Subaru lay on his deathbed, all surrounded by his family and friends. Rigel, Spica, their own children...to think he would live this long and have his own grandchildren see him off to his final resting place...feels comforting. Rem...well, she went off ahead of him a couple months ago.

'Aah...she did say it was her greatest wish to lie down on their bed, surrounded by her children and their children didn't she? That she wanted to die first, if possible.'

He thought with a wry smile. As he thought of all the things he went through with her, running off to Kararagi, settling down and having a family, and now, dying of old age...he closed his eyes slowly, his vision fading to black, wondering if an afterlife even exists here.

"Subaru-kun."

Ah, he can hear his wife's voice. Huh, she sounds much younger than he last heard her. Does going to the afterlife reunite couples in the age where they first met each other? That would be a bit weird, as some couples meet when they were kids.

"Subaru-kun? What's wrong?" ("Hey kid, what's wrong?")

Eh? Why's there an old man's voice? It sounds familiar... He opens his eyes.

He stood there in shock. He kind of expected it, but he must have forgotten in his old age. He was back here, in Lugunica. At the start. In front of the Appa merchant. Return by death was still here to haunt him, even after all this time.

"Subaru-kun? What's wrong? You look...extremely tired for some reason..."

He looks to the side, seeing his wife in her old maid uniform. He had never seen her wear it since they arrived at Kararagi, but he knew she still held it dear. The one remaining thing she had to remind her of Ram. "

You look as beautiful as ever..." He says absently, reaching out and stroking her cheek.

"Eh?! Um...Subaru-kun...that's..." She blushes a deep crimson, not expecting the touch.

Subaru walks with her around town, feeling hungry and taking a snack off the Appas they had bought. He was back. Here at the capital once more. To his old aquaintances. To his wife. To Emilia. He didn't know what to do. He had avoided all word coming from Lugunica ever since that day. He knew what happened. The deaths of the villagers, the children, Ram...Emilia.

Subaru looks at Rem from the corner of his eyes, seeing her happily walk by his side, carrying the bag of fruit. He had brought her away with him last time, and she put up with his selfishness all the way. Helped him create a family, had two wonderful children...and what did he take from her? A sister. A loving elder sister who she never saw again, with only a uniform to remember her by. What a despicable guy he was. If Rigel and Spica saw him right now, they'd probably be running at him in Oni-mode, telling him to man up. '

Damn it old man, you gonna make mom cry like that? I'll kick your teeth in!' 'Now, now brother, no need to make him unable to eat mom's food. Having him not eat a whole day is enough.'

"Heh...you're right. Sorry bout that you guys. Guess the first thing i'll try to do to make up is to make sure you two meet your aunt huh?" Subaru says.

"Eh? What do you mean Subaru-kun?" Oops, guess he said that out loud.

"N-nothing...just talking to myself." He says, reassuring Rem that nothing was wrong. 'Rigel, Spica. Hope you guys don't mind being born a bit later than usual. Your old man's gonna do his best this time around, so cheer me on will ya?!'

The man does his best, to at the very least, do a better job, once more from zero.