(A/N: Sorry for the late chapter, I kinda forgot to upload it yesterday, so yeah you will receive another one later down the day)
...
{3rd Pov}
Beatrice had already withdrawn back into Subaru's inner world, retreating into his soul space where she usually stayed, when the strange event took place.
Subaru, who had just been standing there trying to catch his breath after everything that had recently happened, was caught completely off guard.
Out of nowhere, a sudden brightness tore across the sky above him, forcing him to shield his eyes with his hand.
It wasn't just a normal burst of light either—it was blinding, overwhelming, and carried a heat that pressed against his skin.
His gaze darted upward in confusion, only to find a sight that made his jaw drop.
Something that looked exactly like another sun—yes, a second sun—had appeared impossibly high above the capital.
It glowed brilliantly, bathing the land in golden rays that shouldn't have existed.
"Nani?!" Subaru shouted, his eyes practically bulging out of his skull.
His whole body stiffened with shock and horror at the sight, because of course, one sun was already more than enough for a single world to handle.
Two was just plain absurd.
"Ah, it's Gloria," Zero said casually, as if Subaru's panic was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Zero's tone was relaxed, almost indifferent, as he looked up at the blazing sphere.
"It seems some reckless fools must have provoked her. Don't worry about it. Even if she ends up destroying the entire capital, I'll make sure to bring everyone back. Resurrection is hardly a problem." He shrugged as if this was the simplest matter in existence.
"Wait, hold it right there!" Subaru snapped, pointing a finger accusingly at Zero.
"While I feel like I just overheard an even more shocking bombshell about you being able to bring other people back from the dead—seriously, you're casually saying you can cheat death on behalf of others! That's insane! Yeah, yeah, I already know we both cheat death in our own ways, but that's on a completely different level, okay?! Leaving that terrifying revelation aside for just one second, it doesn't make the fact that she can wipe out the entire capital whenever she feels like it any less horrifying!"
Zero simply chuckled in amusement, completely unfazed by Subaru's frantic complaints. "Relax. There's no need to panic. I won't let her actually destroy anything. You and I both know it would cause far too many complications with our carefully laid plans. Gloria isn't stupid, even if her temper gets provoked."
Almost as if to prove his words true, the second sun that had been looming ominously in the sky began to shrink and fade away.
In mere moments, the blinding celestial light vanished completely, and what replaced it was an awe-inspiring sight.
A streak of gold tore through the sky, burning bright like a falling meteor.
The blazing object descended rapidly until it neared the ground—and yet, before it could slam into the earth with catastrophic force, it slowed to a halt midair.
Two figures emerged from that golden descent: Rem, her light-blue hair swaying as she landed gracefully, and beside her, the radiant and intimidating Gloria.
Both of them touched down gently, as if carried by an invisible force, their arrival as controlled as it was dazzling.
"Subaru!" Rem cried out the moment her feet touched the ground.
Without hesitation, she ran straight toward him and threw her arms around him.
Subaru instinctively caught her, embracing her tightly in return, his hands wrapping securely around her back.
The relief in her voice was unmistakable, and he couldn't help but feel the same warmth in his chest.
Gloria, however, had no such softness in her tone. "Father, because of your persistent insistence, I spared those mongrels," she declared firmly, her golden aura still faintly shimmering around her.
Subaru's eyebrow twitched at her words.
He immediately turned his head to glare at Zero—the so-called Great Sage, who now stood there with striking white hair and golden eyes that gave him a commanding, otherworldly presence. Subaru jabbed a finger toward Gloria, looking deeply annoyed.
"Can you please explain to me why she gives off such strong Priscilla vibes?" Subaru demanded, his voice dripping with exasperation.
Zero's expression sharpened instantly, his voice taking on a fierce, almost offended edge as he retorted, "Do not compare her to that fake, so-called 'beloved by the world'! Gloria's bearing, her majesty, her entire aura—she resembles none other than Gilgamesh himself!"
Subaru blinked. "Gilgamesh… Wait a second, like that Gilgamesh? As in Fate/Unlimited Blade Works Gilgamesh?!" He slapped his forehead and groaned loudly.
"Damn it, man, it's been ages since I last watched anime! You can't just drop references like that out of nowhere!"
While Subaru grumbled, Rem had gently separated herself from his arms. Her cheeks flushed slightly from the closeness, but she quickly composed herself, stepping back to perform a deep, formal maid's bow, her posture perfect and elegant despite the chaos that had just unfolded.
"Lord Great Sage, I am Rem, maid of the Roswaal Mansion and also the sworn lover of Natsuki Subaru. I sincerely apologize for my earlier failure to greet you properly with the respect you deserve," Rem said politely. She lifted her head to look at Zero directly, intending to keep her composure, but almost immediately her expression changed as she noticed something unusual.
'He… smells?!' Rem thought to herself in shock.
It wasn't that he smelled bad in the normal sense, nor was it anything as simple as body odor or a strong scent of perfume.
No, this was entirely different.
What she sensed was the overwhelming stench of the Witch of Envy.
The scent was so intense and suffocating that Rem couldn't help but feel as though Zero had been lying beside the Witch herself, almost as if he had literally slept with her.
(A/N: Not yet… ahem.)
Rem forced herself to take a breath and think carefully.
After all, Zero—known as the Great Sage—was known to reside in the Pleiades Watchtower, the very place that sealed the Witch of Envy.
Remembering this fact, the overwhelming smell finally began to make sense in her mind, and she tried to calm her pounding heart.
"Ah, you must be surprised," Zero said with a small smile, reading her expression easily. "You must be wondering why I reek so strongly of the Witch's miasma, and also why I had the exact same face as Subaru when you first saw me."
Rem's eyes widened further. His words confirmed exactly what she had been thinking.
"I believe I already understand the reason, Lord Sage," Rem said after composing herself again. "If you spend your existence inside the Watchtower, where the Witch of Envy is imprisoned, then it is only natural that the stench of the Witch would cling to you. As for disguising yourself with another's appearance… someone who is counted as one of the three Great Heroes would surely possess the power to do so. To think otherwise would be utterly foolish."
Zero chuckled lightly and shook his head. "The latter assumption is correct, you are right about that. But as for the former explanation… that is not the true reason."
Rem's brows furrowed. "Then what is the actual reason…?"
Instead of answering immediately, Zero tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes narrowing with a hint of playfulness. "Tell me, Rem. How much do you actually know about my abilities?"
Rem froze, suddenly feeling as though she had been placed on trial.
She tried to think of an answer but found herself struggling.
If the question had been about the Divine Dragon Volcanica, or about the First Sword Saint Reid, she could have spoken confidently about their legendary feats and their signature powers.
But the Great Sage?
He was always shrouded in mystery.
The only widely accepted fact about him was his so-called omniscience.
"Everyone… knows that Lord Sage is all-knowing—omniscient," Rem finally answered, doing her best to provide at least the basic truth.
Zero leaned back slightly and laughed under his breath. "Well, I'll admit I'm a little flustered hearing that. They aren't entirely wrong, not at all. But at the same time, that description alone barely scratches the surface. You know? People assume I simply have infinite knowledge and that's it. But what about my actual powers beyond just knowing everything?"
Rem's lips parted but no words came out.
She realized she had absolutely no answer.
Her mind went blank.
"Oi, oi, come on now!" Subaru suddenly cut in, clearly irritated by the direction of the conversation.
He pointed straight at Zero with exasperation.
"Stop playing these ridiculous puzzle games with Rem! We don't have time for you to play teacher and give her a pop quiz, alright?! We're already in a hurry here! If you don't just tell her the truth, then I swear I'll do it myself!"
Subaru's annoyance was obvious—he hadn't even contracted with a spirit yet and here Zero was dragging things out.
Zero looked back at him with amusement before finally turning to Rem again.
"Fine, fine. I'll explain it properly then." His expression hardened slightly as he began to speak more clearly.
"The so-called Great Sage—me—is not merely a man of knowledge. I am someone who can wield the authorities of the Seven Deadly Sins. Each authority corresponds to one of the cardinal sins: Pride, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed… and, of course, Envy."
The moment the word Envy left his lips, Rem's breath hitched audibly, her heart skipping a beat. The name of the Witch's sin authority carried more weight than any of the others, and hearing Zero casually claim it sent a chill down her spine.
"If you're curious about the finer details of how my abilities function, you can always ask Subaru later. He'll explain it to you in his own way," Zero said with a nonchalant wave of his hand, as if the matter wasn't particularly important.
"But for now, all you need to know is this: I possess Seven Authorities. Yes, seven. That fact alone makes me superior to all the Sin Archbishops who crawl around spreading misery, and even to the Witches themselves, Witch of Envy included. Why? Because I also hold my own version of the Authority of Envy."
Zero revealed this in such a casual tone that it almost felt like he was announcing the weather.
Subaru, however, immediately reacted by grabbing hold of Rem, pulling her tightly against him as if to shield her from the weight of that revelation.
"Huh? Subaru-kun is hugging me…" Rem muttered in a daze, blinking rapidly before inhaling his familiar scent.
A strange expression crept onto her face, her lips curling upward in a smile that was just a little too dreamy, almost perverse.
"Oi! What the hell are you doing?!" Subaru shouted, staring at her in disbelief.
"I thought you were about to pass out from shock just now, and instead you're… you're smiling like that?!" He tried to ignore her odd behavior, his voice straining as he held her back.
Zero smirked slyly at the sight. "Honestly, Subaru, are you seriously wasting precious time right now?" he asked with deliberate provocation, his golden eyes glinting mischievously.
Subaru snapped out of it immediately, jumping back and releasing Rem in a rush.
"Ah—yes! You're right!" he blurted, suddenly remembering the urgency of their situation.
Rem, now free from his arms, pouted ever so slightly at being pushed away so quickly.
Still, as she observed Subaru's and Zero's serious expressions, she realized the matter at hand was no trivial issue.
Even though she couldn't grasp the full weight of their words, she could tell instinctively that it was something important, something dangerous.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to voice the question gnawing at her heart.
"Lord Sage…" she began carefully, her tone both respectful and hesitant.
"If I may be so bold… If it is true that you are stronger than even the Witch of Envy herself, then why… why have you not simply slain her? Why did you allow her to continue existing?"
It was a question that had burned within her since the conversation began.
Considering her own traumatic past with the Witch Cult, she could not hold herself back.
Even if the question sounded rude or even foolish, she had to know.
Zero answered without a shred of hesitation.
"That is because of Bro Code," he declared bluntly, as though the answer were the most obvious thing in the world.
Rem froze. Her head tilted ever so slightly in confusion. "Bro… code?" she echoed, the foreign phrase completely meaningless to her.
Meanwhile, Subaru's face twisted into visible irritation, one eyebrow twitching violently.
'Bro code? Really? What kind of insane excuse is that?!' he screamed internally.
'What bro code is this idiot even talking about?! Is my alternate self completely deranged?! Because of that woman, I've gone through endless trauma, unthinkable torture, and unbearable suffering! And he dares to use "bro code" as his reason for not killing her?! Who the hell sticks their dick into crazy like that?!' Subaru thought furiously, his internal rant spiraling out of control.
But then, uncomfortably, his thoughts caught up with him.
'Wait… hold on. Haven't I already stuck my dick into not one, but TWO crazy girls myself?'
The realization made his stomach churn.
'Damn it… maybe I don't have the right to criticize him after all.'
He shifted his gaze to one of those "crazy" girls—Rem—who stood loyally by his side now. Memories from a previous loop flashed in his mind: her merciless expression, her blade swinging down, his body being torn apart by the very same girl who now looked at him with adoration.
It didn't help that Zero had gone and refreshed all his memories with that weird psychic ability of his—or whatever the hell it was supposed to be!
"Anyway," Zero cut in smoothly, brushing aside the uncomfortable tension with his usual smug demeanor.
"I already have a plan prepared. This plan will provide you, Subaru, with the opportunity you need to stand a chance against both the Sin Archbishop of Sloth and the White Whale."
He said this while locking his sharp golden eyes on Subaru, making it clear he expected him to listen.
"The… the White Whale?!" Rem gasped in shock, her breath hitching as the name of the beast left Zero's lips.
Her face paled slightly, and she immediately turned to Subaru, searching for his reaction.
To her surprise, instead of looking afraid or uncertain, Subaru's expression was unusually firm, his eyes steady with determination.
Then she glanced back at the Great Sage, realizing this conversation was about to lead into something far greater than she had anticipated.
Zero continued without pause. "Ah, yes—there is something else you should both know. Subaru is what I call a Sage Candidate. That means he is the one who will succeed me in the future."
His words carried weight, every syllable ringing with authority.
"As a result of this, he possesses a form of precognition. However, the conditions for this ability to manifest are extremely restrictive, and there is also an unfortunate side effect: every time it triggers, the Witch's scent around him suddenly grows much stronger."
"What?!" Rem's voice cracked in shock.
Her face turned pale as she stared at Subaru, completely taken aback.
"M-My Subaru is… the Sage Candidate?" Her heart pounded in her chest, and she looked at him with disbelief mixed with awe.
Subaru awkwardly scratched his cheek, clearly uncomfortable at suddenly being put on a pedestal by the woman who had already put him on a pedestal of her own.
"Well… actually, I only found out about it just now myself," he admitted with a sheepish look, averting his gaze.
Zero, however, didn't allow the moment to drag on.
He quickly elaborated.
"What this means is simple. It will be Subaru's mission to eliminate the Witch Cult and to take from them every last one of their Witch Factors. Each Authority manifests differently depending on the person who wields it, so the level of strength he will achieve in the future is uncertain. It will depend entirely on his own growth and resolve."
He leaned back slightly, speaking with calm certainty.
"But as things stand right now, Subaru is still very weak. To reach the point where he can stand against the Witches and their followers, he will need reliable companions. Fortunately for him, it just so happens that he has an unusually high affinity with spirits."
For the first time since her dramatic entrance, Gloria, who had been standing silently nearby, made a move. Without warning, her form shimmered and vanished completely, retreating straight into Zero's soul space.
"I will erase my own spirit affinity," his voice echoed faintly, calm and unwavering, "and I have already placed the method to summon spirits into your mind, Subaru. You will know what to do. Try it."
Subaru blinked rapidly as a flood of new memories and sensations suddenly surged into his consciousness.
He staggered slightly, trying to make sense of what had just been forced into his head.
It was as though Zero had simply handed him an entire textbook worth of knowledge in an instant.
Clutching his head, Subaru glared at the Sage with exasperation.
Inside his mind, he couldn't help but complain furiously. 'This guy is a total cheater! Just dumping memories with cheat-code powers of his into my head like it's nothing! Seriously, what kind of unfair nonsense is this?!'
Still, Subaru knew there was no avoiding it.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
He closed his eyes and extended his senses, sending subtle ripples of his mana outward like invisible waves, just as the new knowledge instructed him to do.
Then, without a shred of hesitation, Subaru opened his mouth and loudly declared:
"I am Natsuki Subaru! Broke beyond compare and desperately in need of help! I'm looking for a spirit—anyone out there interested in becoming my friend?!"
Rem's jaw nearly dropped.
She looked at Subaru, utterly stunned at how blunt and ridiculous his summoning attempt sounded.
"S-Subaru-kun…" she whispered, almost too embarrassed to speak.
She knew that in most cases, people with spirit affinity slowly developed bonds with spirits, building trust and closeness before ever attempting a formal contract.
But Subaru had just skipped every step of tradition and gone straight for a clumsy, shameless self-introduction.
Zero, meanwhile, couldn't hold it in. He stifled his amusement at first, but soon a muffled laugh escaped from his lips. Hearing Subaru boldly call himself "broke beyond compare" was too absurd even for him.
Thankfully he didn't feel a second-hand embarrassment like Rem, despite being a different timeline version of Subaru.
Soon, shimmering lights began to gather from all directions.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of spirits from the forest rushed eagerly toward Subaru's location.
Within moments, he found himself completely surrounded by a dazzling assembly of spirits, their glowing forms hovering in the air like floating lanterns.
Some were small as fireflies, others swirled like clusters of mist, and a few burned bright like miniature suns.
"Damn, that's a lot of spirits!" Subaru exclaimed, his eyes darting around at the crowd of shimmering mana bodies.
He waved his hands nervously as if trying to calm himself. "Why the hell didn't I ever meet any of these guys before? Did they all just decide to ignore me until now?!"
Rem, who stood close by, placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Subaru-kun, perhaps it is because you are almost always beside Lady Emilia who has Puck or Lady Beatrice at the mansion. Both of them are Great Spirits, and their presence naturally dominates the area. Normal spirits would be hesitant to approach when such beings are already near."
She paused for a moment, then added gently, "And… Subaru-kun also reeks quite strongly of miasma. That could have been another reason why spirits kept their distance until now."
Her explanation was logical, and Subaru, after thinking it over, nodded in reluctant agreement.
"Yeah… that makes sense. Figures. Guess I can't really blame them."
Turning back toward the glowing orbs that floated all around him, Subaru raised his voice awkwardly.
"Ah, hello there! My name is Natsuki Subaru. I, uh… I really appreciate you all showing up like this. Seriously, thank you for responding to me."
He gave a sheepish smile, bowing his head a little.
The spirits, each a vibrant orb of mana radiating soft colors, wiggled and swirled as though communicating with him in their own strange language.
At first, Subaru could feel their wariness—many of them shivered when they caught even a trace of the Witch's stench clinging to him.
But then, as they drew closer, something shifted.
They sensed a warmth within him, an overwhelming current of kindness and sincerity that radiated from his very core.
They had never felt such purity in a human before.
For them, it was astonishing.
Rem, on the other hand, received no attention at all.
Her spirit affinity was nonexistent, and despite her beauty and dedication, the spirits simply didn't register her presence.
Likewise, Zero, who had deliberately sealed away his own affinity so as not to interfere, was ignored entirely.
The sea of spirits focused solely on Subaru, encircling him in shimmering light.
As Subaru continued speaking to them, he found his thoughts drifting inward. 'Okay… first step is done. They've accepted me, or at least they don't hate me. But now comes the real problem. Which one of them should I actually form a contract with?'
The thought weighed heavily on him.
He wasn't sure how to choose—this wasn't like picking a party member in a video game.
He needed guidance.
His eyes shifted toward Zero, silently asking for direction.
After all, Zero had already promised to create the conditions necessary for defeating both the White Whale and the Sin Archbishop of Sloth.
If anyone knew the correct answer, it was him.
Zero caught his gaze and smirked knowingly. "Make a contract with a Yang Spirit first," he instructed clearly.
"And as for the Yin Spirit and Wind Spirit… I believe you already know exactly where to find them."
His tone carried a deliberate weight, as though he were nudging Subaru toward something he already suspected.
Subaru's breath caught in his throat. He froze, falling into silence. He did know who Zero was referring to. He remembered clearly. Zero's words instantly brought Beatrice to mind—the Beatrice of his timeline.
He clenched his fists tightly, recalling how Zero's version of Beatrice had also strongly suggested the same thing: that he must form a contract with the Beatrice of his own timeline.
'The Wind Spirit, huh?'
Subaru knew exactly who that meant—Zarestia.
It made him melancholic thinking about the version of her whom he had accepted as his second wife in the past loop, and now how she had forgotten him only made him sadder.
Just the idea of making a contract with her current untamed self was a headache waiting to happen.
Deciding he had bigger things to worry about, Subaru put that thought away for now
The decision was heavy, but the path laid out before him was becoming clearer.
"Alright then… as you all just heard, I'm looking to form a contract with a Yang Spirit," Subaru announced, raising his voice a little as he addressed the glowing cluster of spirits hovering all around him.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before adding, "But just so you know in advance, I'm about to dive into something very dangerous. Yeah, I mean, like, life-threateningly dangerous. So… who's crazy enough to tag along with me?"
The spirits stirred at his words, their lights flickering in unease.
Many of them, especially those of other elements, immediately drifted away, scattering with almost comical speed.
Their glowing forms flickered once before vanishing into the distance, leaving Subaru standing there with his hand outstretched, watching in dismay.
"Wha—hey, wait a sec! Don't just fly away all dejected like that! Am I really that bad of an option?!"
Subaru shouted, only to watch more and more spirits retreat.
Even several Yang Spirits that had initially lingered began to waver, their bright colors dimming before they too turned and departed.
Within seconds, the once-crowded space around him had thinned dramatically.
Subaru was left standing there with his arms hanging limply by his side, embarrassment plastered all over his face.
"Seriously?! Even the Yang ones bailed on me? You've got to be kidding me! This is like being rejected at a group interview before I even finish introducing myself!" he groaned in despair.
But then, just as he was about to collapse into his usual self-deprecating grumbling, something caught his eye.
Among the dwindling lights, one spirit had not left.
Instead, it lingered directly in front of him, shining even brighter now that the crowd had cleared away.
Subaru blinked rapidly. "…Huh?"
The spirit gleamed with a brilliant golden hue, its radiance far stronger than that of the ordinary Yang Spirits that had departed.
Subaru realized quickly that this wasn't just some minor, run-of-the-mill spirit. Its glow was vibrant, its presence commanding.
It was a Quasi-Spirit, something rare and far more powerful.
"You… you're still here?" Subaru asked, pointing at the golden orb with wide eyes.
His heart raced with excitement as the realization sank in.
"Wait—are you saying you actually want to make a contract with me? Really?!" His voice cracked as he leaned closer, eyes sparkling with a mixture of disbelief and joy.
The golden spirit bobbed up and down eagerly, bouncing with clear enthusiasm as if it were nodding in affirmation.
Subaru's grin spread ear to ear. "No way… you're serious? You know what I just said, right? I'm going to be doing something incredibly reckless and dangerous! You're not just signing up for a walk in the park here!" he warned, his tone laced with worry.
In response, the spirit zipped closer to him and rubbed gently against his chest and shoulder, as though trying to reassure him.
Its warmth was comforting, and Subaru could feel the genuine affection in its movement.
"…Okay then," Subaru said after a pause, his nervousness melting into a wide, confident smile.
"If you're that determined, let's do it. Let's make a contract right here and now!" He raised his hand proudly, his grin almost childish in its excitement.
Rem, who had been quietly watching with wide eyes, clasped her hands together, her face softening at the sight of Subaru's earnestness.
Zero, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, observed silently but with a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Under the watchful gazes of both Rem and Zero, Subaru and the golden Yang Spirit forged their bond.
The surrounding air shimmered faintly as mana ripples spread, marking the formation of the contract.
Zero nodded approvingly once it was complete. "Good… the first step is finished. You've successfully acquired the Yang Spirit."
His golden eyes gleamed as he spoke, clearly satisfied with the result.
Subaru, still brimming with energy from the success, turned toward him with anticipation.
However remembering he had to take the White Whale, and remembering how strong it was in previous loops and glancing that he had just a quasi-spirit, he felt there was something missing in the plan.
"I still can't wrap my head around this…" Subaru muttered, pacing a few steps back and forth as he looked at the golden Quasi-Spirit hovering beside him.
"How the heck are we supposed to destroy the freaking White Whale with just a… a quasi-spirit? I mean, come on! That thing is massive! It's practically a floating city of terror!"
The Quasi-Spirit bobbed closer, rubbing against Subaru's chest and arms in a way that seemed almost like a protest.
Its shimmering golden light pulsed faintly, giving off the impression of mild annoyance, or perhaps an impatient sigh directed straight at Subaru.
Subaru, suddenly aware that the spirit seemed to be trying to communicate its feelings, froze mid-step and raised his hands defensively.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I don't mean to doubt your strength at all, okay? You're amazing—really, I can feel how strong you are. It's just… that thing we're fighting is colossal! You get what I mean, right?"
Rem, standing a little behind him, tilted her head slightly.
Her soft blue eyes were wide with curiosity, but also laced with worry. "Subaru-kun…" she whispered, her voice almost trembling.
"Do you really think you'll be able to handle something that huge? I know you have the spirit with you, but… it's not like the Quasi-Spirit can just turn the tide alone."
Subaru hesitated, then nodded firmly, trying to reassure her even as his own doubts flickered in the back of his mind.
"Yeah… yeah, I know. But we don't have a choice. We have to give it everything we've got."
Meanwhile, Zero, who had been quietly observing the exchange, suddenly grinned.
His golden eyes glinted with an intensity that made even Subaru pause mid-step.
"Ah, I see you're all worrying about the odds," Zero said, his voice calm but carrying a strange edge of excitement. "But get excited."
Subaru blinked at him. "Huh?"
Zero leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice in a way that demanded attention. "Because… we are going atomic."
Rem's mouth opened slightly, confusion written all over her face. She furrowed her brow, completely unsure what Zero meant, while Subaru's eyes widened so far it was almost comical.
His jaw literally dropped, and for a long moment, he simply stared at Zero like he'd just been told the world was ending and rebuilding itself at the same time.
"…Huh?" Subaru finally managed, his voice a barely audible squeak as his brain scrambled to process the revelation.
"WHAT?!" he shouted a second later, his voice cracking with a mixture of disbelief and incredulity.
He threw both arms into the air, spinning in place as if doing so would somehow make sense of the insane announcement.
The Quasi-Spirit bobbed around him, radiating a light that seemed almost amused, as if it found Subaru's reaction entertaining.
Rem just buried her face in her hands, muttering something that was somewhere between a gasp and a groan, while Zero's grin widened, clearly enjoying the chaos he had just unleashed.
For a moment, the three of them just stared at each other, the air thick with tension, anticipation, and the faintly ridiculous realization that the plan they were about to undertake was… completely insane.
To be continued...
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