Chapter Text
It was a hard-fought battle.
Loop after loop, Subaru did his best to fight against that insane woman in purple, Elsa Granhiert. Each death weighed heavier on his soul, but he had no choice but to push forward. Her lethal strikes, sharp as her sadistic grin, haunted his every thought. He had died countless times, each defeat searing into his memory the blood-stained lesson of failure.
At times, Subaru thought about giving up. Why keep fighting when the outcome seemed inevitable? Yet, every time he tried to walk away, the icy grasp of death found him. The sudden blizzard, so fierce it stole the breath from his lungs, followed swiftly by his demise. He came to realize it was tied to Emilia’s death. If she died, the storm would come, wiping him out soon after. He couldn’t just abandon her.
For one, giving up meant his own death. But the second reason was far stronger, he couldn't just let innocent people die.
Subaru stood once again in front of Elsa, this time determined to end the cycle. He had technically been in this world for about a week, yet his experiences weighed like months of torture. His reflexes sharper, and his mind clearer. He couldn’t let Emilia die, nor the others who were caught in the crossfire.
Beside him, Emilia’s silvery hair glimmered under the dim light of the bar. Her magic was at the ready, and though Subaru couldn't fully rely on it, her presence gave him strength. She had trusted him enough to stand by his side once again.
Subaru dodged another of Elsa's deadly strikes. Her movements were fast, too fast, but this time he was prepared. He parried her blow, steel clashing against steel. The assassin leaped back, her eyes gleaming with exhilaration. She licked her lips, grinning as though the fight itself was some kind of dark pleasure.
"What a thrill," she purred, her voice dripping with amusement.
"You're psycho and sick in the head!" Subaru spat back, glaring at her.
Elsa merely smiled wider, dashing at him once again. His sword met her blade in a fierce clash, sparks flying. Subaru's grip tightened, his muscles tensing under the strain, but he held firm.
Behind him, Emilia hurled another shard of ice at Elsa. The assassin deftly dodged it, her agility almost unnatural. Emilia cursed softly under her breath, repositioning to try again.
Meanwhile, Felt had run off to find help, and old Man Rom stood ready behind the counter, his massive club in hand, waiting for the moment Elsa made a move toward him.
The fight dragged on, each second feeling like an eternity. Subaru's breath came in ragged gasps, and sweat dripped down his forehead. He could feel the fatigue setting in, but something in him refused to give up.
Then, in a moment of sheer will, when Elsa lunged at him again, Subaru moved faster than she expected. He grabbed her wrist mid-attack, using all his strength to twist her arm and slam her into the ground.
The impact sent a shockwave through the room. Elsa lay on her back, wide-eyed for a split second, before staring up at Subaru with something new in her expression, admiration?
For the first time, Elsa didn’t jump back to her feet. She stayed there, lying on the ground, her breath heavy. The usual manic grin on her face was replaced by something far more unsettling. Flushed cheeks and a look of intrigue. Subaru, still panting, glanced at Emilia, who looked as shocked as he was.
Elsa let out a soft, almost breathless laugh. "No one... has ever bested me like this before," she whispered, her voice unusually soft. "This... is joy like I’ve never known~."
Subaru blinked, utterly lost. What was she on about?
Slowly, Elsa got up, dusting herself off. Subaru got ready in a defensjve stance, and Emilia readied her magic; But instead of attacking again, Elsa knelt before Subaru, her head bowed in a bizarre display of submission. “My heart... it beats like never before. My body... my heart... it now belongs to you.” She looked up, meeting Subaru’s stunned gaze. “You must take responsibility.”
The silence that followed felt like an eternity.
Subaru’s mouth hung open, his mind racing to process what just happened. Did she... just propose to him?
“Wha... what the hell are you talking about?” Subaru stammered, turning to Emilia for help. But Emilia seemed just as shell-shocked, her violet eyes wide as she glanced between Subaru and Elsa.
Elsa stood up and, without hesitation, wrapped Subaru in a firm embrace. “I belong to you now.” she whispered into his ear, her voice sending shivers down his spine.
Subaru's mind spun. Wasn’t this the same woman who had been slicing him apart for a couple of days now? How did it come to this? Loop after loop, he’d fought her to the death, and now... now he had an assassin for a wife?
Emilia finally found her voice, though it was small. "Subaru... what is happening? Why is she-"
“I have no idea,” Subaru replied weakly, still trapped in Elsa’s hold. "But this... is insane."
His journey in this new world had just taken another unexpected turn. After dying so many times, Subaru had finally broken the cycle, and somehow, in the process, he’d gained a deadly wife. The assassin who once reveled in his bloodshed now clung to him, her heart no longer as cold as her blades.
Felt rushed back into the bar, out of breath and expecting chaos. Instead, she found everyone just standing around, no sign of the intense fight she had left behind. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Elsa, the feared assassin, wrapping her arms tightly around Subaru, while Emilia stood nearby, looking equally perplexed.
"What the fuck?" Felt blurted out, her disbelief evident.
Subaru opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, Elsa, still holding on to him, interrupted. "This boy defeated me," she said, her voice almost... affectionate. "And now my heart beats for him." She gave a smile that would have seemed sweet, if not for the fact that she was trying to kill all of them earlier. She turned her attention to Felt, who was now visibly freaked out. "I apologize for trying to slice you to pieces ealier little girl~ there is no need to be afraid now~"
Felt took a step back, her fear palpable, but managed to nod. "O-okay," she said, clearly not sure how to react to the assassin's sudden apology. Without wasting another second, she rushed over to Old Man Rom, asking if he was alright. He grumbled something about being fine, though his eyes never left Elsa.
Trying to regain some sense of normalcy, Subaru turned to Felt. "Did you manage to find any help?"
Felt shook her head, still catching her breath. "I found a guard patrolling the area. I told him what was happening, but he just ran off to find someone stronger... someone who could handle, well..." She glanced nervously at Elsa. "Her."
As if on cue, the door to the bar creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. Tall, with fiery red hair and a large sword sheathed on his side it was none other than Reinhard van Astrea. His eyes scanned the room, expecting a battle, but instead, he found a surreal scene, everyone standing calmly, with the Bowel Hunter still clinging to Subaru.
Reinhard blinked, momentarily confused. He recognized Subaru from earlier in the day, when the young man had declined his offer for help in the market. Now, here he was, with the Bowel Hunter wrapped around him like a lover, and standing beside a royal candidate, Emilia. Nothing about this scene made sense.
“What exactly is going on here?” Reinhard asked, his voice filled with confusion but also authority.
The room erupted into chaos, with everyone trying to explain the situation all at once. Felt, Subaru, Emilia, even Elsa tried to offer her own version of events, creating a mess of overlapping explanations.
Finally, Subaru raised his hand, signaling for silence. "Alright, alright! Long story short... I fought Elsa to get Emilia's insignia back, and somehow I won. Now, for some reason, Elsa is... well, obsessed with me." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Or something."
As if to prove his point, Elsa smiled and gently caressed Subaru's cheek, causing Emilia to shudder and Reinhard to look even more baffled.
Reinhard processed the information, his expression growing serious. "I'm glad everyone is safe," he said, his hand reaching for the sword that laid on the ground in front of him, "but Elsa is still a wanted criminal. She's under arrest."
He picked up the small blade off the ground, one designed for subduing rather than killing. "Surrender, Elsa."
But Elsa, ever the unpredictable assassin, gave Reinhard a sweet smile. "It seems our time together has come to an end for now." She leaned in, kissed Subaru on the cheek, and before anyone could react, she darted toward the shattered window, disappearing into the night.
Reinhard let out a sigh, his expression still neutral. He turned to Subaru, who immediately raised his hands in surrender. "I swear, I have no idea what’s happening anymore."
Reinhard's divine protection told him Subaru was telling the truth, and he nodded. "I believe you."
At that moment, Felt, standing next to Emilia, pulled something from her pocket, the insignia they've been searching for all day, glowing faintly. "Here," she said, holding it out. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."
The moment Reinhard saw the insignia, his demeanor shifted. His eyes narrowed, and his posture stiffened. "You there" he said, his voice low, "what's your family name?"
Felt, ever defiant, crossed her arms and glared at him. "What's it to you? Why do you care?"
Before the tension could escalate further, Reinhard muttered a few quick words, casting a spell. Felt's eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed into his arms, unconscious. Subaru and Old Man Rom immediately stepped forward, both of them alarmed.
"What the? Rein what are you doing?" Subaru demanded, while Rom nearby clenched his fists.
Reinhard looked at them with a grim expression. "This is very important," he said cryptically. "I need to take her with me. There's something I must confirm." He gently picked Felt up, her small body limp in his arms, and began walking toward the door.
Rom, clearly furious, followed close behind, not willing to let Reinhard take the girl without a fight. "You better explain yourself, or so help me..."
Subaru and Emilia were left standing in the now-quiet bar, the whirlwind of events finally beginning to settle. Emilia sighed, rubbing her temple. "This... this day has been crazy," she muttered.
Subaru, still processing everything, gave a tired chuckle. "I'm sorry if I made things get too out of hand."
The girl frowned. "It's not your fault Subaru, I should've have gotten my insignia stolen." She apologized.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, if the insignia didn't get stolen I wouldn't have met a beautiful girl like you." He smiled. The girl blushed and looked the other way, muttering something along the lines of "dunderhead."
Emilia turned to him, her violet eyes softening. "Subaru... where do you live? I can take you home. It's the least I can do after all this."
Subaru hesitated, scratching his head awkwardly. "Well, uh... funny story. I'm kind of new here... and I don’t exactly have a place to stay."
Emilia smiled warmly. "In that case, why don’t you come with me? You can stay at my place for now."
Subaru’s heart skipped a beat at her offer, but before he could respond, a familiar figure suddenly appeared between them, Esa.
Subaru and Emilia both tensed, ready for another confrontation, but Elsa held up her hands. "Now, now, no need for that~," she said, her voice playful. "With the Sword Saint gone, I can finally be with my husband."
Subaru stared at her, mouth agape. "Y-your what?"
Elsa smiled at him, her tone soft. "I promise, I mean no harm. For now."
Emilia remained on edge, but Subaru could only look up at the moon, his mind swirling with disbelief. "What is happening to my life?" he muttered, as the three of them walked away from the wrecked bar, Emilia on one side, Elsa on the other.
The moonlight illuminated the road ahead, and Subaru couldn’t help but wonder what madness awaited him next.