Chapter Text
Natsuki Subaru had been just an ordinary teenager, living a mundane life, absorbed in video games and pop culture. Nothing had prepared him for what was coming. On his way home, a strange, almost unreal light enveloped him. A whirlpool of energy yanked him from time and space, sending him into a chilling vertigo. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unknown world: breathtaking yet dangerous, where magic and fantastical creatures felt perfectly natural.
From the first moments, he felt disoriented and lost, yet fascinated by the beauty around him. In the vibrant glow of a clearing, he saw Emilia, the silver-haired half-elf, accompanied by her guardian spirit, Puck. Shy and awkward, Subaru was instantly struck by her gentle presence and quiet strength. Their meeting, brief but intense, forged a fragile yet powerful bond, woven from urgency and fear. With no powers of his own, Subaru made a silent promise: he would protect her, even without understanding the rules of this new world.
That promise soon turned to tragedy. While defending Emilia, an assassin emerged from the shadows. Inexperienced and panicked, Subaru could not dodge. The blade pierced him with lethal precision. Pain unlike anything he had known consumed him, and the world dissolved into a frozen haze. He was dead, trapped in a cruel cycle.
Yet death was not the end. A shiver ran through Subaru as if the world itself refused to let him go. Air, shadows, light—all bent around him. Sounds faded, outlines blurred, and the icy vertigo gripped him. He floated in an abyss, terrified yet mesmerized.
Everything seemed to collapse: buildings crumbled to dust, the sky cracked, the ground vanished beneath his feet. Still, a silent force held him aloft. The world would not release him. Piece by piece, memory by memory, it reconstructed him until he felt the cold ground beneath him and the wind on his skin once more.
Subaru blinked. The sunlight burned his eyes. A strange heaviness weighed on his stomach, as if his insides refused to relax. Alone on the street, silence pressed in—no voices, no footsteps, just the wind and a buzzing in his ears.
« No… this isn’t real… it can’t be… » he thought, gasping. « All of this… I… I just woke up… it was only a dream… »
But the feeling persisted. His heart pounded, his hands shook, and a strange energy coursed through him, head to toe. Something unprecedented had awakened inside. Tingling ran through his arms, a subtle dizziness overtook him.
« What… is this feeling? » he wondered, pale. « This isn’t… normal… »
He sat down, gripping his thighs. Every breath felt heavy, not just physically. His mind screamed that something had changed—something dangerous. And in that silence, fear rose—not the fear of death, but the fear that nothing would ever be the same.
A merchant suddenly appeared, holding out a shiny red apple.
Merchant: « The apple! You want it, don’t you? Your gaze went dark… it shocked me. So… what do you say? »
Subaru shook his head, bewildered.
Merchant: « Seriously? Get lost! »
He ran off, heart racing.
« What… is happening here…? » he whispered. A strange sensation ran through him. His abdomen, where the assassin had struck, was intact. No scars, no pain. His bag, phone, wallet—everything untouched. As if death had left only the memories… and something else he couldn’t yet understand.
He looked up at the sky. The sun seemed slightly off, the passersby moved differently. When a humanoid wolf crossed the street, Subaru noticed it before it even entered his field of vision, reacting almost instinctively.
« My… wound… it’s gone… » he murmured. The strange feeling intensified: reflexes sharper, senses heightened. Every motion more precise, every sound clearer. His muscles responded before his mind even caught up.
« I was sure I was dead… Satella! » he thought, recalling Emilia’s voice and Puck’s warnings. He had failed, yet he had survived. And something within him had changed.
Subaru took a deep breath.
« I have to… find them… even if they’re gone. » His voice trembled, but a new wave of confidence surged through him. He headed toward the dealer’s house, searching for clues.
Three thugs suddenly appeared, blocking his path.
Thug: « Let’s have some fun! » one sneered, a cruel smile on his lips.
Subaru recognized their scars and brutal mannerisms. But this time… something had changed.
Subaru: « Think you’re clever… well, I’ll start with you! »
His movements were fluid, precise. Instinct anticipated every attack. He threw a punch, followed by a tackle, a sweep, and a throw. The men fell unconscious before they could react. One, armed with a knife, tried to strike, but Subaru dodged with uncanny ease.
« Is… this me? I’m faster… I see better… » he thought, still shocked. His perception sharpened, his reflexes honed. This wasn’t a dream, nor a glitch: he had changed.
« Easy…! » he murmured, astonished. « In this world, evil… will never win… »
Passersby watched, intrigued. For Subaru, it was the first proof that death had left a mark: something powerful yet fragile, born deep within him. He exhaled, collected himself, and continued toward the dealer’s house. Every step drew him closer to a reality he was only beginning to grasp: death had changed him.
Before the wrecked house, bathed in sunlight, Subaru felt his body respond with newfound precision. Every sound, every movement seemed amplified. Reflexes, senses, intuition… everything sharper.
« Don’t panic… don’t panic! » he murmured to steady himself. He knocked. The door swung open: Rom, bat in hand, stood before him.
Rom: « Shut up! Do you know the password or not? »
Subaru blinked, surprised.
Subaru: « You?! You’re alive… »
They exchanged absurd jokes, but Subaru struggled to focus. Every micro-expression of Rom’s face registered with clarity, as if his body already knew how to react before his mind processed it.
Subaru took a deep breath.
Subaru: « Have you seen a silver-haired girl? »
Rom shook his head.
Rom: « Never seen anyone so striking. »
Subaru explained he was looking for an important badge for her. Rom shrugged.
Rom: « Maybe someone’s delivering something… a good haul. »
Subaru: « The one delivering, is that Felt? »
Rom nodded. Subaru pulled out his phone.
Subaru: « I have something valuable! It can freeze a moment in time! »
Rom and Felt exchanged surprised glances. Subaru felt a surge of satisfaction: his reflexes and perception allowed him to negotiate.
Subaru: « Then let’s trade: my phone for the badge! »
Felt: « Not so fast. I’m negotiating for someone else. Ten sacred coins are at stake. »
Rom: « Your metia is worth at least twenty. We can overcharge you. »
A knock sounded. Felt went to check while Subaru watched Rom, bat in hand, ready to protect his charge. Instinctively, Subaru’s body reacted faster; his eyes analyzed every movement. Even under pressure, he felt… alive, alert, unstoppable.
Rom spoke calmly: « In this world, everyone survives as they can. I must watch over Felt. »
Subaru gave a faint smile. He took a deep breath, feeling confidence seep into his muscles. His new sensations, his reactive body… everything helped him stay in control.
Then, behind them, a cold female voice rose: « It seems there are several strangers here. »
Subaru turned. A woman dressed in black, with violet eyes, stood behind Felt. Her smile was forced, but her gaze… chilled Subaru to the bone.
« No… no… this can’t be… » he thought. His heart raced. Memories, pain, fear… everything came flooding back. He remembered his first death, the blade, Elsa’s eyes…
« It was… it was just a dream… » he murmured to reassure himself. « Just a dream… just a dream… »
Subaru drew a deep breath and forced a smile. He had to continue, keep control. Negotiations resumed, but deep inside, he knew that shiver, that memory, would never fully vanish. His reflexes, his heightened perception… all marked the start of a path he could no longer ignore. The true threat had yet to be revealed.
Elsa sat calmly, sipping her glass of milk while Subaru, Felt, and Rom faced her.
Elsa: « So you are in competition. It doesn’t matter who wins, as long as the prize rises. »
Subaru put his metia on the line, valued at over twenty sacred coins. Elsa responded by placing a heavy bag on the table. Rom counted.
Rom: « Twenty sacred coins. »
Subaru thought he had lost. But Rom shook his head.
Rom: « The boy’s metia is worth more. The victory is his. »
Subaru let out an awkward cry of joy. Elsa sighed, finished her milk, and stood up. Subaru froze, still in shock at his small victory. Sacred coins littered the table, his breath mingling with the scents of wood and milk.
Elsa: « So… what will you do with this badge? » she asked calmly, eyes piercing.
Subaru shivered. Repressed memories overwhelmed him: his first death, the blood, the pain… yet something inside urged him to act. He took a deep breath, and with a mix of naivety and determination, declared:
Subaru: « I… I will return it to its owner. »
Rom and Felt exchanged stunned looks. Subaru could not back down. His heart raced, yet a strange force coursed through his muscles. Since his death, his reflexes and perception had sharpened. Every move of Elsa, every micro-expression, he could now anticipate…
Yet Elsa’s sinister smile sent shivers down his spine.
Elsa: « So… you’re with them, after all. » she murmured, malice in her eyes.
Subaru felt his body tense. Before he could think, Felt nudged him lightly with her elbow. A blade grazed his stomach.
Subaru: « W-what?! »
Elsa let out a small laugh.
Elsa: « Do you want to die? »
The fight erupted. Rom charged at her, bat in hand. Brute strength clashed with the superhuman speed of Subaru and Felt. Elsa dodged, laughing, as if she were enjoying herself.
Felt: « Don’t worry… old Rom can’t lose. »
But in an instant, Elsa sliced Rom’s arm.
Rom: « Old… Rom! » he shouted, charging once more, before Elsa drove shards of glass into his throat. He collapsed, dead.
Felt, furious, lunged at Elsa. The wind swirled around her. Elsa dodged, then counterattacked. Under Subaru’s eyes, Felt was struck fatally. Elsa turned to him.
Elsa: « They are both dead… and you’re still standing. Have you given up? »
Subaru trembled but remained upright.
Subaru: « Damn… »
He lunged at her, but Elsa broke him effortlessly: broken nose, kick to the stomach.
Elsa: « You are a novice. No blessing, no technique. But… your determination is remarkable. » She observed the bodies, then smiled at Subaru. « If only you had woken earlier. »
Subaru remembered: the night, Emilia, his previous death. The exact spot where he had bled. An idea struck him.
Elsa charged again.
Elsa: « It’s time to finish this. »
The blade aimed for his guts. Subaru narrowly dodged, feeling the metal graze his stomach. His superhuman reflexes saved him, but a burning pain shot through his stomach. A superficial cut, not as deep as the one that had killed him the first time, yet enough to bring him back brutally to reality.
Subaru: « What… am I feeling?! » he thought, torn between fear and wonder. His wounds were closing almost instantly. A faint regeneration, but real.
Taking advantage of an opening, Subaru dodged another attack, pivoted, and struck directly at Elsa. The blade hit her clothes, startling her slightly. Each attack, each dodge, gave him a little more control.
But soon, fatigue set in. Despite his abilities, he was not at Elsa’s level. His movements became heavier, more predictable. A fraction of a second of inattention was enough. Elsa’s blade pierced him deeply. This time, his faint regeneration was insufficient. Pain overwhelmed him, blood flowed, and his strength abandoned him.
Subaru: « Ah… ahhh… it hurts… » he thought, overwhelmed by panic and disbelief.
Elsa approached, a sadistic smile on her lips.
Elsa: « You are dying. »
Subaru: « I… I’m going to die?! » he stammered, eyes wide.
Elsa: « Yes… slowly… very slowly. »
Subaru collapsed to his knees, breathless, bloodless. Memories of his past deaths assailed him again. Elsa watched, amused, as the world around him faded. Every sound became distant, every movement unreal.
« Oh… I’m dead… » he thought one last time.
Natsuki Subaru was dead for the second time.