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Subaru woke to the weight of warmth pressed against his back and the faint scent of lavender on his pillow. Morning light spilled through the paper-screen window like honey, slow and golden. For a moment, he didn’t move. The world felt too still—like a painting waiting for someone to breathe life into it.
Small, innocent breaths blew against Subaru’s left ear. A pink beauty rested against his arm, her soft, long hair flowing like waves against his body.
R-Ram?! W-wha—
A sudden burst, as if he had just been bludgeoned in the head. He groaned as random flashes of silver and purple flooded his groggy mind. He held his cranium firmly, as if he was trying to push and crush the white bone walls with sheer force of will.
His eyes darted around. Where am I?!
A short table with two empty teacups. One had dried, green and brown tea stains around its circular edges. The other had no stains whatsoever. Clearly, the owners of the cups were two different people; one was messy, the other not as much.
Subaru sat up from his bed, his naked soles touching the dry wood below. The world was still—Subaru couldn’t even tell if he even heard his covers ruffling when he got up in his bed. The only thing he could hear was Ram’s delicate breaths.
Ram? Another bludgeon to his head. Ram…
He slowly looked back to the naked woman behind him. Her pink, lustrous hair lay sprawled chaotically around the pillows and sheets of the king-sized bed as her chest rose and lowered beautifully. Her large stomach followed with each of her light breaths, her lower half covered by the stained white sheets.
“What?!” Subaru couldn’t help but exclaim as he stared at the pregnant Ram.
We’re both naked… Seriously?! There’s no way I would betray… The melodious chirping of birds caught Subaru’s attention as the excited shouts of children seemed to almost materialize outside the home. Was his confusion so deep to the point that it drowned out the sounds of everything outside his room?
The slightly open window squeezed a trapped butterfly. Subaru noticing, he instinctively opened the frame just enough for the butterfly to pass freely to and from their room, but not enough to let the public see him and his wife’s naked bodies.
Wife? Wait, who was I talking about before…?
The beautiful purple butterfly flapped its wings elegantly, meticulously, as it landed on Ram’s head. Like a machine, the pink-haired beauty woke up. Her face scrunched as the light from the cheery outside invaded their semi-dark room.
“Barusu…” She muttered, her voice jumbled and lazy. Right. Ram is my wife—
“Close this window right now or I’ll kill you.”
Direct from the start?! Seriously… Subaru scoffed as he shut the paper window, plaguing the room in dim light. The only luminosity available was coming from the filtered rays of the sun through the beige shoji and from the small gaps of the wooden door leading out of their master bedroom.
As he turned around, the butterfly on Ram’s head was missing—gone—as if it was never there in the first place.
“I’m going to go get ready.” Subaru cheery voice rang out as Ram waved him off in her drowsiness.
Seriously, am I some dog?!
He sighs. Well, at least she’s resting. Can’t have a pregnant woman walking around town, especially in this world—you don’t know what could happen…
His mind wandered to his first memories in this world while he slipped into his hunting attire.
He remembered being lost, confused, and broke beyond compare as he walked around the wilderness with his plastic supermarket bag.
If it wasn’t for Ram, I would’ve definitely been eaten by a bunch of mabeasts by now.
It’s been four years since he arrived to this world; he is twenty-one now. And I got a girl pregnant… He sighed once more. If dad saw me, would he laugh or be disappointed?
Subaru fitted his brown, firm boots to his feet as he sat on the floor near the entrance of their home, its sliding door slightly ajar where the cute squeals of children barely passed through the gaps along with the sun’s rays.
Knowing him, he’d probably do both—
“Barusu.” A blunt curse stabbed the man in the back. Yet, when it pierced his heart, rather than tearing it apart, those words were a love arrow of warmth. He couldn’t help but shiver as his every pore filled with a sweet floral scent.
He smiled as he turned around to his wife.
“Ram? What’s up?”
Silence. Her pink eyes pierced his deep, black irises.
She thinned her lips. “The roof.” Her mouth quickly curved upwards as she looked down on him with a strange air of superiority.
He squinted.
“…You’re hilarious, aren’t you?” Subaru deadpanned.
“Someone has to be funny in this household—and I don’t think your pig-like brain could think of anything that would genuinely garner a single chuckle—ah.” She put her hand to her mouth as if she made a surprising discovery, her light-crimson irises shining in amusement.
“Maybe, if you pleaded to the ignorant kids outside, prostrating and begging to them, they may laugh at you—make fun of you that is.”
“Isn’t that too harsh?!” Subaru couldn’t help but raise his hands in exaggeration at her outrageous statements, his body jumping upwards to tower over her.
Ram smiled as she clogged her ear canals with her fingers. “Barusu, your disgusting voice is seeping into my beautiful ears. Control yourself.”
He sighed comically.
“Jeez, where’s your, ‘Good morning, husband. Your wife loves you so, so, so, so much. Have a nice day~’—type of stuff?!”
“Ha.”
Ram crossed her arms as she scoffed at Subaru. “That disgusting image you have of me is corrupting. Stop, you pig. I don’t want my child to be infested with your half-mediocre, half-gross ideas.”
“For the record, that’s my child too, you know?” Subaru’s cheeks warm as he looks at the large bump on Ram’s belly. “T-That means…” He scratches his cheeks as he looks to the side. “…They’re half-me already…”
Ahhh, how embarrassing! He closed his eyes, his face red like a tomato. Ram is just gonna make fun of me again. Something like, ‘As expected, my child’s life is over from the start’ or something—
He felt arms coil around his neck, prompting him to look back in front of him. As he opened his eyes, Ram pressed his head down, locking his lips in a kiss. Her taste was exactly as he imagined it to be; a sweet scent reminiscent of a flower field. It was intoxicating. So much so that, he was convinced that he would have to protect her from the many honeybees that prowled the village, eager to take her lips for theirs.
The lips slowly disconnected with a small chu~ sound.
“Don’t slack off work. Ram hopes you break at least three legs.”
“Three?!” He exclaimed quietly. “Jeez… I’ll do my best.” Subaru knew that her words were just her way of saying that she wanted him to finish his work quickly so he could come back to her. Essentially, she wanted to be with him at all times.
Can’t leave a pregnant woman on her own, after all. Maybe I can ask dad on the way to take care of her…
Ram smiled deeply. A warmth he felt he wasn’t allowed to see see… at least, not by her.
He waves back as he steps onto the ground outside, crossing the barrier between safety and risk.
A warm array of children and adults bustling around stood in front of him. Their movements were exactly what a stereotypical small, abandoned village looked like in his mind. The running of the children, the bustling of the adults, the chatting of the elders—all of it. It was what he imagined it to be, even before coming to this world.
Subaru couldn’t help but feel similarity to his video games…
He shook his head, No time for this super contemplation—I clearly should’ve been a philosopher rather than a hunter then.
Subaru’s boots rasped against the dirt under him as he made his way to the forest. He had to feed his family somehow. Never in his life would he ever think he would be a hunter. Would someone like him—a former NEET—really have the skills to hunt and prepare animals?
I remember, learning this was real tough. Subaru waved at the children running past him. Their waves were identical, perfect, almost like they practiced it thousands of times.
I remember Ram had to heal me a ton of times—hell, she’s not even proficient in water magic. Subaru greeted the town head as he continued his thoughts. The town head smiled at him. His smile was wide, stretched, and… uncanny, like he was wearing his skin, manually controlling his body, and hid a strange monster within.
That guy gives some serious NPC vibes… Strange, he’s not usually like this from memory.
Subaru smiled back awkwardly, continuing his walk to the outskirts.
The sun shone brightly, too brightly. It blinded him every time he looked up. It was like it was punishing him for attempting to catch a glance, like his entire world would fall apart if he found the truth behind its appearance.
Subaru looked back in front of him, the cluster of trees in the far off distance.
The winds were quiet, still, as if the push and pull of the heat of the world was gone, their strings cut as they lay limp in the atmosphere. Each breath was mechanical. It was like the air was getting pushed inside of him, rather than him sucking them in.
He shook his head. I really am acting weirdly today…
Subaru stood at the edge of the forest with his wooden bow in hand. He held a quiver full of arrows, plenty to use for any missed shots he took. Maybe I should make a crossbow…
He couldn’t help but notice the imaginary line dividing the plains of the village and the forest. Not a single tree—not even one bush of the forest crossed this imaginary line. It was like the plains and forest were two different biomes that could never intersect—as if someone was too lazy to add a transition between the two.
Can never get used to this magic world… He took a step, crossing the line into unknown dangers.
The bushes ruffled as he coursed through the quiet forest. The brown bark of the still appendages of the forest were all similar in pattern. He was a small bug within the endless expanse of someone’s hair, pushing against the thin wooden trees in search of any prey he could hunt.
Then, he found it—
A rabbit.
Subaru’s breath hitched instinctively. Finally! He quickly crouched, setting an arrow on the riser of the wooden bow as he observed the jumping rabbits.
Wait, rabbits?
In an instant, there were four rabbits between the trees of the forest. Where did they come from?
He had only seen one. Were the rest hiding, only to come out coincidentally at the same time he looked away?
Whatever. Subaru shook his head as he focused on one rabbit. He observed its little, white legs pushing cutely against the ground as it hopped around, feasting on the little strands of grass coming from the unnatural dirt. It disconnected the green blades from the ground like they were connected by Velcro. He couldn’t even see the roots from the strands of lawn that were pulled away from their home.
It was uncanny but Subaru didn’t care.
No.
He did care… He just didn’t want to care. Alright, let’s do this.
With a rapid draw, the arrow zipped through the air, planting itself into the white coat of the rabbit’s fur like a bloody flag of conquest. The other rabbit’s had already ran the moment the arrow was launched from his bowstring.
“Niceeee~” Subaru hissed under his breath as he ran up to his first hunt of the day.
“Now, I just gotta keep this—” He looked up as he held his game in his hand, only for the moon to shine brightly, almost winking at him. It too, was much too bright.
What the hell?! Is it night already?!
The moonlight slammed down on him like a spotlight for a famous actor, following his every step.
There’s no way… I did not stay here for that long… Did I?!
His breath hitched as he ignored the moon’s anomaly.
Subaru, with hurried steps, rushed back out of the forest. His heartbeat raced as he thought of his pregnant wife. Damn, I hope dad and mom met up with Ram already. They typically do…
He pushed through the suffocating branches of the uncanny trees as the moon’s light followed his every step:
“Where is he? Where is he going? What will he do next?” Those were her thoughts as she continued to watch the desperate man make great strides to his destination.
With one final step, he pushed through the last array of bushes, firmly planting his feet on the plains leading to the village. Even though he pushed through mud & dirt, sticky leaves, and broken branches, his attire was clean… too clean—as if he had just put on a fresh pair.
Shouldn’t he be dirty?
Subaru rushed with a pierced rabbit in hand, too busy to realize the lack of dripping blood from the rabbit’s corpse. Too busy to realize how clean his hand was. And too busy to realize the butterfly flapping its wings in the middle of the night.
The village was empty—a ghost of its former self from a mere hour ago. Not even the creaking of wood dared to make a peep under the suffocating air filling the homely village, turning it into a cultist’s wet dream.
Memories of a similar village flashed in Subaru’s mind. W-What… He grabbed at his head, shaking it as he continued sprinting towards his and Ram’s home. The same home they would share with their newborn child and family.
Ram, please be okay… His mind raced as his eyes frantically searched around. The greedy hands of death crawled upwards his spine, prompting his legs to push against the ground harder, faster, and more desperate. Ram…!
His home. It was a not so big, but not so small house. Something Subaru always imagined he would live in. It was strangely similar to his home back in Japan, the multi-layered floors, intricate designs—hell, even the roof was flat, indicating some sort of modern drainage technology instead of the usual slant roofs that let’s the rain drops flow naturally.
He quickly reached for the sliding door’s handle—however, the moment his fingertips touched them, images of a silver-haired beauty with deep, mystical amethyst eyes tore at his mind.
He groaned slightly as his face scrunched.
What the fuck is wrong with me?! He shook his head as he slid the door open. I need to focus on—
Splat!
—Ra…m…
Splat!
W-Wha—
Splat!
In the same spot where the couple shared a sweet kiss, one of floral scents and robotic love, was the mutilated body of Ram. Her pink hair was mixed with broken bone, brain gunk, and covered in deep, dark blood. It shined the moon’s light, flickering allowing Subaru to his reflection in her essence.
Splat!
Her body was covered in Subaru’s deep shadow, a fabrication from the blinding light behind the man.
R-Ra…m..?
Splat!
Subaru’s wide eyes slowly traveled upwards, behind Ram’s head.
Splat!
A shadowy figure held a bat—
Splat!
—No. A strange, elongated club that was meant just for murder. The killer’s arm raised—
Splat!
—only to descend swiftly on Ram’s unrecognizable stomach. Each swing—
Splat!
—carved into Ram’s pregnant corpse. Whatever was inside—if there was anything—was long dead. The figure looked up; it’s back straightening. That thing was perfectly calm with no wasted action, only staring at Subaru.
W-Wha…H-Huh…W-Who…
The man’s murder club was dyed in Ram’s oni blood, bits and pieces of her sausage-like intestines wrapped around the weapon’s bulging end.
Subaru looked back down at Ram’s head with dead eyes. His mind froze, his heart stopped. He was now as still as the uncanny wind in this unnatural world.
He couldn’t even process the figure slowly walking over to him. His depth of perception was gone, overtaken by the lost soul of his dead wife.
“R-Ra…m…” Wet tears flowed in four streaks across his cheeks as he stared at his wife’s head blankly. His legs lost their strength, pulling him towards the ground below him.
“…Ram…!” He breathed. “RaaAAaaaaAAaaaAAaAAM!” He shouted. “Ram! Raam! Ram! Ram! RAaaaAaaAam!” He whined, his voice uncontrollable and cracking at the mention of her name.
Rather than her pink hair, the shadowy figure’s robes blocked his view. Subaru was sure that, with the moon’s spotlight, he could see the demon who killed his oni wife. His head shifted up, tears streaming down his face.
Splat!
It’s raised arm, descended like an order from a judge deciding the fate of a criminal, crushing his face before he could see the murderer’s identity. The instant before Subaru died, he though only one, peculiar though. It was so strange that it seemed almost unreal.
We’re the same height.
…
…
Bright, purple flower petals flew whizzed through the air as he continuously fell down an abyss. His soul told him this wasn’t the first time. The 30th, maybe?
The million petals flew around, connecting to each other like broken glass repairing itself. Soon, the window will be rebuilt and, with that, another viewing.
At the same time, a hand reached out. It reached into his mind. Its fingers delicately rummaged through his brain, pulling each of his memories, playing with them, altering them, and doing much, much more.
Finally, after a millennium, it was time—
“AGGHH!” Subaru screamed.
“Waaaaaah!” A woman’s squeal followed, clearly freaked out from Subaru’s sudden panicked screech.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he clutched his face with a firm grip. His face was dry; gone was his tears and any semblance of what had just happened.
“Ya tryin’ ta give this lady a heart attack or somethin’?!”
Subaru didn’t hear, he couldn’t. His ears buzzed, ringing as the bloody painting of Ram flooded his racing mind, stretching and shaking it in all sorts of chaotic directions. His vision spun as he fell down a black tower—
“Natsuki-kun!”
“Huh?” Subaru’s gaze rose slowly. His deep, black eyes constricted, quivering in fear. He looked at the lilac haired woman with a mixture of confusion and despair.
“Julius—git yer tail in here!” At his master’s call, the spirit knight rushed into the room. Quickly rushing to Subaru’s side as if he was used to this entire ordeal.
“Ness, if you would… Anastasia-sama, is it another premonition?”
At Julius’ command, Ness—the Quasi-yang Spirit—placated Subaru in a faint white light. This cloak of positivity entered his every pore, calming his psyche. She did so with expert precision, tapping int every corner of his mind, treating his body as her own. It was like she was more familiar with his own soul than Subaru’s.
How many times had Ness done this?
Subaru breathed deeply, his heart slowing. What… What was that dream—was that even a dream?!
“Natsuki-kun—”
Subaru raised his hand to cut off Anastasia’s worry. “I-I’m fine. I—” He choked on his own spit.
She looked at him with worry, her eyes softening.
“Ain’t no need ta rush yerself, alright? Just take yer time ’n spill them premonitions when yer ready, Natsuki-kun.” Her western accent helped Subaru unfold the crossing strings of memory in his mind.
Right… I am working with Anasui for the throne…
Subaru memories flooded back in his mind; the time of him coming to this world was fresh as if he was witnessing them in real time:
He was transported to another world, being summoned into Lugunica.
Confused, he walked towards the royal castle in search of any knights that may help in his new transmigration—or should he say—homelessness status, only for a different solution to appear in the form of Kararagian Royal Candidate.
He took a deep breath.
Unlike his former world, Natsuki Subaru was not overshadowed by his father, allowing the child to fully prove himself as Subaru and not Kenichi’s son. He was respected, valued for what he brought to the table.
He took another deep breath.
And she knows about my… curse too—or the effects at least.
Although Anastasia does not know about his ability to return through death, she does know that he has a special ability that allows him to know things he shouldn’t. Not only that, but it typically happens when he freaks out and ventilates wildly.
He remembered those silly tests they did where she would ask what was written in her locked desk drawer. Kil—doing… that to myself was tough. He sighed. But at least I got some credibility and some value too.
He took one final deep breath.
“Anasui, it wasn’t really a premonition, but a really terrible… dream—vision? I don’t know—I just… I don’t… know…”
Anastasia opened her mouth, only for her to close it shut, her lips thinning at the sight of the confused boy. After a few seconds of hesitation and pondering, a long sigh finally escaped her lips.
“We’re countin’ on ya, Natsuki-kun.” She touched her white scarf. “So go on—tell us what we gotta do.”
Julius added on to his master’s words of affirmation, “That’s right, Subaru. Knowing you’re common-level strength, I can understand why you would be so frightened.”
Julius’ words struck Subaru’s back like a prideful arrow.
“However, fear not, Subaru. With the Iron Fang and I here, you have nothing to worry about.”
Typically, this would be the time where the otherworlder would interject, complaining to his friend about his polite insults. Pretty boys were his enemy after all—and who else besides Julius is the epitome of such specimens?
“…Yeah… Yeah, thanks.” Subaru sighed. “Thanks, Jules.” He looked over at the purple-haired royal candidate, her blue-green irises serious as if she was aware of Subaru’s struggles. “Thanks… Anasui.”
Anastasia sighed once more as she muttered under breath, “There ya go callin’ me that again…” She crossed her arms as her gaze flickered with opportunity at the man in front of her. “Well? Don’t hold out on us now. What’re we dealin’ with?”
Subaru straightened his back as he adjusted himself into his seat. “It’s still crazy that you, you know, believe me about my… premonitions.”
“That so?” She placed one of her hands on her hips as she tilted her head. “Well now, whatever the case... ya really went ’n helped this lady out, Natsuki-kun. Reckon you’ve earned yerself a spot in my good graces, so of course I’d believe ya.”
She smiled. “Now, out with it.”
Subaru couldn’t help but return a smile of his own as he looked at Anastasia’s small appraisal of him. Her words of value meant a lot—after all, it was different than on Earth. Here, he has an amazing ability that differentiates himself from everyone else. He is unique; He is valuable.
He is the one and only Natsuki Subaru.
He nodded as he recounted what happened in his dream. His wake up with Ram; The hunting; The sudden change to night; And finally, her death.
“Subaru.” The otherworlder shifted his attention to the night next to him.
“I am familiar with this Ram. She is one of the former maids of the Mathers Estate.” Julius held his chin as he looked at Subaru inquisitively, “Have you met her before?”
Subaru shook his head. “Nope.”
“Best we stay on our toes, then. With Natsuki-kun’s kinda ability, ain’t no such thing as bein’ too careful.”
“That’s crazy that you can just believe me like that…” Subaru scoffed as he scratched his cheek.
“‘Course I believe ya, Natsuki-kun. After all ya done with that power o’ yers, you’ve more than proven yer worth to this lady.” She winked. “Don’tcha worry, Natsuki-kun. I fully intend to squeeze every last drop o’ value outta ya.”
Am I just an asset to you?! Subaru chuckles, “Talk about reassuring…”
Before he could open his mouth, a sudden burst from the doors made Subaru jump in his seat.
“Ana-bo!” A large wolf human with brown fur shouted out, followed by three small kitten humans with orange hair. “Boss Lady, Mimi and her brothers are here! Mimi will kick all the butt!”
The group of four demi-humans stood at the door defiantly, weapons armed, ready for any possible threat.
“Aiya…” Ana let out a sigh, hand on her hip. “Alright, alright now—no need ta get all spooked, little ones. Ain’t no threat here—”
“No.” Subaru interrupted, standing to his feet. His chair screeched against the wooden floorboards. “I have a strange feeling—like a really, really bad feeling. We need to prepare for… whatever I saw.”
“Oh?” Ricardo raised his eyebrows, weapons still in hand. “Did Suba-bro have another vision?”
He nodded.
“Yeah, I did. About some…” He clenched his fists. Why did he care about something that was just a dream? “…some killer.”
“Got it! Mimi will stand watch! With complete focus, Mimi will do it!” The small kitten human did a cute salute as her cheeks puffed.
A small smile appeared on his face as he nodded. “Thanks, Mimi.”
He looked down at his feet, closing his eyes as he thought in contemplation. The world seemed to almost disappear as he did so; no noise, warmth, touch, or any other inputs registered for Subaru, only his thoughts.
I seriously don’t know what that was… Why was that dream so damn real?
The mashed corpse of a woman he had never met. Her entrails spread everywhere, coiling around the weapon that murdered her. Hell, he even remembers remembering the memories he had with her. It was crazy. It didn’t make any sense for Subaru, no sense at all.
Was that really… just a dream?
He sighed as he opened his eyes. “Hey, Anasu—”
Subaru froze at the sight of Anastasia. W-What…?
“Natsuki-kun?”
Behind her, the moon shone brightly—too brightly through the open window.
Was there always a window in this room?! No wait—before that, wasn’t it day? Wait… how did I know it was day? He clutched his jaw as if it threatened to drop at a moment’s notice. No, wait. I remember coming here with Ana—to the capital—to talk with the council… Yeah. Yeah, I remember. We arrived in the morning, and now it’s midday…
A slap on his back woke him up. Subaru turned around. Ricardo.
“Suba-bro, hyuma yourself, alright?”
Flashes of Ram’s dead corpse, his shadow blocking the moonlight from reaching her mutilated body. The sudden change in time…
“Ricardo, Julius, we’re being attacked!” Before his orders even left his mouth, every single person in the room stood on guard. Julius, Ricardo, Mimi, Hetaro, and Tivey all surrounded Anastasia and Subaru, protecting them from any potential outside force.
The merchant queen looked around the room. It was empty except for the group of people.
…
What happened to the chairs and tables…?
“If there’s more we oughta know ’bout this killer,” Anastasia looked at her greatest asset in front of her. “Natsuki-kun, now’s the time to spill it.”
This insane trust is kinda unsettling… I mean it’s always been like that, but… why do I feel like this is a first? Through the open window of the room, a butterfly fluttered, its wings holding back the onslaught of the moon’s rays.
“Yeah…” He swallowed the same uncanny feeling as before. The killer’s dirty, disgusting, and stomach hurling weapon came to mind. Stop, Subaru. Now’s not the time to wallow in pity.
He took a deep breath. “He’s got this… weird club.” He measured it with his own hands to give Anastasia a better perspective. “It’s like five feet long? It’s kind of like a baseball bat—you don’t know what that is, do you? Just… It’s just a club with the end point slightly bulging out like it had been stung by a bee or something.”
Subaru held his chin in tought. “I think… I think they—it? Whatever. The murderer was my height… I think…”
“So, we are fighting a mini boss with a club? This is gonna be supa easy! Mimi can do this on her own!” Mimi giggled to herself as her tail flailed around in innocent ecstasy.
We’ll be okay, right?
“Fear not, Subaru. With my buds, we should be fine from any threat that is similar to you.” Subaru looked at the back of Julius’ head, his purple hair swaying in the cool wind of the night, almost taunting him. He swore he could almost feel Julius’ perfect smile mocking him in prideful delight.
The butterfly continued its flaps, watching over the group.
“Yeah, Suba-bro. You don’ gotta worry bout nothin’!” Ricardo gripped his single-edged sword with a tighter grip. It was large, thick, almost as menacing as the killer’s gore-covered bat.
Anastasia put her left hand on Subaru’s shoulders, her right caressing her white, fluffy scarf. “Whatever we’re facin’, Natsuki-kun, this lady’ll be right there with ya—start to finish.” She retracted her frail hand from his shoulder mechanically as she gripped her own hips in a superman pose, pushing her torso upwards.
He nodded as Subaru’s friends stood on guard. They fully trusted Subaru. They knew his value, and they respected him for it. He was a man who had an ability that allowed him to know more than what he should be even allowed to know. And considering his honest and innocent personality, they would be fools not to trust his every word.
So, they stayed like that, waiting.
Silence.
Ricardo, who was on Subaru’s left, shuffled in place, micro-adjusting his position, trying to anticipate where the attack would come from. The sword was heavy, but for him it was nothing. He would hold this position for ten hours if Subaru ordered him to.
Julius, who was on the boy’s right, scanned the environment methodically, his six, multi-colored buds buzzing around the room in practiced motion—a clear pattern to their trails within this make-shift battlefield. It was like their paths were set with a direct command, unable to stray from it whatsoever as they zipped back and forth, zigzagging around the room in chaotic uniformity.
Silence.
Subaru swallowed as he thought of Tivey and Hetaro. They’re quieter than usual… They were behind Anastasia, while Mimi was behind him. He could hear her wagging tail brushing against the cold wood at their feet.
He breathed in a deep anxious breath, only to let it all out with a sigh.
“It seems we’re… fine?” He looked at the moon. Last time, that murderer came out at night…
“Subaru, I think we should still keep a keen eye of the murderer. He could be watching us from afar, after all.” Julius gripped his sword tighter.
Subaru didn’t realize the fact that the spirit knight hadn’t moved an inch since taking his position—no, his focus was on something else. “He?” Subaru faced Julius’ back. “How do you know he’s a ‘he’?”
Subaru remembers.
He remembers Ram. He remembers her corpse. He remembers the killer beating the last breaths of his child… his child... His and Ram’s child.
The shadowy figure didn’t have any noticeable frame to make them stand out from man or woman. The only thing the figure had was his height with Subaru. Who? Why?
Why did he not stop?
The blood-curling splats of squished flesh rang in Subaru’s ears.
Why did he keep going?
Ram’s ropey intestines slathered on the weapon.
Why…?
He looked at Anastasia as he whispered under his breath, “Why…”
“Hmm? What was that ya said, Natsuki-kun?”
He looked up, towards the roof. “No…” He eyed the butterfly, the same one in his dream. “…It’s nothing.”
He sighed, slapping his cheeks to regain focus. “So! Where’s our friend? You’d think he’d show up by now.”
“He definitely is scared of Mimi!” Subaru turned around to face the kitten girl. “If Mimi sees him, I’ll go like pow, bow—pow-pow.” As Mimi demonstrated her expert boxing skills, Anastasia giggled lightly. Her light, sweet chuckles were something that soothed the tense air somewhat. Mimi and Anastasia’s energy radiated onto Subaru like a warm blanket of positive energy.
“That’s right, Natsuki-kun.” Subaru turned around, a slight smile adorning his face. “You don’t need to worry at all!”
She gave thumbs up, something Subaru taught her.
Cute. Her adorable little fingers curled into her palms—making a fist—as she winked towards the man in front of her as Subaru felt Ricardo, Julius, Tivey, and Hetaro’s chuckles. Her blue-green left eye twinkled as she looked at Subaru. He stared back at his idol of validity, her each action causing the man to swell up with pride, affirmation, and love. He pushed down the flashes of silver and purple, his cheeks flushing at the words and actions of Anastasia.
“Don’t’cha fret, Natsuki-kun. Long as this lady’s by yer side, nothin’ gonna happ—”
Splat!
Her head caved in as a blunt force stroke her from above. Where her beautiful eyes were, now the brown bulging of a club remained. It was painted in her brain mush, her blood pooling down onto the ground as her muscles locked naturally. Each beat of her heart, sent her blood flying in high-tension burst, creating the image of Ana-fountain.
W-Wha—What…
“J-J-Julius…” Subaru muttered. “Ju…lius—JULIUS!”
Silence.
There was only the murderer and Subaru. The Ana-fountain of blood, gore, and affection was slowing its bursts.
Finally, Anastasia’s body fell to gravity with a loud thud. Her caved in head was unrecognizable as a large pool of red death spread across, threating to invade Subaru’s personal space.
“A-Ah…” Subaru’s eyes were wide as he trembled in place. His body feared to even unlock his jaw as he stood there staring at the cause behind her death.
The killer was shirtless, only a broken black garb covering his legs. His hand gripped the blunt tool of death tightly as he stared at fear-ridden man in front of him.
His face was covered in deep, black shadows as if they were censored by the world itself.
Drip.
The butterfly landed on Subaru’s head, prompting him with a sudden burst of energy. The boy stepped back, only for him to trip on something—no… someone.
She had orange hair… that was all Subaru could make out. Her entire body was bludgeoned, unrecognizable.
Mi…mi… He looked up, his bloodshot eyes quickly searching for any hope around him.
Drip. Drip.
Julius sword was broken, his buds missing, each of his fingers crushed in sadistic delight as he lay still on the wooden floorboards. The back of his head was caved in, facing the roof.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Ricardo’s knees and elbows were blown off, destroyed as his snout pressed into his head, piercing his skull and brain. He was like a broken doll as he lay flat onto the ground motionless.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Sounds of blood dripping.
Subaru followed it, the shower of red slowly painting the murderer with its signature color.
As he looked up to the wooden roof, he saw Tivey and Hetaro splattered bodies glued to the wooden roof above as if they had been thrown like meat paste. Their blood slowly dripped down on the killer as a rainfall of terror and horror.
Subaru screamed a blood-curling shout, “AAAAAaAAAAaaaAAAAaHHHHH!”
He ran behind him in frantic desperation as the murderer walked slowly, methodically. It was like the perpetrator could not exceed a predetermined speed set by the world itself. Subaru didn’t notice the murderer glancing at the butterfly behind him before continuing to follow the path belonging to the Anastasia camp’s most prized asset.
Subaru was easy to follow.
The boy ran without direction, sprinting through the roads of the capital. There was no one. No one at all to help him in his plight. No Reinhard, no knights, no civilians. Not even a silver-haired beauty to save him. Subaru didn’t know what that silver hair meant, but his mind quickly threw the memory out as it raced in terror.
He couldn’t even think properly as his legs carried him out of the capital and onto the grassy plains—the same blades of grass that were connected with Velcro; the same plains that belonged to his home with his wife.
Though that wasn’t what surprised Subaru. His focus would be honed to the endless expanse of white void in front of him. It was empty as much as it was full, reminding Subaru of the times he’d play games and would reach their border limits.
“W-What? What…What the—who? I…” Before he could understand the meaning behind why he was suddenly at the edge of the world, the sound of crumpling grass made him jump in fear.
He quickly turned.
The killer. His club was raised.
Knowing what was coming, Subaru went to block his cranium with his two hands. He wouldn’t fall victim to his previous death, nor to what happened with his friends.
Yet, he didn’t get hit. There was nothing—
Crack!
“AAAAaaaaAAaaaAAaAAAHHhHHH!” His right kneecap exploded in white-fire and electricity. The killer aimed for his legs, not his head.
Subaru slammed against the ground as gravity pulled him fiercely. He cradled his unusable right leg, uncaring for his imminent death. Dying wasn’t particularly scary, but the pain hurt. It hurt way too much. And, for some reason, this pain was the toughest, most burning, most shock-inducing pain he had ever experienced.
He looked up to see the half-naked man raise his club. Unlike last time, his shadows were not covering his torso.
Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember. Remember.
REMEMBER HIM, SUBARU! FOR THE NEXT LOOP—
Splat!
…
…
…
Purple petals rearranged themselves—
“I love you.”
Subaru fell—he was falling. His body weighed on him downwards as it twisted and turned in the endless, black void, barreling him down towards the ground. Yet, no matter how long he fell in the spire of shadows and darkness, he would never hit the ground—never to be relieved from his pain—his torment.
His muscles relaxed, embracing and waiting the touch of neutrality that was the hand of death. One that brought no happiness nor fear. It was a touch that brough him no feelings; nothing of value, but—at the same time—that was everything he had wanted right now.
Ra…m…
He thought of his wife, Ram—or who he thought was his wife. He wasn’t sure. How could he? Her warm embrace placating his scarred body, her beautiful smile that squeezed at his heart, her flowing, long pink hair that swayed in the floral winds of their small village…
Subaru’s face scrunched. Ram…
She was beautiful. So, so beautiful. Her bulging stomach—a sign of Subaru’s greatest achievement only helped in pushing more of his boiling tears out of his body.
They would’ve been so beautiful, just like their oni mother. Subaru would play with them, make fun of them, pick them up at school, get mad at them as he acted as a father should. He didn’t know if his child would have been a boy or girl, but it didn’t matter to him; he would treat them with the same love and care.
Now, he would never get that chance.
His fists clenched as his tears flew up, his body stabilizing as he fell further down the empty void.
I swear… He grit his teeth as the splashing and thudding of Ram’s corpse—of his child’s corpse played in his mind over and over again.
Splat. Splat. Splat.
I swear… The man raising his strangely shaped club above his head, quickly slamming back down as if he was completing a personal vendetta.
His memories flashed to the bat slamming into Anastasia, turning her into a makeshift flesh-fountain of blood. All the people he cared about—murdered—in cold blood, unable to resist. It was instant.
I swear… I won’t make it instant for you!
Then—
Silver-haired locks and amethyst irises flooded his mind, chaotically rearranging his memories in a blur.
He groaned as he held his head, pushing against his skull with force enough to make a dent. What… What was I thinking about?
Subaru’s mind froze, as if someone had hit the pause button for an instant. Ram—no. Anastasia—wait, no. Emilia…? Who the hell is Emilia—huh?
His body slowed down, as if massive hands caught him with delicate care. Subaru fiddled around, moving his body around the shadowy surface that he was both on and—at the same time—was falling through. His body was slowing, that’s all that mattered… Right?
“I love you.”
Subaru said nothing. Not out of fear or anxiousness, but out of curiosity. He felt like he knew this voice, but he just… couldn't put his finger on it.
His body stopped falling.
He was now standing on a shadowy surface—well, he didn’t know to call it a surface but he was able to put his feet on it. That was all that mattered.
Huh, why am I crying? Tears flowed down his face as he furrowed his brows in confusion. Ah, whatever, there’s no need to pay attention to that complicated stuff.
“I love you.”
Where am I? Is this hell—
Before he could finish that line, a dark figure approached him. They were similar in height as the killer, maybe a bit shorter.
“I love you.”
They weren’t him—the murderer.. No. This was… someone much more beautiful than him. Wait, who was ‘him’ again?
“I love you.”
Ah, whatever, who cares. He slowly made his way over to the figure. Who… is this gorgeous woman…? He swallowed. She’s… so hot—totally my type.
“I love you.”
Eh? She loves me? Wait, that was her? His feet made squishy sounds as he walked over them as if he was walking on a wet carpet. His nose smelled copper and iron but chose to ignore it.
“I love you.”
Ah… eh… wha… Subaru was standing in front of the figure. He couldn’t see her face, but his brain felt muddy—dazed, as if her entire being was something he wished, wanted, dreamed for so, so long.
“I love you.”
Her whispers tickled his ears, her vibrations flowing throughout his entire body, giving warm kisses to his heart as his brain melted in the white pot that was his skull.
He couldn’t think; He didn’t care anymore. His arms wrapped around her slender waist as her breath hitched, a small frown adorning her face. Why was she sad—I don’t care.
He didn’t care that within this makeshift garden of shadows, his humanity was slowly melting, stripping away from his soul, soon to leave him into purely an image of what he once was.
Subaru greedily took her lips, kissing them as he forced his desires onto her. She didn’t pull back—the opposite, in fact. Her body shook in excitement as she returned his greed to him, creating a loop of pure lust and greed as the wet slops of the immature and chaotic lips & tongues clashed in heated fervor.
She pushed him on his back, making back eased to the ground by the ethereal shadows. He was too slothful to pick himself up as the half-elf woman undressed her top, revealing—I don’t care.
…
How slothful.
Both figures melted into each other as Subaru’s sinful desires were let out uncontrollably. Their messy, uncoordinated, and primal actions were full of love as both refused to separate from each other.
Finally, they were together.
Then—
“I love you.”
Ahhhh, there it was. Those words. They were warm. Gentle. Caring… too caring—but it was alright. Everything was. Why would they not be?
She moved her waist hypnotically, precisely, as if she knew him for multiple lifetimes.
“I love you.”
She didn’t moan. Her voice didn’t quiver. It was cold as much as it was caring. This was just an act for her—the real prize being the soul below her.
“Au… aiuh…” Subaru couldn’t form sentences. He tried. He really did. But thinking… was too… hard…
I… want... to stay… here… forever…
Stay within the his own pride of being with the most beautiful woman in existence; Stay in his greedy obsessions over her every pore, love, and fragment of her being; Stay in his lust—
“You can’t.”
A cold bucket dowsed his brain in much needed rationality. Huh…?
She stopped her seductive movements and looked at him—truly looked at him this time. For the first time, Subaru saw her face…
She was crying.
She bit her lips as Subaru’s chest clenched.
“We…I… This is not right.”
“But… I love you.” Subaru couldn’t understand as he raised his body to meet her. They were now both sitting, her bottom on his legs.
She brough her hands to her chest, clasping them in a prayer.
“If you stay… You will lose everything.”
“That’s fine.” No hesitation. “I will lose everything—if I have you… it means nothing to me.”
She smiles, a weak, frail smile—one that was full of pity and sadness. “I know.”
She leaned forward, her silver locks brushing against his bare chest. When did he even get naked? Whatever—
“Ugh—!” A sharp pain.
“That’s why, I’m sorry.”
Subaru looked down, only to see her hand piercing his chest, right where his heart was.
“I love you… so I can’t let you stay. I’m sorry.” With that, she crushes Subaru’s heart.
You can’t be… serious…
His vision blurred as he saw the woman on top of him sobbing, grieving the loss of her only lover. Even though she just crushed his life, he wanted to hug her, kiss her, caress her, and make love to her. He truly loved her in every way, shape, and form.
What… the hell… His vision faded to nothingness as his body leaned back onto the ground.
How can… she… still be… so… He though one last word before his death.
Cute…
Silence.
This time, there were no more petals. Rather, a cool breeze flew by Subaru’s tracksuit.
Not too strong to move his still body, but not weak to not poke at him. The sun shone brightly—too brightly—as its rays rained down on Subaru’s shut eyes. He groaned as he instinctively raised his hand to act as a makeshift parasol for his face. Shadows deepened on his groggy face as he slowly opened his eyes, the eyelids slowly revealing deep, black irises hidden beneath as they stared at his palm.
Wha—
A shock.
Memories came flooding back into him. Ram. Family. Anastasia. Value. Satella. Desire. They invaded him with as much energy as a busted pipe, carving themselves into his mind, making sure that—this time—he wouldn’t forget them.
He groaned as his brows scrunched up.
His forehead steamed as his brain boiled itself from the inside of his skull, its screams escaping from the orifices of his face. Each breath was hot, full of terror, pain, and—most importantly—love.
Seriously, what is going on? This has to be hell, right?
For some reason—a reason he couldn’t explain—his pain slowly dissipated with each of his breaths. Well, I knew taking deep breaths was one of those… vital human yoga stuff, but I seriously didn’t expect it could help so well…
With a grunt, he sat up.
Oh, great. What now? He sat on a green plain, something he imagined what Valhalla or Heaven, or any mystical realm would look like. It was beautifully crafted to be serene, peaceful, and… robotic? Though, that wasn’t what caused Subaru’s heart to clench.
No. It was the woman sitting atop small green hill, a real parasol shading her from the crafted sun above as she looked at Subaru like a scientist to a test subject.
I remember leaving the house to go buy something at the convenience store and now I’m here.
A sigh escaped his lips as he stood up. Plus, there’s those memories… He didn’t know who those people were, but he didn’t need to. He could feel their importance to his heart:
Ram’s familial love.
Anastasia’s look of admiration and trust.
Satella’s unshackled desires.
How do I even know her name? He looked up.
The woman with white hair waved at him. I guess according to this setup, I gotta ask this NPC for info, huh…
He sighed once more as he looked down at himself. His tracksuit was in full flare. No plastic bag, though.
He started his walk towards this unnamed NPC. This is a bit too creepy—actually, my calmness is way more creepy.
Subaru quickly glanced around. Seriously, if I had this type of focus and calmness during middle school exams…
He climbed the hill, the memories of his three dreams pulsing through his body, mind, and soul. Those were either real or some sort of fucked up dream… The wind fluttered the woman’s hair as they both stared at each other.
Butterfly. Her hairclip was the first thing Subaru had noticed. In all those previous… deaths there was a butterfly.
“Hey.” He looked at her, his face calm.
“…Interesting.” She smiled back.
“Yeahhh, okay look. I’m not going to play around here, you’re related to those dream or whatever I had, right?”
As the white-haired woman opened her mouth, Subaru raised a palm, cutting her off, “Ah. Wait. No, I will not take a seat. Just lay it to me straight.”
“…How rude.” Her voice was littered with faux innocence as she tried to appeal to Subaru’s likeability for tsundere’s. “It hurts my maiden heart to be spoken to so cruelly, you know?”
Subaru said nothing. I’m guessing this is part of her dialogue options, then?
She frowned slightly. “This is…” She sighed as if she was disappointed at his demeanor.
“Agh—!” As she did, Subaru’s neutered emotions came back at full power.
Ram’s bloody corpse, mangled along with the—the… the splats. The Splats! One after another after another after another after another! Ah—Ra…m! Ram! Ram! RaaaAm! Aaaahh!
Anaaaa! Why did you—how? Her bludgeoned head, spurting sanguine love rituals as the murderer stood in a tempest of blood. J-Julius! Save me! JULIUS! SAVE ME, PLEASE! JULIUS! I NEED YOU!
Subaru dropped to the grassy floor, vomiting. Ram—Anastasia—“AaaaaAAHH!”
Another puke.
His body shivered next to his designated chair. Was it always there? He didn’t know. He didn’t care.
I love you—No, I don’t! Her arms, body, her… her soul wrapping around mine in a tight embrace. Get away! GetawayGetawayGetawayGetaway—
“Get away from me!” His voice curled within itself, scratching at the ears of any person that would be there to witness his depravity. He tore the back of his hair as his feet dug the fake ground below him like a dog burying his treasure.
“Breathe, won’t you?” Her soft voice blew away the raging wicks of terror in his soul methodically as she stayed glued to her chair, observing the boy.
Just like when he was laying on the grassy canvas below him, he took deep, calming breaths. Each frantic gasp of air calmed his rapidly beating heart, soothing its rampage within its bony prison.
“I placed a spell to calm you down. I hope I wasn’t intruding, was I?”
Subaru looked back, yellow-green vomit at the ends of his mouth. His throat stung with searing acid as he coughed the rest of the bile out of his mouth.
“T-Thanks.” He slowly rose up as he used his silky sleeves to clean his disgusting face.
“Won’t you take a seat? It isn’t good to leave a maiden in wait, you know?”
He nodded slowly as he finally took a seat. “W-What… What is going on… with me—with everything?”
“Mmmm…” The woman pondered as she stared down the abyss that was Subaru’s eyes.
“I believe I should start with an apology first, wouldn’t you say?”
“What?”
She smiled as if awaiting his reaction. “I am the one who made you feel all that pain. Do excuse me.”
What…? “I don’t… understand what you mean?” Subaru twiddled with his fingers under the tea table.
“Your dream of familial love…” Ram. His body tensed up as he imagined her.
“Your dream of being useful…” Anastasia. His brows scrunched as he looked down at the table in front of him. There was a tea set. His pathetic face reflecting off the orange tea inside the cup closest to him.
“Your dream of that half-whore…” She paused. “They were all images I conjured.”
His breath hitched as he looked back at her. “…What?”
“I have peculiar skills. Knowledge that allows me to conjure dreams—illusions of a reality.”
“Wait!” He shouted as he slammed, standing up from his chair, pushing it out aggressively. “Wait, wait, wait… Does that mean that nothing was real?! All of that?!” His breathing was rapid as his chest rose frantically.
“All that…” The continuous slams of the club on Ram’s pregnant stomach.
“All that!” Anastasia’s caved face as all his friends lay mauled, destroyed, and forgotten.
“All of it!” Satella’s encompassing desire and will, causing him to lose his mind completely under her obsessive soul.
He slammed his hands on the table as his eyes were bloodshot. “That was all fake?!”
She raised her hand to her mouth, her slender fingers caressing her thin lips. “I must say, when you stare at me like that with such determination—”
“Stop your crap! Where am I?! Who are you?! What—who…?!” He grabbed his hair, squeezing it as he frantically searched the grassy plains, looking for any type of sign or symbol that would provide him salvation.
“Subaru.” He snapped back at her call.
She sighed. “…Let me introduce myself.” She interlocked her fingers as she placed her elbows on her table, staring at him with soft innocence. “I am Echidna, a Dream Arts User. It’s my pleasure to finally meet you.”
Subaru trembled in place and before he could open his mouth in hysteria, she continued, “I apologize for the sudden summon to… my world—I’m sure you had other things going on in your previous world, however I summoned you to help you.”
“Wha—How?! What are you even talking about?!” He pointed at her, his finger quaking in both horror and rage. “You—You! You killed her—killed them!” He slammed his palm against chest. “You killed me!”
“And you will die more if you do not sit and listen to my explanation, Subaru.”
“Wha—”
“Or would you prefer getting bludgeoned by that murder for infinity?”
Subaru’s breath hitched.
She sighed as she muttered under breath, “So troublesome… though then again, this is mainly my fault…”
“Hey.” Subaru gulped as his two gruesome deaths played in his mind. After all, he promised he wouldn’t forget. “What did you mean… by that? ”
“Hmm? Ah, finally interested now, are we?” She smiled once more. She didn’t blush.
Subaru sat back down as he thought of the murderer chasing after him—or at least, what he remembered of him chasing after him. Not again. “How,” he gulped once more as his voice trembled. “How do you know my name?”
She hesitated for a bit.
“I know you because… of my ability.”
“Your… ability?”
Echidna nodded. “That’s correct. I summoned you here, Subaru, because I wanted you to stop the man loved by the Witch.”
Subaru stared, confused.
“The person who has killed you twice now—he is the man loved by a… certain Witch—one I do not like, if I may add.”
“A… Witch?” Witch…? Like the ones with the long noses?
“That’s right. A Witch—an evil being that causes chaos. You see, I am completely against her—in a sense, you are my champion, Subaru.”
“Your champion—wait.” Subaru clenched his fists as he started piecing together a story. “Is that why he’s killing me?! Because he thinks I’m allied with you?!”
“Not exactly.” Her hands lowered as she fiddled with her teacup, rotating it randomly. “You see, Subaru, those dreams I conjured are actually real and they are existing right now.” She looked up at his confused face.
“Interesting, isn’t it?”
“Wait.” Subaru squeezed his face with his hand as if he was trying to crush his skull. “So, Ram—”
“Your wife is alive, yes. So is your boss, Anastasia, as well as that whore, Satella.”
Subaru shivered slightly as he imagined the last woman. She was scary. Too scary. She even killed him by crushing his heart. “But you said… it was a dream—like just a minute ago you said it was a dream!”
“Yes, the futures are.” She laid back into her tea party chair, her voice innocent and sweet. “Those realities exist and, those realities will die to the champion of the Witch.”
She brought her teacup to her lips, drinking it. “You’re murderer, as you put it.”
“Why?” He squeezed his hands against each other, a feeble attempt to grab on to any sort of hope or safety.
“His goal is to erase all realities, until there is only one true reality that him and his… half-elf whore can reside in.” She put her teacup down, a small tink resounding out. “And… you are an important step to this, Subaru.”
Subaru blanked for an instant.
“Me?” His voice was low, as if he was trying to hide a confession.
“You are special, Subaru. Whenever you die in a reality by this champion, those realities cease to exist. In other words…”
You can’t be serious.“… I power these realities.” He’s watched enough anime and games to understand where this was going.
“Ah, finishing each other’s sentences. Such synergy is truly beautiful.”
“But, how—”
Subaru’s eyes widened as his breath hitched. Behind Echidna, a dark figure stood. It was half-naked; a dirty, black robe covering its legs as it held a large, brown, oddly shaped club in its right hand.
“Behind you!” Subaru jumped to his feet as he ran towards his archnemesis, slamming against the killer with full force. His sudden act of bravery made the duo tumble down the green hill. The disorientation made the killer lose his grip on his cursed weapon.
The moment Subaru reached flat land; he jerked him up to prepare for combat.
Where’s his weapon?!
His brain was racing with primal fighting energy, a signature ability from his human ancestors back on Earth as his focus was tunnel-visioned on the man in front of him.
His shadowy face seemed a bit clearer but still was not enough to identify any features. He similarly got up with the same spunk as Subaru however, unlike Subaru, the killer made a mad dash up the hill, completely ignoring his weapon and the boy in front of him as he headed for white-haired dream arts user.
“No you don’t!” Instinctively, Subaru raced up the hill. Based on the woman’s words, it was obvious what the champion of the Witch wanted.
I won’t let you kill her!
He reached for the man, grappling him as he prevented any further movement towards the woman. Their similar bodies tangled together, struggling, as their angered breaths could be heard clashing against one another.
“Subaru.” Her innocent but calm voice rang through the serene plains—now, a makeshift battlefield, “He could be going for me because I am trying to help you.”
“Yeah! I kinda got that the moment this asshole ran at you!” As Subaru said those words, both men lost their footing, tumbling once more down the strangely steep hill.
Once again, they stood up from the bottom of the hill. Their pants were the only noises that filled this empty plain of magic.
Flashes of gore-filled rooms, blood fountains, and destroyed relationships invaded his mind, striking his brain repeatedly like a hot iron. It slammed into his psyche, boosting any rage, fear, ambition, love, desire, and pain he had in his soul. They all cumulated into one thing.
“I told you! I won’t make this fucking painless!”
A purple light enveloped Subaru for an instant. “Subaru.” He didn’t look at her call, only focused on the killer in front of him. “I have coated you in my spell. It’s called [Placebo]. I hope it does you justice for this… fight.” Her last words were almost slightly confused as if she didn’t know if she could even call this a fight in the first place.
Echidna stayed seated as she looked at Subaru—only Subaru.
“Yeah, thanks, Dona!” His brain forged a nickname, uncaring to call her by her full name. He wouldn’t spare energy for it. His focus will fully be on the murderer in front of him—the one who will soon destroy his futures.
He glided his feet to the killer, attempting to grapple him in his rage-fueled grip. His opponent slapped his hand away, only to shoot a hook of his own towards Subaru’s face.
He didn’t know why, but he felt that his senses were cleaner than usual, almost as if his brain had gone through a high-cost car wash. Either that or the killer was slower than him.
His legs pushed against the plains as he tackled the man. Because of his sudden intrusion of personal space, the murderer’s hook missed, flying behind Subaru’s head as it scraped the ends of his hair.
Now on top of the perpetrator of the suffering that will soon happen to the people he cared about, Subaru pressed his fingers down on the killer’s adam apple as his fingers curled around his throat.
The killer gargled as if he was trying to say something.
“Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck youfuck you fuck you—FUCK! YOU!” No matter how much he pulled on Subaru’s arms, kicked his knees against the back of the tracksuit, or flailed in desperation, the boy would not let go.
Subaru felt his rage increase magically, coating his entire soul into a red, fiery heat of anger. It was as if a needle had stabbed into the back of his head, filling his brain with white-hot terror.
“Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!”
Choked gasps.
“DIEEEEE!”
As he screamed, the shadows slowly lifted from the man’s face. It was like his face-concealing spell was slowly eroding as he got closer and closer to death. The pitch-black mask became dark grey. Then turned grey, only to be come lighter as it swirled, slowly revealing the perpetrators face.
It was a mirror.
What…?
A mirror of Subaru’s face. His dark hair. His sharp, deep, black eyes. Everything. It was a perfect mirror of Subaru. One that was choking.
Subaru mouth opened as his words lay broken, unsure of what to say. His fingers, however, remained locked in place against Subaru’s own will… He did not know what his own will was anymore.
“Emi… lia… Kgh—!”
Subaru was frozen. Unresponsive to the man’s words. H-H-He… has my… voice…?
“Go back… to Ugh—! Go to… her… Emi—Kghh—! …lia.”
After those words, there was no more trembling. No flailing, no choking, not anything. The killer was dead.
Subaru’s breath was steady as his fingers unclenched from their previous puppeteering state. Below him was a man. A dead one. One that he just killed.
What did I just… He brought his hands in front of him as he stared into his palms. They started shaking.
Was he doing it consciously or was it his body? He didn’t know. What had just happened? He didn’t know. Did he really just lose himself like that? Did he really just kill another person, just like that?
What the—
“Congratulations, Natsuki Subaru.”
He turned his head slowly. Echidna’s white hair danced gracefully in the invisible winds atop the hill. Even though there was a mild distance between the two, her soft voice latched onto his ears as if she was right next to him.
“You’ve saved those realities and—by extension—completed the purpose in all… this.”
He creaked his head back to the man, attempting to look at the insanity of what he had just done. Had he really killed someone because they were going to presumably hurt him in the future?
Yet, when he looked back down—
“Where—?!”
The killer—no, the man was gone, erased, as if he had never been there—as if there had never been a murderer in the first place. The warm feeling of a human body under his legs was similarly gone, almost as if there was never such a sensation in the first place.
His knees pressed down on the blades of grass below him as Echidna watched silently.
“Where did he go…?” His voice barely leaked from his mouth as he thought of what had just happened.
“Who’s...” Silver locks and amethyst eyes flashed in his mind. He stood up slowly as his body eerily rotated to face the woman, his deep, dark eyes piercing Echidna. “Who is… Emilia?”
He didn’t know who that was, but… her name, her hair, her eyes—every memory he had of her told him—screamed at him to not forget this woman. His eyes slowly boiled, threatening to leak tears.
“That would be the Witch’s daughter, Subaru.” She closed her eyes for a bit, only to open them once more. She was still so far, yet her voice seemed so strangely close. “The killer was greatly infatuated with the Witch’s daughter, after all.” She smiled as she said those words, her grin hiding untold truths.
He clenched his fists as he stomped upwards the steep hill, towards the person who summoned him to this world.
“Why?!” He bolted up, finally reaching Echidna as he slammed his palm onto the table, shaking the unused teacups.
“Why…” His voice quieted down as he remembered his last outburst. The searing pain of it all. “Why did he look like me…?”
Echidna was silent.
Then—
A mirror.
“Wha—Oh.” She looked like him. Just like the man had been, her face was identical to his.
Her white hair turned black, much shorter than their natural luscious locks that danced in the dead wind of this place. Her black eyes gained a sense of depth—an abyss-like quality that could only be seen in the man in front of her.
Was she Subaru? No. He realized why the man looked like him.
“Oh. Magic. Right… My bad, ummm—”
“Echidna.”
“Right, Echidna. Sorry about that, I just… I don’t know, I…” He looked down, still conflicted at what he had just done. His heart was drowning in shame, anxiety, and guilt. Did he really just kill someone?
A faint giggle.
Subaru looked back up at Echidna, her white hair back to its proper length. “It’s quite alright. I must say, your excitement really gave my young maiden heart quite the scare, you know?”
Subaru rubbed his arms with his hand. I killed someone… “Yeah… sorry…”
His legs, arms, back, and stomach tensed as he brushed his arms with more strength. I mean, I get that he was a killer… And I really wanted to kill him… He bit his lips as tears threatened to fall. Why did things have to be this way—Why did you ally yourself with a Witch?!
He gripped his arm tightly, his fingernails pressing against his beige skin as it formed red crescents. Why… Why did you have to kill my Ram…?
“I believe it’s time now—I don’t have much time and would really like to wrap this up.”
Subaru ignored her as he drowned himself—
“Time for you to choose your reality.”
He looked up, his eyes shining slightly. “Huh?”
She pressed her hands together. “Ah, did I not my mention that? The three dreams I put you through are real, and well…” She lay her hands back onto her lap. “You need to choose on to live in—”
“You mean I can see Ram again?!” Subaru brought his face closer to Echidna as he stared at her like she was his last straw of hope.
“Y-Yes,” her voice came out sweet and innocent. “O-Only one, though. After all, a person can’t live in multiple realities.”
He quickly pulled back as he clenched his fists.
The woman stared blankly at him as if she was contemplating if her next words should really be said or not.
She sighed. “The rest of the realities will cease to exist after you make your choice.”
Subaru looked down. Would he sacrifice everything to be with Ram?
Anastasia, Julius, Mimi…
He clenched his jaw, only for her next words to snap his attention back up. “However, fear not. The individual characters do not cease to exist. They will be in the reality you pick with you.”
“I see…” He grabbed his chin with his hand as he thought deeply.
“A tough decision, is it not? To decide between—”
“I choose Ram.” Subaru looked at her with determination and clear-cut seriousness as his hands returned to his sides, his chest puffing up in confidence.
“E-Eh?!” Echidna stood up from her chair in genuine surprise. “Isn’t that why too early?! Don’t you need to think about this longer?! You are choosing—”
“No thanks.” He raised a palm to cut her off.
“I already thought of it plenty. I choose my wife.” Subaru puffed his chest as he grabbed his hips like Anastasia once did. He remembered her lessons and—in her words—he would milk the merchant’s queen’s lessons dry, using all of their worth.
“I can always recover my relationship with Anasui’s camp, but I can’t recover my child with Ram.” He grinned, completely sure of his decision now that he said it out loud. “And I don’t know which parent wouldn’t pick their child!” His white teeth flashed a Natsuki grin at his ally, his confidence in full flair as he laughed.
My emotions have been so out of place since—
Her deep sigh snapped him out of his thoughts, “I see…”
Huh, what—
It was instant. Purple petals swarmed him like fractured glass on a slippery surface. They all rejoined each other, connecting one another, creating a new window of knowledge and greed.
…
Then—
Subaru awakened.
The weight of warmth pressed against his back and the faint scent of lavender on his pillow. Morning light spilled through the paper-screen window like honey, slow and golden. For a moment, he didn’t move. The world felt too still—like a painting waiting for someone to breathe life into it.
Small, innocent breaths blew against Subaru’s left ear. A pink beauty rested against his arm, her soft, long hair flowing like waves against his body.
His breath hitched, I’m back!
His hands slowly trembled as they reached for his wife. Ram.
His fingertips caressed her smooth skin, her long, lustrous pink hair wrapping around his fingers like a natural magnet. Ram!
He looked to the side. Her bulging stomach wrapped and covered by the white silky sheets of their large bed. Not bludgeoned. Not destroyed. Not smashed. And not dead.
“Ram…” Small tears escaped his tears as the words rolled on his tongue. He pressed his forehead on hers. “Ram. Ramm… Ram! Ramram! Ram…!”
It was strange… Subaru was crying, he knew that. And his cries were of sadness, yes. But they were regretful, not of love or relief. Why…?
A flash of silver.
Why… Why is my love gone…?
Echidna blinked slowly; eyes fixed on the empty patch of grass where Subaru had been just moments ago.
He was gone.
Returned to the reality he had chosen.
The teacup in her hand remained warm, untouched. Her lips curved—not quite a smile, but close enough to pass for one. The wind was quieter now, as if it too had been listening in.
She placed the cup down with care, letting silence settle around her like a blanket.
No more guests.
No more experiments.
Just her.
And her thoughts.
She sighed. “…I must say… This was quite disappointing.”
She placed her teacup down as she monologued to herself. “Let’s see… The result was with the pink-haired Oni, huh… Again, no innovation in his actions nor did he show any will in choosing all the realities or none at all…”
She sighed once more, “All this sighing will make me seem more like Sekhmet if anything.” She looked up at the fabricated sky. “I’m glad Roswaal finally brought Subaru to the Sanctuary—seems he’s been following his gospel to the tea—ah, a tea joke. I’m getting pretty good at those lately. Must be because of what I learned from Subaru’s memories.”
She looked down at her teacup. “…That thing my dear test subject was fighting… That happened in experiment number zero-three-two and experiment number zero-one-eight. If I had to theorize, the murderer is most likely his subconscious trying to break him free from my Dream Arts.”
She smiled. “Fascinating. So, someone with enough determination is able to naturally manifest a persona or a non-real being to help break them free from my Dream Arts.”
Her fingers glided across the rim of her teacup. “I definitely have learned a lot—and with the Dream Art’s space-time manipulation, barely an instant has passed outside my lovely tomb.”
The teacup slowly reached her mouth. “Thank you, Natsuki Subaru. Like your merchant said, I will definitely be using you to your fullest, milking you dry.”
She took a sip before placing it down with a clink. She leaned in her chair. “Unfortunately, experiment zero-four-one is just another failure. I wonder how much I could push him—ahhh, I must say, my student did good to give the boy that pyroxene crystal. I’m also glad he secured the beast maid as well. Bringing me such a delicacy like Natsuki Subaru… Truly, did his love not fade for me? Not even once? Well, no matter. I have a wonderful soul to test all my greed on. This concludes experiment number zero-four-one…”
She smiled, her grin uncanny. Was she even human?
“And now, experiment number zero-four-two is underway: How will Subaru react when he loses his child that he fought so hard for? Will it be suicide? Grief? Happiness? Will he do nothing and wallow in pity? Will he choose to take care of the grieving Ram—that reminds, I need to adjust her settings first before continuing. It’s sad that my proficiency in Dream Arts is low at the moment, it leaves some annoying rendering issues…”
No, she wasn’t human.
She brought her hand to her lips, licking the back of her palm. “In any case, do entertain me, Natsuki Subaru. I need you, after all.”
She was a witch. The Witch of Greed, Echidna.