--Subaru's consciousness was once again summoned to a world shrouded in a black mist.
A world dominated by nothing, pitch black "nothingness."
With only his consciousness drifting in the air, Subaru became vaguely aware of his own existence.
There's no one there. There's nothing there. Nothing happens.
There is no beginning. No end. A world where nothing exists but inaction.
Subaru abandoned himself to the vague sensation of having been thrown into the ocean at night, and his consciousness even gave up thought as he sank into the idle waves.
Suddenly, a change occurred in the world of darkness.
In front of Subaru, who was still only conscious, someone stood there.
A shadow stretched out vertically from what appeared to be the ground, and a doll-like presence emerged.
I can't see her face. Her figure is vague. I think it's just the vague shadow of a woman.
The shadow swayed, slowly reaching out towards me.
Suddenly, it was so close that if he stretched out his finger he would be able to touch it. And Subaru's existence, which had only been conscious up until then, suddenly realized that he had gained a finger that responded to the outstretched finger.
In a world where there should have been nothing, where only consciousness was floating about, a body that reflected that consciousness was born. Although, all that appeared in this case was a right arm and a partially constructed left hand.
My mind was confused and I looked at the finger stretching out in front of me.
The fingers approach me with a gentle gesture, as if they are cherishing me, and for some reason I feel like I want to burst into tears.
It was a strange sentimental feeling, as if I had been waiting for this to happen for a long time.
The shadow continued to wriggle, and just as I impulsively tried to place my fingers over its hand――it stopped. No, I was stopped.
As Subaru tried to reach out his hand, a white hand reached out from behind him and embraced him.
Soft and warm feeling.
I want to turn around and see who is holding that hand, but unlike my arm, my field of vision doesn't obey my will, and I can't bring myself to turn around.
His movements were restricted as if forbidden, and the pressure of the palm gradually grew stronger, until Subaru's consciousness was pulled backwards.
That meant parting ways with the shadow that was before his eyes.
Her outstretched fingers moved seductively, as if pleading, as if clinging, inviting Subaru.
In contrast to his clenched right hand, he tries to touch the finger with his free left hand, but his half-existent left hand just scratches the darkness in vain, unable to reach it.
My heart trembles. I scream out my passion. But I have no mouth to make sound.
Distant, receding, disappearing, a shadow.
It reached out its finger towards the crying Subaru,
『---』
The last words I couldn't hear became hazy and the world disappeared.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
The first thing that caught Subaru's eye when he woke up was the familiar, luxurious ceiling.
In a mansion where aristocratic tastes were fully displayed, even the servants' private rooms were in the realm of excessive decoration. When it came to the guest rooms where guests were entertained, the reality was that they had to be excessively decorated to show the authority of the owner of the mansion and so on.
Regardless of that fact, it was clear to the ordinary Subaru that the situation was uncomfortable.
Taking advantage of the shorter than average time it took for him to think before awakening, Subaru thought absentmindedly about such things.
and,
"--Wake up, did you?"
Exactly five seconds after opening his eyes, Subaru had regained consciousness when a voice called out to him.
The voice came from right next to the bed, at close range. Subaru tilted his head on the abnormally soft pillow and looked in that direction,
"...I'm so tired, Rem."
"Guu...? Is this a greeting from Subaru-kun's hometown?"
"No, by our standards it's more like a regional accent. The only other thing I can understand is Danke. Bono's is different."
I suddenly started to worry about whether there were differences in the language used in this world depending on the country. At present, there is insufficient verification as to the form of language communication in Subaru, so it would be necessary to handle such issues with great care.
Anyway,
"Waking up with a maid by your side is what a boy wants, in a way."
"...Considering how Rem was mishandled this time, I don't think something like this is an atonement."
"Oh, that sounds a bit negative, so that's fine. That's it."
Sitting up and shaking his head with each sound, Subaru suddenly lifted his right hand from under the covers. His hand was firmly intertwined with the blue-haired girl's,
"Did I do this? Like, I grabbed her and wouldn't let go... that would be pretty embarrassing. Like not letting go of your favorite towel when you were a kid."
"No, well, this is..."
In response to Subaru's question, Rem nervously moved her clenched hand, then blushed slightly as she looked down,
"Rem said so."
"What's wrong? I should tell you, even though I look like this, I sweat a lot when I sleep. Especially around my hands and hips. Heat rash in the summer is a real life-or-death issue."
"Subaru-kun..."
"Yeah?"
Glancing at the hand she was still holding, Rem mumbled something. Subaru remained calm and waited for an answer without rushing.
Seeing Subaru in that position, Rem took a few breaths, then looked up in his direction,
"Subaru-kun looked like he was in pain while he was sleeping… so I gave him my hand."
"Did you hold it?"
"Rem is ignorant, talentless, and full of flaws. So I don't know what to do for her at a time like this. Because I didn't know, I wanted to do what Rem would have been happiest to have done for her."
Perhaps it was connected to some embarrassing memory, but his words were choppy.
Even so, Subaru looked down at Rem's clasped hand and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Subaru looked like a child, frightened from a bad dream. Seeing him like that, she chose this gentle approach.
She too must have had someone hold her hand like this on a night when she felt like she was about to burst into tears. The fact that Subaru had done the same to her made her feel both itchy and happy.
"That aside, you're belittling yourself again, Remrin. That's not good. A negative spiral is easy to get into but hard to get out of."
"Yes, that may be the case. In Rem's case, she no longer knows how to get out."
A weak smile. I don't quite like it.
Subaru was feeling a sense of gratitude inside, but
"... Anyway, I don't want to hear the sequel, I want to hear the whole story."
"Yes. How much do you remember, Subaru-kun?"
"I guess it was the part where Rozu-chan came down with fire raining down on her and got totally excited, and then Rem-rin gave her a bear hug and knocked her unconscious."
"...So then, what happens after that?"
Rem quietly and matter-of-factly recounted the details of what had happened afterwards.
After Subaru lost consciousness, Roswaal cleared out the Ulgarm from the forest. Even unconsciously, Subaru still gave off the lingering scent of the witch, acting as live bait for the magical beasts lurking in the forest, eliminating the option of hiding.
The herd that had been hiding in the darkness of Shamak was wiped out by the flames, and the remnants that had been scattered throughout the forest were also incinerated.
"Well then, regarding my curse for now."
"Due to the death of the caster, there is no need to worry about the curse being activated. Lord Roswaal, Lady Beatrice, and the Great Spirit have all confirmed that the curse has already lost its effectiveness."
"Well, as long as we get a third opinion then we should be safe..."
Unable to think of any specific part that had been cursed, Subaru let out a sigh of relief while rubbing his chest.
At least the time bomb that was directly planted on my body has been deactivated. It's hard to breathe when I think back on how many times I nearly died because of it.
"Lord Roswaal himself managed to put an end to the chaos in the village. The children are doing well, and the village has now almost returned to normal."
"I see, I see. But you know, the kids must have been really sad when their beloved Big Bro Subaru returned in a bloody and tattered state. I'm sure some of them even cried. Ah, well, there's nothing we can do about it."
"--Yes, that's true."
As she spoke, Rem slowly and meaningfully removed the duvet from Subaru. Subaru instinctively exclaimed, "No," and tried to curl up, but the gesture was immediately stopped.
The cause was Subaru's clothes, hidden under the futon. They were similar to the work clothes he was wearing on his first day at the Roswaal Manor when he was brought in injured. However, there was something odd about the shoes that were on the work clothes.
"It's covered in graffiti... it looks like a plaster cast for someone who has broken a bone!"
"Thanks to Lord Roswaal's generosity, the children who were invited to the mansion left these notes."
"Geez, those brats..."
Resisting the urge to click his tongue, Subaru looks at the numerous graffiti posts. From his perspective, they are all upside down, and the handwriting is messy to begin with, making them extremely difficult to read.
But it was all in letters that even Subaru could read, so he took his time to read it all.
"Damn those brats."
The content is the same as before. However, the emotions expressed are slightly different.
Leaning back against the pillow on his bed, Subaru cast his gaze towards the window, hoping that the time would come soon so that he could head to the village.
"Thank you for bringing Remrin back" "Thank you very much" "It's not cool, but it's cool" "Let's promise to do the radio show" "I love you"
"Ha, you idiot. Of course I like you guys more."
How casually she says she likes him, how lightly she speaks, Subaru thinks.
They don't realize that this is something that will come back to haunt them.
Subaru cursed, likely to be met with lukewarm stares. Seeing Subaru like that, Rem suddenly straightened her expression, her lips trembling,
"Speaking of the progress, I would like to talk about Subaru's body now."
"Hmm, yeah, that's true. Curses aside, my body was in quite an emergency situation as well."
As he spoke, he suddenly realized that Rem was gripping his right shoulder.
Even when I applied a little pressure, there was no discomfort or pain. This probably meant that the treatment had been carried out, but the healing magic in this world was truly omnipotent.
That was what Subaru was thinking, but,
"I'm sorry, Subaru-kun."
As Subaru made his optimistic decision, Rem bowed her head in front of him.
Unable to think of any reason for her to apologize, Subaru waved her off and said, "Hey, hey."
"Lift your head, Remrin. You're not feeling too bad, you know? My dislocated shoulder is back in, and no other part of my body hurts. I'm perfectly fine, perfectly fine."
"That's not true. It's true that any noticeable wounds have been treated, and fortunately there's no need to worry about any aftereffects that will interfere with your daily life. But--"
Rem stopped speaking, a shadow of sorrow falling over her face.
"Scars will remain. Not only on your body, but on your mind as well. Also, due to having had multiple treatments, the mana in your body is close to depleting."
"Yeah, that's true. I thought it was a bit tiring though... But it doesn't really have a big impact. A man's scars are medals except for the one on his back, and when it comes to emotional scars I'm a pretty tough guy, you know?"
Gesturing to himself with his thumb, Subaru smiled, trying to make her feel less guilty.
It wasn't a lie. If Subaru's heart had been weak and naive, he wouldn't have been able to greet the morning with her, holding hands like this.
If we're talking about emotional scars, it wouldn't be surprising if Subaru had been through so many experiences that he couldn't even look Rem in the face.
Thinking that far, Subaru looked intently at Rem.
Short blue hair. Her beautiful features are more cute than pretty. Her expressions, which he had initially thought were fairly constant, now change all the time. She's not scary. Not scary at all. There's the girl who made Subaru go through the loop countless times, and there's also the girl who was genuinely happy that he'd survived. It all depends on fate, or so he feels.
Just as there is Rem who goes berserk thinking of Roswaal, there is also Rem who thinks of Subaru and comes to a rash conclusion, and it is also true that there is also Rem who loses all reason and goes into berserker mode once she has decided there is no risk of accidentally hitting an ally――,
"Even though you look calm, Remrin is actually not that calm or collected at all."
Based on her usual behavior around the mansion and her work as a senior maid mentoring Subaru, Rem seems to be a very capable person with a level head.
However, I can't help but feel that when a situation strays from that realm, it has the tendency to suddenly start going in a completely ridiculous direction.
Subaru couldn't say much about other people's tendency to make snap decisions, but in her case, it was accompanied by the use of force and the ability to use force, which made it tricky.
Rem stopped moving for just a moment after Subaru pointed it out, then bowed her head weakly.
She then bowed her face,
"I know that."
He continued muttering, spilling out the thoughts in his heart bit by bit.
"Rem is weak, untalented, and a dropout among the demons. So no matter how hard she runs, she often can't catch up. So, for Rem to catch up with her sister, she can't think of any other way than to run fast."
Covering her face with her open hands, Rem continued her confession as if squeezing it out.
"Sister could have done it better. Sister wouldn't have stumbled in a place like this. Sister wouldn't have wavered. Sister would have managed it with ease. Sister would never make a mistake. Sister, Sister, Sister--"
Rem stopped speaking and looked at Subaru with a faint light in her eyes.
There are no tears in his eyes, just emptiness and resigned despair.
"Rem is a replacement for my sister. But she is far, far inferior; she will never be able to catch up to the real sister. She is a failure."
--Suddenly, faint tears appear in my eyes.
"Why did Rem end up with horns? Why didn't my sister have any horns? Why was my sister only born with one horn? Why--were you and Rem twins?"
Rem's lips trembled, as if searching for the meaning of her existence.
The tears that had gathered in her eyes ran down her cheeks, leaving a sorrowful sparkle on her pale skin.
Subaru was silent. Unable to bear the silence, Rem hurriedly wiped away her tears, her expression crumbling as she gave an awkward smile,
"I'm sorry. I said something strange. Please forget it. It's the first time I've ever said something like this to someone, so it's really weird..."
"Hey, Rem."
Rem quickly tries to cancel out what she had just said.
Subaru interrupts her and calls her name. What words will Subaru use to break the silence? Rem looks up, fearful of the answer.
Subaru said to her.
"What's the punch line?"
"--picture?"
"That's the punch line, the punch line. The key part that will send the whole family into a tizzy of laughter. You know what, I said that much."
Rem's eyes widened in confusion, not understanding what Subaru had said.
"What on earth are you doing..."
"That's the extent of the story that's no laughing matter. —Rem, let's continue where we left off. Do you remember?"
Rem's eyes darken at the question, and Subaru laughs at her response, saying "Well, I guess that can't be helped," as he raises his left hand and holds up one finger in front of Rem.
「Well, let's review. First, you idiot. You're saying you couldn't save me. Can you see me jumping around in front of you? I'm even standing on my feet.」
Her feet swaying back and forth in her actions. Rem seemed to have thought about what Subaru had brought up, but she still shook her head weakly.
"That's just hindsight..."
"All's well that ends well, as the old saying goes. If I were to be grading along the way, honestly, I'd be more of a pain to watch than you. But that aside, the second thing you're an idiot is, you tried to take on everything by yourself."
Subaru winked and held up a second finger,
"Well, I'm glad you went off the rails for my sake, but that depends on the time and the situation. Above all, if we just talk it out, a good solution will come up, right?"
It was self-evident that Subaru had a point when it came to hunting magical beasts. Rem's lips trembled as if ashamed of her own short-sightedness, and she stuffed the words of refutation down her throat.
Of course, this was a hindsight theory that could only be stated after seeing the results―― Rem, overwhelmed, didn't notice, and Subaru secretly stuck out his tongue in apology for being mean.
Subaru then places his face underneath hers as she bows her head.
He laughed at her shock and raised the third finger on his left hand.
"And then there's the third idiot who couldn't tell me. No, the third one snuck out that time, so I guess I'm the fourth idiot. There are so many idiots here."
"Rem did things that deserved to be said like that."
"Yes, that's it. That's the fourth idiot."
Subaru pointed his finger at Rem, who was unable to escape from the self-deprecating situation. Then, he raised his four fingers and waved them back and forth,
"It's about always thinking about the past and always looking back."
"――――"
"Hey Rem, you keep saying she's your big sister, you're your big sister, and you're praising Ram to the max and putting yourself down, but… I don't think having Ram-chie in Rem-rin's position would have made a difference, you know? She's got less stamina than Rem-rin, she's bad at cooking, she slacks off at work, she's foul-mouthed… maybe she's just a little bit more thoughtful?"
Remembering Ram's specs, Subaru wondered how far removed they were from the ideal image that Rem had described. An older sister inferior to her younger sister in every ability. As they themselves knew, Ram was inferior to Rem in every ability score. There was no need for Rem to belittle herself.
Rem shook her head in refusal to listen to Subaru's thoughts,
"No, that's not it. My sister, my real sister is very different. If she had horns, if she had horns like mine, she'd be like this..."
"But Ram doesn't have those horns that we would 'hide'. So I don't know of any high-spec Ram with horns."
Subaru interrupted Rem, who was about to deny herself with a standard answer, and touched his chin with his left hand,
"The Ram I know is just as I said before. She's no better at cooking, sewing, cleaning, etiquette or speaking than Rem. —Well, I guess that's one of her good points, though."
He speaks so arrogantly that it's not a bad thing to clash with him every now and then.
Subaru felt comfortable with this distance in his relationship with her. And if you turn the issue to whether she has horns or not,
"Maybe Rem's the only one who cares about that sort of thing?"
I remember my brief conversation with Ram in the forest.
It seemed like Ram didn't have much attachment to being a demon. On the contrary, it seemed like Ram wanted to do something about Rem's attachment to it.
Subaru doesn't even think about being so arrogant as to try and do something about it.
After all, I'm just a youngster with very little life experience, and I'm a hikikomori who is even less active than people my age.
How can such a person's empty lectures resonate with anyone's heart?
I don't get nervous. I don't try to make a big sound.
In the end, there are things you have to come to terms with within yourself, and you have to do it yourself instead of relying on someone else.
So what Subaru tells Rem is a terribly simple imposition of his own feelings.
"Without you, I would have been bitten by a dog and died. But you saved me. I'm still alive today. I owe it all to you, not just to my sister."
"...If you were the real Sister, you could do it better."
"Maybe. But you were there."
Over the weak rebuttal, Subaru placed his left hand over the one still clasped in his right.
Rem looked up in surprise, and Subaru gave a wry smile,
"I'm glad you were there, Rem. Thank you."
"--!"
Subaru's words made Rem let out a throaty groan.
Then she turned her face away, not showing her expression to Subaru,
"Rem... Rem has always been a replacement for my sister..."
"Stop defining yourself like that. For starters, even categorizing Ram and Rem differently. After all, they are older sister and younger sister attributes - that could lead to a war."
Differences in tastes that can never be reconciled. Both have their good points, Subaru thought to himself, while Rem shut her eyes tightly.
"Well, that's it. Let's make the most of being twins from now on. Ram is smart but her body is a bit unwieldy, so Rem can take over the unwieldy parts. With beautiful sisterly love they can make up for each other's shortcomings and be the strongest."
"Rem's shortsightedness is a flaw after all..."
"It's a good flow, so I won't pick up on that. Oh, that's right. I had an idea."
Subaru clapped his hands and his face lit up at the idea.
Then he leaned closer to Rem, who was still facing away, and said,
"You asked me that earlier, Remrin. Something about why Ram doesn't have horns and you do."
"...yes"
"Well, I didn't ask in detail about the reason why he lost his horn, and since I didn't ask, I don't know. Since I don't know, I'll just act like I do."
Subaru slapped his forehead with his left hand - right where Rem's horns had grown out - and
"Rem could take the place of Ram's horns since he doesn't have any. The two of them could get along and act like "demon". It would have a heartfelt feel to it."
"--Ah."
"Besides, you say replacement, but there is no one to replace Rem. Can you imagine what state Ram would be in if Rem were to disappear?"
The speechless Rem doesn't know, but Subaru knows what will happen in that future.
She screams at the death of her sister, lets out an anguished lament that sounds like the end of the world, and goes crazy, trying to avenge her with all her might.
"...but"
Even so, Rem still didn't readily agree with Subaru's words.
It's hard to convince people, anyway. In her case, it seems she's been harboring these feelings for many years, so the lingering feeling is deeply rooted.
Subaru scratched his head at her stubbornness and said, "Ugh, come on."
"Okay, then let's do it this way. Rem is comparing herself to this ideal Ram in her mind, and no matter how hard she struggles she gets nowhere. So let's get rid of that ideal Ram idol that we keep comparing ourselves to."
"That's not something that can be done so easily. Rem will always be with my sister..."
"So if you want an evaluation, just ask me. I'll give you a much more realistic evaluation than the Ram in Rem's head. I'll tell you, I have no ability to read the mood so I'll be frank. No flattery or mercy whatsoever. Serves you right."
Smiling, Subaru caressed Rem's ruffled blue hair with his left hand.
As she narrowed her eyes in annoyance, Subaru sighed softly,
"In my hometown, they say, 'talking about next year makes the devil laugh.' So..."
As Rem said nothing and just let herself be, Subaru tilted his head and continued speaking.
"Laugh, Rem. Don't look so sad, laugh. Let's talk about the future while laughing. You've been looking backwards up until now, so let's talk about it looking forward from now on. For now, let's start with tomorrow."
"...About tomorrow."
"Yes, about tomorrow. Anything is fine. For example, whether tomorrow's breakfast menu will be Japanese or Western, or whether you should put on your socks starting from the right foot or the left foot. No matter how trivial the topic, it's a topic about tomorrow that can only be discussed because there is tomorrow."
Spreading his hands, Subaru concluded his story and then shrugged, asking Rem for an answer, "How is it?"
She hesitated for a moment before replying, then frowned in confusion.
"Rem is very weak, so she will probably end up leaning on you."
"Isn't it okay? I'm weak, stupid, have a bad look in my eyes, and can't read the mood, so I feel down when I say this, but I live my life relying on others and expecting support in those areas. We can just lean on each other and move forward."
Because you take on everything by yourself, you focus only on the burden and can't see what's ahead on the path you're walking.
It's easy to walk around with the intention of having both hands empty, like Subaru. But even so, your luggage will pile up before you know it - if you're carrying it all by yourself and can't see what's ahead, you can just share it with someone and move forward. What do you think about doing something like that?
"Let's laugh, put our arms around each other, and talk about tomorrow and the future. It was my dream to laugh with a demon and talk about next year."
"...You seem possessed by a demon."
"Right?"
I closed one eye and twisted the corner of my mouth, and Rem seemed drawn into a small laugh.
She begins to laugh, and as she begins to laugh, tears suddenly begin to spill from the corners of her eyes. The tears continue to overflow, never knowing what to do, but Rem still continues to laugh.
Crying and laughing, crying and laughing, Rem pressed her face into the futon to hold back her sobs and laughter, but even so, her sounds of laughter and tears fell quietly into the room.
Subaru continued to gently stroke her hair the whole time.
His right hand remained firmly clenched until the very end.
He continued to stroke her gently, tenderly, forever.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
I remember my days at Roswaal Mansion.
The first loop begins, and on the fourth night he dies - caused by exhaustion.
He enters the second loop and dies on the fourth night - by being bludgeoned to death by Rem.
After the third loop, he falls into despair and dies on the evening of the third day - brutally murdered by Ram.
He fought hard during the fourth loop, but died on the evening of the fifth day - cause of death was a fall from a cliff.
And then the fifth loop. I was bitten all over by dogs, clawed all over, lost a lot of blood and mental strength, and was left with scars all over my body that made me want to look away - but I think I managed to pick it all up.
His relationship with Rem and Ram, Subaru's position in the mansion. The children of the village were saved, the monsters in the forest had been wiped out and there was no danger. The twenty days of adventure had gone very well.
Yes, it should have been a great success.
"--It's not like I'm angry or anything. Yes, that's right, I'm not angry or anything. The person I was taking care of so well woke up and they were gone, and when I thought about going to look for them I found them tied tightly to a chair, and I was completely left behind, but I'm not the kind of narrow-minded person to get angry over something like that."
If it weren't for the girl sitting in the chair beside the bed, playing with her silver hair with her fingers, and cornering Subaru in such a bad mood.
Breaking into a cold sweat, Subaru listened to her complaints in silence.
Ten minutes had already passed since she had visited my room, and most of that time had been taken up with her complaining disguised as a lecture.
However, when she first entered the room, she was extremely concerned about Subaru's condition, and after checking that there were no physical problems, she let out a sigh of relief, then, as if regaining her composure, she sat down in a chair and began to get back on track, which showed how serious she was.
Anyway,
"I'm not angry or anything."
"Yes, Emilia-tan is right to be angry. Yes, I'm sorry."
Subaru: "I'm not angry, ever. But, if you think Subaru is in the wrong, then there's nothing we can do. Let's accept that apology. ――Really, don't make me worry, okay?"
Subaru was overwhelmed by Emilia's enthusiasm and apologized. Emilia smiled at Subaru, pleased with what she had said, and added a touch of affection to her smile.
It was extremely cowardly. How could I ignore something like that with such a face?
After Rem had cried her eyes out and left the room (she'd been strongly told that her crying was to be kept a secret, so she was thinking of how to spread the word without her finding out), Subaru was dozing off when Emilia came to visit him.
Her actions since her visit have been as mentioned above. However, once that was all over, the light of compassion and concern for Subaru flashed in her eyes, which was quite unsettling.
"Even so, Subaru is a kid who is always getting injured. The reason he came to this mansion was because of an injury… and it's only been four days since then."
"It's not like I want to get hurt or anything, you know? It's just that the world is a little harsh on me… so at the very least, Emilia-tan, I don't mind you spoiling me and balancing things out!"
"I tried to be nice to you, but you ran away. I don't care anymore."
"Nooooo! You've squandered your chance! Damn it, Bear-ko, try to do a better job! What are you trying to say about being tied down!"
Shouting the name of the girl with the long curls, whom he had not seen since waking up, Subaru took out his anger on the injustice that had befallen him.
Emilia looked off into the distance at the word "bound" that Subaru had spoken.
"I fell asleep in the chair and woke up to find myself strapped to the backrest. I was totally shocked."
"I don't hear of "shock" these days."
"Don't make fun of me. …Puck will also try to stop me from chasing after Subaru and the others, and if Roswaal hadn't come back, what would have happened? Do you understand?"
Emilia pouted her lips and looked a little angry.
Subaru could only respond to her request with a humbled expression.
Just as Puck had planned, he had been acting in a way that would not put Emilia in danger, and Beatrice had quickly given up on trying to persuade her and shifted towards forcibly restricting her actions.
With two people blocking her path, she must have felt extremely miserable, with no way out.
If it were me who was left behind, I couldn't help but think that.
Although, even if the same thing were to happen again, she was certain that Subaru would not take her away.
"But you helped me again."
"fart?"
"That's why I said you've saved me again. I called you to the mansion to thank you for saving my life, and yet you've done this again. Thank you so much."
With her hands clasped together, Emilia reluctantly smiles and tells him.
Subaru finally replied, "Yeah,"
"Well, it's fine, it's fine. It's just something I wanted to do, so it's not like it has nothing to do with me. That's right. I did it."
As I tasted it, I finally began to get a sense of it.
It felt as if something hardened inside my chest had suddenly fallen away.
Looking back on the twenty or so days that had been repeated, Subaru had seen their end.
After being so heartbroken, broken and frustrated, what he still sought was finally within his reach.
I finally felt like I had accomplished something.
"I thought Subaru would say that, but that wouldn't be enough. I'm sure Roswaal, Ram, and Rem would want to thank you too."
"I see... Then I'll take you up on your offer. I'll have Roz-chan review her employment conditions to make them more favorable, and Ram and Rem will be my personal maids for a while, mufufu. And then!"
Placing his hand over his mouth and laughing lustfully, Subaru swayed his body from side to side as he approached Emilia, and when she pulled back slightly, he pointed his finger at her,
"Emilia-tan, are you the type that gives you rewards too?"
"...It's cash. I'll tell you, it's the only thing I can do. ...Now that you mention it, you asked me my name before."
"Hmph, don't underestimate my greedy self. This time around, I have nothing to do with such sweetness. Greed, greed, and a swirling libido are what drive me!"
Subaru was in a wild pose, arms raised at an angle, even though he couldn't get up from the bed.
Seeing Subaru in such an exhilarating state, Emilia probably didn't expect him to make such a disappointing request, so she straightened up and turned towards him.
Subaru nodded at Emilia's attitude that seemed to say she would listen to his request, then he searched through the ``Emilia Reward List'' in his mind.
As the options open up, such as a little adventure or a flashy dash up the stairs, Subaru carefully considers his options and chooses one.
and,
"Well then, let's go on a date, Emilia-tan."
So I decided to make a promise with her again, one I had made twenty days ago.
"So?"
"Going out together, seeing the same things, eating the same things, doing the same things, and sharing the same memories."
"...Is that really okay?"
"That's what I like about it."
That's where the first step began.
Just how much effort had Subaru gone through to get that long-awaited date with her?
Many thoughts had piled up along the way, and the hurdles Subaru sought in his loops always got higher, but the hurdle he hoped to jump over in the end was always there.
So that promise is a fitting end to these repetitive days.
Subaru: "The kids in the village are bragging about Emilia-tan, and there are amazing flower fields and stuff. Even just walking around aimlessly is special to me."
Subaru: "Maybe Subaru's meaning of greed is different from the norm?"
"Just say it. Before you know it, your smile will freeze at my audacity. Yes!"
A mysterious pose with her arms crossed.
And seeing Subaru unable to hide his excitement, Emilia gave a relaxed smile,
"Okay, I get it. I'll date Subaru."
「Yes! That's it! E.M.B! (Emilia-tan Maji Bodhisattva)」
The promise exchanged, Subaru shouted loudly in excitement.
Hearing Emilia's soft sigh, Subaru looks out the window in ecstasy, hoping for his body to recover.
The direction of the village, the destination of the promised date.
As he pondered this, Subaru suddenly thought of the Forest of Magical Beasts.
It seems that the curse that resided within Subaru's body has completely lost its effect.
That meant wiping out all the Urgarm in that forest. This whole incident started when one of them slipped through the gap in the broken barrier and into our area.
In the end, with the annihilation of one side, all parties involved were resolved.
It left me with a bad aftertaste that I couldn't understand.
Simply put, I don't feel like I can be completely happy that the pests are gone.
Suddenly, I remember.
The feeling of stabbing the sword into that demonic beast's body in the forest, in a total madness.
The feeling of steel hammering into flesh was unique, the sensation left in my palm still fresh in my memory.
The feeling of taking a life.
I think that someday I will forget that feeling.
I believe that as time passes, the incomprehensible thoughts that are currently going through my mind will disappear.
It was a feeling I had never known before coming to this other world.
What can we do until the day comes when we forget about it?
"Subaru."
"Yeah?"
I turn around when I hear the call.
Subaru's gaze was vague and distant; what did she make of it?
Emilia brushed her silver hair back, walked to the window and pulled open the curtains.
The sunlight that had been blocked suddenly spread throughout the room, and her silver hair was engulfed in a flurry of light, drawing Subaru's eyes gently into the scene.
And then, seeing the silent Subaru, Emilia suddenly smiled,
"Let's bring a bouquet of flowers on Date's day."
"--Yeah"
Receiving that smile, Subaru realized he was no match for her and covered his face with his hands.
Until the day comes when I forget, I will never forget and will keep it in my heart.
It may be hypocritical and intrusive sentimental, but I don't think it's wrong.
Emilia's smile seemed to tell him that it was true.
Time passes as Emilia and I laugh together.
--The morning sun of the fifth day finally arrived and continued to gently shine upon the two of them.