don't understand," Emilia commented with a confused look, "this Subaru is way different than ours… he's more… cheery…"

At the half-elf's words, Priscilla let out a shrill laugh filled with snide.

"What're ya laughing bout?" Anastasia mused with a small smirk, knowing exactly what the arrogant princess was finding so funny.

Priscilla stopped her laughter short and hid her lips behind her fan, glaring heatedly at the half-elf, "You're more litter than brains huh, half-wit?"

Emilia glared at the princess' and her insult, not saying anything in return.

"Your precious dog is happier because he's yet to be betrayed and butchered for smelling wrong from someone's perspective." Priscilla took glee watching the people relating to her sarcastic words flinch on themselves out of guilt and hurt.

Beatrice simply held on to her contractor, forsaking her disgust with herself for touching him after she had failed him so many times alone, understanding exactly why their Subaru acted so different than this one… he was still to be traumatized by death and fear… Still yet to be tortured by someone he considered a friend.

Ram kept her head down, wishing that she could get back in time to do anything to stop those unwarranted deaths from happening. Wishing she was a better older sister that could've done something about Rem's mental state at the time and helped her see Subaru for the innocent boy he was.

That was a hit. That was a critical hit. He could not understand a thing about what was happening right now. No one in his life ever said those words to him, no one in his life gave him such a cheering sermon. If it was not for his image and the surely worried reaction of his friend, Reinhard would've shed tears at the moment.

Subaru's expression softened as he saw a warm smile forming on Reinhard's face. This smile wasn't for show, this smile wasn't for the attitude, it was a genuine, happy smile of a man, who for a moment, though he broke free of a cage he had been trapped inside for most of his life.

"Thank you...Subaru-sama...Then...I'm...I'm glad you're okay!" Reinhard ended up exclaiming, his eyes bright with happiness.

"There we go! Thank you, Reinhard!" Subaru ended in a gentle tone. Grateful.

That beautiful moment of friendship and bonding got interrupted by a growl coming from Subaru's stomach. He immediately hated himself for having ruined such a moment and that could be bright as the day on his face, while the knight couldn't help but give a happy chuckle even if the moment was ruined for both of them.

Adding to Subaru's disappointment.

"Nah Nah, come on. I deserve that one. Yup, I totally do." He said with a tired smile.

That comment added more to the situation, to the point that Subaru started to laugh along too, which ended up in a unique scene of two-man laughing along in an empty room. Well at least, unique for the maids that had been looking at them by the door with a surprised face when they realized one of them was none other than their master.

Of course, Reinhard noticed it right at the moment they arrived but it didn't matter. He was enjoying a priceless moment right now and nothing could ever have the right to take it away from him.

Wilhelm couldn't help but feel a bit of pain filling his heart as he saw this small interaction. A small normal interaction happened between two friends. And it crushed him how happy his own grandson looked. As if he craved this type of relationship in his life because it was taken from him.

"Well then...Shall we head to breakfast?" Reinhard asked, wiping a small invisible tear from his eye.

"You bet!" Subaru answered with a bright smile.

After putting on his freshly-cleaned tracksuit, Subaru followed Reinhard to the dining room, ignoring the servants' stares and his attire.

"Ugh…So in the end, Emilia is the one who healed my wounds…Looks like I owe her another debt." Subaru sighed as he voiced his thoughts, his face showing a look of guilt, fondness for Emilia's kindness, and disappointment at himself.

"I think she owes him a lot of debts herself," Anastasia chuckled dryly as she pointed out, rubbing her scarf to solidify how much spite was placed in her statement towards once naive half-elf.

"I do." Emilia whispered, hair covering her eyes as she rubbed his hand softly, "I really do."

Crusch only frowned in pity.

"I do not think Emilia-sama ever considered doing this expecting something in return, you know?" Replied Reinhard to his friend's thoughts with an uneasy smile on his face, not used to being able to speak with someone so casually.

Subaru closed his eyes as he remembered her and her smile through his loops, the moment she saved him, the moment she went forward to help that child, how she healed Rom despite being a potential enemy…Subaru could not help but smile as he remembered everything she has done so far.

"Yeah, you're probably right." He chuckled.

"But that means I still have to at least thank her…Man that's putting me in a tight spot. I was already thinking of letting go and try to find a girl who wouldn't be so out of my league, but if I see her face again…" Subaru gritted his teeth to show his frustration as he remembered her cute smile.

"What do you mean..." The half-elf uttered, her white hands clenching on her skirt as she looked down in shame.

Trembling and shaking. A weight in her heart as Subaru's last words wouldn't cease to echo.

"What do you mean, "out of my league?!" She whispered once again with teary eyes. "Why do you think I would be where you aren't...? No..."

The silver-haired royalty lifted her face, meeting with the Subaru seated right by her side and leaning on his shoulder.

"Why do you think...I would be anywhere near your league...?"

Because she wasn't. Subaru was so much more than her, so much better in every way...She was nothing but a disgusting woman playing with the heart of that poor boy who did so much for her. A selfish wannabe queen who can't even care for her own.

She would certainly see a much more happy Subaru in this reality. A Subaru far away from her.

And as much as she couldn't dislike the idea of her knight smiling...If it meant to stand somewhere away...

She hated it.

"It seems as if he plans to meet with Emilia-sama again," Crusch smirked in amusement after seeing the half-elf suddenly perk up.

Emilia's eyes were hopeful as a surprise came over her face, "R-Really?"

Anastasia sighed with an exasperated look on her face, "What a troublesome boy."

"Subaru's Betty will contract with her in this world, I suppose. And Betty shall protect him better, in fact!" The small blonde laid out her determination with a dangerous pout of seriousness. Declaring that she and Subaru would still somehow meet in this reality.

The twin maids just kept on being invisible without a sound or an expression.

Reinhard started to laugh around with Subaru at this childish statement, he knew perfectly it was nothing but an act.

As they were walking down the hall, Subaru ended up looking around and was amazed by how fancy everything looked. He knew that Reinhard was more than just a snobbish, arrogant nobleman, but what he was seeing right now was something more than just mere nobility, nigh royalty, somewhere that only the most worshiped of prophets would be living in his world like a medieval Aztec temple.

"Hey Reinhard, are you perhaps from a royal family or something close?" He said scratching the back of his head.

Reinhard was surprised by this sudden question but quickly realized: it could be misleading knowing that Subaru was from a foreign land, to see such a place like his when just yesterday they were both around the slums.

"Of course not, Subaru-sama. But you could say that my family is pretty much an important part of Lugunica." He proudly answered.

"Subaru-san is so lucky~ I wish I can go to the Sword Saint's house." Petra childishly whined, looking jealous, making Reinhard chuckle in bemusement.

"It's surreal to think about though," Otto commented thinking of Subaru's journey, "Getting transported into a new world and instantly being housed by the greatest hero in the land… kind of lucky."

"Don't forget how much pain such an ending cost him." Julius sourly reprimanded the merchant in front of him.

Otto held his tongue from commenting on how lucky Subaru actually was for his power. Old feelings and shameful thoughts coming back into his head.

"I see...W-wait...Reinhard, we need to talk about something," Subaru suddenly stopped in his tracks, his hand stretched towards the knight.

Reinhard stopped to look at Subaru's sudden request.

"What is it, Subaru-sama?" Reinhard asked with an innocent face.

"This!" Pointed the boy with a baffled stare aimed at the knight, "Where does that '-sama' come from? I know you're a knight, but you really don't need to be 'that' formal towards me! I'm a guest of yours sure but still..."

Reinhard immediately answered as he looked slightly alarmed by that statement.

"It would be inappropriate! We both hold totally different positions and I wouldn't dare to disrespect it!"

"You're taking the whole host thing a bit too literal." Frederica couldn't help herself but comment, finding the knight's manners a bit… extreme.

Reinhard frowned slightly as he wouldn't have been happy to feel so inclined to stop with the titles.

Subaru couldn't have the time to respond when someone coming from down the corridor interrupted them. He was a man much like Reinhard, hair red and blue eyes, a scruffy stubble beard and appearance of almost brutish nature, he had a strong allure, and he was also in what could be thought of as leather battle armor.

The man grinned and walked up to Subaru, the height difference becoming very clear as he approached.

"So here is our esteemed guest that you've been seeking? Greetings." He bowed. "My name is Heinkel Astrea, at your service! Please feel free to walk within this estate as your own." The brutish man, a seemingly welcoming smirk aimed from him toward the boy, bowed… Subaru wasn't as dumb as to believe that smile.

"… Ghk!"

"What's wrong, Felt-chan?" Emilia, seeing the blonde's gritted expression and clenched fists, asked worriedly.

The blonde simply shook her head at the sight of the man, "That guy's trouble, Big bro best stay away from him."

"Heinkel…" Wilhelm whispered in a soft voice, truly missing the sight of his son yet feeling slightly responsible for how crooked his aura has become.

"That's supposed to be Reinhard-san's father?" Otto asked in disbelief, simply not able to see how this clearly broken man was the one to father the greatest most charming knight.

"Yes," Reinhard answered emotionlessly, "This is my father. Lord of the Astrea lands and the head of our family."

His voice didn't carry the grand tone expected of such an announcement.

Emilia and Beatrice both looked curiously at the little girl but then at the screen. Both of them held the boy close.

"He better not do anything to Betty's Subaru, I suppose." The loli growled.

Priscilla simply snorted at the people below her, "That man is nothing but a mere dog, you need not fear such a being."

She kept this to herself, of course. Watching them squabble in worry about someone who was underneath her divine service was just too amusing for the princess.

Subaru was not accustomed to this kind of behavior at all, so much that he didn't know how to react before such respect was shown towards him. Not so long ago, he was nothing but a nobody living a simple life of basically slacking off in his room and now he is an "esteemed guest" side by side with a Sword Saint, someone of the probably same caliber, in a royal-like suite chateau.

"U-um...Thank you very much, Sir Heinkel, I... appreciate your offer!" He nervously answered.

"If you could excuse us, father, Subaru-sama isn't in the best of his condition right now after his fight against the bowel hunter." Cut Reinhard, gazing to his father who looked at him with a glint of disdain.

Reinhard's tone wasn't as well concealed as he wanted to believe. Subaru could hear a hint of bitterness in it. He need not go further to understand that there was some kind of trouble in this father/son relationship, nevertheless it had nothing to do with him, hence he shouldn't meddle.

Julius and Felix both looked uncomfortable, not liking how their former Captain of the king's guard was treating his son. There was clear animosity that everyone had noticed. Especially Wilhelm.

"You don't have the best relationship with your father, Reinhard-sama?" Emilia asked innocently, not knowing how private of a question that was.

The knight looked uncomfortable until a scoff cut his answer before it left the edges of his lips, "You bet! That guy is such petty shit! He doesn't deserve Rein as a son!" Felt abused verbally, with a glare full of anger for her knight.

"Let's not get involved in family drama… We're watching this to understand what makes this run of Natsuki-kun's so much different than ours and I've yet to understand what the hell happened at the beginning to derail everything to this chain of events." Anastasia interjected on everyone as she noticed how Emilia and Otto stared at Reinhard with looks of pity and sadness, wanting to be done with all of this and get to her answers.

"Cheer up pal." Garfiel gurgled and punched the knight's shoulder.

Thanking Heinkel once again, Subaru followed Reinhard to the dining room where a sumptuous meal awaited them. Subaru had shining eyes before such a display of incredible delicacies.

"Damn you, Reinhard! Don't tell me something like that is usual for you?!" He yelled to him with an eager smile as his eyes shined towards the food presented to him.

Reinhard simply smiled and they both took a seat before beginning. After both eating to their full, Subaru ended up continuing the discussion they had earlier, his curiosity not satisfied.

"So... About the "Sama" thing... I don't know what you were talking about or rather I think you're mistaken...As I said, I'm not from here you know? How could I have a higher status than you since the only thing I've been eating since the past week was cup noodles!" He exclaimed with a small smile.

Reinhard seemed a bit confused by what Subaru just said but could not help it. How could he, after all? The only things he knows for sure are limited to the borders of the kingdom since he cannot travel at all.

On top of that, Reinhard still had not explained anything at all to his guest.

He reached his pocket and presented an insignia to Subaru, who looked at it with a surprised look of recognition.

"Isn't that Emilia's..." He stuttered, looking back and forth to the sword saint and the insignia.

He looked at him with a kind of disappointed gaze, Reinhard quickly understood what it meant.

"No! E-erm...Emilia-sama already retrieved hers. This one is another, it is yours, Subaru-sama." Reinhard explained.

"Huh?" Al sounded his own confusion before the rest of the cast below him.

"Subaru's?!" Emilia was now looking at the screen in shock.

"Uh oh…" Felt groaned as she realized what that might mean.

"Really? So, there's more like these? I don't understand but, oh well." He reached out his hand to grab the insignia, relieved to know it wasn't the thing Emilia looked at and nearly died for.

Subaru reached Reinhard's hand to take the insignia, which at this instant, shone with bright light from the ruby positioned in it. The color was a shade of red mixed with white. Tough, the glint of white color was only noticed by Subaru.

Seeing this, the sword saint's eyes narrowed. He nodded his head in relief while the fewer servants in the room bowed down instantly.

"W-wow, glowing stones at contact? It really is a fantasy world isn't it...?" He smiled with bewilderment as he had no idea of what was going on. "What...What's with you all?"

"Subaru-sama. The shining light emitting from the insignia is undeniable proof that you are recognized as the final candidate for the position of 42nd ruler of the dragon kingdom of Lugunica." Sternly announced Reinhard.

Hearing this, Subaru made a kind of confused face, along with a cracked smile.

"Eh?"

Dragon's Candidate, Chapter 1 end.

"What?!" Tivey shouted in shock, his jaw-dropping just like his twin at the revelation.

"That's kinda troublesome isn't it?" Ricardo groaned as he thought about all of the complications that are gonna come from this.

"Subaru's a candidate?! B-But… What…" Emilia stuttered once again as the confusion of the entire situation didn't hide how hurt she was feeling at knowing this. Why would Subaru be a candidate? Would he face her in the election?

Would she be his enemy?

The half-elf couldn't help but feel helpless for this might be a reality where she had to fight Subaru for her own dream, and that feeling was shared by her members. As Otto simply just stared at the screen with his jaw hung in disbelief once more, Garfiel was shaking him to stay awake and answer his questions, "Oi! Why's Cap'n a princess now?!"

Beatrice herself just growled at the screen once more and kept her hold on Subaru protective and true. "Betty will end up with her contractor no matter whom he has to oppose in this stupid run for Fersale's throne, in fact!"

Rem and Ram also showed their worried faces as they understood that Subaru will be a direct enemy to their lord's camp. The same lord that has been watching all of this with wide-open eyes and a shocked open mouth. His clown makeup couldn't hide the slight twitch his right eye had.

"T-Teacher's book never showed me this! The partnership I could've had with the boy… " Roswaal was officially angry that this wasn't his own reality. He would've loved to have Subaru as his sponsored candidate instead of having to rely on Emilia and her stupidity while Subaru prances around like a love-sick pup, wasting his power.

But the most crucial reason for Roswaal's anger… The clown-dressed magi knew for a fact that he wouldn't have had to force Subaru into RBD at all had he been the candidate instead of Emilia.

Not even once.

And that's something the clown truly was jealous of.

"I'm sorry, Subaru." He whispered in guilt, clenching his fists as he blamed his long burned book for another way out that's been obscured to him by his teacher.

"This doesn't seem right… The dragon stones chose Subaru-sama instead of Felt-sama." Crusch mumbled as a feeling of distrust began filling her, questioning if this was a true reality or not.

"Could this have happened in our world?" Felix whispered, earning a slight shrug from the shocked Frederica and a shake of the head from the equally bewildered Petra.

"Will Subaru not come to our village then? Who's gonna save us from Meili?!" the small maid yelled in worry as she understood how busy Subaru would be with playing prince and studying for the election. She was always observant of how much time Emilia would take in her own studying sessions when she would bring her tea every hour or so to refresh the princess.

He wouldn't have time to waste meeting her… or even playing with her… a simple village kid.

The girl simply teared up and stayed silent.

"What is this even? What's the choice that did this to reality?" Anastasia mumbled harshly, concentrating on the details she had made note of in her mind about this entire session.

"There has to be a mistake somewhere. No way it could've been something did by one of the mortals… the dragon stones were preordained by the divine Dragon himself!" Julius was sweating nervously. This entire situation seeming impossible for him.

"Couldn't the dragon change his mind or somethin'?" Al asked calmly, shrugging.

"Why would the divine dragon change his mind?" Otto finally spoke up, not seeing any other explanation except for the dragon stone being tampered with.

"So the boy has more to his destiny than being a follower?... Fufu… " Priscilla's expression showed a dark glee she was having since the start of this viewing, she always wanted to see the dark-haired boy step out of the dumb half-devil's shadow and do something for himself for once. And it did help that she would be seeing him kneeling before her right with the others when she finally wins her rightful throne.

"Wouldn't have thought I would be taken out…" Felt whispered grimly, her eyes darkened with tears coming out of the corners. Already missing the days yet to come with her knight. Seeing how happy her own knight and her big brother were without her there. Feeling inadequate to be sad or else she may be a bad friend to them both since it was something they clearly needed.

"I guess my place truly wasn't on that damn throne." Like she always did, Felt seethed with hatred and anger towards the only thing that did her and everyone she's come to learn from harm… the royalty and monarchy of the country. The same one she was to destroy.

But out of all the people in the theater...Between the shocked and surprised, scared and troubled, worried and guilty...There was one who felt so much more.

One that felt an entire mix of all these emotions all at once. Like a storm taking his mind over and shaking his soul to the core.

Paralyzed, frozen...his eyes wide as sheer confusion was clear on his face...Was Reinhard Van Astrea. The sword saint of Lugunica.

"How can this be..." He whispered with a grim tone, his voice taking a tone much uncharacteristic of him.

Broken. And afraid...Yet amazed.

For a reality like this to exist, where he was by Subaru's side...

Like a wish buried deep down in the knight's soul...But

At what cost?

Now.

Everyone's questions died in their throats as the warden's voice distorted through their collective consciousness.

Let me explain.

Why this reality could've happened to you.

Why Natsuki Subaru has become a Dragon's Candidate.

To be continued…

Chapter 2:  The Cost Of The Scent.

Coming.

Meh. I would like to thank you all for reading this project.

Please go to my partner's account and show him lots of love cuz he worked just as hard as I did on this. www. reddit user / ArcherOne325

Also follow and fave his fic, Dragon's Candidate: m. fanfiction s/ 13758246 /1/ The-Dragon-s-Candidate

Now for the actual chapter, I would like to note that Archer will be leaving for a few weeks because of his finals. So this fic won't be updated until he comes back. But don't worry. I'm still here, and I plan to do my best to deliver much more content in the coming days without our wholesome sweet man.

Chapter Text

Dragon's Candidate Chapter 2

The gazing starlight above shot through the surface of the sky and shone across the sea of moving smoke below. The freezing icicles staunchly coursed through the air; freely swimming above the clouds as the colder air of the upper hemisphere kept its famous freezing temperature.

"I hadn't actually seen everything from up here before…"

A young man with a shrill voice uttered loudly, his entire body clasped in winter wear for the weather he knew he would be facing above the clouds. The young man looked cold even with all of his clothes being made to keep him warm. Shrill his voice was, the man hoped he would at least get an answer from his gigantic old friend.

"..."

The sounds of giant flaps of the crystallized wings that propelled them was the only voice he received for his troubles.

"You know… You shouldn't just ignore somebody who is literally riding on your neck." The youth shivered as he spoke yet still tried to sound somewhat less amused with the glorified entity that chose to remain silent of the human's words.

"..."

"Okay… This is actually getting boring, man." The man huffed out as he tried to travel through the mountain of moving shells and standing spikes made out of the hardest crystallized dragon scale in all of existence.

"These things probably make you feel all warm and cozy up here in space, huh?" As the young man struggled to climb through the dense spots on his companion's back,almost falling over which would've resulted in a long drop down from heaven's door towards either a hardened ground or a raging sea depth waiting to swallow him. Which was waiting beneath the clouds, he didn't care.

The human was too annoyed with the god's silence at the moment.

400 hundred years since they last saw one another… Since they fought one another… Since Jack was captured by someone he considered a father for so long. Someone who he loved and cherished for a long time yet was forced to betray for his foolishness.

Someone that had captured and banished Jack into the depths to rot without a second fucking glance just to satisfy the 'rules'.

"So you… Really won't speak with me about… Anything?" Jack shivered in his coat as the rushing wind increased upon him because the dragon's flaps grew tenser and faster.

The tired man simply looked at the few small grips he had on the dragon's scales… He couldn't help but let a few tears slip by. Had his mental state been in a better mood, he would've thought these salty tears would freeze right on his cheek from how cold and tense the air up here was.

A few moments of flying through the air, the troubled human finally got a mental reply, as the dragon he was flying on telepathically acknowledged him with a few words.

"I don't have anything to say to you, Jack Winston."

Tone dead, mysteries, foreboding, and dismissive of the boy, The dragon simply flew into a massive black cloud and dispersed it with no trouble with a small whiff of air.

Jack's hands tightened on the rough scale mountain on the dragon's back, his teeth shattering together but not because of the cold weather up here… It was because of his deeply rooted hatred he felt for the way this holy entity treated him. As if he was scum that didn't deserve a single word of conversation to make him feel acknowledged.

"That would be a correct assessment of what you are. I agree wholeheartedly."

Without hesitating, the ruthless gravel filled voice of the dragon sounded in the man's mind and gave an answer that was aimed to break him.

Jack's fingers itched with blood running down. "Fu- - ck… You man."

He struggled to breath at this point since he was so high up with this mana covered dragon god right on the outskirts of space.

The holy dragon, Volcanica didn't grace the insult with a reply. Going back to silence and focusing his flight a little bit lower than the level he was currently on. A pity gesture for the boy on his back, if you well.

"Sigh…" Jack looked upset and disappointed but he had a gesture of defeat show in the slump of his shoulders, "Looks like I'm still truly alone in this after all of that."

The young human totted to himself as he remembered all of the convincing he had to do to let the dragon on the information that was sure to get both of his enemies fighting each other instead of having them both come after him for a stupid ass theater that couldn't be controlled by any of them.

The dragon gave no reply.

Jack's head shook for a moment before he slumped down to rest on the spikes and wake up in the morning either to his body being revealed as a small red stain on a city's concrete or roof because he let go of Volcanica's back in his sleep or to another silent day where he will only receive distasteful commentary or silence that hurt him more than it should've did.

"Whatever… Be that way. Just know that they are currently seeing through the second part right now because of what you made me do."

"That is good."

Annoyed at the small deadpanned response he got, Jack's frustration made him blabber another question.

"Why did you stop me from telling them anyway? Did you want them to see this whole thing and learn that there's an entirely different timeline that manages to be less suffering for Subaru and Satella?"

Jack's voice quivered when mentioning the two's names without his nicknames for them being used. He didn't think the dragon would've taken it well.

"I simply wanted them to see this world for themselves and learn from it. Having you explain everything is simply redundant to my plans."

Still flapping his large wings, the grand Dragon of Lugunica whizzed a few giant clouds of ash from his fiery throat, clearly remembering something agitating for him which was easy for Jack to spot as he was literally on the entity's neck and he could feel the intense heat the dragon was generating.

He could feel it through the scales… Volcanica was angry with someone… and since Jack was alive and well since the dragon had healed him, it did not seem like Volcanica was pissed at him.

Afraid that he would be thrown off… Jack did not push further.

He just stayed quiet and closed his eyes… reentering his oh so familiar wall of red..

Remembering what happened hours before because of the dragon's interruption.

TWO HOURS BEFORE

LOCATION: THEATER'S Bedrooms.

"Felt-sama?"

"I don't wanna go out there, Reinhard."

The Sword Saint had been sitting outside of the bedroom's door like a lost pup. His master, the hoarse-voiced crying little girl on the other side of the door had run off as soon as the Warden cut in to explain what they just saw.

"We need to hear what he has to sa-"

"You go ahead then! Just hear how better things would've been without me!"

"..."

Felt's outburst surprised Reinhard greatly. The redhead youth was confused what his lady meant with this.

"Better? My lady, what-"

"JUST GO, REIN!"

"Felt-sama… Do you… Are you expecting me to leave your cause? Just because of what we saw?" The knight's voice trembled, not with fear but with undoubted rage aimed at no one but himself for not seeing it sooner. His lady was suffering because of what she's seen, she was feeling alone, left out.

A sniffle came from inside the room, one of a heartbroken girl that had lost all hope. "Why wouldn't you? I mean you got what you wanted! Big bro's your friend, you can save him from all of those horrible deaths and you won't have me to boss you around like an ungrateful bitch anymore. It's better this way…"

"NO!"

Unable to hear anymore of the little blonde's self deprecation, the knight of all knights kicked down the door of the dark room with one thought set in his mind.

"Felt-sama, I am your knight, no other reality can change this oath I've taken… No other entity can force a different reason… No other candidate can help me like you have, my lady."

"You don't know about that!" She shouted back, her eyes red and tearful. "What if big bro did it too?! What if he did better?!"

"Felt-sama!" Reinhard shouted, much to his own surprise.

He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what he was doing. He just felt the urge to...Call her. He felt in his heart, the need to call her, to shout her name. To remind her, to reach her, to tell her he was right here.

"What?! What are you going to say?!" She said, her voice weakened by her cries. "That I don't know about it..?! That it's another reality?! That in the end, our situation will be better than the one where I'm not here?!"

Reinhard just kept his mouth shut, not able to find any words to answer the blonde candidate, and he couldn't help but blame and hate himself.

No matter what he saw on this screen was about to show him, it wouldn't change this reality and the oath he took.

"Because...That's what I want…" Felt whispered, her fists shaking. Knowing that the sword saint heard her.

"Felt-sama…?" He said in a weak tone.

Trembling, crying, the blonde-haired royal raised her ruby irises towards her knight. Tears flowing in shame and rage...Towards herself.

For what she was about to say.

"I SAID THIS IS WHAT I WANT!" She cried out loud, shocking the red-haired knight. "I WANT THIS REALITY TO BE WRONG! I DON'T...I don't...want…"

Felt's breathing hitched, her voice getting weaker and weaker as she could only realize more and more what she was thinking.

"I don't want big bro to succeed…" She whimpered, "I don't want him to go with you...Without me…"

No matter how strong she was. No matter how difficult her life was and how tough she became because of it.

She always had but one weakness. The thing she knew she wouldn't be able to live through.

Her greatest fear.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!" She shouted, her voice becoming hoarse, her tears drenching the ground.

Not able to hold himself anymore, Reinhard decided to stop thinking about which words he should speak, and acted in a whole other way.

Listening to his instinct, or maybe his heart, the sword saint stepped forward and put a knee down, before slowly wrapping his arms around the little crying figure, holding her as close to him as possible.

No words were spoken, everything was silent, so much the only sound that could be heard was the beating hearts of the two.

And in this complete silence, sharing their warmth.

Felt raised her arms, and hugged her knight back.

Silence filled the dimly lit auditorium once more after the owning entity's voice went dead.

"Why would Natsuki-san be a royal candidate though? He's a man and an outsider to boot." The merchant in green asked calmly, wanting to understand everything about this situation since it was so unusual.

"I don't understand," a rough accented voice broke the silence. "Isn't Cap'n already workin' for princess ov'r there? Why isn't he with her?" Garfiel looked as confused as everyone else except the full conclusion to the viewing still hadn't reached him yet and so he wondered why Subaru wasn't taken to the clown's mansion after his fight with Elsa but ended up in a completely different place this time around.

"The magical stone depicting the prophecy stated that only five chosen maidens are allowed in the election. This viewing is making us believe that Subaru is somehow a contender for the throne even though he was not chosen to be a candidate nor is he a maiden." The duchess high above spoke with a matter-of-fact tone. Stating what truly confused her about the situation yet keeping a firm grip on her panic.

"Hmm, if this is really not a fake… Then that means Natsuki-kun might actually be a candidate for the throne in our world as well." Ever the opportunist, Anastasia sounded with excitement, her previous agitation completely dissipating as her mind filled up with hundreds of possibilities that she looked forward to.

"If he truly is a candidate, he can be the leader of his own camp and can make decisions suited to himself and himself alone!" The merchant girl had already taken to the idea of the boy being another contender for the throne as something of an opportunity rather than an issue.

But her words were heard across the room, which led to many gears turning at the idea she had proposed.

"Natsuki-kyun might be an actual royal contender?" Felix repeated emptily with no emotion present in his voice except for a small hint of surprise. The thought of the boy Felix has been disrespecting the royal for so long being actual royalty filled the boy with even more shame towards himself than possible.

"That… might actually be a possibility." Ghost-white, with his jaw slackened, Julius the most honorable knight looked at the ground with a haunted stare and his mouth open. The young man's sanity was on the verge of collapsing as one thought made him tremble in place.

"Oh~~ Are ya scared that you may have beaten up a prince, Julius-sama~~"

"Mimi! That is a serious charge to spout!"

The little kitty girl laughed childishly, ignoring her brother's desperate tries to make her stop teasing the ever so serious knight stationed in their camp.

The purple-haired young man appeared to be struggling with the concept of life itself as he realized this would be a crime against what every knight stood for. He had not just beaten a civilian before the royal barracks in a made up court. Julius publicly thrashed a high standing royal contender for the throne with a wooden sword.

"Ah, Shit!" Ricardo laughed in disbelief as he summarized what Julius was feeling in just one word. The dogman felt sympathy for his comrade but the situation's turn was just so unbelievable to him he had to laugh.

Above the stricken 'Knight of all knights', the normally eccentric smiling lord in a clownish attire was looking down at the crowd without any of his usual cheer.

Roswaal was indomitably seething in his place atop the cast.

"Subaru-kun… May be a royal candidate…" With unbroken steel in his whispers, the Margrave almost sneered as his multi-colored irises settled on the sleeping boy below.

"Teacher's teachings… My goddess's book… My destiny…"

The lord of the Mathers name could not keep his sheer distaste from showing in his expression. The mere thought that the merchant's possibility was correct was immensely displeasing to him. If Subaru had truly been chosen as the fifth candidate in their world, then that means his Tome wasn't using such knowledge… Which led to other thoughts concerning his lady's wisdom with regard to the tome.

"Impossible my teacher doesn't know about this. It's not possible! The book must've shown me the best course of action in regards to Subaru-kun's loyalty. If he really did become a candidate during this time, then it means my pick had already been decided behind the elf. Meaning Subaru Natsuki has no reason to stick by my plans or my own goals."

Roswaal rationalized in his head with vehement denial. His teacher's gospel was all knowing. The book didn't give any hints to the boy's royalty just to make him focus… Yeah.

"Subaru can't be a candidate to the kingdom's throne!" A silver-bell voice squeaked angelically from beneath the front of the seats, signaling the distress and denial of the speaker.

Emilia was clutching the hand beside her tightly but not too tight, her expression morphed into one of shock and horrified realization aimed towards the big plaque that was the screen.

"I-If he ends up as a candidate… I won't see him as much… And we'll have to be enemies! I don't want that at all!"

"Ya'r scared to be lonely rather than to have the boy away from your dangerous habitat?!" Anastasia shouted from her seat in outrage, clearly disgusted with the fact that this selfish rotten half-elf was denying the good things coming from the boy's ascendancy to the royal hall just because she wanted him as a companion that keeps suffering and laboring for her without cost.

Emilia's damp amethyst eyes stared into Ana's soul with the most determined expression her cold dark eyes could muster. The previous viewings and the reality of this one's meaning completely setting the half-elf off, not to mention that Emilia herself was still in reminding of what the merchant did to her in the viewing before, (chap 15).

"Yes." Emilia surprised everyone with how much hate and power she held in her tone as she seethed. "Yes, I would rather have Subaru as my knight rather than have him as my enemy. Can't you see that if he was to be placed as a royal candidate, then all of us are doomed as well?"

"That is correct." Crusch's voice entered the fray with a firm grimness.

"What's with the dark tone all of a sudden my lady, nyan?" Felix asked softly, his head low yet his eyes still wandering towards where his lady sat far away from him.

"..." The duchess noticed that her knight was speaking with her again, she wanted to elaborate on her point more than she wanted to open up the argument again with him so she nodded her head and kept explaining to the angry pair of Emilia and Anastasia as the others watched on.

"Had Natsuki Subaru been a candidate in our world, it would've meant that his presence is no longer present in every crisis our Subaru had averted."

As the duchess explained Emilia's point for her, many eyes began to widen in horror.

"The Mabeast Attack on the Alram village," Petra's mouth fell open, shock grazing the poor girl's face for the 80th time since her arrival in this theater. The morbid reality of the truth had hit her so many times yet the little one kept whatever shred of sanity she had intact no matter how much it breaks. The thought of her friends dying alongside her to Meili's beasts in the dark forest with no one the wiser made the little one shiver in her place which forced her blonde maid mentor to hug her frame as tightly as possible.

"I got you, Petra-chan. Don't you worry, shhhh." Frederica whispered into the shivering girl's ears.

"The alienation of White Whale and it's takedown,"

At this, Anastasia gave a reaction, "Without Natsuki-kun's efforts, the deal between a triple temporary alliance wouldn't have been made." Noticing how serious his merchant boss was all of the sudden, Ricardo mouthed out a question to make her elaborate.

"Which means?"

"It means that the Hoshin camp's forces were never deployed to aid with both the White Whale takedown and the Sloth expedition. We stayed home." Julius affirmed with grim cheeks and a solemn look.

"Ah, shit." The dogman replied, finally understanding.

"It would've meant that the formidable forces of house Karsten were the only ones present to fight the White Whale... If we could've even found him without Subaru-dono's guidance." Wilhelm noted along with another grim nod.

"Much less fight it without Subaru-kyun's involvement… The Crusch camp could've been wiped out without Subaru…" Felix realized finally how grave this reality is. A reality where his lady not only falls but he might fail to remember her or protect her. This was worse than Gluttony… It was monstrous.

"Not to mention the consequent attack on the village by the Sloth faction of the Witch's Cult and what becomes of Emilia-sama and the Archbishop. I think we all know where this leads…" Crusch went dead silent at this point, making every soul breathe her words in with clarity.

Everyone would be endangered.

"Tha' spirit cat would'a killed the world," Garfiel grumbled glumly with an emotionless expression. The blonde looking empty and dragged as he remembered one of the most horrifying moments his manly heart broke for. The image of his own Captain's head rolling off glaciers of snow as the world turned white from the Beast's storm.

"So… If Subaru-kun leaves Emilia-sama, people die everywhere and he doesn't get to meet with us?" Rem sounded as heartbroken as a widow at the thought of the boy never meeting with her, but a shrill voice caught her attention suddenly since the speaker was right before her.

"And if he had stayed like always, his fate would be to die over and over again by our hands, in fact!" Beatrice was glaring right at the maid as she said this. She hands-on her contractors as she spoke her outrage about the treatment of the one she loved the most in the room.

"B-Beatrice-sama?!"

"Finally, someone that can see sense!" Anastasia clapped her gloved hands exasperatedly to Beatrice's words.

"Beako-chan! Didn't you hear what Crusch said? Without Subaru coming with me, everyone would be de-"

"I do not care for anyone at all, in fact." Beatrice cut the silver-haired princess off which made Emilia slack-jawed at the deadpanned spirit.

"Betty's Subaru is the only one for her, I suppose. I do not care about the others that tie their fates to him and expect him to waste away his sanity with many deaths just to keep them alive, I suppose."

The spirit's harsh words hit everybody, especially a little brunette girl in the arms of a blonde demi woman that was staring at the drill-loli with hurt and disbelief.

"B-Beatrice-sama…" said spirit glanced unamused at the interrupter, a heartbroken Petra that was shaking like a leaf from despair, "D-Don't you care about what happens to us? My village.. My friends… Me…".

"You're not going to win sympathy, village girl." Beatrice harshly shot the girl down, her eyes staring at the ground as if the mere act of looking towards Petra was shameful.

"B-But.. you said-" Petra wanted to point out the spirit's final words this morning when the first viewing was about to begin. Beatrice's encouragement to be stronger and stick together with her happiness. Everything about the spirit changed in an instant after the window had opened up the possibilities once more. Such as the life of a theater's cast.

But the fuming spirit cut her off immediately, "This isn't about you, village girl!" Beatrice shouted over the sobbing girl, her blue butterfly-shaped eyes flamed by righteous fury as she faced the cold, dampened amethysts of Emilia's indifference, "Neither is it about yourself, elf girl, in fact!"

"Betty's contractor should have a happy life! The best life! Not be used as a torture doll to gain a stupid name and be forced into servitude as a 'reward'. Not be broken until his confidence is gone because a little angry girl with no friends discarded him at the first sign of a fight! You don't deserve Betty's Suba-"

"You won't meet him either!" Now with her hair raging in the wind. Emilia darkly growled as she glared down at the mighty Beatrice.

"You won't be contracted to Subaru, Beatrice," Emilia repeated in a much more civil tone, yet still holding the same cold glare over the spirit's head.

At this, Beatrice fell into silence for a moment.

"Yeah, tha's right! Cap'n wouldn't have saved my amazin' selfs and the other folks in the Sanctuary if he wasn't with Princess!" The scarred blonde shouted in disbelief and recognition of the fact. His face was running scared at the thought of having to deal with all of the troubles his captain was dealing with on his own.

"I mean… Is it worth it?" Heads turned like whiplash to the speaker, which happened to be an ever so hunched and tired Otto spoke with no malice in his tone yet showing signs of distaste for the subject.

"Is it worth all of this trouble? Natsuki-san is clearly a happier person without any contact from us. He may find other ways to save all of these people even if he was another candidate. He still has Return by Death from what we saw… It may even be better for him to solve these problems as a candidate and not some servant to Emilia-sama. We don't know if he will save us or not so we can't panic about this so soon."

"You mean, Subaru-kun might actually meet with all of us in different circumstances?" Rem's tone was filled with hope as she held a hand to her chest. What she thought about him not being so close with her anymore turned to a fantasy of her meeting with Subaru without her having killed him multiple times. The beauty of this idea made the maid so happy and in need of an answer to her prayers that she would see how Subaru would interact with her even if he was a candidate.

"He was talking about Barusu saving all of us from all of the different crises surrounding us, Rem."

The blue-haired maid blushed and sank in her seat as her rigid older twin called her out from above.

"Both could still happen!" Otto pointed to the two Oni twins with a tired smile, "He could both save and meet us in many different ways. We don't know for sure who might surround Natsuki-san if he was a royal contender. All we know is that Emilia-sama's relationship with him Is not necessary to guarantee what he might do as a candidate in regards to our fates-"

"Shut your mouth, Otto-kun." The merchant boy's hopeful words were instantly cut as another soft, cold one ordered from beside the boy. He struggled to turn his head and glance towards the towering, eye glowing silver-haired princess that was staring right at him with a glance of contempt.

"Please, never open it again." The usually shy and sweet princess now growled darkly and a bit childishly at the poor head interior.

"Hmph! You refuse to admit that the fact he is free from your collar is pissing you off, Wench? Ha!" Priscilla, who had been watching this with the utmost glee, had her arm under her cheek as she smirked down at Emilia.

Emilia's eyes turned their cold glazing sight right into Priscilla's.

The two maidens faced off with an amused stare and an annoyed glare.

And before fire and ice were about to meet, a shaky voice with an unusual calm demeanor spoke up.

"I mean… guys… Why is this even important to ya?" Al asked, stopping both capable princesses from starting a nuclear fight in the theater.

"What do you mean?" Otto stuttered, trying to sound serious but the command from the angry mistress of his camp still weighing on him. It looked like Emilia was able to ignore the boy's words since she was occupied with the red princess and her knight.

"I mean ah… Isn't this meant to be another world anyways? Our pal has already lived through a different route, didn't he? The one we know…" Al calmly pin-pointed his reasoning to them.

"Yeah, our Subaru wasn't chosen as a candidate. Why would we fight over him being one now?" Mimi said with a sad frown.

At the one-armed knight and the child's words, the group of individuals most heated in this discussion were thrown into a frenzy.

"That's… true…" Crusch didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or a bit disgruntled with how easily her emotions are getting the best of her lately.

"Hmm, the thought is always fascinating and I've only just been theorizing what would happen if the boy was an actual possible choice for the fire stones once we get back." Anastasia mused with a delighted grin, rubbing her scarf more excitedly at each passing thought in her mind.

"He would still be with me." Emilia's firm voice cut through the merchant's thoughts as quick as an arrow. The silver-haired princess looked determined and stern at the bleachers behind her, even Ram was a bit intimidated by the once shy girl's sudden authority, "Subaru wouldn't ever leave us… He forgave Rem… He loves Beatrice and Garfiel… He loves me." Emilia trailed off weakly, her eyes faltering.

"Are you really that desperate to justify any sort of connection with the foolish child?" Priscilla spoke at the half elf below with a bored tone. Her face was unimpressed.

"You're grasping at straws, cut your losses and make peace with the truth that the boy has a way out of your enslavement of him."

Emilia's glare has never been so cold towards anyone, and she had met a few mean platinum-haired witches.

Undeterred, Priscilla's scarlet eyes filled up with pity and amusement over the glaciated witch below her.

"The boy doesn't need you. Once he is announced as a dragon maiden or a prince, he will have nothing tying him to you."

"..."

Emilia's fists were shaking, Priscilla could see droplets of tears in the corner of the hard cold eyes of the half-elf.

The red princess's grin grows, her own rage and hatred for the selfish monster below her driving her to carry through with the breaking of Emilia's sanity and weak will.

"Or is it that you're scared he might take everything he built in your name for himself and his own camp? The members, the achievements, the tales spreading about him… You would lose your greatest too-"

"That's enough, Barielle-sama." The two furious princesses and the crowd around them were suddenly shocked by Roswaal's cold, aggressive voice. The clown-faced lord looked more than furious, he was down right pissed. Even Julius looked a bit disturbed at the sight of the man's glare.

Ram shuffled in her seat uncomfortably, her own small glare settling on her master. She wouldn't want him to lose his cool and act on impulse now, she knew how shattered this man has become ever since the start of every viewing.

"You dare interrupt your god, dog?" The red princess was the only one in the room that could care less about a clown's anger being pointed towards her. She had him beneath her shoe once, why should she care about him now when he was throwing his tone around?

"With all due respect, Barielle-sama. Go no further into this discussion. While what you said may have a lot of truth to it-"

"R-Roswa-!"

"SIT DOWN, EMILIA-SAMA!"

"Oh shit!" Ricardo whispered a little scared.

The half-elf and the crowd of people watching stared at the clown with their mouths open in shock, Roswaal was completely enraged, and it seemed that the silver-haired girl was a source of that rage.

Silently, weakly… Emilia whimpered and sat down in her seat, facing away from the scene, holding on to the hand of the boy beside her. Crusch and Rem gazed at her with sympathy for a moment.

Priscilla loved the sight before her, even letting out a small chuckle behind her fan. She continued to enjoy it for a few more seconds but then turned serious as she faced back to the one man sitting above everybody in the same row as herself.

The lord of the Mathers name faced her with an unreadable expression, had his clown makeup not been colored, he would've been called a mime.

But then… he spoke.

"Please excuse my adulterous displaaay,"

"He's back to the accent again." Al sighed dryly.

"Like I was saying befooore, you may have a lot of wisdom to give us, Priscilla-sama~. But you can't go around and insulting the candidate I'm baaacking on matters that concern a knight under my household's banner."

Priscilla snorted, unimpressed. Her eyes wandered back towards the crowd below her, gauging people for reactions as she toyed with her fan.

But then someone else replied to the eccentric lord, "Roswaal L. Mathers… May I ask a question?"

Roswaal and everybody minus Emilia looked down towards the green-haired duchess that was all but glaring up towards him.

"Yes, Karsten-sama~?"

Her amber-eyes narrowed, staring into him with all the accuracy she could pinpoint. Her divine protection was on high alert no doubt as she asked her next question.

"If it is revealed that Natsuki Subaru can contend for Lugunica's throne once we leave here… Will you drop your sponsorship of Emilia-sama's candidacy?"

Eyes widened at the question coming from the duchess, Emilia stiffened like a wood plank as her face went ghost white.

Otto and Garfiel glanced at one another in shock at the thought. Who would they choose to stand with if Subaru went against Emilia?

"Hm, that's a valid question…" Anastasia mused with a smile of approval towards the duchess, even the red princess up above glanced with interest behind her fan at the magic lord.

Ram and Rem stared at their master with conflicting feelings of mistrust and loyalty. Not knowing what they might do if this choice was ever presented to their master.

Roswaal himself fell into silence that deafened the entire room.

Even Petra's sobs stopped as she too waited to hear what the lord she was employed under would choose.

Subaru or Emilia.

And Roswaal's answer was awaited by nearly everyone except for the blonde-haired spirit at the front.

"Betty's tied to her contractor no matter what, I suppose." Beatrice said, uncaring to the second flinch Emilia gave.

"It would be good to answer this question, Lord Mathers. We must know where your loyalty lies." Julius urged out as he waited with everyone else the stone-faced man.

And as Roswaal's features changed into a rigid smile, his answer would've come as soon as he parted his lips.

"Ye-"

You guys have some high class bamboo sticks up your bums huh.

Shock filled the room, as the sarcastic deadpanned person that had them all trapped here for so long spoke into their minds. Everyone could feel his annoyance dripping from his tone.

It surprised everyone, mostly the people that were waiting for the clown's answer to this question. Mainly, Emilia and Crusch wanted to hear this answer more than anyone else in the room.

"That's a very rude thing to say." Frederica mumbled weakly, holding the little girl tightly as she glared up at the ceiling where she assumed this Warden was.

The voice sounded amused for a moment.

I mean, I was out here explaining what this viewing was. I literally told you I'm going to tell you what happened there but then you started talking with each other as if I'm a substitute teacher in a music class.

"Why did you intervene?" Crusch's tone was one of distaste. The duchess did not like the Warden's interruption of her questioner.

I understand you're mad at me for stopping your display, Crusch-sama.

But I would hold off on breaking the Emilia camp just yet, for the answer he will give you would only cause you harm than do any good.

Crusch's glare narrowed harder as her gloved hands turned to raging fists. She no doubt wanted to punch this smug all knowing kidnapper in his teeth.

Roswaal however, was smiling to high heaven.

I can sense your excitement, Roswaal-sama. But let me tell you before you make any stupid decisions.

Subaru Natsuki is  not  a Dragon's Candidate in your timeline. But he had a chance to be one. A very close chance that you must see and understand from.

"B-But you said he was! It was the reason why we accepted the different viewing in the first place!" Otto sounded in confusion, leading everyone else to nod along with him.

You… Accepted?

I recall saying that you all  will  watch this alternate reality because something in it's chapters will help you defeat a great evil in yours. Not to mention that my very powerful friend out here was the one that compelled such a diversion from our original viewing plan.

You hold no power here. You will see what I want you to see and for now, it just so happens that I'm forced to show you these different timelines for the sake of my own protection and your advantage in learning of many hidden factors about your world that this reality can open up.

Never said anything about you guys  'accepting'  my change of plans.

"You're… forcing us to see this then." Julius muttered in slight surprise.

Crusch was full on glaring towards the screen. The green-haired lady's hatred for the Warden's authoritarian ways is clear in her amber gaze.

This can be seen as the way I'm doing it, yes. But at the end of the day… It's all to help Subaru.

"Help...? How could any of this help Betty's Subaru, I wonder?" Beatrice grumbled in her seat, a look of mocking disdain on her face aimed at the screen.

"This doesn't make sense. You told us that Barusu was a royal chosen by the dragon and we must watch because this could affect our own reality." Ram rigidly weighed in, keeping her calm with the clearly all powerful Warden that seemed to be more hardened in tone than before.

This viewing was and still is a massive chance for you all to gain useful knowledge that I think might help you once you get back.

See, this had many things to show you.

It could be the interactions you all should've and could have had you known this future was possible.

The silent pair of the blonde girl and the redheaded young man sitting opposite each other flinched at the same time with surprise showing on their expressions.

The clown sitting way back in the theater frowned deeply, knowing he had missed his chance to redeem any interaction with his own Subaru and that he wouldn't have the chance to do anything about this once they returned since their own world was already finished with this part of the story.

Could be that I want you all to see what would've happened had you guys not done a few of your mistakes to Subaru.

The slight hurt that overwhelmed Rem's facial features explained the entire self loathing mood the girl was going through and Warden's world clearly did not help her.

Emilia wasn't looking so good either as the princess looked to be as if she was biting her lip to draw blood in a useless attempt to distract herself from the guilt and the immense shame she was feeling.

Beatrice held on to her contractor in a hug and looked unamused towards the screen.

Or maybe I just want to show you all that you can go about this a better way when it comes to handling him. Give you a chance by showing you that you  can  help him by showing another you doing so in another reality.

At this, many of the cast's expressions looked a bit shocked out of the despairing revere.

The renounced knight sitting in his own corner looked at the screen with nothing but shock as he felt oddly pulled by these specific words, "… A chance, nyan?" Felix whispered in a dead tone, silent and alone in his corner contemplating his own actions in his reality and wishing to see how he could fix them.

A little brunette girl had stopped her sniffling a while ago and looked to be more distraught than happy since the viewing had finished. She couldn't fathom how much her friends changed, or it would be redundant to call any of these people friends. One thing Petra knew, is that the screen was pulling her to watch more, the first time she had felt hope like this in a while. Hope that maybe Subaru can be saved by her, somehow.

But while the others weighed in silence, Otto and Julius looked unsure, the implications of Subaru being a royal candidate still in their minds.

"Well then if you don't mind me asking, how is Subaru a chosen candidate in this one? Could it be true in our world as well?" The lethal knight of all knights asked this question with a grimace of shame at the probability of having beaten up a future Royal.

While the merchant sitting at the front row was on another wavelength,

"What happened to those of us that needed Subaru's help the most? What happens if he doesn't meet with us at all because of his new destiny?" Otto's question raised more heads in his own camp than he would've liked to be seen. It was no question that Subaru's importance to their lives was the reason this entire team existed in the first place. Having the idea that they were useless without him run wild in their enemies minds was the last thing he wanted but at this point, the screen was talking and the merchant was curious.

Alright. Let me explain it like this.

All of you have a lot of questions about the effects of Subaru's sudden destiny that came from the insignia.

Some of you also wish to learn  how  or  why  the insignia did this in one world while it didn't do the same to  your  Subaru in your world.

I think simplifying this could be easier for us all to understand what's happening.

As I said, this reality is a branch one. Just like yours, someone made a very important choice between other factors and the timeline of events was changed to best suit the choice's consequence.

In this world, the insignia lit up in Subaru's hand to signify his candidacy for Lugunica's throne.

This…  was the dominating factor that created such a difference in between your events and this world's.

"What…?!"

"That's such a small change..."

Felix and Julius both expressed their own fascination and shock with how much diverted just because of one small moment in the timeline.

"So because I dropped the jewel in one world… Big bro replaced me?"

Reinhard could only frown deeply and glance in pity at the little blonde muttering away from him.

Felt only stared at the dark screen with a frozen look that seemed unreadable.

Not really… You aren't the only person that did something different in that moment… And I can't tell you who helped Felt in making this fateful change of course.

"Why is that? Don't we have a right to know?" Crusch piped up with a stern frown and a bit of a growl in her tone.

"Yes… I think we deserve to know how our stories with Subaru changed and who was responsible for them." Emilia also weighed in with a surprising hateful tone in her silver bell voice that only showed how colder and darker the shy half-elf was turning.

Apart from these angry princesses, the others seemed just as curious and felt just as deserving of an answer.

I can't tell you who else other than Felt-sama caused this change.

And to be honest, I don't care to explain it either. I owe you all nothing.

Clearly more agitated at the obvious jab the Warden spitefully delivered at Emilia and Crusch, the two royal candidates found it appropriate to glare with all of their malice and hate through Amethyst and amber fiery eyes.

"Why are you keeping us here then?" Felt looked to be dead inside as she asked this question, her knight knew that had she spoken one more word, the little blonde would fall into a sea of sobs and tears.

Anastasia and Priscilla seemed to be more amused than anything at the state of the three other girls meant to rival them. Ana though seemed to be more pitiful and sympathetic with the little blonde than the Half-elf and the duchess.

"They seemed to have forgotten we are here." Otto whispered to his friend, earning a firm nod from a narrow-eyed Garfiel.

"This is gettin' bad." The blonde gruffian muttered.

You know what? Why don't I solve this issue with all of you?

You guys want answers about this reality and how different things are in the timeline here, right?

At this, the entire crowd seemed to have fallen into confusion. Except for one little burnette.

"Wait! You don't mean we will continue to watch King Subaru's world, do you?!" Petra asked in horror, not thinking of anything good that might come from this change of pace.

At the little one's words, eyes began to widen, especially those of the three distraught, angry princesses that clearly hated this viewing with a passion.

"Don't! Please don't!" Felt shouted in despair.

"This- This isn't our world, we shouldn't watch it!" Emilia hastily tried to stop this but her voice cracked with tears showing at the corner of her eyes. Her self loathing unable to be hidden as she knew that only good things would happen to Subaru in that timeline since she wasn't with him. And it hurt her more that this fact was a universal one than anything. Watching it take place is just a cruel punishment.

"You best not!" Crusch firmly ordered, losing control of all her cool as she demanded a change back to their own world.

But the girls' only got an amused hum in response.

Ladies, ladies.

You don't really think the Dragon's Candidate route is better for Subaru… Do you?

The girls' and everyone around them widened their eyes at the Warden's words.

The meaning was clear to all and curiosity induced frowns covering the most shrewd in the crowd.

Horror filled the backs of those who cared for the boy, especially the young men who aimed to befriend him and apologize as well as the girls' that truly and deeply cared for the young man spoken about.

No matter the route, Subaru is always doomed to die.

This one is just more… Relieving than what happened in your timeline. At least he has some pride here.

Haha, he still dies though. Painfully.

The Warden's voice only seemed to grow desperate, hopeless… Dead as he laughed coldly.

Let's fucking watch.

He said in a humorless tone before a click sounded from the window standing above them and activating the flashing background of the screen once more.

"Curious… This seems a bit mor' pullin' than I had thought." Anastasia muttered as she rubbed her chin. The horror of the implications the Warden had given clear on everyone but the more morbidly curious in the crowd were thinking of 'how' this could be darker for Subaru?

It was fascinating and cruel. To think of another Subaru's destiny and see how better or worse he would've had it.

All because of one small choice.

"One that clearly no one seems to like here..." Wilhelm muttered under his breath as he sighed in displeasure. His own head hurting from the constant thinking of every possible difference such a change in the events could cause.

"I guess it would be better to see if Betty failed him here as well, in fact. Maybe even see if he chooses another spirit, I suppose." Betty muttered tiredly and leaned into her contractor's humming chest. Feeling safe in his arms and not caring if this viewing showed him being happier without her. The spirit didn't care anymore. All she wanted was to have him be happy.

Otto and Garfiel seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"I hope at least he saves me." the merchant muttered as he sat back.

"Yeah, me 's well." Garfiel nodded, already sitting back to watch.

"You're not worried this might show you different things?" Reinhard inquired, in disbelief at the boys' easy attitude regarding the screen's show.

Only to be met with a shrug from the gruf blonde sitting beside him, "Noth'n is gonna happen to us. Cap'n's already ours and this is jus' a different lifetime."

"It's not our world. We shouldn't care so much or else we would only get a headache." Otto sighed tiredly and nodded in agreement with his friend.

Julius and Felix looked at them with surprised looks, Reinhard as well.

It seemed that the entire group was split between either caring too much and not caring at all what the screen shows.

It was a mess.

One which, the Half-elf in the front, the Duchess in the back, the blonde beside the sleeping knight, and the blue-haired despaired maid seemed to dislike vehemently.

"Please don't let me kill you this time, Subaru-kun." Rem whispered in self-hate and brought her stocking-clad knees to fold under her chin.

And then the screen stopped flashing.

Chapter 2: the scent's cost.

After the sword saint's long-awaited revelation, the room had been silent for a moment. As a confused black-haired boy was in deep thought, mulling over the words just spoken to him.

With one hand covering his mouth and his narrowed eyes gazing towards the insignia he held in his palm, Subaru didn't say a word. From the asphyxiating silence grew an anxious pressure, crushing all those who assisted in the event.

"Ya know, this is kind of similar to yer reaction when the jewel glowed in yer hands, boss."

Anastasia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her mercenary companion.

"Why does it matter?" Otto couldn't help but voice out his confusion as to why the dogman found this silent reaction. Anastasia found herself to be in agreement with the head interior of Emilia's camp.

Ricardo simply shrugged his shoulders, "Just wanted to fill the air with someth'n. And the thought is amusing tah me. The boy can be very similar to ya, boss."

The merchant queen raised her brow further, her head disconnecting from the conversation as she turned to keep her eyes focused on the screen. That thought was nice.

A certain duchess from far away found herself eluded into the dogman's thoughts and found herself thinking of her own reaction in the royal hall when the council presented her and a few others with the dragon gems.

She couldn't help but feel eerie with how similar the boy's reaction was to her as well.

The only one somehow managing to keep their composure was Reinhard, patiently waiting for Subaru's answer. In the knight's mind, it was obvious that someone chosen by the insignia to rule over the kingdom would show commitment to this task…Or that was what he wanted to believe.

Truth was that Reinhard couldn't predict how Subaru would react. He knew very little of the final candidate for the Lugunican throne., Not even knowing if this was what Subaru wanted or if this would be of interest to him in the slightest…

Reinhard just knew that he couldn't  fail .

"You look rather tense here, don't you?" Julius mused, narrowing his eyes towards the red-haired on the screen.

Reinhard kept his gaze on his screen, not paying much attention to what his fellow knight was saying, an action that didn't go unnoticed by all those around these two.

"I mean. This is really silent…" Al scoffed under his helmet, finding this silence to be a bit overwhelming, much like the dogman.

No one paid attention to him.

As a knight, for the kingdom and the sake of its prosperity, he had to make sure Natsuki Subaru would become a candidate. As appointed by the dragon himself.

Suddenly, Subaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking his thoughts off the sword saint. He was eager to fulfill his duty, but he also knew that holding the position of a candidate was no easy task.

"Hm, does he seem to be backtracking on his desciiiision?" Roswaal mused from above, as focused as everyone else around him.

"He hasn't made a decision yet, pal." Al interjected, happy to finally have something to break the pressuring silence.

"It's not like Rein would let big bro leave without saying yes, anyways. This thing has been rigged since the start and I know it." Felt interjected on them both, catching the flinch the redhead gave as she reminded him how much trouble he gave her when she tried to run away from the mansion because she wanted nothing to do with the royal selection nonsense and wanted to check up on her old man.

As rare as it was, all this heavy thinking made him start to sweat a little bit from his forehead.

Taking everyone by surprise, Subaru ended up exclaiming out loud, "Aaaaaah Thank goodness!"

The servants glanced at each other in confusion, trying to understand this rather unexpected reaction.

When he finished expressing his relief, Subaru turned toward his friend once again, witnessing his visible confusion.

"No, don't worry Reinhard! I'm just relieved!" He said with a bright smile. "I mean, for a moment I just thought that I had been summoned to a parallel universe with the worst stats a man could have!"

"He doesn't even know how true that is, I suppose," Beatrice whispered brokenly, her eyes seeming hollow.

Beside the blonde loli spirit, the half-elven silver-haired girl seemingly flinched out of her focused glare.

Those words physically hurt Emilia to hear.

"The irony in them words." Garfield found himself facepalming from the painful truth Subaru's words exposed, beside him Otto was doing the same while hiding his face behind his hat.

"Big bro really would be dissing his luck if he knew what really happened, huh." Felt said while flinching.

"I think he did more than curse his luck, Felt-sama." Rem nodded along sadly.

"I think the irony isn't lost on anyone here. Barusu outlined his other self's situation perfectly as a bad state to start his journey." Ram, undoubtedly unhappy with how truthfully Subaru's words depicted her own Subaru's life.

"It is interesting though, Natsuki-kun is speaking in those 'video game' terms once again. He had stopped talk'n like that in our worl' for a while now, hasn't he?" Anastasia found herself occupied with something more to the words of the boy rather than how accurate they were, but what they were displaying.

"Natsuki Subaru seems a lot more confident here even if he was chosen to be a royal contender for the throne… Almost arrogant." Crusch also piped with a frown.

"He… probably has the mindset that our Natsuki-san used to have… The one about him being chosen to be a powerful hero." Otto mumbled his speculation.

Julius and Anastasia flenched in their own ways because they heard him.

"That could probably be why he's so relaxed to the news." Frederica also revealed that she had heard the merchant boy.

"I don't think any of us were relaxed when we learned about our candidacy." Anastasia quipped with an amused smile.

"It was no surprise to mineself." Priscilla snorted haughtily, speaking for the first time since a while.

Even though Subaru's words were difficult to understand for Reinhard, the clear joy and excitement the newly made candidate showcased were enough to make the knight realize that the news had been taken rather well.

The situation now cleared up, the servants in the room decided to take their leave, taking the dishes with them. Letting both the knight and the candidate have a much needed talk.

"So...Is this why I've been summoned? To be the king...? Hehe, that's not so bad either."

"Ah, shit." Al grunted, already feeling bad for the boy on screen, knowing how much his expectations would be crushed later on.

"Wait, so he believes that he has been summoned here…" Mimi started, her voice expressing her surprise.

"To be the ruler of the nation?!" Tivey continued for his sister.

"Oh so he's 'bout to believe that he's here for the throne?" Anastasia wondered, caressing her scarf. "Poor fella, this' gonna hurt…"

"Surely you are speaking for yourself as well." Priscilla voiced out loud from her seat, her eyes showing contempt towards the screen, to this boy who dared to think that he would get her rightful throne.

"Always here to throw a jab when no one's askin' again aren't ya?" Anastasia replied in disinterest.

"Mine ears simply cannot stand to hear such stupid thoughts." Priscilla answered in a bored tone, not bothering to look at the merchant princess. "Keep it as a dream in the back of your mind if you want to, but believing these to become true is nothing but an insult towards myself."

"So ya take the fact that I might take the throne as an insult? I understood for a while now that ya had a big ego, but ain't that just frustration?" Smirking to her own choice of words, the purple haired candidate looked up to the crimson princess, waiting for her reaction.

And just like she expected, Priscilla finally turned her ruby irises towards her.

"No. I take you believing you could take mine throne as a joke. But when you dare to believe that you and I stand on an even ground, where you could have a chance...this is what mineself take as an insult." The fiery princess voiced out loud with a hint of threat behind her tongue, a way to warn this merchant to mind her words.

"While I certainly stand by your side, I believe it would be wiser to avoid responding to Priscilla-sama, my lady." Julius promptly intervened, wanting to ease the tension in the theatre.

Anastasia threw one last glance to the princess above her, before turning towards the screen once again, taking the decision to listen to her knight.

Priscilla didn't pay much attention to her "rival" as her eyes quickly turned back to the screen as well. Focusing on the wannabe candidate that would become one of those that would fight for the crown.

"Uh...Princess?" Al asked, noticing how the fiery lady stared at the screen, her face hidden by her crimson fan.

Priscilla didn't respond to him, nor did she voice the thoughts running in her mind. She simply leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowed to the sleeping boy on the front row, and the one of the screen.

The ruby-eyed blonde sitting to the side of the black-haired subject of the matter was continuously frowning in a glaring motion. "He accepted his destiny rather quickly, eh? He didn't even give Rein any trouble… unlike me."

Clearly emotional, the little blonde one continued to grip the sides of her seat in frustration. Noting every single detail that showed how much better both, Reinhard and Subaru would've been off had she not been there to take one of the two's places. It was infuriating yet deeply frightening just how… better, everything seemed without her in the picture.

Something Reinhard had been keeping an eye on ever since this had started, he wanted nothing more than to go over to her and give her a hug once more, his own thoughts clouded between excitement, for the future and yet his focus was on nothing more than how his lady was feeling.

"It's not that he accepted it just yet, Felt-chan."

The blondes including Beatrice that was sitting on Subaru's lap and Felt that was sitting beside her glanced at the other side of the sleeping boy where the speaker chimed in with a softened tone that was almost unhearable.

"He didn't accept it. He feels entitled to it, because Subaru is a boy without a purpose." Emilia whispered with a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. Felt and Beatrice listened carefully to what the half-elf was saying.

"Subaru… He thinks that his entire reason for his existence is to be important somewhere far away from his own home. He's the type to set his sight on one objective and focus on nothing else."

"So…?" Felt couldn't help but sound her confusion at Emilia's soft whispered rambles.

"I'm saying that he would only focus on being king for the sake of having a purpose… But he didn't think of any other option he was liable to take. He could've had something far easier and better than working to be a king… A-And..."

As Emilia trailed off in a broken whisper, Felt started to catch on along with the elegant other blonde sitting beside her.

"He would've chosen something far better than to be your knight. Isn't that what you are so regretful of, girl? Or perhaps you are disappointed he chose being king over being a mere servant to you, I wonder?" Beatrice growled coldly as she side glared at the distraught Emilia.

"That isn't it, Beatrice-san… It's not it at all..." Emilia whispered sadly while shaking her head.

"What is it then?" Felt asked with impatience.

"I don't want him to be closer to me at all… I can't let go of him but… I don't want him to be anywhere near the election because… Even if he decided to be my rival… He would still help me. I'm not dumb. I know my knight… I know him."

Beatrice and Felt only stared with shocked faces as Emilia whispered to herself with tears trailing down her cheeks. Tears of guilt.

"It seems you aren't that clueless, I suppose. At least Bubby hadn't fully ruined your common sense, in fact."

Beatrice sounded unsure as she turned back to the screen. Leaving Felt to be the only one staring at Emilia.

"Looks like I ain't the only one mess'n my own head about this, huh?" The gruf blonde muttered in pity and turned to the screen after Emilia regained a sense of clarity and wiped her tears away.

"Subaru is close with everyone here… I love him and he loves me… But he doesn't love himself at all." Emilia spoke in a less than freshened voice while cleaning her face up.

"He would choose anything that gives him a purpose no matter how hard it was. He just wants something to belong to."

"It's sad." Felt commented as Emilia and even Beatrice both nodded quietly.

Subaru started smiling, he held the insignia tight in his palm, as if he was embracing his new life. Such enthusiasm from his new master allowed Reinhard to feel relieved as well. He was surprised, but to see Subaru ready to take on his new role made him very happy.

After completing the rough task that had been bestowed on his shoulders, he had immediately received a new mission, one that he was ready to take.

"I am truly glad you came to acknowledge your upcoming duties, Subaru-sama." Reinhard spoke as he got up from his seat, walking closer to the candidate. "While being named as a candidate by the divine dragon is the greatest honor one could have, it is also far from being an easy task."

"What are you doing now?" Otto asked the sword saint, wondering if the one by his side could tell his counterpart's actions.

Which was somehow true, as Reinhard's eyes widened in shock, slowly realizing what was happening.

"Oi, sword saint?" Garfiel called again, waving his hand in front of him.

Subaru's eyes followed the sword saint until the latter stopped just a few feet away from him. Reinhard kneeled on one knee, in the most elegant manner a knight could, bowing his head down as he stuck his fist against the ground, taking Subaru aback.

"Wait…!" Felix let out a gasp, eyes wide.

"Don't tell me…" Much like his fellow knight, Julius understood the meaning of this very well.

"So...This is reaaaaaallly how it will go…." Roswaal whispered in a dreadfilled tone. He did consider this possibility to happen in this reality, and the only thing he could do was to feel fear and relief.

"What? What is happening?" Petra asked, curious and worried about the reactions of the two.

"This looks...Very courteous?" Frederica whispered, only for the little maid to hear.

"What is… with Reinhard-san?" Asked the silver-haired girl with a hand held to her chest, feeling confusion as to why a sudden tightness filled her chest. "Subaru?"

"What are you doing, Reinhard?" A voice whispered harshly from behind him but he couldn't care less. The red haired knight ignored Julius's seething plea and continued to glance towards his own liege. The girl is currently trembling as she watches the next scene.

Reinhard couldn't help but frown more deeply as his mind refused to come up with any solution to make the little blonde royal feel better about herself.

"This is why I humbly request that you allow me to be by your side. As your knight, sword, and shield. I beseech you to use me as you will., I swear to be the tool you need to support your candidacy and allow you to reach your goal-"

"Alright, alright! Stop! Damn it, Reinhard, what the hell is that?!" Subaru exclaimed as he waved his hands around, embarrassment clear on his face as he urged the sword saint to get up.

"I…I-" The sword saint stuttered, his eyes betraying his worry and incomprehension towards Subaru's reaction.

"What did I do wrong…?" He wondered, fearing the worse to come.

"Oh you have it wrong here." Otto smiled slightly as he shook his head.

"You...Instantly believed you were in the wrong…" The old man bearing the name of Astrea spoke out. It was neither a question, nor him trying to understand his grandson's words.

Wilehlm perfectly knew why he reacted this way.

"That's an old habit of his." The little blonde sitting at the front grumbled without a hint of humor.

While his attention was fully focused on his lady, the sword saint couldn't help but raise his head towards the screen, understanding precisely what was going on as soon as he noticed his other self's posture on the floor before one of his most genuine friends.

He was offering his vow to Subaru. This version of him, this reality, was about him and Subaru becoming what him and his lady were. Even if he brought himself to firmly stand by his candidate's side...This much was impossible for him to ignore.

For Reinhard was still human. And even if his height and age could bring to a certain conclusion, his mind still couldn't be called as one of an adult. He was sometimes confused as to how he had to react to certain situations, he was still curious about the simplest things...And he still bore a lot of fears and insecurities.

Along with so many, one was his need for friendship. His need for companions to walk along every day of life with.

And the dragon only knows that Subaru Natsuki was one of those he wanted the most to be close to. To share the same relation he did with the merchant or the tiger boy, was a wish he thought he could only dream about.

Yet. Right before his eyes the reality of such a possibility unfolded. A wish, a dream, an envy.

So, while still having his lady in his mind, Reinhard raised his eyes towards the screen.

And watched.

"You don't need to go that far! That's super embarrassing! Like I said, I was just the simplest middle-class guy just a moment ago! There's no need to treat me like that all of a sudden, especially not someone as impressive as you!" Subaru continued, begging his friend to stop his noble request.

"Ah, himself admitting he is from a common class. At least the boy knows his place." Priscilla off handily commented in boredom. "The way he treats this hero as superior might be wrong, however."

"Eh...That was a little harsh princess. The guy's still the sword saint of the kingdo-"

"I do not remember giving you permission to open that mouth of yours, Aldebaran."

Sighing in cold sweat behind his helmet, Al just turned his eyes away from the sun princess, feeling somewhat relieved she didn't go further than warning him.

"Man, he has it hard." Scoffed Ricardo as he kept watching.

Reinhard just froze in place, as he tried to understand what had just been told to him now. While he had thought he failed to hold up the etiquette proper to a knight, the reality seemed to hold another meaning.

Subaru continued, "Come on! You could've just said 'I'll help you' or something, that would've done the trick." rubbing the back of his head with a shy smile on his face as he stood up, he then offered his hand for the bewildered knight to take.

"You...Took an oath to Subaru-kun…!?" The blue-haired maid said in disbelief. The thought of her hero and love being so far away not only in status but also in destiny and fate was heartbreaking but the fact that he wouldn't be in need of any of her friend's help now that he had the greatest hero in the land serving him was downright shattering for the maiden's dreams. "S-Subaru-kun..." Rem whispered her folded knees with an increasingly despairing expression.

The fact that he became a contender for the throne was already a thing. But having the Sword saint himself by his side was an entirely different situation.

Of course, regarding how things began, it would have been a lie to say that no one expected some sort of connexion between Subaru and Reinhard.

"But for them to become master and knight…" Anastasia uttered with narrowed eyes.

"Anastasia-sama?" Julius asked, noticing his lady thoughtfully looking at the screen.

"I was just wonderin'...If he did so much on his own…" She told her knight, her voice low and filled with curiosity. "How far can he go with someone like the current sword saint with him?"

"...I suppose we will soon come to discover it…" Julius said in a barely audible voice. A grim and bitter tone at the tip of his tongue.

It was not new to him that Reinhard was viewed as a very capable knight. Still, he couldn't help but to let certain thoughts surface every time he had to admit it. Certain thoughts, a proper knight shouldn't bear.

"Ya're letting your jealousy come off of yourself with such few words, Julius-kun?"

"My lady…" Eyes wide, Julius turned towards the purple haired merchant queen with surprise.

"Even if ya're not saying anything, it still radiates strongly, ya know?" She told him, her eyes still fixated on the screen.

"This is most certainly something I am not proud of." Julius told her, keeping his voice low, and slightly bowing. "I apologize. This behavior is unworthy of you, my lady."

"Ya should know that ya have a name that stands out, too." She turned to him, smiling. "And yet, even though I said that I was curious to know how far they would go...Nothing actually predicts that them together will be a good thing, if at all."

"It would be wrong of me to believe something akin to that." He whispered, more to himself than to his lady.

"I don't understand…" Reinhard uttered, accepting his master's benevolence as he slowly stood up. "Why would you refuse the honors due to a person of your status?"

"Because I don't hold a candle to you!" He laughed nervously. "And aside from that, I'm the one guy here that has nowhere to go…And you're the one asking me if you can-…Damn it, scratch that!"

Reinhard stayed silent, his mind drowning in confusion as he just listened to Subaru. He didn't understand why he would say such things. He didn't understand why a candidate for the throne would think of himself unworthy to receive the vow of a knight but most importantly…The sword saint's confusion layed with Subaru's bizarre belief. To think a mere knight was far above him, all while in the knight's very eyes… the opposite was the case.

"Thank you, Reinhard."

Hearing this, the sword saint lifted his face to meet with the warm expression of his new friend.

Above the watchers, the pink-haired maid couldn't stop an elegant snort which earned her some glances demanding an elaboration. "Who would've thought that the sword saint and Barusu share such strong comradery that even their self-esteem issues are nearly identical? You both should've been twins."

"I-" Not knowing what to say, Reinhard paused at a standstill for the surprising warm answer that came from Beatrice.

"I do agree, I suppose. You both are seemingly suffering from the same disease, in fact."

Rem's eyes widened at this, "D-Disease?! Do you mean we've missed something else that's hurting my Subaru-kun?!"

Beatrice and Ram nodded with each other, "It's also tragic our grand hero is suffering from the same one. This might be dangerous."

"What is it?" Felix asked, a little spooked out from the two girls' conspiracy feel.

Until Beatrice answered with a simple cruel, "They both are morons, in fact. Unfortunate, I suppose."

"Uh..." Otto sighed with relief, thinking something much more serious was happening but it had just been a bit of the two most well known tsundere's in his camp being themselves and insulting both Subaru and Reinhard.

Heh… He used a Subaruism.

"Ah man~~~!" Garfiel slammed his fist on the armrest, an expression of pure frustration on the boy's face. "This is so amazin'! But I thought the Sword Saint's Oath would be taken before a huge ass crowd or somethin' like when Cap'n became one for Princess ov'r here."

"Is… Isn't that needed somehow? When a knight yields their oath, shouldn't there be a big ceremony?" Innecontly, the silver-haired elf sitting at the front said with a growing pained expression.

"Subaru really waited for nothing?" Emilia's thoughts were as negative as ever, not wanting to have her knight alone in a world she was detached from but still wishing she could at least be his friend. Seeing Reinhard lay down his Oath to help her knight was a happy moment for the half-elf, honestly. Emilia was truly happy for this moment. But she couldn't help but feel disappointed that Subaru was having a happy moment that had nothing to do with her or her friends. It just felt so… Different from having him work his own destiny away from her.

She truly was a selfish girl.

Emilia bit her lip and shrunk on herself from shame, Beatrice noticed.

"I think it makes sense that Natsuki Subaru earned someone of Reinhard's calibre as his right hand." Crusch noted simply with a stare honed on the black haired boy. "It's not surprising to me at all…", the Duchess muttered once more.

"I think everyone expected something to come of them two," Anastasia bemusedly collaborated with the Duchess sitting beside her.

All of a sudden, the feeling of happiness Reinhard had felt once staring at the screen to find his relationship with Subaru lifting to unimaginable heights… Had evaporated as the words of everyone around him finally registered.

Reinhard's soft-blue eyes widened and wandered over to the blon- his liege. She was his liege and his destiny was to be hers.

As the shame filled his panicked expression, Julius commented from behind him with a soft sigh, "This is what I meant… She's not doing well, Reinhard," The knight softly told the redhead before him.

Reinhard could only but stiffen as he recognized the slight shining trail flowing down Felt's cheek. Obscured by her downed blonde hair, he couldn't see those red eyes he served to brighten everyday.

"Go, Reinhard-san."

Stiffening, the knight looked at the normal boy sitting beside him. Otto stared into the greatest hero's eyes with conviction and confidence.

With that fact and this overwhelming support from people he had the pleasure of calling his friends, Reinhard quickly found power to stand and step towards the seats beside his own, where Natsuki Subaru's sleeping body lay on a chair, and his lady sat all alone.

Feeling more guilty than ashamed, the knight found it appropriate to bow on his knee before Felt, surprising Emilia and Beatrice.

"My lady."

"..."

There was nothing in the world for the little blonde to cause her such pain. And she could only feel the warmth radiating from the knight's hands on hers.

"My lady… This is a simple reality with its own rules," His words reached the little blonde's ears but they barely entered her mind, "It's not good to think about these things too much. What would've been and what would come to be had we changed this and that. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment."

"Are ya kiddin' yerself?" She met him with a simple snort, "You?! The guy screamin' for someone to cherish and bond with 'em?... Yeah, 'simple reality' my ass. I bet you forgot all 'bout me when you drooled over yer friendship with Big bro!"

With one statement, Reinhard's hopes of finding a good reason to doubt himself shattered. He wanted to feel guilty again, to bring back a hateful remark from his master that shows that she doubted him all along. Maybe even get her to say how much she hated him? That would've been nice.

But instead, and for the second time since coming to this theater, Reinhard could only stiffen with righteous anger at someone dear to him.

Someone that had been doubting and breaking themselves this whole time, for a damn viewing.

"This reality isn't mine! You're the only one I serve, Felt-sama!" Ironic as it may seem, the knight of all knights had broken every code of chivalry as he loudly proclaimed with a piercing glare at the lady before him.

Many were taken a back by this behaviour, especially Julius and Felix. Never expecting this from the most humble knight. Such selfishness to drive a point his master didn't understand, it was uncouth for Reinhard to demand his leige's attention in such a manner.

The two knights seemed to be more shocked straight than angry by Reinhard's breaking of their ethics. At which one bemused girl snorted.

"Ya really need t' let go once in a while, Julius-kun~," Anastasia blew her scarf back and forth with her chin resting on her knuckle as she watched everything with a smile.

"Cut the crap a'ready! You ain't stopped smilin' since ya found out big bro was in your home!" Felt, however, was not bemused one bit by the young man's breaking of his persona. Taking Reinhard's newfound defiance as a challenge, the street prone girl knocked a fist on her arm seat and glared heatedly with her tooth bared.

"Because I was happy I saved a friend, Felt-sama! I didn't feel happy I was paired with someone over you!" Reinhard bared his own anger in a courteous frown.

"Liar!" Felt shouted in fury.

"I'm not! I've been fearing the mere thought of showing my happiness that my friend was saved from certain death because I didn't want you to think of me as a traitor. Yet all you can think about is yourself!" Reinhard replied in equal childishness, uncaring for those who watched him and breaking his code once again.

Looks like his liege rubbed off on him too much.

Even she was taken aback by him.

"What the hell are ya on?!"

"Felt-sama… Why do you think so lowly of me?" This time, he whispered it while looking at the floor.

Felt's reaction to the entire way the knight was handling her outburst was bafflement.

He looks so down… And he thinks I'm the one that's insulting HIM?!

"l-low?! Are you daft?"

"Felt-sama," Reinhard called whisperingly, raising his head to meet the candidate's eyes with a look of disappointment dawning on him, "You were doubting yourself and thought that me ending up with you was a mistake, didn't you?"

"..." She seemed to be out of words. No stutter or choked sobs… Just shocked silence befell the little girl.

It made a few in the crowd, mainly Priscilla and Roswaal, to snort towards the empathetic scene and the helpless girl as she was nearly berated by her own knight.

Emilia and Crusch were staring with silent frowns.

"Y-You looked happier with Big bro in one day, than you did with me for a long while..."

"So you didn't think of my feelings about this?" He asked. Urged. Demanded of the girl that had taken it upon herself to decide for him instead of taking part in their partnership.

"..."

"Felt-sama… You told me to be greedy to things I want and need from time to time," Reinhard ignored Felt's silence and filled the atmosphere with his own soft musing of disappointment, "I want you to think about how I feel..."

"Aren't you feeling happy when you see yourself with Big bro?"

"... How I feel when I see myself happy without the girl I've sworn my sword for. About my best friend."

And before she could even comment on that shocking endearment from her usually incombered knight, the redhead hung his head in disappointment and stoof off his knee.

Walking towards his own seat as everyone watched him in silence. Felt couldn't utter a word of discourse as the feeling of shame and guilt had filled her.

"Let's continue this farce!" Priscilla took delight in bypassing Felt's upcoming effort to resolve her relationship with Reinhard and commanded the warden to play the viewing again. Making everyone turn to the screen and forget about the duo's conflict.

Emilia and Crusch seemed to notice this and they both held their anger with pointed glares.

Not missing a beat, Subaru continued, "If you're fine with it, I'll gladly take you up on the offer!"

A strange feeling ran through Reinhard van Astrea's mind upon hearing those words. Bafflement would be too light of a word…It was so much more, more complicated, something that barely made sense to him.

But one thing was sure, out of this complex maze of thoughts that raced at insane speed within his mind, relief was the dominant one. A sentiment he rarely had the chance to feel, one that could even be qualified as alien to the greatest knight.

"Reinhard?" Subaru called, noticing the redhead man's silence.

"I…Am the one who should thank you, Subaru-sama…" Answered Reinhard, slightly bowing his head to him once more.

Dejected, Subaru said in a tired voice, "We'll need to find something for that as well…"

"And thus, they became candidate and knight, I suppose," Beatrice murmured.

"..." Reinhard kept the thoughts running in his mind to himself for now. Eyes glued to the screen. And his heart beating without rest.

And everyone else just watched...In awe.

"Is it just me or...Does it look...Scary?" The purple haired merchant said in a low voice, enough for those around her to hear her.

"...I…" Crusch uttered, as she understood what the merchant queen meant.

"Y'are saying the little boss and the Sword Saint can be a real damn challenge for ya, right boss?" the dogman laughed, readjusting himself in his seat, "I get ya."

"You seem to be strangely unfazed by this." Julius commented to his comrade, "I admit that I can't percieve if you are not scared for our lady, or-"

"I ain't scared for anything pal. But after everything we saw, would be a bit stupid in my opinion if you can't tell that the lil' boss would be one hell of a challenge for the princesses." The dogman said with a smile and a shake of his head,"besides why should we even care? This ain't our world, remember? We're just 'ere to watch."

Julius remained out of words towards his friends...As he understood there was nothing to argue. All of his points were legitimate, after all.

Sealing their new bond of friendship with a smile, Subaru sat down and leaned back into his chair. He started to stare at the ceiling, remembering everything he went through as soon as he opened his eyes and found himself in the capital of Lugunica. Away from his home, from his life, from his parents…

Being trope-savvy on the 'summoned to another world' subgenre, Subaru knew that he had been summoned for an important reason. Thus, the fact that he had been given nothing more than his grim "Return By Death" honestly disappointed him.

For someone who had just spent many years of his life stuck in his shell, wasting his life it was a chance of a lifetime that only a fool would throw away, and right now, he could be anything but this fool.

Right now, his wildest fantasies were taking shape before him

Holding his insignia up his eyes again, he realized that right now… He had the chance to become a king.

"Wait...If the insignia means that I'm a candidate..." Subaru thought out loud, turning his eyes towards his friend. "DOES THAT MEAN WHAT I THINK IT MEANS?!"

"Ah, he realized it." Otto shook his head, along with Garfiel laughing loud as he understood.

"Yes, Emilia-sama is also a candidate for the throne." And just like that, the young man's excitement about his candidacy disappeared as fast as it came. He surely was overjoyed at the idea of becoming the ruler of a nation, as anyone would be at his place, but if it meant to forsake his love at first sight…

"Ugh, this world is so cruel..." He silently whimpered, cursing the world who forced him into making this unfair choice.

"Pfft…" Emilia giggled with a fond voice, nudging the shoulder of the sleeping boy, a feeling of satisfaction growing in her heart to the idea of Subaru still having affection for her in this reality.

"It seems our idea seems to be correct so far, I suppose," rigidly, Rem turned her head once she heard what the spirit at the front had said. But because the maid was sitting so far back beside her lord, she couldn't ask the great spirit girl what she had meant.

"...Mhm." Softly, Emilia began ruffling Subaru's hair. unconsciously, she leaned on him and enjoyed his warmth. She seemed to have slightly frowned as she settled on his shoulder.

"He's not a different Subaru… He's the same one… And that will only mean disaster for him."

Beatrice took no more time to understand those cryptic words of the half-elf girl.

"Well…" Reinhard began to speak, searching for his words"Nothing prevents you from having a good relationship with the other candidates. I believe it would only be for the greater good since the race for the throne should be won fair and square. In that regard, what could provide better stability than trust between the candidates?" He explained, trying to cheer up his friend.

"Uh?!"

Like a spark that managed to fire up his spirits once more, Reinhard's statement put stars in Subaru's eyes. Just by looking at them, the knight understood that he did well.

"That's it! That's exactly it, Rein! Dammit, what would I do without you!?" He exclaimed as Reinhard scratched the back of his head with a shy smile, "Right, let's go!"

Still with a smile on their faces as they witnessed Subaru's antics, several people stopped laughing when they heard the last part of his sentence in surprise.

"What?" Emilia whispered, eyes wide in realisation of what her knight in this reality meant.

"Don't tell me…" Beatrice murmured with a similar expression.

"Ah, of course," Ram spat as she shook her head.

"What?"

"I said: let's go! Come on!"

"He's going to Emilia-sama's place?" Honestly surprised by the sheer speed with which Subaru was already prepared to meet the silver-haired candidate, Julius voiced his thoughts out loud, "So his feelings really didn't change…"

Seated just in front of him, Emilia stood in awe before the screen. Her eyes twinkling in fondness as she covered her mouth, and her blushing face with her hands. She had nothing but happiness filling her mind at the moment, nothing but gratefulness…

As Natsuki Subaru, even in this reality…

"Is it really a good thing?" Anastasia commented, looking unassured by how things were going.

"What do you mean…?" picking up on the merchant queen's words, Emilia turned towards her.

"Emilia-sama…" putting a hand on the half-elf shoulder, Crusch got her attention, "Do not inflict that to yourself…"

"W-What are you-" Emilia cut on her own words as she noticed far on the back behind the verdant-haired Duchess...A trembling Rem staring at the screen.

"Please...Please...Not again…" She begged silently, only for her sister to hear, "don't make me do it again…"

The half-elf could only but widen her eyes as the memories of one fateful viewing played in her mind making her expression grow more ambient with horror.

"Took you one split second to forget, I suppose," Beatrice mocked the half-elf's surprise with a seething edge in her tone, "You've forgotten that those twins are also considered a big reason why Betty's Subaru shouldn't have ended up with you, Emilia."

Emilia faced the spirit girl with nothing short of distable dissidence in her eyes.

"Don't tell me… REM!"

The entire arena turned fickle by the thick dangerous aura of the two clearly unstable girls that had faced one another. Rem was way back with her entire form hunched and trembling but her eyes were wide with fear.

Emilia was glaring outright into the girl's soul.

"You told me that Subaru's murder was because of certain circumstances! You won't kill him again here now that he's a candidate, right?" Her tone was laced with command, it impressed Priscilla enough to raise a brow at the half-elf's demanding aura.

"I… I… "

"DID YOU LIE?!"

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"... Then why do you look so guilty, Rem?" Amazingly, Emilia has been running the entire conversation with nothing but tonal shifts of her voice. It was like she could get any answer she wanted by a simple change of voice for the shattered-like Rem to comply with any of her questions.

"I… "

"Emilia-sama, Barusu was saved by my sister multi-"

"Your sister killed him. Ram. Sit down." Emilia's cold tone did not do her glare justice, so many times she had promised to protect and work in the best interest of the boy she'd failed to love. So many times.

Now, she will get the answer she's been waiting for.

"Rem… in our reality. Did you ever plan to kill him? Kill your Subaru-kyun?"

So much different. This Emilia was so much different than the one who cried and threw a fit towards her when her murder of the black-haired knight was revealed. So many emotions were hidden behind the half-elf's eyes it broke every ounce of confidence in the maid.

Rem's lips parted with the answer…

And Emilia's fist was on the girl's hair almost immediately.

"EMILIA!" "PRINCESS!" "EMILIA-SAMA!"

The shock engraved in the theater was notable as even Priscilla and Roswaal couldn't tell what was happening.

Emilia had taken less than a second to dash across the rows and manhandle the blue maid into her seat. Emilia stood not in the front row like she had last time Rem's fate was in the red. No. Emilia was now feral, unattentive, standing over the hunched maid with a flock of Rem's hair in her fist, keeping their eyes on each other. Rem's looking up in absolute fear at this corrupted Emilia, and Emilia's looking like she was staring at the most pathetic creature to exist.

Rem's eyes dripped tears.

Emilia's lips moved beside the girl's ears.

The aura of freezing cold stuck from Emilia onto Rem's shaking form, Emilia's entire presence was calling for the girl's hurt. For her to be pained.

And when Emilia's nonchalant tone could be heard from beside Rem's ear, the maid's entire soul froze.

"Whatever it was that was said between us, Rem, discard it. I do not forgive. I do not wish to have any sort of competition with you."

All she could do was shake and huddle her knees under her to keep warmth as Emilia let go of her hair and raised herself from atop her.

A finger under Rem's chin forced her eyes upwards to those of Emilia's dimmed purple, "Forget him. Forget about your memories. About your sacrifice for him. About his sacrifice to you. From this day forth, you should know no one in this world named Subaru… Do you understand, maid?"

"E-Emilia-sam-!"

"Should she disregard my warning, I want her executed."

Rem's shock made her nerves clash and give out as her entire body felt numb and her hearing went into a deeper distortion.

All she could do was cry from this painful ice that had covered her entire form. In reality she couldn't tell if it was her entire form or not. But Emilia's magic was amazingly feeble.

Emilia had the magic to incase her entire heart in a chunk of freezing ice with just a few simple non magical words.

Whatever happened to Emilia's personality… It was haunting.

"... What the hell..." Al whispered from the side as he witnessed the scene in silence, everyone else was staring at Emilia in wonder and fear as the half-elf layed the one last command to Roswaal and turned from him without another word, not even letting him speak on behalf of his staff that she ordered him to butcher should they disobey her command.

Simply, Emilia walked with her eyes stuck on the black mop of hair at the front, dismissing every frown and look of sadness her camp members, plus Crusch, sent her way.

'They don't get to judge me. I thought Subaru's murder was atoned for. That Rem was a good person at heart…

Various clenches of Emilia's fists could be heard, as her fingers cracked in the silent theater.

She could only think about Rem's answer.

The answer that told Emilia everything she needed to know about those twins.

"Disgusting..." Emilia found herself spitting in a whisper as she regaled her dress and regally sat down in her seat.

She looked at no one but the screen.

But Emilia did notice the few smirks, Anastasia and Priscilla sent her way. She could even see Felt glance at her with an encouraging look.

Even Emilia had her own detractors and allies in her position.

"What changed now, I wonder? Last time you only cried and hogged Betty's Subaru from the maid, in fact."

Beatrice didn't sound so amused, merely curious as to why Emilia became so violent in such an uncharacteristic manner.

She did not show signs of discomfort or dislike of what Emilia had done though.

Emilia remembered back to when she saw the first time Rem would torture and murder Subaru in cold blood. She thought it had good reasons for happening but she was wrong.

"Rem is no longer allowed to come near him because she simply shouldn't have been since the start. I was naive and weak to understand that back then," Emilia answered smoothly as her eyes stuck to the screen. The memory of Rem's answer played in her mind again and again.

Beatrice simply snorted, "You weren't weaker than you are now, girl. It's only been a couple of days since you watched that viewing, in fact. You couldn't even use your magic this time because it's blocked by this theater's master, I suppose."

"I simply promised not to be nicer to people that harm my Subaru… Especially ones that lied to me about it."

"... You've changed, I suppose."

"For the better?" Emilia humorlessly smiled as her eyes showed tired bangs for the first time since her outburst.

Beatrice simply turned away without emotion, "Whether that is the case would be up to Betty's Subaru, I suppose. He's the one that wanted to marry both of you, in fact."

Emilia only felt a lump in her throat.

Subaru opened the door in haste, only to be stopped by the two small figures standing behind it. Both girls were almost perfectly identical, having short pink hair with yellow ribbons in them and wearing white and pink dresses.

"Who are these two?" Scouting closer to have a better view, Tivey asked out loud, "I don't remember ever seeing them…"

"They seem familiar…" Aldebaran commented as he scratched the side of his helmet, "Where did I see them…"

"The selection." Priscilla off-handily commented as she fanned herself, "These two children accompanied the slum dweller during her entrance in the kingdom's royal hall."

"Ah, yep. You're right as always, princess." Leaning back in his seat with a nod of his head as he remembered himself of this day, the one-armed jester kept watching the screen with another familiar feeling coming up in his mind.

"O-oh, hey there…" Subaru said as he slowly turned toward Reinhard, who joined the little group. "Are these two part of your family?

Reinhard simply smiled at him as he turned towards the twins.

"Good morning, Flam and Grassy. Allow me to introduce you to Natsuki Subaru-sama, the fifth candidate to the throne of Lugunica. Be careful to treat him with the utmost respect." He then turned towards Subaru. "Subaru-sama, those are Flam and Grassy Remendis, the granddaughters of Carol and Grimm Fauzen. Both of whom are loyal servants of the Astrea family."

Both twins then wordlessly bowed in front of the black-haired candidate, showing respect due to someone of his position.

Gently laughing, Subaru said "Hey, you two don't need to be that shy! I swear I'm not a tyrant or anything!" He then kneeled at their level when he noticed how quiet they stayed.

They titled their heads to him, confusing Subaru.

"They are not afraid, Subaru-sama. They are just naturally reserved, please know that they can fully understand us, as well as understand each other." Reinhard explained.

"I-I see…"

"It's kinda unstelling." Now realising what had been bothering him, Al couldn't help but let these few words slip out of his mouth.

"Whacha mean?" Ricardo inquired of the one armed knight behind him, finding Al's statement to be too vague for his liking.

The helmeted man seemed to be nervous for some reason, "Uh, just forget it. It was only a thought that came across my mind, that's all."

The dogman just shrugged and turned away from the weird knight. If he didn't want to talk then he didn't want to talk.

But a certain girl dressed in crimson blood red, however, felt a bit more entitled than that.

"OW!"

Al's grunt was heard by all as the back hand made him fall to the floor of the theater once again.

The person who attacked him seemed to be satisfied with her job, making a humming noise that was muffled behind her ever diligent half-circle fan.

The crimson princess stared her fallen knight down with amusement as she demanded, "Speak, Aldebaran."

The man stood on his knees and dusted himself, sighing in frustration, "Fine, fine! Jeez… I was only gonna say how humourless it was that pal over there seems to always have cold creepy twins that work as maids to whatever mansion he lives under."

"EEh?!" "That's actually true…!"

Garfiel and Otto were the two most shocked enough to elicit a reaction to this strange coincidence.

Most didn't really care for that fact, however.

"Sit down and never talk without permission again," Priscilla huffed in annoyance and ignored the pained man as he got off of his knees and into the chair.

"S-Sorry, princess..."

As that was settled, many in the crowd managed to forget about the silly situation and moved on to watch the rest of this abnormal reality. But not before a strange huff from one disgruntled Felt.

"Flam and Grassy are not like those two!"

Obviously, the blonde girl was only referring to a specific pair that had just been declared similar to the Astrea's servant twins.

The maids sitting beside Roswaal in the back row.

"..."

Ram gave no reaction, simply glared ahead and kept her eyes on the screen with no emotion.

"Just ignore it, Sister."

The blue-haired twin did as she was told. She sat there with a grip around her legs and her head in her knees. Eyes closed and sobs unheard.

Rem was living her nightmare in a worse distortion that tore her heart one thousand times over anything else she had experienced before.

"I'm sorry..."

Emilia and Beatrice did not even acknowledge her.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you two! I'm sure we'll become great friends, so I look forward to working with you!" He exclaimed as he stretched both his hands for them to shake, which they did even though they remained expressionless.

"I guess...He befriended them?" Trying to understand the meaning behind this handshake, Otto spoke his mind in hope to have confirmation from someone who'd be more knowledgeable of the twins.

"Well...Most of the time, these two don't do physical contact this easily…" Felt commented, looking to the sleeping boy by her side.

"THIS IS…!" Tivey exclaimed.

"THE LEGENDARY…!" Mimi continued.

"LOLIMANCER TECHNIQUE?!" Ricardo roared in the room, making most of the cast laugh and chuckle to Subaru's secret power.

"Man I don't know why ya're all laughing this is scary!" The dogman continued with a laugh of his own, "One second ya see these little girls being unsocial as hell and ya don't even got time to blink, they're already sitting on this guy's lap!"

"This is wrong, in fact!" Beatrice shot back immediately, "Subaru's lap is only for Betty, I suppose!"

"Alright!" He smiled as he stood up, turning toward Reinhard. "Now, let's go to Emilia's!"

"Wait a moment, Subaru-sama…" Reinhard replied, preventing him from going further. "This much is impossible at the moment."

"Uh? Why?!"

"The rules of the candidacy state that it is forbidden for the known candidates to meet before the selection begins," Reinhard explained.

Outraged and failing to control the tone of his voice, Subaru shouted, "What?! You gotta be kidding me!"

"Subaru-sama…"

"This is not okay Reinhard! I need to check up on her! Just to be sure she's alright! O-oh! And she healed me! Yeah, I can't just brush that off, that would be horribly rude of me!"

Reinhard winced as he simply shook his head.

"I…Am sorry. But those are the rules all official candidates of the kingdom must follow." Reinhard concluded, his voice showing his reluctance to disappoint his master.

"Jeez, them rules really caused a mess for this world's boss, huh."

"I'm guessing he'll adhere to the rule like the rest of us? He's not going to squander his chances for the throne simply to thank Emilia-sama," Crusch dismissed, feeling relief as equal to ease once she noticed that Emilia's expression softened to one of relief and ease.

"He won't be coming… Reinhard won't let him," Emilia affirmed while nodding her head. Her expression was one of acceptance.

Rem sank deeper in her self loathing as her heart ached a one over the thousand burns.

"Wait…" Subaru interrupted his face, one of hope and delight. Yet, the knight couldn't help but feel the slight hint of scheming enthusiasm in those ugly eyes of the boy which built up unease. "You just said it!"

"Pardon me?" Reinhard asked, now officially troubled

"Official candidate of the kingdom!" Subaru exclaimed.

"Yes?"

Pointing the Sword Saint with his finger, Subaru gleefully exclaimed, "That's the thing! We just discovered it, right? So the kingdom doesn't know! I'm not an official candidate at all... not yet, at least! I'm just a simple civilian!"

"I…I am not sure that-"

"Am I wrong though?" Subaru inquired, challenging Reinhard's stare.

"Subaru-sama…"

"And, even Emilia has no idea that I'm a candidate, right?" He continued.

"…"

"So, therefore, the only thing that would happen if I go meet her right now... would just be a man thanking a woman for her precious help, am I wrong?"

"…You are not," Reinhard said with a sigh of defeat, realizing that Subaru was right and wouldn't back down.

"Then nothing is stopping us! Let's go!" Subaru urged in triumph.

"Very well…" Reinhard replied. "However…" The knight wasn't able to finish as the boy ran out.

"What was that, I suppose?" As Beatrice snorted in amusement, Emilia could only flush and put a hand on her face in frustration.

"Why is he so adamant… Oh wait.." Shaking her head, the tired half-elf squinted her eyes on the sleeping boy with a look of annoyance and sadness.

"He wants to meet ya, big sis. Don't insult his stubbornness," Felt made Emilia smile softly with these words.

"Natsuki is still coming to the mansion then?" Crusch sounded bewildered as the possibility really sounded off with all the obstacles this universe had placed on Subaru.

"Don't you think it would be interesting to see what would happen with this version of Subaru in the mansion, nyan?" Felix tried asking his previous master but he only got ignored as Crusch lifted her head and stared towards the huddled trembling Rem.

"Ya think she would look happy ta meet 'em in that world at least," Anasatasia snorted at Rem's form and looked away towards the screen.

Crusch noticed this and frowned as she too looked away from the maid and towards something else.

"Why would you let him get away with that?"

Reinhard could only sweat in embarrassment as he was berated by an outraged looking Julius.

"Hey, hey, fella! Calm down! Cap'n isn't that easy to stop once anyone comes between him and princess," the blonde boy sitting beside Reinhard had a smug smirk on as he waved his hands in front of Julius in a way to calm things down.

"It was a clever way to go about things however..." Otto mused from Reinhard's other side, not at all caring for the scene caused by Julius' outrage.

"You are his knight! Loophole or not, you might've jeopardized Natsuki's entire position right now!"

"Is he wrong though?"

Alerted by the voice coming from behind him, Julius turned around to the helmeted man up above who spoke with a neutral or rather, uncaring voice.

"What do you mean?" Mimi questioned, wanting more details about his remark.

"I mean, was Subaru wrong in what he said? He's not a candidate in the eyes of the Kingdom if the Kingdom doesn't know, right?"

"It doesn't change anything about a knight's duty towards his candidate!"

"But that's the thing. If Subaru isn't a candidate recognized by the kingdom...Can we really call him a royal contender yet? If not, then the Kingdom's rules about the candidacy don't apply to him...Or am I just speaking bullshit?" Al shrugged, making several people in the room think.

"That is true…" Felix murmured in his corner, trying to remember the rules of the royal candidacy.

"Indeed." quiet until now, Roswaal found it appropriate to voice his opinion now, "The rules of the candidacy only appllyyyyy for the recognized candidate of the throne. In other words, to those recognized by the great council of wise men."

After hearing the words of the Margrave, everyone turned to the screen once more, looking at Subaru with great surprise. To find such an undeniable loophole this fast…

"It just shows how much he wanted to meet Emilia-sama!" The little maid near Frederica exclaimed in glee, not hiding the relief she had to see that Subaru would probably come to her village in this reality.

"This is ridiculous. Even if Subaru was not an official yet, even if he was not recognized by our kingdom, the fact that Reinhard was too easy to persuade still stands. If he is unable to prevent his master fro-"

All it took for Julius to back off from the nervous worried redhead was a bored wave from Otto.

"You're causing a scene by defending another candidate to the throne from another world… What happened to a knight's loyalty?"

At the smug questioner from the merchant boy, Julius gave a dignified glare, "Never question my loyalty again."

Although the knight was dead serious and his tone showed no small part of a joke, Otto simply smiled wide as he pointed to something behind the knight.

"Oh~ Julius-kun… How could ya betray us like this?"

A rich accented voice was heard from behind the knight causing him to turn immediately to the dramatically fallen Anastasia as she held her forearm on her head and faked a crying expression.

"Never, milady!"

"Ya need to stop bein' serious all the time, the newbie merchant guy over here was jokin' with ya."

Anastasia shook her head as all laughed at Julius' immediate panic at his lady's really ameture acting job.

He was left to sit down with his cheeks red in shame.

Otto enjoyed this.

"Uuh..."

Subaru and Reinhard were now sitting in a dragon carriage, making their way to the place where Emilia was on a road leading towards the north of the capital. Of course, due to his position of knight of the kingdom, Reinhard already knew where she resided.

Both were sitting in front of the other. Reinhard in his military uniform and Subaru...

"Was the outfit really necessary? I look ridiculous!" he exclaimed as he uneasily stretched his collar.

"Please don't say that, this outfit is designed to match the best of your image, Subaru-sama!" Reinhard replied with a smile.

"...I'm really not used to this."

"Woah woah woah!" Garfiel stood up in awe, "Capn' looks so class!"

"Curse you, Natsuki-san…" Otto gritted his teeth to this sight in jealousy, "curse you…"

Many were those who looked to the screen with wide eyes of surprise. Natsuki Subaru, whom they all got used to see with his usual tracksuit or servant attire...Was now wearing an outfit worthy of a first class noble of the Kingdom. And it suited him so perfectly, none would have managed to believe he'd be coming from a common family at first glance. Not even Priscilla.

"He really looks good…" Anastasia whispered with stars in her eyes, "Far, far better…"

"I agree that Natsuki Subaru looks way more...Good looking than I thought." Crusch commented with a hand on her chin, nodding her head to the choice of clothing.

"So he can actually look less disgusting if he tries…" at the back of the theatre, the crimson princess observed behind her fan, "There is still work to do, however."

"That gotta be this one at work again." The little blonde voiced with a smile. Her comment wasn't a criticism, she too, thought that these clothes suited Subaru a lot.

"Mh?" Emilia hummed in curiosity, her cheeks red at the sight of her knight in such clothing.

"Reinhard has a blessing for clothes." Felt chuckled with a shake of her head, "he'll always pick the clothes that will suit you best."

"What?!" Otto exclaimed in sheer confusion, looking between Garfiel who harbored a similar expression to his, and Reinhard.

"Just how many blessings to ya have man?!" the blond tiger exclaimed in awe...And a bit of jealousy.

Indeed, Subaru was wearing a black suit in 3 pieces with gold boutons and shoulder ornaments, along with half a cape going down his left arm.

Honestly, he did look more handsome in this. After all, Reinhard's sense of fashion was in a completely higher league. But previously living a life of a shut-in, these kinds of extravagant clothes were something he never thought he would wear one day.

Since he didn't want to hurt Reinhard's feelings regarding the fact that it was him who picked up these clothes(after making them), Subaru decided to bear with it and sighed as he turned his eyes to the window of the carriage, admiring the view of a more rural Lugunica.

"So, where is Emilia living actually?" Subaru asked, trying to get Reinhard to speak.

"Emilia is living in the mansion of Sir Roswaal Mathers, which is her sponsor for the race of the throne. Sir Roswaal is from one of the most powerful families of the kingdom."

"Like yours?"

"You could say that, yes. The Mathers family are the greatest mages of the kingdom since generations."

"Roswaal himself closed his eyes with a faint sigh as he heard the Sword Saint's comment. Was it disappointment? Was it upsetness…? Or was he simply tired?

Tired of hearing this statement? Or...Tired of being remembered for the truth of his crimes.

"Since generations…" Beatrice narrowed her eyes, holding the hand of her contractor, "Is it really the correct term, I suppose."

"Beatrice…?"

The little spirit didn't answer to the half-elf calling her name. For a reason or another. Emilia simply turned back to the screen.

Just over her row, an old man closed his eyes as memories of his past came to him upon hearing his grandson's statement. He, too, met with a member of the Mathers' family. And this is why he was able to confidently agree with the Sword Saint on screen.

"So, she is a candidate for the throne along with me...How many other candidates are there?"

"There are three other candidates along with you and Emilia-sama. Crusch Karsten from the Karsten house, Anastasia Hoshin from the Hoshin trading company of Kararagi, and Priscilla Barielle from the Barielle noble house."

"I see…Wait, there's something off here!" Subaru's eyes widened in horror as he noticed a detail so shocking he had to keep his jaw from hanging by shouting his next question at the knight beside him, "How come they're all girls there except me?!"

"In comes the gold of all questions, eh?" Anastasia sounded bemused as that question was something on their minds as well.

Crusch and Priscilla ended up looking quite upset by the boy's comment as if he was offended by their gender being the grand most in the race.

"Naw come to think of it… Why is it that all runners were chosen to be girls?" Felt sounded her confusion as the thought suddenly struck her.

Emilia looked to be in thought of this as well.

"Whateve' the reason fer tha' is. I'm sure Cap'n will beat these all ta' the ground! Heck, it might be easier fer 'em!"

"Garf! Apologise right away!" Frederica shouted in outrage towards her proud looking brother, surprising him.

"Hm? Why?" Garfiel looked back to see what his sister was about but before he could, he realized that he was subject to the heated glares of almost every single candidate in the room, even Emilia and Felt.

"Wh-What do ya wan'?!" Garfiel bared his teeth as he prepared his hands in front of him at the women that were staring death into his soul.

"Worthless mutt," Priscilla clicked her teeth in disgust and fanned herself to continue watching the screen without acknowledging the sexist in the room.

Anastasia shook her head and ruffled her scarf in frustration.

"Mind your manners, Shield of the Sanctuary," Crusch firmly warned as she turned away, sounding disappointed.

"Garfiel-kun..." Emilia growled in anger and disappointment before Felt turned her away from the boy and towards the screen again.

Garfiel looked dead set confused as he just became the number one enemy of every powerful woman in the room.

"Congratulations," Otto laughed at Garfiel and his predicament before turning away himself.

"Shit! What did I do?!"

Reinhard could only shrug with an innocent face.

"I am unfortunately unable to answer this, Subaru-sama. The candidates are designed by the dragon stones is all we know. Those the dragon himself deem worthy of contracting with him."

"The dragon…" Subaru wondered, picking up his insignia from his pocket.

As he held the golden jewel in doubt, the ruby in its core began to shine slightly, as if it would remind him of his candidacy.

Several people let out a gasp as they saw the jewel shine in the black-haired boy's hand. Especially those in the Emilia-camp.

"How come we never noticed this…" Otto wondered to himself.

"I mean…We couldn' really notice at all. Capn' never picked up an insignia in front of us." Garfiel replied to him, still eyes wide to the jewel in Subaru's hand.

"It is not like he could have ever touched an insignia again anyways." The Duchess spoke for both of them to hear, "An insignia must always remain within reach of its candidate. It is not an item which you could just let laying around anywhere."

"As simple as it is, Subaru just couldn't touch an insignia again." Caressing his hand, Emilia whispered to herself as she looked at her knight, "how would you have reacted if you ever knew this?"

"Hm. I wonder what that dragon wants from me though…So far, I'm fairly sure I've never met him." He questioned, rubbing the bright jewel of his insignia.

"Very few ever had this honor, Subaru-sama." Reinhard answered. "The great dragons watch over our kingdom far over the great waterfall. But his will is somehow linked to these royal stones, passed down in the royal family."

Subaru raised his eyebrows as he picked on the last words of the sword Saint, realizing there were obvious questions he forgot to ask.

"If there is a candidacy to elect a new king…"

"Ah…" Reinhard said in a low voice, with a clear glint of remorse behind it.

"I am sorry. I should have informed you beforehand." He sighed with a tired smile. "The candidacy… began after the royal family of Lugunica went extinct."

"Extinct?"

"I'm guessing we will have to hear that story again," Al sighed in boredom, unaware how affected this scene was for many in the room.

"It's not to be helped. The royal family is the heart and soul of this conflict to begin with," Julius sounded court yet dead serious.

Crusch and Felix especially, closed their eyes in grievance at the rememberance of a person in the late royal family they cherished so much. Someone who died unfairly, someone who's life was robbed in front of their very eyes.

Someone who was the reason why they standed before the throne as candidate and knight.

This is why more than anyone else, The Duchess and her knight were those who gritted their teeth and clenched their fists the most to Aldebaran's attitude. Still they kept their anger and thoughts to themselves. What changes would that bring anyways?

Al noticed many people in the crowd showing signs of sadness and or anger. The one-armed knight assumed the position of being wrong yet again and not listening to his lady's orders.

He should've kept his mouth shut.

Reinhard nodded his head. "An unknown disease appeared within the walls of the royal palace. Killing all of the members of the royal family one by one. A disease so powerful, not even the best healers of the kingdom managed to cure it."

"I-I see… "

After this, a moment of silence fell inside the carriage, with both men left in their own thoughts. One reminding of his past, and the other wondering about the future.

"Then for the candidates, I already know Emilia…But the others…" He thought with a hand on his chin, breaking the silence as he raised his eyes towards his knight. "Let's start with Lady Karsten."

Several eyes turned to the Duchess in question as she widened her eyes, now having her entire attention focused on the screen.

"They're about to discuss Crusch-sama?" Felix wondered, glancing at his lady.

"How this is about to be interesting," Anastasia giggled as she rubbed her hands, seeing how the Duchess seated near stared at the screen, "Are ya that eager to hear what will be said of you?"

"I believe anyone would be." the verdant-haired candidate answered, not giving the purple-haired merchant much more attention than she would deserve.

Anastasia herself just turned back to the screen with a smile, silently acknowledging the Duchess' words, and expecting to hear about herself too from the Sword Saint.

"Crusch Karsten is the Duchess of the Karsten house, she's part of one of the noblest families in the entire kingdom, the closest to the royal family. From the few times I had the chance to see her in action, she is very competent in what she does."

"I see…What about Anastasia Hoshin?" Subaru continued, asking for the discussion to continue.

"Miss Hoshin is at the head of the Hoshin trading company, merchants so to speak. She comes from the western country of Kararagi…Unfortunately, I know very little about her for that reason." Reinhard said with a smile.

"Hm…So she's not a noble from Lugunica…So far she seems to be the only one in the same case as me, even though I'm nowhere near at the head of a company." Subaru thought out loud. "What about the last one?"

"Priscilla Barielle…" Reinhard continued, sighing tiredly.

"Oooh…" Subaru laughed nervously, "Why do I have a bad feeling?"

"Lady Barielle is…Quite the character." Reinhard answered with an uneasy smile. "She became the baroness of the Barielle lands after marrying Sir Leip who sadly passed away, which made her the heir of another noble family of the kingdom."

"A baroness…Is her house as powerful as the Karsten house?" The candidate asked in curiosity.

"Not at all." Reinhard continued. "The Karsten house took over the crest of the Lugunican Lion. A gift of the royal family, to show their trust towards them. The Barielle barony is also close to the royal family, but nowhere near as powerful."

"Hm…And Emilia?"

Reinhard simply shook his head.

"Miss Emilia doesn't seem to be coming from any known house in the kingdom. The fact that she does not bear any family name tells as much." He explained.

"Then how did she even join the selection?"

"Sir Roswaal Mathers, of course." The sword saint continued. "He offered to be Emilia-sama's sponsor for the throne. While she might not have any notorious background, Sir Roswaal's support is more than enough."

"So, she's just a nobody who got the support of an ultra-powerful house…" The nervous black-haired boy chuckled as he rubbed his forehead in relief. "Yeah, she is in the exact same case as me."

Even more, relief washed over Subaru as his worries about being inadequate and unprepared were somewhat placated by these facts from the mighty capable knight beside him.

"Man, I can't get over how much of a circus our kingdom's election sounds like when they point out the details like this..." Otto whined into his hands as he realized how badly his own camp's leader was comparable to a simple clueless kid from another world.

"Maaan, he really has good instinct if he reacted that way when you were mentioned, eh, princess?" Al teased as Prisciall ignored him.

"Mineself expects the lowlifes to shudder as such at the mere mention of mine name. Nothing new," Priscilla waved her fan as if to say she wasn't bothered by the topic.

"Good. Seems the deals I made really did keep any info from reaching even the Saint," Anastasia applauded silently as to not bring suspicion on herself.

Crusch just gave a simple nod at the adequate description the knight gave, uncaring towards the compliment.

"I hadn't realized it… But… Hopeless isn't what I should feel when I think about you competing against me… Right, Subaru?" Emilia sounded a bit uncomfortable yet enlightened as the scene seemed to have shown her something surprising.

"You're just too similar to him, I suppose. Yet, you are far from being as cabeable," Emilia received the spirit girl's abuse with a surprising graceful smile.

"You don't hurt me when there is no malice in your words, Betty-chan~"

"Hm..." Beatrice's eyes narrowed at the brightened girl beside her contractor.

Her changes are worrying, in fact.

'Man… I'm so glad Reinhard knows this information or else I would've stayed feeling panicked and deficient about my own campaign… or whatever the name of this election's parties are.'

As he thought this, a striking question popped in his head that set his curiosity aflame; he couldn't help but ask it out loud, "So you met all the candidates?"

"Aside from you, Lady Emilia and Lady Crusch, I did not meet any other," Reinhard replied. "What I told you is merely the basics I heard from other royal knights. Or rather, the 'neutral' basics about them."

"Neutral?" Subaru laughed, before quickly understanding what I meant. "O-oh…Some are harsh uh…"

"Ah, no." The Sword Saint chuckled. "This is not what I meant."

Subaru tilted his head in confusion.

"Two of my friends are the personal knights of other candidates." He admitted, shaking his head. "Whenever I hear them speak about their ladies… Well, let us just say that their opinions are very biased."

"Lover's bias and even the dense redhead can see it, haha!" Al laughed while pointing at a location best suited to aim at both, Felix and Julius who felt personally called out as they both glared at Reinhard from where they sat.

Reinhard gave an innocent shrug.

"What I said was the truth!/Nyan!" Both yelled at the same time as Ricardo and the twins laughed over their voices.

"Bias or not, just because you didn't hear the bad stuff doesn't mean they aren't being said somewhere," Otto cut in seriously with his face one of contemplation.

Emilia could only carass the soft hand that was in her lap in silence as she pursed her lips. She knew exactly that the boy was mentioning her.

No one here was talked about as badly as she was.

"Ya need to have some damn pride already," Felt snorted while shaking her head at Emilia. The little blonde was seemingly more agitated and troubled by the minute as she saw how completely removed she was from this reality. Everyone was being mentioned and talked about even that little crimson god-complex having domme at the top of the theater. But Felt was forgotten and erased completely?

And on top of that, people here seemed so okay with it?

Her own 'knight' was also angry with her for a stupid ass reason too so don't get her started on friendship or whatever.

Having Emilia being an insecure little girl was just calling for Felt's nastiness to come out. She's seen more than her share in the slums. Emilia was not special.

"Well, can you blame them? They won't serve the candidate if she's not someone they would believe in I guess." Subaru thought with pensive eyes. "Or is it not how it works?"

"It is," Reinhard confirmed. "For a candidate to have a knight, this one must pledge an Oath to her."

The Emilia-camp all remembered the day of Subaru's knighting upon hearing the Sword Saint. The day he pledged himself to Emilia via that grandiose promise from both of them, that still to this day, filled the silver-haired candidate with pride.

"Like that awkward speech you made earlier?" Subaru laughed, mocking his friend who simply became red in embarrassment.

"T-This was nothing but the procedure a knight has to follow…" The knight said in a failed attempt to justify himself.

"It was so damn cool man, don't ya worry!" Garfiel exclaimed as tapped the back of the Sword Saint.

"I have to admit that your pledge was worthy of the one of a knight." Julius nodded at the remembrance of it, even if it was towards a different candidate.

"I don't remember him doing a pledge like that for me though…" Felt whispered, more to herself than anyone else, as she couldn't help but notice every difference between this reality and hers.

The knight couldn't hear her, but he could almost read what she was thinking.

Reinhard bit his lip at the fact.

As Subaru laughed loudly at his friend's antics, a thought suddenly came to his mind.

"So…Do all candidates have a knight?" He questioned.

Reinhard shook his head "Only Lady Karsten, Lady Hoshin, and of course you, in my knowledge."

"So Lady Barielle and Emilia don't…Do you know why?" The male candidate-to-be asked wearily, feeling a bit relieved for some reason that Emilia didn't have a knight… yet.

"It might either be because they don't feel a need to, or because no knight pledged their loyalty to them," Reinhard explained.

"Don't look so down, Emilia-sama!" Petra showed that she was intelligent enough to realize the effect of that sentence on the most abused of the candidates.

Of course even the little one could tell that Emilia's heartache at the fact that she won't get the knight to stand by her side.

Emilia did not acknowledge that from the little maid. She simply caressed the hand of the one knight she got.

"I honestly pity your other self," Beatrice commented offhandedly without malice.

"Yeah… Me too," Emilia whispered back, eyes dim and a frown on her lips.

"What about you?" Subaru innocently asked.

"Me?"

"I mean. Now I guess you are the knight of a candidate but… Why didn't you try to pledge an oath to another candidate before me?"

"I was… Not in a position to do so." The knight admitted, "I have been tasked by the great council to search for the fifth candidate of the throne."

Subaru raised his eyebrow in surprise "And to become the candidate's knight?"

Reinhard stayed silent for a moment, before shaking his head with a warm smile.

"No. I was only tasked to find you. My pledge towards you…Was from my own will."

"Not that I dislike it but… Why me?" He said as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I mean...I'm nothing but a rookie here."

"I am certainly unable to answer this question, Subaru-sama."

Priscilla snorted to this answer she found pitiful and useless.

"Princess?" Al questioned. He waited for her to throw an insult, or an unnecessary remark like she used to do.

And he was not disappointed.

"Knights and their loyalty… Truly as fake as their titles, hmmm," Al can only stare in silence at the musing fiery-haired princess.

"Are you going to dwell on it for long?" Julius asked of the redhead before him, not expecting an answer but just showing that the almighty Sword Saint was an easy read at this moment in time.

Reinhard was showing too much of his anger and his newly acquired friends can read him like a fiddle.

"This me… What is wrong with him?… Tck!" The sword saint was more frustrated at the actions taken by his counter self. It truly made him feel sick with how completely deleted Felt has become from his life in this reality.

Reinhard was only thinking about how void Felt's existence felt.

Subaru was quick to raise his eyes towards his friend, taken aback by these sudden words.

"I believe calling it intuition or instinct would be the best way to describe it." Reinhard said gleefully.

"...I see." Subaru smiled in relief. "Thank you, Reinhard."

"Intuition...Or instinct? What is the meaning of this, Reinhard?" Julius questioned his friend once more, frowning in confusion to his words, "Did you decide to oath Subaru as your master out of the blue?!"

Reinhard simply stayed silent, his face hanging low.

"Why are ya even mad about t's?! Is 't bad that he decided to become capn's knight because he felt like 't?!" Garfiel roared back to Julius.

"You don't understand a thing, do you?" With a stern voice, Julius looked down on the sanctuary's shield with narrowed eyes, "Reinhard's feelings should be seen through! This viewing is only sitting contradictions to his character and hindering the relationship with his liege. Reinhard must see how wrong his other self is in that reality."

"Speak for ya'reself!" Garfiel replied, bumping his chest with his fist, "The Sword Saint got all rights to follow Cap'n' if he thinks that's what he gotta do!"

"In what right are you claiming this?" Julius demanded with fierce opposition in his eyes to the blonde warrior.

"Because this is exactly what I did!" He shot back with a confident smirk, "I followed cap'n' cause I knew it was what I had to do. And ya can be sure as hell I never regretted tha' decision!"

Both Julius and Garfiel showed different sides of one proverbial coin.

Help Reinhard's feelings about the choice he made.

And yet… Their opposition in tactics and personality only caused a greater rift to come.

"Stop."

Both boys looked at the speaker as they demanded their silence.

"Stop your stupidity and look around you already," Otto seethed as his blue eyes looked fiery at the two.

"..." "..."

"Reinhard-sama can choose for himself already. He doesn't need you two to justify his other self's actions for him. It's the same reason he's having a spat with Felt-sama right now! Don't make him feel the same way with us right after he came here to get away from that."

Both young men looked quite taken aback by this left field explanation. But as they realized the truth behind it, and the legitimacy it held when they turned towards the Sword Saint in front of them...They could only accept it, and quietly regain their seat.

As the two settled with their heads down in shame, Otto seemed content to turn back around and face the screen again, his heart collided loudly against his chest and it caused his ears to burn.

But deep within that echoe of his pained ears, he can hear something from the redhead sitting beside him.

"You really think what I'm having with lady Felt is a spat?"

Otto stared at the nervous, upset Reinhard with a look of pure confidence, "Yeah… You don't think Felt-sama is going to condemn you for another Reinhard's actions do you?"

"... But this reality is still about us..." The knight whispered while rubbing his brow in frustration.

Otto simply snorted, "Yeah but at the same time it isn't. It's just a you in another world in another time that has different circumstances happening to him and molding his decision. I frankly think it's quite too much of an effort for you to take this viewing so seriously, Reinhard-san."

"...!"

"..."

"D-Did you just-"

"Yes. Yes I used your words against you."

Reinhard laughed at the absurd smirk Otto gave him. Genuinely the merchant boy's silver tongue was wasted on this theater.

Garfiel and Julius seethed in their failure while Otto did their job for them.

Felix was looking at the group with a look of sadness in his eyes as he felt so far removed from them.

The sword Saint only smiled back.

The candidate then leaned back in his chair. Thinking out loud.

"Crusch Karsten is a born noble from the closest house of the royal family, Priscilla Barielle is a noble who married into a baron's family, Anastasia Hoshin is a foreigner who owns a company, Emilia is a beauty having the sponsor of one of the most powerful houses of the kingdom, and then there's me, a complete nobody absolutely clueless of this kingdom and anything related to it, who literally got here yesterday…Damn, I'm starting off really bad aren't I?" Subaru said as he mocked his own situation.

"I mean, said like that…" Al snorted behind his helmet, "At least he isn't denying it."

His princess however...Didn't seem to be wanting to comment that statement in any way or another. She kept her ruby irises stuck to the screen, observing, thinking...She didn't look like she was just watching Subaru's useless adventure as she was ready to throw some snarky comments here and there, no…

Somehow, Priscilla Barielle...Really seemed to be intrigued by this reality.

"...What is this reality hiding that you already perceived…" Al wondered, only to be met with silence once again.

Reinhard simply laughed gently alongside him.

Subaru then lost himself in his thoughts, heaving a faint sigh, still looking at the window about the whole situation that appeared more complex than anything now that he had an overview of it.

"The competition will be fierce then...I suppose I deserved it for getting too full of myself this morning..." He commented, remembering his thoughts about getting summoned to become the king.

But then he grinned, seeing his reflection in the glass of the window.

"Though it's not like I dislike challenges…" He confidently said, turning to his side to meet with Reinhard.

"Well, at least he got the will to participate," Anastasia commented as she rubbed her scarf, "Thou' I can't see anythin' goin' in his way other than the Sword Saint fer now…"

"It's only the beginning," Crusch replied to her, shaking her head to Anastasia's comment, "You really seem to be underestimating Natsuki Subaru's abilities. After all we saw, Anastasia, you should know yourself that he is no mere opponent joining this race."

"I also know this is not my reality," The merchant-queen waved off, not liking the tone she was speaking with, "what tells you right now that this Natsuki-kun will be anywhere near the one of our reality?"

"..."

"Seems like you should try to see more perspective than what's in front of you sometimes, 'Duchess'."

"Don't treat Subaru's deaths as if they were what made him so strong..."

To their surprise, Emilia's cold voice stepped in as if to replace Crusch's silence.

"..." Ana's eyes met with Emilia's as the silver-haired girl turned to face the merchant queen with a glare of passion.

"Don't make Subaru out to be weaker than us just because he hadn't faced death to the level of ours yet! He's always been strong!"

"... Don't lose more sweat trying, Emilia-sama~" Anastasia condescended over Emilia's faith in the boy, "I already know what makes 'em remarkable and can see how dangerous he is as an opponent… But so far… All he's been doin' was suck up to ya and make his position as a candidate weaker."

Emilia and Crusch's eyes were wide immediately as the meaning hit them.

"Oh… That's true..." Felt slammed a hand on her forehead as she was hit with the surprise as well.

All the girls can think of when Anastasia's sentence hit was how true it was… Subaru has been doing nothing about his candidacy since he found out about it. He's just concerned with his 'trophy' wife too much to care.

"Oh no..." Emilia turned around in her seat with a look of frustration. Realizing how problematic this Subaru truly was.

Anastasia simply gave her fur a flick with a smile of satisfaction and victory.

Priscilla laughed loudly in her seat in approval of the westerner.

"I am truly glad for you to take it this way, Subaru-sama." Reinhard answered. "However, there is one more thing. I must warn you before we get there that Sir Roswaal is...Quite the extravagant character."

"PFFFFFFFFFFFFF." Ricardo tried to muffle his laugh at the sight of even someone like the Sword Saint thinking this way towards the clown in the back row.

He was not the only one for sure.

"Extravagant? In what way?"

"...You'll see." The sword saint waved off, avoiding any elaboration.

"You know that you're just creeping me out right now?"

"I can't wait for that now." Al laughed as he looked at Ricardo.

"Even the Sword Saint acknowledges it!" Mimi exclaimed in laughter, "We can't do anything at this point!"

Roswaal only sighed with a tired smile.

"Don't have anyyyyy sense of fashion after aaaaaaall."

At some point, the carriage started to come out of the woods to get on the road that led to a village. His curiosity peaked; Subaru looked by the window to inspect it.

It was a rather big village with multiple houses, a market in what looked like a central plaza, and children playing all around who immediately started to approach the carriage as soon as they saw it.

"Do you know that village?" He asked his friend, eyes not leaving the sight.

"I believe it is called 'Arlam', there might be more than a hundred people living here." The knight answered, inspecting the outside as well.

Subaru smiled and asked Reinhard to stop the ride before they both got down to meet the children getting near them.

"He's still going out of his way to play with the village kids?" Oddly, Felix looked a bit too startled at this scene, not understanding the need for Subaru to do such a thing.

But while he was almost thrust into an overthinking confusion, all of the knights and women around him were giving the boy smiles of warmth.

"He's truly remarkable… He doesn't see himself above such things though he's dressed in full as a person of higher class," Frederica showed a smile full of respect as she said this.

Her brother laughed from his seat, "I dou't he would act like 't even 'f he tried! Hahaha!"

But out of everyone, none were happier at this scene than Petra and the twin maids sitting above. For different reasons, of course.

"He's going to save them!" Petra had tears of happiness in her eyes as her heart seemed to have been washed in relief, "He's gonna be there to save us again! Yes!" The mature little girl whispered again with her hands on her heart.

First a little scared because of their fancy-looking clothes, they quickly gained confidence as Subaru was really good with kids. Even Reinhard was impressed at how quickly he befriended them.

Lucas, Mildo, Meina, Dain, Cayn, Petra, and Meili, he memorized all their names in a flash and was already speaking as he knew them for a long while, and surprisingly, they loved that. He was so kind and funny to them.

"So the mabeast girl has been perched in the village even before Natsuki's arrival to the mansion… " Julius noted as people started noticing the presence of the beast user girl among the children.

"This assassin was targeting Emilia as if they knew the first attempt in the capital would end in failure, it could be an attempt sent out from a different person," Crusch theorized in seriousness.

"It could be that the same person who bought out the Bowel Hunter wanted extra assurance to make sure the job is done," Julius replied.

"Or… It could've been the assassins were sent out against both Emilia-sama and Roswaal-sama at the same time," Wilhelm finally voiced his thoughts, making people widen their eyes at the dangerous possibility of a camp-wide assassin attack.

"..."

And they called me eccentric…

Roswaal seemed to be content with sitting in silence. The only emotion behind his gloved-hands his chin rested on, was a frown.

Emilia frowned deeply as well, she would've turned around to inspect a certain someone's look herself but she didn't want to show how much she knew. She had a suspect as to who sent one of these attacks.

"Subaru-kuyn is going to have to get involved in this attack again… At least he wouldn't lose a life because Reinhard's there, nyan!" Felix sighed in relief.

"Your clothes are soooo good looking! Where did you get them?!" Asked the little brunette named Petra, her blue irises shining with wonder at the older boy's fancy outfit.

"My friend over there made them for me in a matter of time…I guess you could call it 'the secret sewing technique of the master swordsmen line'." Subaru chuckled at the girl lightheartedly.

"Please Subaru-sama-Wait... there's no such technique!" Reinhard exclaimed in bewilderment as his previous humble rejection of the kind words was suddenly turned into horror that he may have missed a valued skill of the sword.

"What was that?" Otto laughed to the Sword Saint by his side, "You seem to be really distressed on screen!"

"It has to be 'the secret technique of the master swordsmen line', it's so powerful the Sword Saint himself was startled by it." Frederica giggled with a hand elegantly covering her mouth, as Reinhard laughed alongside Garfiel and Otto.

"Mh…"

"Wilhelm-dono?" Noticing the pleased yet faint humming from the sword demon, Crusch turned towards him.

"This is much better scenery." He whispered for Crusch to hear, how slowly turned towards the same direction as him, noticing the redhead finally smiling after such long moments of silence.

"It is indeed." She replied with a smile of her own.

His worry was quenched once Subaru mounted with a hand on his stomach as giggles came out of his mouth.

Every one of the kids started giggling happily, believing what Subaru was chuckling about deserved them to follow with their own laughter. Not to mention the look on Reinhard's face when he thought he'd missed a sword skill for a moment. Dain and Cayn approached him while Subaru was talking with Petra.

"Say, say! Are you a knight? Your sword looks so cool!" Dain said in awe.

"Yeah, it's big and shiny! Can you show it to us?!" Cayn continued, jumping in place.

Reinhard smiled while putting a knee down to be at their level.

"Unfortunately, I cannot, this sword won't be drawn unless needed. May it be to face a threat to our beloved kingdom or a dangerous foe." He gently explained.

Both brothers, along with slight disappointment, were absolutely taken by the sword saint's words. He had such a cool way to express himself and his smile was so bright it could almost blind them!

"Of course Reinhard-sama would be good with kids as well," Otto shook his head and found it appropriate to nudge the hero in the arm playfully.

The redhead chuckled slightly while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Reinhard seemed happy for his other self. He seemed to have a good handle on the situation.

"I'm sure you will try your best to save those kids and our friend… Right?" The redhead was unironically asking his counterpart on the screen with a hidden desperate face.

"If only they respected Natsuki-dono like they did Reinhard."

Reinhard glanced with eyes wide at his grandfather. The old man seemed to have kept to himself in his corner beside Crusch all this time since the battle of the Whale. But it still shakes the knight's entire core when his grandparent showed signs of familial familiarity with him.

It felt so warm and passionate it seemed wrong from his grandfather, Wilhelm.

Shortly after, the village chief went to meet them, absolutely astonished to see the sword saint and a noble in his village. He wanted to prepare something but Subaru and Reinhard quickly refused, saying they were just here to meet with the Margrave that supported the village.

After having a good time in their company, Subaru and Reinhard returned to their carriage in direction of the Mathers estate. Inside, Subaru felt...A glare on him coming from the crowd. He didn't know why, but he was feeling that something was pressuring him. When he turned to Reinhard, he found his friend looking at the window as well with his eyes narrowed towards someone.

"Reinhard?" Subaru inquired.

"I think...We should stay on guard." He answered with caution.

Subaru acknowledged Reinhard's words with a nod as the carriage started moving.

"Hmm," Priscilla narrowed her eyes suddenly and seemed agitated by something.

"What's going on?" Al whispered as soon as he noticed.

"That..." Priscilla shook her head and hid her lips behind her fan.

Her knight seemed to have read the lady's mind, "Ah, you mean how much more perceptive Pal is in this reality than in ours?"

"... He seems more… Aware of himself..." Priscilla noted in a low tone as her speculating eyes watched the screen.

Al shrugged, relaxing that she wasn't alarmed at anything dangerous and just a difference in Subaru's personality.

After a little while, they finally saw Roswaal's manor. A big domain, perhaps bigger than the Astrea's. with perfectly cut bushes right at the entrance, going all the way to the door. Actually, everything just seemed perfectly clean and neat, Subaru started to wonder about the numbers of servants you would need to take care of that.

The dragon carriage stopped not far from the entrance alley, allowing Reinhard and Subaru to take their time before reaching the door.

"So here's the place...Quite noble as well, isn't as impressive as yours but, noble anyway." He commented as he had a better look.

Reinhard smiled while opening the carriage's door.

"Shall we go?"

Subaru steeled himself as he stepped out of the carriage, followed by his friend as they walked towards the entrance.

"Oh boy, now that I think about it I'm super nervous! Do I look okay? Tell me I don't have a hair sticking out of my nose or something..." Subaru asked as he touched his face and hair.

"Don't worry, even the kids told it to you at the village, all the boys glared at you with jealousy when Petra-chan complimented you," Reinhard chuckled.

"We're talking about a kid Reinhard, that's a lot different from a grown maiden don't you think?!"

"... Hm," Beatrice had the decency to flinch at the remark that was to surely break the poor girl's heart. The spirit seemed guilty for her words and actions taken on the little maid sitting behind her now.

Frederica had this same thought as well but when she looked at the little girl beside her, she would've thought she was looking at a very angry grown woman from the heated glare Petra was sending towards the screen.

It wasn't adorable or cute… It was actually a quite serious look.

As they were approaching the front door, it opened to let 2 nearly identical women in maid outfits go out and meet with the young men approaching the mansion.

They both bowed down in respect before the duo.

"Greetings, head maid of the Mather's mansion, Rem, at your service."

"Greetings, maid of the Mather's mansion, Ram, at your service."

"How may I help you?" Both said in synchronization.

Subaru looked at them both in awe with stars in his eyes, admiring their figures in the notorious black and white uniform.

"Oh damn...Twin maids?! This fantasy world is really the best!" He exclaimed with a nod.

"Didn't he… Didn't he have two twin servants already in the Astrea mansion?" Tivey asked in confusion, his twin looked surprised as she noticed her brother was correct.

"He's not talking about the two being twins… It's about more than tha'! Hahaha!" Ricardo ruffled the two's hair as he howled in laughter.

"They shouldn't even have his joking remarks..." Emilia seemed to whisper darkly under her breath, something Beatrice could only glare at her in annoyance for.

She really resembles her too when she's jealous, I suppose.

"Sister, sister, it looks like this man is looking at you with filthy eyes," The blue-haired maid said in a nearly innocent voice.

"Rem, Rem, how terrible, this man might be assaulting you in his vile mind." Her sister continued.

"Uh?! I just got here and I'm already labeled as a psycho pervert?! I don't know if I should be proud or scared of my own self right now." He questioned in fake worry.

Obviously, Subaru was joking. It was as clear as day, everyone knew it but still, his behavior only made him and Reinhard snort.

The pink-haired maid looked at him with an indifferent look or rather, a very disappointed and pitiful one like she looked at the most disgusting and pathetic thing she had ever seen.

The blue-haired one though...Looked scary. Her eyes were cold and along with a dead-serious expression, even Reinhard had some chills down his spine.

Both the sword saint and the candidate looked at each other, confused by the situation. They weren't speaking but they understood each other perfectly ' What the hell do we do now ?'

"So her answer to you was true… You were definitely right to knock that blue-haired bitch a few pegs, big sis," Felt looked enraged as she remembered the answer Rem had given which drove Emilia to the extreme of humiliating her in front of everyone.

"Man this is the first meeting and Natsuki-san is already having a similar interaction with them, this is really interesting!" Otto sounded excited for some reason as the implication finally sat upon his mind once he saw how ridiculously similar this first meeting between Kingbaru and the twins was to his own Subaru. And yet it somehow seemed so different as well which fascinated the merchant boy to no end.

"Ya just noticed dis now?!" Garfiel laughed at Otto's stupidity.

"He is right, however. It would be impossible for this Subaru to die with the Sword Saint-sama protecting him… How would he save the village and Rem and Ram then?" Frederica seemed more interested in the futuristic events and how paralleled they would be to what happened in their world.

Until a soft voice pulled them out of their mutual thoughts.

"Ram, Rem, who is thi-"

When she went down the stairs to see what was happening at the door, she immediately smiled and rushed towards it with an expression that could be interpreted as relief and joy.

"Subaru!" She exclaimed with a bright voice.

If they were a little bit more intimate than they are at the moment, she would certainly throw herself in his arms right now. That's what he thought and that would be a dream allowing him to die happy. Unfortunately, the little interactions they had together consisting of a short talk before getting his wound open wide, only allowed her to grab him by the arms with a smile.

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Well…It's mostly thanks to you, so of course, I would come to see you to express my gratitude."

Emilia smiled wide, she stepped back a bit to have a better look at Subaru and chuckled while putting her fist before her mouth to elegantly cover it.

"Well, it looks like you dropped your unusual attire for another even more extravagant one. It does really suit you though!" She complimented him.

Reinhard quickly took the opportunity to smug and turn towards Subaru, along with a wink.

"Well, I wore it just for you, Emilia-tan!" He said as he gave her a thumbs up.

"Eh? Tan?" She repeated as she noticed the little add-on to her name.

"You could say it's an honorific from my homeland, for the special people you are close with." He answered with a wink.

Hearing her be qualified as 'close' with someone, Emilia couldn't help but blush slightly and glance away in embarrassment. The twins behind the half-elf looked indifferent to this adorable moment.

The uniformed grand knight standing beside Subaru, however, looked to be jealou-

"C-come on...Don't stay here! Please Come in!" Emilia said quickly yet adorably urging them to follow her inside of the mansion.

Crusch found herself frowning in disappointment at the scene,

"There hasn't been that much of a difference in Emilia-sama's interaction with this Subaru from ours… That's… "

"Kinda underwhelming..." Otto said while rubbing his head in bewilderment.

"Oh shush… It's more than perfect," Emilia spoke up with a wide smile on her face as she genuinely felt like rooting for her counterpart.

It seemed that this idea she was afraid of had more to show her than just fears and sorrows.

It was showing her how equal this Subaru looked like alongside her.

"I really can't stand how this happened in another world but not to us before you suffered through all of these hells, Subaru..." Emilia whispered with her smile dimming.

Both of them happily obliged the invitation...Under the glare of an already tired Ram and indifferent Rem.

"Sister..."

"Calm down, Rem… We'll find a way out of this… Just calm down and remember how much Barusu loves you."

"I can't sister… I'm so worried for him…"

"Shhhh~"

The inside of the Mathers mansion was just like the exterior would suggest it would be, a fancy place with a lot of useless decorations just to show how rich you were, that was Subaru's way of describing it at the very least.

It was spacious and well kept at the front of the mansion, stylish and actually quite pretty.

"You really live in a great place too…But man, everything is so neat! I suppose you have a real army to clean that up!" Subaru exclaimed to the silent princess while staring at a few paintings they were walking by.

"Well...You're right." Emilia answered with a low voice, her beautiful eyes dimming slightly. "That place is really big but as irrational as it may seem, there's only four of us here."

"Isn't it a bit exaggerated?" The purple-haired candidate wondered with a raised brow, "Now that Natsuki-kun is making me realize it, what is the point of having such a huge domain if it is to house so few people."

"I believe they simply do not see a need to it, Anastasia-sama." Her knight tried to find a justification, "Plus, regarding the maid's Oni origin, taking care of this mansion shouldn't be too much of a task."

"Mh...I suppose ya're right." Anastasia sighed in a tired tone.

The remembrance of the maids didn't give her pleasant memories. And truth be told, she had a bad feeling at the simple fact of seeing Subaru at this mansion again, even if Reinhard was by his side.

Subaru noticed the bit of sadness in Emilia's voice. He realized how hard that should be. She was basically the only one resident along with the master who probably had his own business to deal with and the twins who most probably were working all day to take care of the entire estate by themselves, along with her schedule working spirit not showing off much...She had to feel so alone.

"Eh, so it's only you two who take care of all that? Jeez, that's some pressure!" He directed towards the maids, in an attempt to divert the conversation and to make the pretty elf from feeling her loneliness while he was here.

The twins simply nodded at him without really answering him. He understood that they didn't like him very much, he was a bit confused about the reason, but he didn't want to meddle. He was here for Emilia, not for them.

Instead, the maids turned toward Emilia. The look on their faces showed that they were looking for an explanation. Far from discussing their lady's orders but rather to understand the situation in which they were right now.

"Ah! Yes, Ram, Rem, do you remember the person I told you about who saved me yesterday? It's him! His friend is the kingdom's Sword Saint," Emilia explained to them.

The maids looked at them again and then at each other as they bowed down together. They had such flawless sync that one could be afraid at how they seemed to both think the same thing at the same time...

"In the name of Lord Roswaal Mathers, we thank you for protecting our lady from the harm that could have been brought upon her by our negligence."

"This is…" Otto stuttered, trying to find the words to describe the feeling running through his mind.

"Yeah, I got ya," Garfiel continued for him, crossing his arms, "Ram and Rem are more stiff than anythin' 'ere."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Felt asked them in curiosity.

"Well, I suppose it is even more strange for me to see this since I joined the camp after Natsuki-san's arrival…" Shaking his head, the green merchant let his friend explain at his place.

"Basically, Ram and Rem were just like identical dolls before cap'n came around," He sighed as he pointed the screen, "just like 'ere."

"..."

"What is it, I suppose?" Noticing the shiver of the half-elf, the little spirit inquired her, "You seem disheartened."

"Because...I liked it. When Rem and Ram became more lively at the beginning, I also realized it was thanks to Subaru. And I liked it." Emilia explained in a hushed tone, "I liked how I could finally interact with them. How I could finally...Have people to talk to, have friends…"

Beatrice kept listening to her, eyes towards the screen.

"Subaru reaaaaaally brought us nothing but goodness...He made my life, our lives better…" The half-elf tone suddenly became darker, as she held on her knight's hand, "Only to be thanked this way…"

It wasn't difficult for Beatrice to realize she was referring to how the maids treated her contractor. And it angered her. It angered her so much, just the mere thought of her contractor screaming in agony during his torture was enough for her to have nothing but one desire to turn them both into crystal statues…

But she also knew that she had no right to.

She had no right to be angry...And no right to blame them for their behaviour.

Since herself was no different.

"So big bro took out the 'bamboo stick' out of their bums uh…" Felt chuckled on her own joke, as Garfiel and Otto choked on their breath when they heard her.

"Felt-sama…" Reinhard whispered with a broken smile, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Where's this guy by the way?" Garfiel commented off-handedly.

"I have no idea...He has been silent since it started." Reinhard replied to him, also wondering where the warden was.

Their voices ringing at the same time, Subaru stood for a moment in awe before the perfect voice synchronization the maids performed. Indeed, they seemed to think alike.

"N-no probs! Saving such a beauty, the pleasure's all mine!" He exclaimed.

Emilia's smile was sad but still visible as she felt a bit relieved to see this side of Subaru shine once more without any pretense of hidden rage or suffering. And of course the compliment pleased her more than anything.

"You're not beating around the bush when it comes to words aren't you Subaru?" A voice rang in the air.

And immediately, her smile turned to a dead thin lipped expression.

"Oh… I forgotten Bubby was still here, I suppose..." Beatrice seemed to be heartbroken and a little angry once she saw the spirit.

Popping out of a green crystal at the neck of Emilia, a little cat spirit appeared just in front of the half-elf.

"Puck! Good to see you're doing well!" He said as he grabbed the cat's paw as if to shake it.

"Same goes for me! You know Lia was very worried about you since the Sword Saint took you away! Seeing you here certainly took a lift-off her stomach!"

"Puck?!" The half-elf exclaimed; her red cheeks most apparent on her face.

"Really?! What a failure!" He exclaimed. "I have no shame at all! Making someone so wonderful worry about me… I should commit seppuku to keep at least a little of my honor!"

Emilia blushed even more, adorably looking away while squeaking for a second. Reinhard couldn't help but let out a small chuckle under his breath.

"I don't really think it's possible to keep something you never had," Ram commented.

"Indeed, It would only stain a poor innocent blade with dirty blood." Her sister continued.

"Even when he was coming with someone as the Sword Saint with him you still found it appropriate to berate him?" Tivey sighed in disappointment, "Big boss bro really has it hard…"

"Tch. Wouldn't expect anything good out of these cunts." Felt grumbled in her seat. The mere thought of seeing any of the maids near Subaru sickening her to the core.

Up above, Aldebaran whistled in surprise, turning to the twins not far from him.

"This one was a bit harsh guys, seppuku ain't fun." He chuckled under his helmet. He was only met by a heated glare from the pink-haired oni.

"..." Priscilla glanced to her jester with confused eyes, her fan hiding her face.

"Princess?" Al questioned, wondering why she had such a stare.

"What is this?" She questioned, "What is a 'seppuku'?"

"Uh…" Aldeberan sounded surprised, "Basically, it's a way to kill yourself."

"Seppuku is more than that," Ricardo continued for him, "ya kill yarself by keeping yar honor."

"Yeah, that too. By suicide you keep your honor."

"I see." Now understanding what it referenced, Priscilla turned back to the screen, and kept watching.

Hearing this much made her remember about her country of origin, along with the morales that were instored in it. Strangely, she acknowledged that something like Sepukku would integrate well in the empire. If she liked it or not, was another matter.

"Hold on, how come you know about this?" Otto realized in surprise as he heard the dogman explaining it, "hearing him, I thought it was something proper to Natsuki-san's world!"

"Uh...It's a known thing in kararagi." Ricardo thought out loud as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Kararagi…?" Crusch picked up, remembering the explanation Aldebaran gave not so long ago, "The western country which resembles Natsuki Subaru's homeland?"

"Oh…"

"That's true…"

"Yeah that explains a lot." Anastasia sighed with a faint smile, "this is really becoming all the more intriguing…"

"Anastasia-sama?" Noticing the pensive tone of her voice, Julius inquired about her.

"Don't ya think it's all oddly adding up sometimes?" She wondered as she rubbed her scarf, "Hoshin-sama...And Natsuki-kun…I wonder if there's more to see."

"You believe these two would be linked?" He asked with widened eyes.

"Well, there's so many similarities...At this point it would be foolish to not at least consider it, don't ya think?" She replied with a smile, hiding the fact that...She hoped there was.

For someone like Anastasia, having someone related to her idol would mean the entire world. She already thought of Subaru as an amazing source of information, ideas and more...But if this showed to be a reality in the near future…

This would give her all the more of a reason to bring him to her camp.

"...Indeed." Her knight answered, nodding his head as he slowly turned back to the viewing.

"Did I do something so bad to you two for treating me in such a way!?" He instantly shot back.

Emilia gained a bit of her composure back and started to lean towards the maids with her finger up.

"Don't take it to heart, Subaru! And you, don't tease him too much! He is our guest and my benefactor!" She ordered, defending the black-haired boy.

"Yes, Emilia-Sama. We apologize."

"Good!" She said with a satisfied expression, turning towards the pair of young men with another kind smile. "Have you guys eaten yet? Would you have lunch with us?"

Emilia was speaking with a slightly excited tone, so faint it could normally be hard to notice, yet there was one man who did.

"Thank you Emilia-sama, but we at-"

Reinhard got startled by Subaru's tap on his back, allowing him to speak instead of his friend.

"We'd love to! Man, I'm starving!" Subaru continued in place of the knight.

"Yes, Subaru-sama insisted on seeing you right away after his awakening after all..." Reinhard grinned and cleared his throat, 'correcting' himself.

Subaru's smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by a cracked one as he felt his face heat up in shame, turning to his friend with such an expression that Reinhard found it rough to contain his laugh.

But after seeing Emilia's reaction, which was an equally shy and cute face, he simply took a breath and lifted his thumb up to Reinhard while holding his nose.

"Nice." He whispered.

"T-then please, come this way!" She said, telling them to follow.

"You seem to be integrating pretty well with the lil' captain, Saint guy!" Ricardo laughed and nodded in delight at Reinhard's interactions with his master.

Julius glared at the dogman, thinking that this statement would make Reinhard either jealous or angry at his counterpart because of how easily he replaced Felt.

But the elegant knight only saw a smile on Reinhard's face. The redhead was staring between the screen and the near blonde girl sitting in the front row.

Felt… Was laughing at the scene?

"A-Alright… Yeah, maybe it's a good thin' ye're with big bro here. This is comedy gold!"

Reinhard's smile was wide for the first time in a while.

"But it is quite surreal though… Now that we are seeing these play out just like we remembered them, we notice all of the differences between our realities. And how similar both of them actually are except for key differences," Anastasia looked more fascinated and curious than Otto previously with a widened grin on her face as she noticed all of the little details playing around the screen.

Emilia cheerfully led the way, followed by the maids and the duo.

Up the stairs, Subaru was inspecting the corridor during their way to the dining room. He already had a pretty defined idea of what the interior could look like, but it was still impressive. How come such a manor with so many rooms only has 4 residents?

His curiosity taking the edge of him, he decided to go towards a door to see what the room looked like.

Emilia's , as well as of the candidates and knights including the crimson baroness in the back, all widened their eyes in shock as they fell into deja vu.

"Don't tell me… He can still do that after all?!" Roswaal whispered, eyes wide in horror.

"What is happening?" Petra asked innocently as she remained confused.

Only Beatrice's smug voice rang out to answer her, "It's fate showing this Betty her destiny, in fact," the blonde spirit spoke about her counterpart in a pleased tone as she watched the show and enjoyed it.

He opened the door to meet a giant library, along with a little girl with drill twin tails, sitting on a stool.

"Hmpf! Quite the shameless man you are to enter a room without knocking, I suppose!" The little girl spoke out loud.

"H-He did it here again?!" Julius sounded kind of offended more than shocked as Subaru showed his spirit affinity's prowess once more.

"Hmph! How insolent of you to assume that just because this Subaru owns another mansion it would mean he'd be away from Betty, I suppose."

"M-My apologies, Great Spirit-sama..."

"So… He might contract with Beatrice-sama in this reality as well? With Reinhard-sama serving him? Jeez..." Otto was beginning to feel kind of useless and troubled by this event… Wait… would that mean he won't be serving Emilia in this world or not?

"This is quite troubling..." Crusch found herself muttering into her gloved palm which she had rested her chin on.

"Doesn't mean he'll be closer to them enough for a link to be established. So far, we've only seen him interacting with them for a day, nothin' is sayin' he will come back again." Anastasia sounded stubborn as she pointed these out.

"Sheesh, just chill. They are only getting to know each other, you guys weren't the ones who got erased from their own lives out here, y'know?" Felt muttered in bemusement at the ridiculous display they were showing.

"Felt-sama..." Reinhard whispered in bewilderment…

"She doesn't sound that mad anymore," Otto said, shrugging.

"Yeah… I guess you're correct," Reinhard couldn't help but beam.

Emilia, the maids, and Reinhard, all scouted closer to Subaru.

"A-A cute drill loli?! I thought you said you were only 4 in this mansion?!" He said as he turned towards Emilia.

Beatrice looked at him, visibly on edge after getting called by that word, which she didn't know the meaning of, though she was sure it didn't have a positive connotation.

Ram and Rem were slightly impressed while Emilia looked at him with surprise and shock.

"Well, Beatrice is the great spirit that lives in the library but...None of us can open the right door! The emplacement changes every time and she rarely comes out so...How did you find it?"

"Ah, I get it!" Subaru chuckled with an assured look on his face. "If it's a puzzle then I'm rather the lucky guesser to solve them quickly. Call it fate..."

Subaru closed the door and went forward a little bit until reaching another, completely random one and opening it, to the library again.

"Or luck, I'll get it!" He finished with a satisfied grin.

Everyone was genuinely out of words. Even Ram didn't know how to react as it seemed easy for that man who came from nowhere to find the library's emplacement that easily.

"I'm surprised there is a great spirit here..." Reinhard said in a low voice towards the pink-haired maid.

"Beatrice-sama has been tasked to watch over the library in the Mathers estate for a long time now." She explained without bothering to turn towards him. "She lives in her library and protects the mansion occasionally."

Subaru widened his eyes in surprise as he overheard her speak, the thought of a girl staying alone in a room while they would all leave together, seemed wrong for him.

"Anyway, we're on our way to get lunch, why won't you come with us?" Subaru decided to invite her, trying to get her to join them.

"Hmpf! A great spirit like Betty has no need to share anything wit-"

"Hey there Beatrice! You look well!" The cat spirit floating over Emilia's shoulder cut her off with a cheerful flare in his tone.

"Bubby! I missed you!" She exclaimed, jumping from her seat to go towards Puck.

Subaru recoiled in confusion as he saw the little girl jumping towards the cat spirit with a face of pure bliss, her tone of voice considerably changing.

"Well...You could say that Puck is the only one she acknowledges..."

"I see, she is not the social type uh? Well, even if the path is hard there's always a way…" He thought out loud as he winked to the half-elf. "Watch this."

Subaru smiled at Emilia as he cleared his throat.

"So like I said, why won't you come with us and enjoy some company rather than staying in here alone?" He spoke out to her.

"Hmpf! Betty doesn't need the consideration of such a rude man, I suppose!" Beatrice spat out.

Emilia winced a bit to hear her speak and behave like this. She really wished she could have more interactions with the little spirit. Sometimes, she thought it could be really beneficial for both of them, to earn a friend and ease this feeling of loneliness.

Right now, she was already set to turn back and go towards the dining room without her again, even though she was glad that Subaru tried to bring her out…Until she realized that Subaru didn't seem to be done just yet.

"Eh, I didn't say me though~." Subaru replied with confidence.

Beatrice turned towards him once again with a raised eyebrow.

"I said us. Which also includes Puck." He winked, catching the spirit off guard as she turned towards the grey cat.

"Come on Betty, come with us!" Puck urged her.

"Yes! If you ask, of course, I will Bubby!" She happily replied.

Subaru honestly felt jealous of that discrimination she was performing on him, Emilia chuckled as she realized it right away.

"The same technique as before~," Mimi giggled happily as she teased Beatrice once again for how naive she was.

The Spirit did not enlighten them with a reaction, instead settling on glancing a bit to look at the silent half-elf sitting beside her.

"Why do you look ashamed, I wonder?"

Flinching at the rigid tone Beatrice used, Emilia simply shook her head and softly grasped her knight's hand.

"It's just… I don't want those thoughts of mine to be-"

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of you stupid girl."

"...?!"

Emilia was stared down by a cold, annoyed Beatrice, frankly she was intimidated.

"Stop being so eclipsed on yourself all the time. It's annoying, I suppose," Beatrice sounded as if she was giving her advice instead of insulting her in a brutal manner.

"..."

As Emilia sat in bewildered silence, the spirit could only look away from her and on to the screen without a care.

As she went out to join the group, she threw a glare at Subaru and Reinhard, especially at his sword.

"So you're Reid's descendant…" She said as she inspected the red-haired knight.

"Oh? This is actually a real difference in the interactions now~" Anastasia perked up along with most of the cast to watch this.

Reinhard seemed more nervous than curious as he realized that meeting the great spirit might reveal a few things about himself that weren't complimentary.

Reinhard nodded as he bowed in front of Beatrice, showing the utmost respect he could as a knight, in front of a great spirit.

"Hm. At least, it looks like your behavior is much more appropriate to the title you hold." She waved off, nodding to his proper etiquette.

Reinhard couldn't help but look down in shame, Subaru noticed it and felt a little bad for him. Just what was the reason for his friend to frown like that?

" Hum… Who's Reid ?" the black-haired boy inquired to both of them, making Reinhard stay silent.

Beatrice looked back to Subaru, ready to bitterly answer the one she judged as nothing but an annoying pest.

However before that, like an urge she couldn't control, the great spirit's eyes turned towards the knight in question, noticing the feeling of guilt and distaste reflected by his eyes, and all of a sudden, she froze in place. The memories of another man with dazzling red hair appearing in her mind, the last visions of a person long gone, of another time, nearly from another life… Someone she cherished, someone who smiled at her, oddly similar to the young sword Saint standing before her.

"Beatrice? " Puck called, noticing the unusual look in her eyes.

"It is nothing, I suppose." She answered, her voice having lost all cheer she would normally have when addressing her brother.

Subaru and Emilia threw a glance at each other upon seeing the sudden change in the little girl's attitude.

Reinhard however, thinking she did so for his sake, only gave a slight bow of his head as thanks. Smiling for the great spirit's decision to not reveal anything related to his ancestor.

"Somthin' wron' Rein?"

Reinhard's head rose immediately as Felt called on him with disinterest. It seems the lady was quite mad at him but she kept that to herself and acted as if she was bored and wanted something to play with.

But he knew that she was only comforting him. He was the one frowning deeply.

"N-Nothing at all, Felt-sama."

At this, Felt snorted, "Yeah, 'nothin''. How 'bout you tell your friends beside you instead then? I mean no one here believes that lie, Rein."

Surprised by how friendly his lady was, Reinhard didn't let the meaning of her words fly as he realized that almost all of the knights and Otto seemed to be staring at him.

"Ah... "

"You don't have to tell us," Julius seemed tortured as he said this to his friend, "No matter how much I would love to learn about the Astrea ancestor, this seems to be a family matter first and foremost."

"Thank you, Julius."

Again… It was pure torture.

"Ah, so you still hurt for the select few like him, Beatrice-chan?" Roswaal whispered in a nostalgic tone, his smile was one of sadness yet pride as he remembered a time where Beatrice wasn't completely changed by her years of isolation and despair.

Something else he was guilty of to be sure. But something he must atone for to both Subaru and the redheaded swordsman, Tosca Astrea.

"What was happening here?" Crusch asked of the spirit in curiosity as both, she and the rest couldn't understand what had prompted this reaction of the girl.

"Nothing to concern you all, in fact," Beatrice immediately shut herself from the curious gazes and hardened her stare into the screen.

"Of course this interaction would spell nothing but trouble for Betty, I suppose... " The drill haired girl muttered under her breath as she closed her tired eyes for a moment.

The same memories were shared from her counterpart to her own self. She also thought about that young man that crossed the world for her.

"I miss you… Tosca..."

Beatrice didn't stop Emilia's arms from taking her off of Subaru and right on Emilia's lap. She was comforted in the half-elf's arms… She felt safe.

"Shhh… " Emilia soothed the spirit by rubbing her back and hugging her tightly.

"I got you, Betty… I got you..."

The spirit let herself be consumed by Emilia's soothing tone.

They all returned to their walk towards the dining room with Emilia and Subaru at the front, speaking of his awakening at her request, Beatrice and Puck enjoying each other's company, and finally the twins and Reinhard.

"Is Sir Roswaal present at the moment?" He asked the maids.

"Our Lord departed this morning, but he should be here in a minute for lunch, Reinhard-Sama." Rem answered him.

"Mh...Let's see how it goes here…" Roswaal thought to himself, leaning forward as he was curious to see his first interaction with Subaru in this world.

Others however, mostly those seated by the half-elf, were not that keen on seeing it happen.

Reinhard nodded as he thanked the maid for her answer, thinking about the situation coming ahead. Surely Lord Roswaal wasn't a fool, he would certainly understand that there would be more to Subaru than just someone wanting to express his gratitude, especially if someone like the Sword Saint himself would be by his side.

Arriving at the room, Subaru wasn't impressed by the luxury of it anymore. He already had his fill of rich-people-furniture at the Astrea's mansion, thus they all took a seat while the maids took their leave to bring the food.

A short moment later, a man entered the room. Someone wearing rather eccentric clothes and clown-like makeup. In Subaru's mind, there was no doubt: he was a jester to entertain people while they ate but seeing Reinhard standing up to show his respect, he instinctively did the same.

"Well that's less embarassing than last time." Al laughed, remembering the time Subaru took Roswaal as a jester in his reality.

"Booooo!"

"That sucks!"

Ricardo laughed at the twins showing their dissatisfaction to the scene before them. They both wanted to see the same thing happen and see the difference.

And of course, laugh at Subaru's foolishness.

"My, my...If it isn't the greeeaaaaat Sword Saint aaaaaaand?" The clown spoke.

"It's Subaru! He is the man who helped me about my little misadventure yesterday!" Emilia answered with a bright voice.

Roswaal narrowed his eyes towards the black-haired boy and stepped towards him with a large smile on his face.

"How marveeeeeelous! I must say I was quite saddened to not meet Emilia-sama benefaaaaaaaactor when she told me that she couldn't bring him here after the Sword Saint's request."

"What the hell is wrong with his way of spea-Wait.."

"I'm sorry, what? The Sword Saint's request?" Subaru replied, turning towards his friend with a coldened narrowed gaze.

"Oh shit!" Ricardo laughed once more as Reinhard himself began sweating. Felt found herself also smirking viciously as this might be the first time her big bro teaches Rein a lesson.

Reinhard himself seemed to be nervous more than anything, but still not to the level of his counterpart.

"You took him away from spending a night with his love~" Mimi teased from above.

Emilia was embarrassed by all of this, to say the least. She kept her hold on Beatrice comfortable though. The spirit had taken to fully embracing Emilia's lap as her new seat now. Emilia had to say that she enjoyed having her and Beatrice being so close together.

Reinhard quickly looked away while sweating, he knew that Subaru wouldn't be pleased to know that he took him away from Emilia. However, after thinking about it he wasn't mad at all. Wouldn't that be inappropriate for two candidates to be at the same place? Or maybe he wouldn't be a candidate at all without Reinhard...

"As I said, all the pleasure is mine! Emilia-tan is so pretty, it would have been a crime to not help her!" Subaru proudly exclaimed, making the half-elf look away in embarrassment.

Emilia's lips perked up at this scene. She took that compliment with stride since it was coming from her knight again. Gracefully ignoring the boy squad to her left as they laughed at her embarrassed counterpart.

"Barusu seems really self assured here… " Ram sounded tired as she spoke. Her shock wasn't hidden at how well this Subaru has presented himself.

Her sister nodded, Rem's tears now gone but her state being that of a totally broken girl with no hope in her eyes. All she can think about was anything to make her situation with Emilia end in a better way than now.

"I can't help but want to see how he would deal with me… Would he punish me? Would he kill me?"

"Sister… "

Ram's eyes watered as she witnessed Rem's complete degradation as a person with hopes and dreams and into this bubbling mess.

Roswaal was honestly pleased to see so many people around him while eating, as even Beatrice was out of her library. He even found that situation to be rather more...Interesting because all these people were unique, even though from anyone else's point of view, he was the most unique of all.

"Weeeeeeelll even though I do recognize Subaru-kun's will of meeting Emilia-sama, I must ask what the honor for me is to receive the Sword Saint himself?" Roswaal inquired, wishing to know more about his guests.

"I am merely here as an escort for Subaru-sama." The charming knight replied distantly.

"Oh? An escort?" Roswaal repeated with curiosity.

Subaru threw a quick glance to Reinhard with alerted eyes, trying to warn him about not revealing anything that would put them in trouble.

"Oh? You are going to keep it a secret then?" Otto intelligently noted exactly what the knight's counterpart was doing on the screen. Only to receive a nod from Reinhard.

"It's for the better, of course. The law must not be broken or else Subaru loses his runningship."

"Don't look so nervous now," Julius teased begrudgingly as he knew that Reinhard was more worried about not stopping Subaru from coming here than anything right now.

The redhead simply glared at him.

"Y-yes." Reinhard continued. "As a guest of the Astrea house, it is only natural that I would accompany him."

"You…Did say there was something about Subaru you needed to confirm though." Emilia reminded him a bit hesitantly. "This is why you insisted on housing him, after all…"

"A threat." Subaru continued, discreetly nodding to Reinhard so he could hold over the conversation himself.

"What?" The half-elf replied in surprise.

"Well, think about it Emilia-tan! You're a candidate for the throne and suddenly a guy that comes from nowhere accosts you and helps you! This is totally suspicious! Honestly, Reinhard did nothing but his job as a knight here!" Subaru explained.

"I have to say this is some good thinking." Nodding to his explanation, she turned towards Reinhard, "How come you didn't even think of this in the first place?"

"Crusch-sama…?" Felix wanted to intervene, not liking how his lady was in her turn, berating the sword saint.

"It is a genuine question, Reinhard-dono. As a royal knight of the kingdom, how come you let such an irregular man with this kind of sensible information get close to a royal candidate?"

While several people, including the old sword demon, felt a bit disheartened by the strict tone with which the Duchess addressed to the Sword Saint, they all acknowledged nonetheless that it remained a question that deserved answers, especially for someone holding a title like Reinhard.

"Crusch-sama! I insisted myself to bring Subaru with me!" Emilia replied to her, trying to argue in favor of the redhead.

"Even then, Emilia-sama. Your protection should remain a priority…"

"What's the point in asking that anyway?!" To Reinhard's surprise, it was now Felt who stood in his defense.

"In our reality, Rein was too busy trying to kidnap me! He was focused on our situation, and after all big bro did to protect us from the other freak, I don't see why he'd have seen him as a bad guy! If he really just wanted big sis dead, he could've just let that black-clothed bitch do her job!"

"Again. There was no confirmation about Subaru-dono's identity or purpose." Not baking down on her stand, Crusch Karsten replied with a strict, nearly commanding tone.

"Why should we even care?! It just looks like you're trying to get a shot against him! It has already passed and we know big bro is a good guy, there's no point in telling Rein what he should have done!"

"Felt-sama." Although glad that his lady would stand for him, Reinhard found it appropriate to cut the discussion now before this pointless argument went further.

"Subaru already showed a will to protect not only Emilia-sama, but Felt-sama and Rom-sama as well in the loothouse, Crusch-sama." Reinhard explained, "I have sensed since the beginning, since our first meeting, that no ill thoughts ran through his mind. Seeing his will during the fight against Elsa…"

Turning towards the screen once more with a confident expression, Reinhard nodded to his own thoughts towards the black-haired boy.

"Only gave further evidence that he was no threat. Simply...A good person, genuinely trying to do what he believed to be the right thing."

And to his explanation, Crusch simply smiled, and brought her eyes back to the screen as well. Seemingly satisfied with what she heard as a justification.

Needless to say, Reinhard also managed to receive smiles from far more people in the room. From his new friends by his side, to Emilia and Beatrice...To Felt herself.

"Ya're damn right." She whispered to herself, "Good Job Rein…"

"I see…Wait, Subaru!" Emilia exclaimed. "How do you know I am…-"

"I told him," Reinhard replied for his friend. "When I…'questioned' Subaru-sama, he asked about your situation."

"Nice assist Reinhard!" Subaru praised internally, winking to his friend.

"How did they get such good synergy in such a short time…" Al thought out loud, dumbfounded.

"I know right?!" Otto shouted back in surprise, "they only know each other for a day!"

Somehow...This made Reinhard's heart warm up. As a smile unconsciously formed on his lips.

"Is that so…" Emilia concluded.

"So, you two just decided to bother this place for no reason at all aside from giving thanks, I suppose?" Beatrice said in a disinterested tone.

"Beatrice!" Emilia retorted, turning towards both Subaru and Reinhard.

"I'm sorry! Please don't take her words to heart, Beatrice is just…Not used to this."

"I am certainly more used to meeting people than you, in fact!" Yelled the little blonde.

"You seem so silly here, hehe!"

"Speak for yourself, I suppose."

Emilia hugged Beatrice closer to her as she enjoyed the scene greatly. She assumed that Beatrice felt the same way because the little spirit had no trouble melting in the half-elf's arms and resting on her.

The two girls had easy smiles on their faces.

Waving the air with a grin to show there was nothing to worry about, Subaru turned towards Beatrice.

"You got a sharp tongue; I give you that. But you'll need more to cut through me. I'm so used to slurs and insults that I became bulletproof to such cheap stuff!" He said with a proud voice.

"Are you trying to brag about yourself getting insulted?" She answered in disgust. "What a gross individual you are."

"I too, believe this isn't something you should take pride in, Subaru-sama…" Reinhard tried to comment in vain.

"I don't take pride in getting insulted! Who does that?! I said that I was a hard nut to crack! Don't take words out of my mouth!" Subaru yelled back, trying to defend himself, but the only things he earned were giggles and deadpanned expressions.

"I'm already being treated as a joke here! Ahhhh!" Subaru whaled in his head, filled with despair at his ruined interaction cycle. But once he noticed the angelic innocent giggle coming from Emilia, he couldn't help but feel delighted with himself.

"Tch. Pathetic."

"Princess?"

"This side of him...Or rather, the past him…" Priscilla growled in disgust, "I really cannot stomach it."

"I mean...Is he really doing anything disgusting? He's literally just chill-"

Interrupted by a hit that sent him on the ground once more, Aldebaran grunted as he understood, again, that he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Man… She's so beautiful when she laughs like that…"

The boy seemed less despaired about his embarrassing moment as he continued to eat with the others.

Emilia's smile was wider than it had been for a long while.

"You seem to be doing better than before, Emilia-sama."

The half-elf nodded to the bewildered Duchess, "Mhm! A girl has to be all about the looks… Tehehe~"

Crusch blinked in surprise at this sudden change in attitude from the girl. Wasn't she standing with her that this viewing is a serious issue?

But then again… Crusch herself really started to wither on her position of opposing the Warden's plea to watch this.

:::::::::::::::::::::

After getting stuffed by the generous food table, everyone went to their rooms for a bit of rest since the lord  and  the two guests had just arrived from their own long journeys. Subaru and Reinhard were sent to a guest room reserved in the enormous mansion.

Unsurprisingly to anyone that knew him, the black-haired candidate-in-secret was unsatisfied with being cooped up in a room again after his long nap in Astrea's mansion. So the boy had set out on 'exploring' the big mansion on his own, definitely not hoping to run into a silver-haired goddess that walked on the same ground he di-

Subaru walked through the mansion's hallways while enjoying how manly he was for being single.

Until he finally stopped in front of a door that he felt a sudden urge towards.

"Yo Beatrice! Have a moment?" Subaru gleefully called as he entered, already used to the feeling of catching the grand library and the girl protecting it.

"Certainly not for the likes of you I suppose!" The blonde spirit shot back instantly.

"Great! Actually, I have a rather difficult question to ask, and since you seem to be the kind of girl who knows everything...Maybe because you live in a library?" He questioned, more to himself than to her.

"Does he ever change that attitude of his? Good grief," Beatrice shook her head but smiled nonetheless.

"It's comforting that he's not changed in a different reality… But also… kinda underwhelming?" Frederica looked nervous to say this as she rubbed her thumbs together.

"Yeah I agree," Otto sounded tired but he still showed how underwhelming this has been for them.

Frederica smiled at the merchant boy with happiness. Her point was understood and that's what mattered to her. She couldn't help but feel delighted with the look of relief on him when she showed disinterest that he shared with her. It's as if they were both waiting on one another to voice their thoughts.

But they forgot that there was a person smarter than both of them in the room, "Frederica-sama, this is different from what happened with us!"

Otto and Frederica both looked at Petra in surprise from their respective seats, "This version of Subaru is already asking for Beatrice-sama's help on their second meeting."

"Oh yeah… That's true," Ricardo showed support for the little girl as he found himself agreeing with her.

Both, merchant and maid seemed to be struck as Petra pointed them to their answer.

The little village girl seemed innocently unaware how powerful her moment was and just continued to watch.

"Even if Betty would be knowledgeable enough to answer you, why would I do that for someone like you, I suppose?"

Subaru simply clicked his tongue as he made a confident expression, pointing at the little girl with his finger.

"Well, it's a win-win situation! Remember what I did earlier to make you have some quality time with Puck? You help me and I'll create some other occasions too! Everyone will be happy." He told her with a wink.

"…"

Beatrice felt cornered, she was ready to throw him out with a blast of magic out of her library, but to think he would be able to do that for her...

"Speak, I suppose." She said as she closed the book on her lap.

"What would the question be, I suppose? He knows nothing of the upcoming attack or the maids coming after him, in fact," Beatrice didn't mince words as the way he tricked her the same way as with her reality annoyed her. Much more, this version of her contractor was starting to bug her the wrong way because of how confident and all over more assured he was. Her own contractor had to suffer in unimaginable ways to reach the level of confidence this version of him has… And yet this reality offered this Subaru everything on a golden platter since the beginning.

Apart from the first few deaths of course.

"Nice! Well, my question might startle you a bit but I think that for now, you might be the most qualified person I would know of, with who I could talk about this." He gently told her as he took a seat as well. "So keep it for yourself, alright?"

"What in the world is he about to say…?" Crusch wondered out loud, not hiding the bit of excitement in her voice to know.

Indeed, before his visit, Subaru had some discussions with Roswaal, to know more about him or this mansion since he was Emilia's sponsor. Roswaal explained who he was and spoke about his residents too, including the 400 years old spirit of the library.

"I have to say that you might have picked my curiosity now, I suppose." She sighed with narrowed eyes, ready to hear what he had to say.

"All right...Well, I'm coming from another world, Beatrice." He admitted to her.

Beatrice raised her eyebrows in surprise, failing to understand the meaning of the boy's words immediately.

"Not just a country far away from here." He continued, noticing her demand to speak more. "But literally from another world. With other continents…Other countries, cities and civilization..."

"..."

"What the hell?!" Otto shouted in shock as everyone around him was stunned into silence.

"Th-This Subaru really seems bullheaded uh…" Crusch stuttered in surprise by how instant the boy took to using Beatrice's knowledge.

"He already trusted Beatrice enough for that?" Emilia showed how bewildered she was by the sudden jump in trust from Subaru to Beatrice in this reality.

"I like it… I like it alot… The boy clearly sees an advantage and puts it to good use," Priscilla had a big smile as she nodded her head at the scene.

"You're looking a bit too proud there princes-"

"Next time you speak, you'll be spending time below my shoes."

Needless to say, the one-armed man never looked at her after that.

"Are you trying to explain that you might come from a place situated over the great waterfall, I suppose?" Beatrice asked him with a severe tone.

"…Yes and no." He answered in a serious and doubtful voice.

"You don't make any sense, I suppose."

"I'm trying to explain!" He replied again, trying to find the correct words.

Beatrice wordlessly gazed upon him as she put a book back on the shelf to her side.

"Then explain. With clear words, I suppose." She urged him.

"I never heard of this place in my life…Lugunica that is. I never knew about its existence, the same goes for the other countries here. And magic as well." He finally told her.

"Magic as well?" She repeated, trying to reach a book as she stood on the tip of her toes.

Seeing her struggle, Subaru stood up and walked towards her to grab the book and hand it to her.

"Yes. To put it simply, magic doesn't exist in my world." He explained. "And never existed as far as I know."

"This is impossible, in fact." She coldly answered. "Mana is the essence of life itself."

"It's true though!" He exclaimed to her, visibly upset for her refusal to listen.

"People can't shoot ice with their hands, they can't move so fast they become invisible to the eyesight, they can't blast an entire house with a sword! And…" Subaru hesitated a bit before speaking, an expression of pain on his face.

"And?" Beatrice said with a raised eyebrow.

His hesitation became greater with the little spirit's demand to continue his words. It wasn't a question of revealing his power. More about revealing what he lived, something he didn't want to share.

"Ah… I thought Subaru might be trying to ask if the great spirit knew of a way back to his home world..." Crusch fell into silence as she realized the truth behind this visit.

"You and the baroness seem to finally hit the same wavelength as me~," Anastasia bragged, as Priscilla huffed and waved her fan cautiously.

"... He's asking about Return by Death, isn't he." Emilia said coldly, her expression hidden behind Beatrice's twin-tails.

"He already trusts a random spirit more than you… Such a weak destiny you two have," Priscilla seemed content to happily sway her fan and mock Emilia from above with her usual malice.

"Just quit it, I suppose. You just told us how impressed you are that he's using Betty's knowledge to learn more about his predicament, stop trying to press unneeded buttons."

"Betty-chan?" Emilia whispered into the girl's head as she curved and hugged her tight.

Beatrice simply huffed in anger, "That Subaru is only using Betty. Don't make him seem better than my- our Betty's Subaru, in fact."

"Y-Yeah… Our Subaru." Emilia nodded her head and kept her face hidden from everyone as she calmed down.

But something about Beatrice made him feel like she would be understanding of his words. Maybe with her knowledge, she could help him to find a way with that power. To control it, to take advantage of it…

Taking a deep breath, Subaru raised his head towards the little girl "And they can't return when they d-"

However, as the words were going out of his mouth, his heart began to beat so slowly he could hear it echoing between those walls when everything seemed to be frozen in time. Only his gaze and his consciousness seemed to be able to interact as his body was paralyzed.

Out of fear, instinct, or some unknown force, he couldn't find out. But the point was that his whole body was impossible to move no matter how much force he was exerting.

In front of him, Beatrice, motionless, stood with a staring gaze.

And as he sought to approach her by all possible means, chills began to grow throughout his body ... A feeling of fear growing and taking possession of his very mind, until that shadow taking the form of a hooked hand slowly approached him, piercing his back and slowly caressing his heart...

"ARGH!" He yelled as he fell to his knees, holding a hand to his chest between heavy panting.

"What is it, I suppose?!" Beatrice yelled, her steps stopping as she put a hand on her nose.

"The witch's scent…?"

"Beatrice…" He painfully called as he looked up to her. "Are you okay?! Did you…Did you see that?"

The spirit narrowed her eyes in clear suspicion, throwing a glance around her to see if there was anything relating to his words.

"…"

"It's still taking effect on him here," Reinhard muttered in disappointment and anger, feeling protective.

"That was to be expected… It also seems to be his first time discovering the punishment of the Witch," Julius noted in a serious tone.

But even when her suspicions were heavily raised towards someone reeking of the scent like him…She couldn't help but take pity on the black-haired boy who was in clear pain.

Seeing him still on his knees trying to breathe, she turned towards the short table on her side, grabbing a cup in which she poured some tea.

"Here, I suppose." She said as she handed the cup to him. "Drink."

Subaru looked up to her with teary eyes, still breathing so heavily that his voice became hoarse.

"Thank you…" He said in a low voice before taking the cup and gulping the cup in one go.

"I wasn't hurt or anything…But I definitely felt my heart getting grabbed…And the fear taking me over…" he thought to himself as he brought the cup away from his lips and gazed at its emptiness. "That hand…It came to me when I was about to speak about return by death…"

"So." She said in a stern tone. "What was that, I suppose?"

Seemingly calmed down, Subaru looked back at her with thoughtful eyes.

"…I don't know." He admitted. "I just…Suddenly felt a heartache. Sorry about that, I didn't want to scare you."

Beatrice only narrowed her eyes in suspicion once more, carefully looking upon the young boy who stood up and walked past her.

"Sorry for disturbing you…We'll talk about this another time." He said without turning back. "Thank you for your time."

Beatrice kept gazing towards him until he closed the door of her library, the previous events replaying in her head, as the scent of the witch still tickling her nose.

"Consider yourself lucky that you were by the Sword Saint's side, I suppose." She said as she looked at her hand.

"Does this mean…" Otto gulped in fear, scared of knowing what Beatrice meant with these few words.

"I would have neutralized him, I suppose." Without beating around the bush, Beatrice didn't hesitate to lay out her counterparts' intentions, "Someone bearing the scent of the witch would have been too suspicious to be allowed to roam free."

"So Reinhard-sama's presence managed to convince you to avoid this measure…?" Bewildered, Crusch voiced her thoughts.

"I mean, the Sword Saint ain't just nobody. I guess the spirit knew that if he was a witch cultist, he wouldn't be around." Ricardo commented on his own, finding his explanation to be enough.

"Otherwise…" She sighed as she took her seat back, gazing at the empty cup she previously handed to him.

"Another world…" She whispered, her eyes wandering to another black book on her side.

"..."

At the sight of the tome of wisdom...Roswaal only remained silent. And so did Beatrice.

"I still wonder...Why did you leave me...Mother."

"What kind of fool is that boy, I suppose…"

"Damn it…" He cursed between gritted teeth. "What the hell was that…?"

Walking in the corridors of the mansion, Subaru made his way back to his room, a hand on his heart in remembrance of what he just lived.

"So I got that special power…And when I try to speak about it, I get attacked uh…" He wondered as a painful smile formed on his face. "What sort of cliché trope is that?"

"This Subaru seems to be taking it with stride," Tivey said in thought.

"Yeah, don't forget tha' Cap'n had ta deal with death first before tryin' out to speak abou' this thing," Garfiel gruffly retorted in frustration.

However, as he walked alone, the sound of footsteps coming from behind him alerted him to stop his berating and turn around in fear…To meet with the blue-haired maid.

"O-oh…" Subaru said with a relieved sigh. "It's just you Rem…Damn you scared me."

"No…!" Rem began to cry, held in the arms of her sister.

Emilia's eyes hardened once she heard the cry of the girl behind her, her blood boiled. She didn't get to cry over Subaru when she's trying to kill him!

"Absolute animal..." Priscilla insulted the look Rem had on the screen with her nose scrunched in disgust.

"Don't talk about my sister like that!" Ram, agitated and tired of her sister's self withering state deteriorating before her eyes, shouted towards the crimson countess.

But before Priscilla could finally unleash some pent up anger on the insolent girl, a voice came to defend Priscilla.

"Ram… Sit down and face the screen, please." Emilia coldly ordered without remorse.

"..."

"She said nothing but the truth about your sister. Sit down." Emilia ordered once again, this time more seething than cold as Ram and Priscilla were shocked to silence.

Rem just couldn't help but pull her sister down into her seat and grip on the sleeves to her uniform in distress.

Several people felt their heart skip a beat as they saw the blue-haired Oni in the corridors of the mansion once more.

"She won't hurt him this time!" Felt voiced out loud, "Rein is here!"

"That is true. I doubt anything happens to Subaru-dono with Reinhard-dono around." Crusch mused from her seat, trying to reassure herself over the boy's fate.

Rem did nothing but stare at him with a cold gaze.

"…Are you okay?" He questioned, not feeling comfortable with such silence.

"Don't tell me he worries for her, in fact…" Beatrice seethed in her seat, the mere thought disgusting her.

"Where are you headed right now?" She asked, tone cold… piercing.

"…To my room." He answered uneasily.

"Very well. I shall escort you. Please come this way." She said as she walked past him without bothering to look at him.

"I'm…Pretty sure that I can find my way myself, you know…" Subaru quietly resisted, the overwhelming dark aura making him distrustful of the girl.

"Yep, he's wary," Al commented as he felt the tension rising, "can't really blame him…"

"I insist."

Seeing the insistence of the maid, Subaru decided to comply, and follow her.

"You know…" He said to break the silence. "I don't know why you're this cold towards me but…We would certainly have more fun if we would at least try to be nice to each other."

"I have no obligations, nor any will to behave as such." Rem coldly answered. "This much enters the professionalism of a maid."

"Courtesy as well, Rem-san…" Frederica whispered as she held the little maid in her arms, ready to cover her eyes if needed, "You are clearly showing nothing but hostility."

"Really? Damn you talk about a waste." He sighed. "Maids were always the greatest example of elegance for me. You're kind of breaking that vision of mine."

Usually, this comment from Subaru would have brought a smile to the face of several people in this room. If only their minds weren't focused on the possibility of an imminent danger...

"I have little care about this."

"Cold." He commented off-handily. "Yeah, forget about it. There's no way you and I would ever get along."

"I believe so too." She said before stopping before the door of his room.

Rem felt like another part of her heart just shattered into pieces upon hearing these words. She almost felt like hearing was a torture...That breathing was nothing but a burden.

What was the point, after all? What was the point of living, if it was to see her hurting the love of her life? What was the point of smiling and laughing if she couldn't share it with her Subaru?

Once more, Rem was reminded of the hurtful reality she oh so believed to have finally escaped.

"Here you are. I believe this is where you will reside for tonight." Rem said as she designed the door.

"Is this where you wanted to do it to him, Rem?" Emilia spat out in disgust and unusual hostility. The thought of the maid's answer to her erlair question lingered on the half-elf's mind.

"... That is enough, I suppose… The girl does not deserve more reminders of her disgusting self, I suppose."

"She will kill him!"

"And she did, you forgave her."

"Not anymore."

"You and I are no better than her, we killed him as well, in fact."

Emilia seemingly lost her own breath as Beatrice's words stung deeply into her heart.

"..." Subaru kept looking at the blue-haired maid, expressionless, before entering his room. "Yeah, thanks."

Now alone in his room, Subaru took off his vest before walking closer to the window, observing the outside of the Roswaal manor under the moonlight.

"Why do I have a bad feeling with that Rem…" He thought to himself, before getting brought out of his thoughts by a knock on his door.

"He really seems more self-aware…" Otto whispered in a hushed tone, "How come…"

"I think...It's because he's not focused on big sis…"

Hearing this much made several eyes widen in shock.

"It's true...In his first days in the mansion, Subaru had nothing but Emilia-sama in mind!" Otto exclaimed, managing to make the half-elf tremble even more.

"Natsuki Subaru is more self aware because he is not blinded…" Crusch repeated as she clenched her fists, "He will most likely prevail here."

"Yes?"

The door then opened to a red-haired knight, holding several books in his hands.

"Eh, you're not wasting any time are you?" Subaru chuckled as he moved a chair for his friend.

"It would be unwelcome, what kind of ruler doesn't know how to read or write?" Reinhard commented as he put the books on the table. "But do not worry. I am confident that you will have no issues learning our language."

The next few hours they both spent together could be described as an entire session of Reinhard teaching Subaru about the basics of the alphabet of this world.

"I think it would be enough for now, you made impressive progress." The knight praised.

"Thanks!" the tired candidate-to-be answered as he leaned back on his chair. "But it's still a pain in the ass! I'm supposed to have passed these kinds of things since middle school."

"Ah… I kinda wanted to see the pink girl teachin' 'em… They were funnier together..." Mimi whined in disappointment at how boring this teaching session with Reinhard seemed without Ram.

Emilia kept silent as she was mourning over what Beatrice had said to her.

Reinhard was just nodding his head as he watched carefully to make sure his counterpart was adequate in helping Subaru learn efficiently.

He also felt a tight feeling around his chest. He was worried.

Ram didn't have anything to say either as she was busy comforting her own sister from the aftermath of the panic attack when she thought she was going to murder him.

But she did hear the small cat-eared girl.

Ram simply frowned deeper.

Subaru stretched his arms up while Reinhard was looking at the yard of the mansion by the window, thinking.

"You okay Reinhard? You seem on edge for a while now..." Subaru pointed out. "You're still worried about the village?

"If that wasn't enough, I feel that something is wrong within this mansion as well." The knight admitted, looking to his liege.

Subaru narrowed his eyes, he was not pleased to hear something like that, and after what he lived, he wondered if his experience had something to do with the sword saint's suspicion.

"First the village and now here..." Subaru thought out loud.

"Something on your mind?"

He stared at the book in his hands, trying to find some sort of a link between all the events he lived until now.

"You think the Bowel Hunter could have followed us?" He theorized. "She seemed angry when she left. And assured that she would come back."

"Unlikely, but not impossible, she already showed us that she had a good recovery. I wonder if she is even human..."

"Yeah, the feeling is mutual..."

"But I don't think it would be her, honestly, I would say to be more careful about the maids."

"Bullseye…"

"Yep…"

Otto and Garfiel kept watching with a heavy heart, exchanging words in a hushed tone, most certainly in a way to reassure themselves more than anything.

"Ram and Rem…?" Subaru said, visibly taken aback by the sword saint's suspicions. "I… know they have quite the antisocial and unfriendly personalities but could maids really be this much of a threat?"

"Even after having a bad feeling, he still doesn't see them as a menace," Priscilla sighed as she fanned herself in a frown, "this ignorance coupled with naivety is what makes him hindered."

"I don't believe they would be simple maids, Subaru-sama…" Reinhard continued. "But it would be unbecoming of me to make further assumptions without any evidence."

"As you said." He sighed tiredly. "Let's just stay on guard for now then."

"…If I may, Subaru-sama…I would rather us come back to the Astrea's domain, your safety is jeopardized here."

Eyes fixated towards the window, Subaru thought about his friend's words in silence, before taking his own decision.

"As is Emilia's." He said with determination. "I'm not going anywhere knowing there is a potential threat here that could bring harm upon her or the other residents."

"This is what I was talking about, I suppose," Emilia's eyes closed shut as Beatrice narrated over her.

"I don't want to hear it!"

"You need to see yourself for what you are to be able to use this confidence in a manner not shameful to my contractor, so no, in fact."

"She's the one murdering him!"

"You're the one hindering him, I suppose."

Emilia and Beatrice would've faced off had it not been for their seating positions with one of them sitting on the other's lap.

But their passion and hatred overflew any comfortable seating as they both went at it.

Reinhard was really taken by the bravery of his master but he still looked worried, bravery was a virtue worthy of a man and even more for a king...But would he really want to risk the life of his friend for bravery? Is a virtue worth...A life?

Subaru smiled and gave him a light punch to the arm.

"Get it together." He gently said. "We're both here and we have each other's back. We'll work this out, there's nothing we can't do if we trust each other."

"Subaru-dono…" Out of words, Wilhelm couldn't help but smile fondly at the nascent bond of friendship forming between his grandson and Subaru. at the

"He really has a dangerous way with words…" Crusch whispered, sharing the fond feeling of her old knight.

"Man…!" Otto didn't know if he felt jealousy or pride right now. But he couldn't help but smile at his friend on screen...Being himself.

"That's cap'n for ya." Whispering with stars in his eyes, Garfiel felt a slight relief hearing his boss' words.

Hearing this much, Reinhard began to smile unconsciously. Thinking that Subaru had a way to touch everyone's heart...He took a breath and began to bow when Subaru stopped him, raising his fist towards him. Reinhard looked intrigued but quickly understood.

He raised his fist as well and stuck it on Subaru's. He didn't know why but...He liked that.

"From where I'm coming from, this is something that you only do with the people with whom you have a strong bond. That's my way of saying that I trust you."

Reinhard was out of words. This little thing could be referred to as a handshake but unique to him and Subaru was truly wonderful to him. It was a thing unique to him and his friend, an ultimate proof of their mutual respect and trust. Reinhard never felt so happy to have met someone in his life, that's where he knew that for as long as he lived...He would follow this man, he would follow his friend and...his king.

"Reinhard..."

"I'm not replacing Felt-sama."

"That's not what I'm saying..." Julius spoke in a low voice as to make himself unheard, the red-haired man in front of him seemed content with watching the scene in a simplance of a smile and a sad frown.

"... Don't blame yourself if he dies at the end." Julius shot the point straight through, breaking Reinhard's gaze from the screen and making him face the floor.

"You and I both know what's happening… You can't save him," Julius patted Rienhard's shoulder, "Just keep thinking of Felt-sama."

"But… Subaru's my friend too..."

"You won't have both all the time… That's the thing I learned most from this reality."

Reinhard seemed content with his silence as Julius lifted his hand off of him and straightened back into his seat.

Otto and Garfiel kept their silence as they respected the two men's brotherhood and privacy.

"Then you have my word that I won't disappoint you." Reinhard confidently answered.

Reinhard only clenched his fists.

The moonlight fell on the grand margrave estate moments later, making the capable knight excuse himself to his young liege and backtrack towards his own given guest room to gain some long-awaited sleep. However, as he was preparing to get to bed, a weak knock rang against his door.

Surprised because of the time, it is with wary steps that Subaru approached the door of his bedroom until the voice of his guest was heard.

"Subaru? Sorry, are you asleep?" A low and feminine voice spoke.

"I...I'm here…?" Emiia gasped, wondering what this version of her was about to do with Subaru.

'Emilia?' Subaru thought to himself, as he opened the door to meet with the silver-haired royalty.

Mesmerized, Subaru didn't say a word. One could even say that he was bewitched, not able to avert his eyes from the beauty in front of him shining just like a lone star in a cloudless night sky. He was admiring her, and he could have certainly stayed like this for hours to come.

"Subaru…?" She called him, worried about his silence.

"Ah…" He let out a gasp as he got extirpated from his thoughts. "Sorry! I just...Well."

Emilia only answered by tilting her head, awaiting an explanation.

"Did anyone ever tell you how dangerously gorgeous you were? This hypnotism truly comes from another world…" He sighed with an honest smile.

"You are saying weird things again…" Emilia whispered with a pout on her face. "I would like you to speak clearly so I could at least understand what you're saying…"

"At least you're enjoying your Subaru… You aren't hurting him by your mere presence..."

Beatrice had to snort at the half-elf above her. She was so pathetic.

"Can't you see that she's worse than you are, I suppose?"

"...?"

"This girl is doing something disgusting to her Subaru..."

"What..." Emilia looked from Beatrice's golden hair towards the screen above, trying and looking for what this version of herself will do to Subaru.

"How's she using him?" Felt overhearing them, decided to ask while trying to keep her mind off of that scene with Reinhard and Subaru. She hated to admit it.. but they make a heavy combo.

"... I think you'll see it quickly, in fact." Beatrice just seethed in Emilia's lap.

Subaru narrowed his eyes to her suspiciously, he wanted to mock her a bit for not understanding that it was a compliment but, the expression on her face sending him a sense of deja vu, his memories were quick to remind him of one of his first loops.

'What are you thinking, calling me by the name of the witch?'

His face quickly took a darker expression, which didn't go unnoticed for the half-elf who worriedly called his name again.

Subaru raised his eyes to her once more, his brown irises staring deep into her amethyst eyes, and smiled.

"You are beautiful. And I wonder what gives me the honor of having such a sight for myself tonight?"

"Disgusting." With disappointment clear in her tone, Priscilla continued to fan herself and watch the viewing she knew she'd find uninteressting from this point ownards.

Even if she didn't respond, her immediate reaction of burying her face behind her hands was enough for Subaru to know that this time, she understood what he wanted to say.

'She isn't used to compliments isn't she…' He thought to himself.

"I-I would like it if you could stop mocking me…" Emilia whispered.

"I am not though. I believe in every word I say." He chuckled. "But anyway, what brings you here?"

"He's unusually very confident there…" Petra said in a low voice, "I remember that Subaru was all flustered the first time he was alone with Emilia-sama."

"The little one has a point…How come Subaru-dono changed this much?" Wilhelm wondered out loud, remembering the boy's reaction himself.

"Is it...Is it the candidacy?" Felt thought out loud, making several people turn towards her with gasps of realization.

"It might possibly be it...Subaru clearly knows that he's very important here...He's on the same level as Emilia-sama." Julius continued the thought, putting the pieces together.

"So the mere title of candidate brought him to be more confident around her? It takes very little to change a man uh…" Rubbing her scarf with a shake of her head, Anastasia sighed as a slight feeling of disappointment slipped out of her tongue.

"Ah, I…" She stuttered, looking like she searched for the words to speak; "I just wanted...To talk to you, I guess?"

"You guess?"

"I-I mean…!"

Subaru laughed faintly as he waved his hand before her, stepping aside to allow the princess to enter.

"Please, enter and take a seat." He invited her with a gentle voice.

Smiling to such kindness, Emilia happily obliged as she stepped inside and sat down on the bed, as Subaru took a seat at his desk.

However, the only thing that arose after this was an awkward silence. Emilia did want to see him and have a conversation, but just now she realized that she planned nothing but the first part of the plan.

Now, she was at loss for words and didn't know what to do to avoid looking more ridiculous than she already was.

"You're okay?" Subaru broke the silence, looking over the shy girl who didn't even dare to look in his direction.

He perfectly knew the situation she was in right now; as god only knows that he was there multiple times. But seeing her the more embarrassed only added to her cuteness, which was, unfortunately for her, something that Subaru couldn't get enough of.

"Y-yes! I'm okay! But, hum...You know...I…"

"You don't know what to talk about, right?" He jokingly pointed out, not wasting a second to tease the princess.

Emilia only looked down in shame.

"There's nothing wrong with that." He said as he gently laughed. "Sometimes you just want to spend time with a friend to kill your loneliness."

Hearing this much, made Emilia widen her eyes towards him.

"I know." He said in a hushed tone. "It can happen to anyone, you're not an isolated case. Even though, regarding where you live, I understand it would be a tad worse for you. Especially since these two maids aren't helping at all."

"Ram and Rem aren't bad people, you know." She smiled as she shook her head. "The issue is certainly coming from me here."

"It's becoming a bit redundant at this point, it's like we're always reminded of the similarities between them." Otto pointed out with a tired smile.

"The same disease, in fact…" Beatrice shook her head, "the same disease…"

"And why would it?" He questioned with a curious expression. "I'm not the kind of guy who talks shit behind people's back, but seeing how they've been behaving with me and Reinhard, I really do think it's a "them" problem rather than a "you" problem."

Emilia's expression took more of a surprising shape as she stared at Subaru with wide eyes. She took a moment to realize that he was serious about what he just said. And somehow, clueless about what she meant by that.

"Subaru…" She said with a weak voice, clenching her nightgown. "Do you...Know who I am?"

"Mh?" He shut down his eyes to think. "A silver-haired beauty that runs for the kingdom's throne?"

"No…" She answered, too ashamed of what she was about to say to care for his little comment. "I am…"

"A half-elf." He cut her, gently gazing upon her.

"Oh…" Emilia whispered lightly almost like a feather's fall to the floor.

"What is it?" Felt asked in more depressed confusion.

"She's using him, in fact." Beatrice said with her arms crossed.

She can feel Emilia's grip on her tighten from disgust. Beatrice rubbed circles on the girl's hand.

Emilia did nothing but clench her robe harder.

"Yeah, I knew it." He simply answered. "This might explain why you're so cute, after all."

"Eh?" She gasped, looking at him in shock. "D-did you…"

"Were you waiting for me to say something else?" He questioned. "Admonish you for some reason, maybe?"

Even though she stayed silent, the look in her eyes was the sole thing Subaru needed to obtain his answer.

"Too bad." He told her. "Because I'm clueless as hell."

"What do you mean…?"

"That I know nothing about how and why half-elves would be discriminated against here." He admitted. "What I know though, is that I have no reason to hate them, nor do I have any reason to hate you, Emilia."

Roswaal was the first to show a reaction to this by moving a hand to his eyes and rubbing on them as he held an expression of pure sadness and tiredness.

"Let's go!" Garfiel shouted in excitement and agreement to Subaru's words.

"I doubt that's what a girl expects when she comes to comfort you, Natsuki-san..." Otto sighed as his jealousy showed again.

Frederica giggled at the merchant boy's reaction.

Petra just frowned in sadness and didn't say a thing.

But Emilia was the penultimate one as her reaction showed them all up in difference.

She was full on snarling with her teeth grounded at her other self.

If she entered this room with the feeling of not knowing how to react because of her eagerness, this was something far, far bigger that took place at the moment.

Emilia was a silver-haired half-elf. She was the very definition of what a devil could be.

No matter where she went and no matter what she did, this was something that would follow her everywhere. The looks people would give her, the words they would speak about her.

The doors closed to her, the children that were hiding away from her.

This was the quotidian she began to grow used to. The one of someone born to be hated.

While it was certainly a cruel and unhealthy thing to do, the silver-haired princess began to accept it. This wasn't something she could fight, this was her fate. She would always live to hear these words, nothing but these words. Attached to someone she never knew, someone she had no affiliation with.

Thus, there were things that she resolved to never be able to hear. She even started to doubt the existence of hope or kindness in people.

And if only that boy didn't appear out of nowhere to help her. If only she never met him, if only he didn't decide to meet her one more time.

Then maybe.

Maybe she would still be able to hold a straight face right now. Maybe she wouldn't be looking at him with a stream of tears running down her cheeks.

"Emilia…!" He exclaimed in worry as he rushed to her side, delicately putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry...Did I-"

And without letting him the time to speak further, the half-elf let her head fall forward against his chest, burying her face away from him.

"I'm sorry…" She said faintly. "But please, don't look at me right now.."

Even if usually he would be horribly embarrassed, the situation in itself only allowed him to smile in relief, to know that she wasn't hurt. To know those tears weren't because of pain.

"Of course." He answered.

After a moment, allowing Emilia to gain her composure back.

"H-hum...I'm…" She stuttered.

"It's fine." He reassured her. "No one will hear about what happened in this room."

Emilia looked up to him again, expressionless.

"You are...Really strange, Subaru…"

"I don't know how I'm supposed to take that but…" He laughed. "Sure."

"Mhmh…" She began to smile warmly. "It's not in a bad way...At least, not in my opinion."

She then stood up, noticing Subaru that it was time for her to leave.

"Thank you for this, Subaru." She gently told him.

"It was my pleasure." He answered in the same tone, smiling one last time as he carefully gazed upon the lady making her way in the dark hallway to gain her room.

As soon as the silver-haired lady left and closed his door, the boy's knees locked in place, waiting until it was sure that the half-elf was truly far away in the long hallways of the manor from his room.

Once a good chunk of time had passed, Subaru's knees wobbled him to rest on the floor of the room. A drunken smile of bliss and relief was plastered on his red face.

"She's using him to make herself feel better… Ain't that it?" Felt sat back in her seat now finally understanding.

Beatrice simply nodded her head with a bit of a glare of her own.

"Now you understand..."

"She's disgusting!" Emilia growled while holding on tightly to the little spirit. She couldn't look at herself from shame and disgust

"She's… you..." Felt sounded baffled.

"I'm not like this! I wouldn't use him like this! Last time I tried, he pulled me out of it himself and told me how wrong it was!" Emilia seemed to be growing angrier by the second.

"But… She's yo-"

"I'm not her!" Emilia burst out, surprising the blonde girl.

"... You don't seem to understand that you aren't special to this, Emilia."

The half-elf looked down on the little blonde in her lap. Beatrice had twisted her neck to stare Emilia in the eye.

"No matter what the screen shows next, you must accept that those people are not us anymore. They are another reality with their own circumstance just like we did. And you forgave her. For what she did."

"..."

"You can't punish her for the crime of another version of herself," Beatrice stared at Emilia.

"Don't you want to avenge him?!" Emilia stared back.

"Betty wants what her Subaru wants, I suppose… and that girl… Is one of his most important parts of his heart, unfortunately."

"..."

"Ya both are too wierd, sheesh..." Felt interjected in boredom, making both girl's look at her.

"I mean… Just talk to the girl? That always helps..."

The little blonde looked away from them as she realized what she had said…

"Ah, crap..."

"Ahhhh~... That's how it feels like to talk to a girl that's outta your league! What an intense girl Emilia-tan is!"

"He didn't change this much in the end." Crusch snorted to the sword demon who couldn't help but laugh too.

"It is not a bad thing, however." The old sword-demon replied.

Although the princess hadn't done anything intense or tiring in the slightest, Subaru's heartbeat hadn't let out any momentum ever since the casually clothed angel he called Emilia entered his room to speak with him.

"I do feel bad though… She wasn't here to just have a late-night chat..." The boy sighed, a little saddened, as he remembered the state this amazing woman was reduced to because of little words of comfort he gave. As if she was truly in need of such small things in her life.

"Even he realized it, in fact."

"I guess…" Felt murmured, not wanting to stir the knife in the wound more than it already was for the half-elf.

As if not being able to get comfort from her friends was something she had grown used to… A fact so horrible and twisted to the boy, it made him not want to think about it anymore.

"She deserves better than those damn twins… Don't they know how to lighten up even for a bit to make her smile? Emilia deserves some form of friendship from these cold robots at least!"

"Barusu…" Ram growled between her teeth. But to whom was her anger directed…? Was it to Subaru, for hurting her sister without even knowing it?

Or was it to herself, for making this a possibility to begin with?

As the clearly sleepy King-to-be had started dozing off on the ground of his room, his thoughts were centered all-around Emilia and her life in this mansion with the other residents.

He couldn't find anything pleasant to remember of any of them other than that Roswaal guy, and even then it's just a feeling screaming 'creep' about the man.

"Can't believe I thought up plans for evacuation in case something happened… Reinhard should just carry all of them while I save Emilia-tan once aga-..."

"Oh… SHIT!" The boy's shout instantly allowed his tired sleeping brain to register what he had forgotten since Emilia's visit.

"There might be an attack on the mansion! I still haven't warned Emilia and the others yet!" Cursing himself one final time for the love sickness that made him forget to warn the girl he cared for so much.

"Wait…!"

"What is he doing?!"

As the tension rose, all eyes fully widened as the people who expected this to happen already showed their respect for the death by keeping their heads low in the same manner, all those who doubted that the wrong end will happen became hopeless once again but didn't offer a useless plea for mercy, and those who denied and convinced themselves that this life might somehow be saved finally broke their delusion and realized what everyone understood.

This loop was way too fucking happy to not end with a death.

"I need to let her know!" His mind settled, Subaru steeled his muscles to stand up from the hard floor and take off out of his door and into the hallways of the mansion.

He needed to make sure Emilia was alerted of this invisible danger. Running through the darkened hallways, he shook off the feeling of the eerie horror vibe he would get whenever playing those western games in his old home. Subaru needed to rush before it was too late to alert Emilia.

Then in the middle of the process, he heard a sound. That was coming closer and closer from the depths of the darkened hall.

He didn't understand at first but quickly realized it could be what he feared.

Without any hesitation, taking his courage in his hands, he turned around quickly towards the sound and...

Black.

All black.

A body fell.

In the middle of a decently sized pool of blood.

And a chain slowly hitting the ground along with a hoarse and powerful heavy breathing. Like an animal looking down at his prey.

Not far from that, a door in the hallway opened abruptly with a crash. A man with dazzling red hair got out of it.

His vision was blurred but the body on the ground could still see it. In his indescribable agony, he recognized him. He raised his hand with the little strength he had left towards him and tried to call his name. And slowly...While the man was rushing towards him screaming something that he couldn't hear because of his smashed head...He closed the only eye he had left.

"R...ein..."

And by the moonlight's shining of his final scene, like a play playing before him, Subaru couldn't help but feel relief as the world cut to black.

No Reinhard.

No ominous breathing from an unknown assailant…

And no more brutal, cruel, god-breaking pain coming from his mutilated side and wounds.

For one second, the boy was happy in the darkness as relief washed over him…

A blurry image, a faint sound, a purple flash.

And Natsuki Subaru's eyes opened once more to a lit-up carriage with a refreshed Reinhard holding the door open for him and smiling charmingly. Not at all panicked or furious like he had been underneath the moonlight inside of the mansion's hallway before the dark overtook Subaru.

"Shall we go?"

Natsuki Subaru only stared at him with a haunted look full of despair.

Return by Death has been activated again. He'd died and lost all of his progress… again.

Subaru's eyes dimmed with tears for one moment. Reinhard's were filled with worry and urgent readiness to help.

And the entire world turned normally, uncaring for Natsuki Subaru's newly lost life in this new fantasy world of his.

Chapter 2 end.

As the screen turned black, one of those who kept his head towards the screen was no one else but the Sword Saint himself. Trembling, shaking...His teeth gritted in sheer anger as his mind slowly went blank to the unbearable agony that slowly rose within him. To know that even when he was there, even when he oathed another master...He still was unable to protect him.

So he stood there, paralyzed. Nearly broken inside…

As if Reinhard was the one on screen who rushed in despair towards the dying body of his friend calling his name one last time before giving his last breath.

As his heart felt the same pain, the same unfathomable, hurtful beating.

As he lived when his reason to live, in this reality faded away.

"I failed…" He murmured in agony, clenching his fist.

"I failed...I failed…"

As those around him couldn't do anything but listen...And grieve.

From the depth of the now dark room, no one spoke as the shocking end to an alternate reality they shouldn't have gotten attached to played a death so similar and yet so far removed from their heads. Most in the crowd finalized that they've become desensitized to what a death for Subaru brings to their hearts.

But the pain felt in one single heart from this crowd could melt a mountain of ice. The burning rage. The humiliating hopelessness.

"I'm so sorry… I'm so so sorry… I'm sorry..."

The pathetic nature of her greed to ask for forgiveness.

Rem prayed once again, that she was in a nightmare.

She wanted nothing more than for that coldness of Emilia's aura to fill her lungs again. Dying from Emilia's anger felt more righteous than watching her sin play in her own mind over and over.

But as the sin played, of her killing and butchering Subaru, of her torturing him.

Emilia refused to end her suffering and simply sat watching a dead screen.

"Please…."

"Shut it." Emilia whispered from the front row, heard by all even Rem as the maid drowned into her repeated vision and cried.

Reactionist: Jesus Christ this chapter has been a month in the making bruh. Why are you so slow Archer?

Archer: Bitch remind me who was the one always accepting to work on the doc just to run away at the last minute because *insert random Mulsim excuse here*

Reactionist: *insert muslim excuse* So many Ls it's a wonder how you didn't marry the letter off just because you can't accept you're gay.

one, you are muslim too dipshit.

two, rAnDoM. yeah. because my pc breaking apart, my mom making me walk all across 3 nigherhoods to get her something from a pharamacy, and my dog dying is random.

Archer: My man, who's the fucking dog? Your ninth sibling?

Reactionist: He was Richard Von Beirg the third. And you shall respect his white furry ass homie or I swear on god.

Archer: Oh yeah "white" uh, racism is still here I see. It's in your damn blood ain't it?

Reactionist: It ain't racism if the brown owns the white.

And just like this, we lost everyone reading. Fan fucking tastic Archer.

Archer: you know what's worse?

Reactionist: … -_- What?

Archer: Joseph used this as an opportunity to steal your blanket this time.

Reactionist: ….. Archer.

Archer: Uh uh?

Reactionist: The thing is… I'm not dumb… I replaced my blanket with yours the moment this chapter was being written.

Eat shit :)

Archer: Bitch! It was the special Lion King edition blanket!

Reactionist: I ain't losing the spongbob one! Friendship means jack shit around here homie! Peace!

Archer: We're not done! You stay here! JOSEEEEEEPH!

We don't care if it's cringe. We care that we laughed while writing that.

Now please go check out Archer's fic itself because you will find way more updates there.

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And enjoy yourselves you wonderful bastards.

Also yes.

15 is coming. god fucking damnit.

(It's not. He's lying.)

... -_-