Finally, after weeks (2) worth of writing this chapter, I have finished! Behold the complete, SUPER LONG, Episode 1 Reaction Chapter! AHHHHH! FINALLY!

If you see any line breaks in this chapter, that means those are the parts that I wanted to split.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Re:Zero" nor any references used in the story. All of them belong to their respective owners.

Pleiades knew the next episode would change their perspective of Subaru. Their Subaru of their timeline.

After all, it will not just show one death, but two in the same episode.

He inhaled deeply, and exhaled. Knowing this episode would reveal the first and second use of "Return by Death".

The user of four Authorities of Sin steeled himself. Worried that Satella would suddenly appear in this viewing and instantly thrash the place.

Although he had faith that the guy, the Lord of Helheim as he called himself, would hold her at bay long enough for the viewing to finish.

Pleiades wasn't too sure how long, but unless he had Reinhard's plethora of Divine Protections. Then everything would be fine... He hoped so.

Meanwhile Emilia, on the other hand, was a different story.

She was worried. Really worried.

She was scared, Subaru knew as much. He knew that Emilia was worried that Elsa might still be at the loothouse waiting for them.

Although she did not know that Elsa was there, but she did not know what happens afterwards.

Subaru closed his eyes, cutting Cor Leonis off as the viewing begins.

The End of the Beginning and the Beginning of the End.

It was evening.

It was clearly so for the two seekers of the stolen insignia, namely Subaru and the girl under the alias of Satella, as they walked in the dark of the night.

"It's getting lonelier and lonelier." remarked the half-elf. Noticing there were no lights in the slums.

"Does she really live in a place like this?" he asked, noticing how empty this place was in the night.

The silver-haired woman replied, "The lesser spirits said they saw someone who looked like Felt coming in this direction..."

"Question, Emilia-sama. Are they going in the right direction of the loot house?"

She reluctantly nodded, "Yes, they're going in right direction Ram."

Anxiety filled her voice. Worried that the assassin known as Elsa would still be at the loot house.

Then, they came across of the resident of this district, passing by as he looked at them and Subaru looked back at him.

After he passed by, Subaru suddenly called out.

"Hey, bro! Does a girl named Felt live up this way?"

"...Barusu, shameless as always."

"...Nee-sama..."

"Huh? Felt?" he asked confusedly but answered, "Nothing that way but Old Man Rom's loot house."

He chuckled as he put his hand on his chin.

"Did Felt steal something from you guys? Well, go try and negotiate to get it back." he raised his left hand, "Live strong."

"Question, did you negotiate with that little thief? Or..."

"After the fight with Elsa, she gave it willingly." Emilia answered immediately, before going back to screen.

Two searchers looked at each other before the scene changed showing a bright full moon with a sound of a dog(?) howling in the night.

Subaru, holding a crystal-powered lamp (which interestingly works the same way as a flashlight), stood in front of the loot house with Emilia.

"Why do I have to pay money to get back something stolen from me?" she asked, knowing that she had not brought any money.

"Well, at any rate, leave this one to me. I'll negotiate with him." he said as he briefly checked his phone.

"Also," Pleiades uttered, catching everyone's attention, "Subaru's metia, other than making calls, can also be used to check the time."

"Hmm, do you know?" the red Oni."

"You can see him looking at his phone from his hand." pointed out the star-named man.

"Okay. I'll leave it to you." she said, Subaru turned to her.

"You agreed to that awfully easily... The way you've been acting, I thought you'd say, 'leave this to a useless boy like you? That's so ridiculous, I'm laughing my head off!' And I'd be hurt, but still make up my mind to help you all over again."

Ram coldly laughed at the part where he spoke in a high-pitched voice and his acting.

"He is useless, but the way Barusu acts is a bit hilarious for me."

"Ram..."

"Nee-sama."

The Great Spirit shook his head at her response.

Pleiades gave her blank look, before turning back to the viewing.

"I wouldn't say something that mean." she claimed, "Of course, I'd be lying if I said you haven't been holding me back..."

"It'd be a lie!?"

"But... I'll try believing in you."

Pleiades exhaled, remembering this very well. Even now, the Emilia of his timeline tried her best in believing him. As shown in the events of the tower.

He looked at her for a moment, before she continued.

"If it goes well, I'll consider it a bonus."

"If you'd look up at me and say, 'Do your best for me!' I'd feel a lot more motivated."

"Barusu. Disgusting." she uttered with a disgusted look.

Rem, on the other hand, pouted. Wanting to say that to Subaru.

"I can't force myself to say something like that."

She softly smiled as she said.

"But... Do your best."

Subaru smiled. Although not what he was expecting, but got what he wanted.

Rem, in response, pouted even more.

"Yeah. I will. I'll go in first. You stay outside and keep watch. I won't be back too late, but you can have dinner without me."

"Don't say dumb things like that. Be careful."

"Sure, sure." he said assuredly, "Don't come in until I say it's okay, Satella."

Emilia cringed at the way Subaru was casually saying the name Satella. She berated herself of lying her name to him.

"You should've told him your real name, Lia."

"I know, Puck. But, why can't I remember anything related to this? Why, Puck?"

"Don't ask me. I don't know about these events happening at all. It's best that we should continue watching, right, Lia?"

Emilia nodded, before turning back to the screen.

There was an awkward silence between the two after he said Satella.

Subaru looked back and asked, "What?"

She shook her head, breaking off whatever thoughts she had.

"N-Nothing. Never mind. If you can get my insignia back, I'll apologize."

"Well, at least the other Lia wanted to apologize Subaru for not telling her real name."

"You don't have to say it like that, Puck."

"Te-hee."

Then, the screen turned dark for a moment before revealing it was the interior of the loothouse as Subaru went in.

"Excuse me..." he uttered as he closed the door.

"Did Subaru-kun had to say it like that?"

Pleiades answered, "Back in his homeland, it's common courtesy to say it before coming in."

"His country sure had a strict courtesy."

"Fun fact, they were known by foreigners to be extremely polite when doing that."

Looking around, using the crystal lamp, he saw a suit of armor, a trident of some sort, a seemingly sharp sword, and expensive-looking stuff the loot house seemed to have.

"They weren't kidding. Those are some expensive right there." the Great Spirit remarked, never got to see the things the loot house had store due to fighting Elsa.

"Now, am I walking into a demon nest or a snake pit? In a fantasy world, either one is totally plausible..."

"If I were to guess, for Barusu's sake, I would say, both." was the cold reply of the red Oni.

"Nee-sama..."

"This is all stolen loot? And why isn't there anyone here? A place that handles stolen goods can only afford to be so careless."

Somehow, from Subaru's words, brought a sudden chill in Emilia's spine when she noticed that neither Felt nor that old man called Rom was present.

Please tell me they made it out alive.

She knew it was wishful thinking. But considering the silence the loot house loomed, she braced for the worse.

Subaru took a couple of steps before stepping something wet.

Oh, no. Emilia's worst fears were confirmed.

Realizing that he had stepped on something. Subaru looked down below and saw a puddle of blood.

With the light illuminating from his crystal lamp, Subaru saw a severed arm.

Emilia showed an uncharacteristically horrified look. Recognizing that arm in an instant.

Due to his contract to Emilia, Puck showed a similar look as Emilia's

Both Ram and Rem were shocked at this. They didn't expect something like a severed arm to be the first thing they saw in Subaru's perspective.

Pleiades simply narrowed his eyes as he calmly exhaled. Knowing what is to come.

Cold sweat broke out as Subaru stared at the severed arm in shock as he unconsciously took a few steps back.

Slightly raising his head, he saw an even more horrifying sight.

A corpse of a giant old man. With his throat pierced, being his cause of death, apparently. With blood still spilling from his mouth.

"That can't be..." Emilia uttered, horrified at the sight of Rom's corpse, "No! But, how!?"

"Like I said before, things had gone different that what you've experienced. And like the previous statement I made, this is a prime example of it."

Emilia could only look at Pleiades with mouth wide agape. Speechless at the event unfurled.

At the sight of the corpse, adding the fact that blood was still spilling, means that it was fresh and the old man died not too long and too recent for it to be discovered so quickly.

Subaru nearly hyperventilated in shock before an unknown woman's voice was heard.

"Oh, dear, you found that?"

She recognized the voice, she recognized the tone she was speaking.

"Elsa..."

There was no doubt about it. The voice definitely belonged to Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert, herself.

As Subaru realized someone behind him, she continued.

"Well, I have no choice, then."

He slowly turned around. Cold sweat broke out the pores of very being.

"No..."

The chilling voice continued.

"Yes, I have no choice..."

"NO! SUBARU! GET OUT THERE NOW!" Emilia cried out. Screaming for Subaru to run away from Elsa.

It was pointless.

As Subaru just turned around, a sickening sound of blade cutting flesh was made known as Subaru tumbled down. Rolling a good few times before letting go the crystal lamp as it was thrown into one of the boxes. Effectively shutting any known lights except for the illuminating rays of the moon shot through the holes of the loot house's roof.

As Subaru struggled to get up he uttered in pain.

"Ow, that burns..."

He felt something warm flowing out of his stomach. As he saw what the moonlight had offered him, his gut was cut open and felt in his hands and saw it was his own blood.

"SUBARU!" Emilia cried out in complete horror. The cut on his stomach was identical to what she saw after he saved from Elsa and requesting for his reward

The blue-haired maid also cried out, "SUBARU-KUN!"

Rem knew the feeling. During the early days on her work as a maid, she cut her hands and felt it was burning.

But at the screen, she knew the burning feeling intensified that the cut on the gut, which had afflicted on Subaru, was beyond compare.

Rem seethed in pure anger at the person, as Emilia claimed to be Elsa. But she had concerns for Subaru's state. And her horrified mirrors that of Emilia.

Ram, wide-eyed in shock, could not believe her eyes as she saw Subaru.

Although she did not care for her colleague during the peaceful month after the Mabeast Incident. But she was not cold enough to ignore the dire state he was in.

So it begins. Thought the man who experienced this before.

Oh, crap... Is all of this my blood?

As soon as he processed this, he vomited the blood and tried to keep it in using his hand.

This is bad... Very bad...

The audience agreed what he had thought of. It was bad, very bad indeed.

The door opens, and went in the half-elf.

"Subaru? What's wrong?" she called out, "Subaru?"

"This is like in the first episode..."

Emilia uttered in realization. The first episode had vaguely shown them, and they had paid the price for not looking through what it appeared.

"No... Run! Hurry!"

He tried to call out, but to no avail as the pain prevented him from calling out to her.

"Please! Listen other me! Run! Hurry!"

Emilia was getting desperate. Elsa was strong, strong enough to kill her. If it weren't for the fact that she was cautious of Puck and not knowing when would he appear next, Elsa would've killed both her and Subaru. And it was that cautiousness that allowed the Sword Saint, Reinhard, to appear just in time.

Emilia wandered around, oblivious to the looming threat behind her.

As she turned around, tragedy befell.

The audience heard the sickening melody of metal cutting flesh once more.

Subaru saw Emilia limply fell to the floor. Not showing any signs of breathing nor movement.

The only that showed her body was her left hand illuminated by the moon. While her body was shown that she had her bowels opened.

"No way..."

Emilia covered her mouth with both of her hands in horror. Horrified eyes showed her disbelief as she saw her other self fell limply to the loot house wooden floor. Showing where Elsa had cut her.

She felt sick just by watching it.

"Emilia-sama..." Ram looked at her with an uncharacteristically shocked look. Turning back to the screen with great disbelief.

Rem mirrored her sister and showed a disbelief look.

Puck was enraged that the Bowel Hunter had the gall to cut down his "daughter".

Pleiades, on the other hand, calmly watched all that had transpired.

After all, he had experienced it beforehand.

He touched where his stomach at, I still remember that I had my gut cut opened thrice by her.

He nonchalantly thought of those painful memories of those loops. Still abysmally smaller than what he experienced in the future.

Subaru stared at Emilia's corpse. Seeing her dead by the hands of an unknown murderer.

He clenched his fist, steeling himself as he struggled to reach out to her.

Emilia did not know what Subaru was doing. But she knew that it was hopeless.

She had a sickening feeling that he would die.

"Wait there..."

Emilia shook her head. Trying to empty out the negative thoughts that Subaru had to die. She refused to believe that he was going to die.

"I'm..."

Please...

She silently begged. Pleading to whatever deity out there to save Subaru.

"Going to..."

Rem also begged. Praying that Subaru wouldn't have to die.

Pleiades merely closed his eyes. Already activating Cor Leonis to sense the emotions of Emilia and the rest of the audience.

He held Emilia's hand. His dying words coming to an end

He looked at them, ignoring him as their were glued to screen, and he knew what the next thing would happen very soon.

Pleiades exhaled, steeling himself to tell them what it is to come afterward.

"Save you..."

With that, the screen went dark.

"He died..."

Those were the despair-filled words uttered by the Royal Candidate. Still horrified of what she saw as well as the others with her.

"He died..." she repeated, with tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.

"Subaru-kun... How can this be...?" Rem said his as she almost cried at his sudden death.

Keyword being: almost.

"Save the waterworks for later. This isn't over yet."

The uttered voice of the man known as Pleiades, the same man who knew Subaru's world, was soon heard.

They looked at him. And the man did not look back.

He spoke as if he knew what would happen next. Almost as if he had expected it happen.

"What do you mean by that?" the red Oni asked dryly. A bit shocked by Subaru's death, but not as much as the others, who cared more of Subaru more than she, herself, could care about him.

The way he said his words, it was almost like he knew what he had meant.

"Do you remember what I said earlier?"

"...What do you mean?"

"'Things have gone different than what you've experienced,' is what I said earlier, correct?"

Emilia nodded, "Yes, you said that plenty of times earlier and in the last episode..."

"And do you understand what I meant by that?"

Emilia shook her head. The rest followed suit.

They don't know what he meant by that.

"The world had forgotten this." he vaguely answered, "But do you know why?"

"Tell us what we need to know!"

Ram shouted, irritated that this man, the man who looked like Barusu, was not giving straight answers.

She released her mana as a show of force. Threatening the man for answers they needed.

He remained still. His body visibly still. Like he was a pillar, unwavering and firm, withstood her threats like it was nothing

It irked her. It irked her how calm he is despite her releasing her mana, that was given to her by Roswaal, to intimidate him.

"You will know in due time."

Ram widened her eyes in shock, the man's calm reply caught her off guard. His tone did show any hint of fear nor malice. It was completely neutral.

Who is this man...?

"But for now. The viewing should be showing it by now."

They looked at him in confusion. Reluctantly, they complied.

After several seconds of the screen being dark. It was then showed the same salesman holding an apple in front.

"EH!?"

The half-elf was the first to react.

"What's the matter, boy? You look like you saw a ghost."

Subaru, looking dazed and confused. He put his hand near his ears, did not hear the man properly.

"What?"

"B-But." Emilia couldn't find the right words. All she could do is react in shock at this unexpected event.

"I asked you about the appa. The appa! Do you even have money?"

"Subaru-kun, how?" the blue-haired Oni uttered in shock.

Ram turned to the cloaked man. Shock registered on her normally calm look.

A bit deaf, he put his other hand in his left ear.

"What?"

"How could this be possible... We all saw him die, didn't he!?"

"Don't 'what' me! The appa! Are you buying it or not?"

"Yes, he did," the man finally replied.

"Oh... No, like I said, I'm broke beyond compare..."

"But how!? How is it that he's out there like he hadn't died!? This isn't even possible!"

"The hell? If you're just browsing, then move along. I run a business here. I don't have time for window-shoppers."

"It is possible. Because he had returned by death."

Ram looked at him, wide-eyed at the revelation. The others, who were listening to the two, heard him say it.

"What," Emilia uttered, "Do you mean by 'he returned by death'?"

"...Do you recall that he died with his bowels cut opened?"

Emilia and the others nodded.

"Like I said, he had returned by death. He returned by his own death, but at the cost of the world's memories."

Emilia could not understand what the man, who looked eerily like Subaru, who is called Pleiades, had said.

"He returned... But at the cost of the world's memories?"

She repeated the words uttered by the man in travelers cloak. The way he said it is vague, and could not be understood completely.

But, yet, in her heart, she accepted it. She did not know why her heart is telling her this.

Why? Why am I feeling this?

Subaru, on the other hand, was a bit surprised that Satella didn't grab his heart or crushed the others' hearts. But he was glad that he will be able explain Return by Death.

"...Yes. Due to mysterious circumstances, Natsuki Subaru, whom you all saw got killed by Elsa, is able to rewind time via his death. And as a result, the world had forgotten this."

He let the information seeped in, waiting for their minds to register this revelation.

The former butler of Roswaal briefly activated Cor Leonis, then deactivated it as he predicted the person who is likely to speak first.

The red Oni.

"So... Barusu is able to rewind time... Is that how it is...?"

Subaru exhaled, knowing how Ram would react to this.

"Yes," he answered, neutrally as possible.

"It all makes sense now... How he was able to know the mansion without us informing him. How that he knew how to cook with those hands of his. Everything! It all makes sense!"

"Nee-sama!"

"Don't you get it, Rem! He deceived us! He used that rewinding ability to get what he wants! Roswaal-sama's goodwill, a place he could stay, provision of food and water, everything he wanted so that he could hold it with greedy hands! Why can't you see, Rem, he lied to us and we were fooled."

"But, nee-sama, that isn't true! Subaru-kun—"

"What if all of that was an act, Rem!? What if he acted to save you because one of his previous encounters with us and Roswaal-sama is that he failed and our master had him thrown out of the mansion because of his uselessness. Don't try to lie, Rem. Barusu deceived us, that's how that it is."

Rem could not reply to her sister, not because she couldn't find the right words to argue. But rather, she could not do so.

She respected her sister more than anything else, nothing more other than her love for Subaru.

Pleiades knew this sort of thing would happen.

Using Cor Leonis earlier, he can sense a myriad of emotions that he could simply describe them.

After all, it was an expected outcome coming from the red-haired maid he worked and accustomed with.

"That's not true, Ram."

Emilia's voice can be heard by the deathly silence that permeated this white void.

"...What do you mean by that, Emilia-sama?" the red Oni coldly queried.

"What you is not true Ram. Although it is true he is acting, but he only did that to hide the pain he was holding."

Emilia remembered the second day Subaru worked in the mansion, how she felt uneasy that he had overwork himself as if something scared him. The way he acted was forced, she and Puck noticed that.

"During Subaru's second day at the mansion, when I was walking down the hallway, I heard Subaru vomited at the sink in the guest's room."

She recalled the time she first heard it, the sinking feeling that Subaru wasn't feeling well.

Both Ram and Rem listened, although the latter knew that Emilia was about to tell the time she offered Subaru a lap pillow. But she had no idea what the reasons were.

"When he came out, I called out to him to come with me. When he did strange poses, I grabbed and had him sit on the floor for awhile. And I had his head rest on my lap."

Subaru inhaled, knowing this occurred way back then.

"Then after I had told him to put off his weird tough act and have him reminded that I would lend my lap when he was exhausted."

He exhaled, memories of that time flowing through him.

"When I told him 'It's been rough, hasn't it?' and the next thing that happened was that he confessed it was rough, was so painful, was so scared, was so sad... He cried."

Emilia then teared up, realizing that what she said to him back then had a profound effect.

Then she continued with her story.

"He said it hurt so much, he though he'd die... He tried so hard. He was desperate... So desperate to make everything right. He said it was the truth. He confessed that he never tried so hard at anything in his life."

Tears freely streamed down her face.

"Because he said he loved the place... Because it was important to him. He was so desperate to get it back... He was scared... So scared. He didn't want those eyes looking at him like that again... He hated himself for feeling that way."

She turned to Ram, who was surprised by the tale told by the half-elf.

"Can't you see Ram! He never told us he had this ability because it hurt him! So much that he might have considered it a curse more than a blessing for having that power! He must've experienced so much suffering to the point he couldn't bear telling us! That's why, Subaru acted tough because he didn't to show how much he suffered. Please, Ram. Please don't think of him in a negative light."

Ram stared at the royal candidate, before sighing tiredly as she bowed.

"Very well, Emilia-sama. But don't think I will forgive Barusu for not telling us. I still feel angry for deceiving us that way."

"Thank you, Ram." then she turn to the younger, "Rem, could you also do the same?"

"Yes, Emilia-sama. I will do so as you wish."

"Thank you." she thanked before turning to the man who looked like Subaru, "Pleiades-san I'm sorry that—"

"It is of little matter." Subaru stated, acting like he was a stranger to them, "You were going to ask me what path Subaru walked after you apologize to me, correct?"

"How did you... Yes, please tell me."

"Natsuki Subaru has walked the path of suffering due to Return by Death, he considered his ability to reset time as a curse." he explained which made Emilia and Rem frown, "But, whether it be a curse or a blessing, it does not matter. His ability would soon prove useful when the secrets that was hidden from this world would unearth before him."

"Secrets?" the half-elf wondered.

"That is for another time, for now we should continue. I'm afraid that we will be wasting time if we continue talking, shall we?"

The audience replied Pleiades with a nod as they turn back to the screen.

The scene then showed Subaru standing in the middle of the marketplace as he looked on his left side.

Then, it showed him looking at above as if trying to confirm where he was.

Another scene showed him opening his plastic bag carrying what was considered by him as "wimpy gear"...

All the while the soundtrack "Call of the Witch," was playing in the background.

Emilia shuddered, hearing the ominous music and a voice of a girl some sort creeped her out.

"Man, it sounded like a call of a witch, right, Lia?"

The half-elf nodded, silent agreement of Puck's remark.

The twins, who overheard Puck, was indeed like it was a call of a witch.

Meanwhile Pleiades, who is Subaru, felt something like paper landed on the back of his darkened right hand.

He picked up the paper and read the contents:

"This soundtrack used in the viewing is called 'Call of the Witch,' fitting for something ominous and mysterious such as this." - Lord of Helheim

Ominous and mysterious my ass, this soundtrack is way too creepy to be called as that! And that title, it's literally like a call of a witch!

As he had gathered his bearings, the viewing then closed in and showed Subaru in his shocked state as he uttered.

"What's going on? Wasn't it just nighttime a minute ago?"

He lowered his head and pull up his jacket and T-shirt underneath as he checked his stomach.

"The wound on my belly is gone..."

A quick flashback appeared in his mind as he remembered Emilia's fallen body and his promise to save her before his mysterious "restart,".

"Oh, right! Satella! Damn it, didn't Puck ask me to take care of her? I have to get back to that shop!"

Subaru then sprinted towards his destination of the Loot House. Not knowing he had gone back in time in the first place.

"Wait," Emilia spoke up, "Subaru isn't aware that he went in time?"

She asked the man who knew the ability possessed. The man who knew what had truly transpired.

"Yes." he admitted, "Though there are several factors that prevented him from reaching to that conclusion."

"...And that is?"

"Visions of the future, unintentional clairvoyance, and the like. Mainly visions of the future part though."

Emilia and the rest of the audience looked at the man who looked like Subaru incredulously before turning back to the viewing.

Now that I think about it, why didn't realize sooner that I've 'Returned by Death' back then?

Subaru thought, reflecting on his previous actions from Level 1. He labeled the major event occurred during his previous loops as levels as part of his conversation of his split half during the events of the Tower which was appropriately called as Level 6.

The higher the level goes, the greater the suffering than the previous levels.

After some time had passed, Subaru then came to a familiar alleyway. There he stopped on his tracks as he recognized the three thugs that Satella (Emilia) had beaten before.

"Hey, why do you looked so spooked?"

"If you don't wanna get hurt, cough up whatever you've got!"

The lean-built thug threatened Subaru. But the transported foreigner queried.

"You guys... Did you see I was alone and decide to get revenge?"

"Huh?" the thug in the middle uttered confusedly, "What're you talking about?"

"Are you nuts?" the shorty asked in confusion.

"Don't worry about it." the large thug said assuredly, "Just leave everything you've got on the ground and we'll let you go."

"Okay, fine. Everything I've got, huh?" he said as he put his plastic bag down on the ground, "I'm in a hurry, so I don't even care."

"Huh?" came a surprise response from Ram, "Barusu submitting to the hoodlums that beaten him before. That's something I did not expect from him."

"Nee-sama..." she stopped herself, equally surprised as her older sister was. Including Puck and Emilia who hadn't seen this side of Subaru. The latter couldn't believe what she was looking at.

"Now act like a dog. Get on all fours like a dog and howl, 'Help me!'."

The shorty ordered, seeing Subaru was obedient enough to listen to their every word so far.

Rem clenched her hands, an expression of anger can be look on her face. Seeing the thugs ordering her "beloved" Subaru.

Emilia was no different, she felt angry. An emotion she hadn't felt for quite a long time and it felt foreign to her.

Is this how it is? Subaru submitting to these... Thugs. Why... Why I'm not there for him?

Seeing this scene, Subaru briefly used Cor Leonis as saw the emotions of two particular people from the audience.

He smirked, knowing what will happen next.

Unfortunately for them, Subaru already had plans to beat them.

"Don't get cocky, bastard!"

With that declaration, the man who suffered delivered a brutal uppercut to the lean thug as Subaru knew he had daggers hidden. As such, he was first target Subaru needed to eliminate.

Ram widened her eyes in shock while the others released an audible gasp at what they were seeing.

Pleiades was literally grinning ear to ear as he saw their reaction.

Next was the shorty. Being the weakest and second target that Subaru can beat easily.

Subaru delivered a powerful roundhouse right kick at the shorty. The blow so strong that when Subaru struck him, the wall behind the shorty cracked. Creating a small, but noticeable spider web-shaped structural damage.

"How...?" was the uttered word of shock came out of Emilia.

"Using his experience from the past loop, your friend Subaru used his knowledge that the thug with daggers hidden was deemed dangerous and was first he needed to take down. And the rest was something he can handle well alone."

The half-elf looked at the man wearing traveler's cloak at his explanation in surprise. Not expecting that he used his experience and knowledge of Subaru's previous loop to his advantage.

Overhearing their conversation, Ram concluded that their Subaru might've used the loops to be able to competently do the chores around the Mathers Mansion.

Unknown to her, he actually did.

Seeing the comrades falling easily by their supposed prey. The large thug then tried to hit Subaru with his fist. But his opponent in question was at least skilled enough to dodge it.

"Whoa, there." Subaru uttered as he ducked. Dodging a backhand fist from the large thug also sidestepping a follow up right hook.

Seeing an opening, Subaru grabbed the large thug's right arm. Gripping the thug's right arm tightly as he twisted it right and left with his left and right arm respectively.

"Don't underestimate a truant kid with too much free time." he told the thug, with the large man showing signs of pain afflicted by Subaru, "After swinging a wooden sword around all the time for no reason, my grip strength is over 70 kilograms!"

"Grip strength? Is it like able to hold something heavy or able to crush something with it?"

"I think it's both, Emilia-sama. Knowing Barusu, he would've explained it in a strange way."

"Is that so, Ram..."

As he had declared, Subaru kicked the thugs at his family jewels. As a result, the large thug reeled from the pain inflicted at his precious balls as he went to wall for support.

Subaru cringed, already feeling the phantom pain that had once occurred before his transfer some years ago. He didn't pleasantly liked the experience by the way.

"I'm in a hurry! Don't get in my way again!"

After beating the three alleyway thugs, Subaru finally made it to the Loot House.

Seeing it was still daytime, as evident that he made it quite earlier than expected. Subaru can't help but feel... Anxious about it.

Emilia held the same feeling. She didn't want to believe that Subaru went back in time at first, but when she couldn't remember it she was anxious if Subaru's anxiety was justifiable in the beginning.

"Don't freak out... Don't freak out, don't freak out!"

Repeating those words like a mantra, Subaru made it to the doors of the Loot House in small steps. Cautiously approaching if the person who cut him in gut was inside.

Before he could knock, Subaru felt an overwhelming fear as he felt afraid that something might've happen.

Am I stupid? After coming this far, I can't just leave without answers!

After berating himself mentally. Subaru found his resolve as he knocked the door.

"Is anyone there?" he called out, but found no answer.

He then banged the door.

"Someone... Someone's in there, right?' he called out before banging even harder, "Please, answer me! Please!"

Then the door was slammed opened abruptly. Subaru stopped the moment he heard a voice

"Shut yer trap!" the voice of a man behind the door was heard, making steps as loud as stomps, "You tryin' to bust my door down when you don't even know the signal or password!?"

"Eh!? There was a password!?"

Emilia blurted out in surprise. Honestly did not know there was a password for entering the loot house.

"It is true. There are often times that thieves and thugs often made passwords to enter their bases in order for the person guarding said bases could tell it was one of their members who are returning from an assigned theft or other illegal activities. Though that is already common sense to begin with."

"Then... Do you know their password as well, Pleiades-san?"

"...You'll know soon enough."

Then a creeping suspicion came into Subaru's mind as he thought.

Now that I think about it, would Reinhard possess a Divine Protection that allows him to know every password in existence? If so, that would a very broken ability if he was able to know every secret password to open a national-level secret even in my world.

He sighed, knowing that Reinhard was, in modern interpretation, a very broken character.

A note then appeared on Subaru's hand. Then, he read.

"Reinhard is OP. Plz nerf." - Unknown Person to Someone Important.

Subaru didn't know it was either intentional or just plain right stupid.

As the source of the voice stepped out the shadows of the interior of the Loot House. Subaru saw a giant of a man more than two meters high, bulking muscles that would make any bodybuilders from Subaru's world frown in jealousy.

But that wasn't Subaru was about. In fact, a quick of the giant man's face made him remember of the fresh corpse he saw before he found himself in front of the salesman.

"You're..."

"That's Old Man Rom." Emilia said as she recognize the old giant, "So, Subaru met him first other than Felt.

"Rom?" asked the red Oni.

"That's the name of the old giant I saved from a nasty wound inflicted by Elsa... I have to ask, Ram, do you and Rem know him before? His name...kinda rhymes with yours."

She shook her head, "No, Emilia-sama. I assure you, we do not know him. Right, Rem?"

Her younger sister nodded, "Yes, nee-sama."

"We've got Ram, Rem, and Rom here. So, do you guys know anyone with the names Rim and Rum?"

The man who looked liked Subaru asked. With the two Onis looked at the star-named man incredulously, as if he was mocking their names with words that rhymes with their names.

The scene then changed, showing the crystal chandeliers of the Loot House's interior. Revealing more items found inside than what was shown in the dark of the night.

Subaru sat one of the chair's, resembling those found in the bars and other alcoholic establishments as the giant himself was drinking booze.

"What're you all fidgety for? Are your balls chafin' ya that much?"

"Heh."

"I'm not worried about the position of my privates! Don't start the conversation with potty humor!"

The boy from the other world rebutted. Feeling disgusted that their conversation started not what he expected.

"Nee-sama..." Ram's younger sister said, as if the joke from Rom made her older sister amused by it.

Both Emilia and Puck shook their heads at the apparent humor Ram found to be funny.

Is she like this? Subaru wondered internally. Questioning Ram's sense humor from before Rem's Name and Memories were eaten.

"You're already interrupting my evening booze." he said as he took a swig of his booze. "You'll kill me if you start talkin' about boring stuff now."

"Don't drink while the sun's still up. You'll die young. Actually, this is a dumb question, but..."

The old man took a sudden interest when Subaru paused nearly at the end of his sentence before he hesitantly asked.

"Have you died recently?"

With that question, nearly all of the audience had went to the edge of their seats. Listening intently to what the old giant would respond.

With old giant's face flushed with the effects of his alcoholic drink. He stared intently at Subaru for a moment before his large right hand on top his head as he laughed.

With that unexpected response, Emilia slumped from her seat. Silently berating herself that Rom wouldn't remember anything because of the time reversal that Return by Death had caused.

"Well, I admit I'm an old man at death's door, but I ain't really died yet."

"Okay, then have you seen a girl with silver hair?"

"Silver hair? I ain't seen anyone that conspicuous."

With that response, put his hand on his chin as he thought seriously inside his mind.

Was it all a dream? He wondered mentally as he thought the events that occurred previously, Then exactly how much of it was a dream, and why am I in this world?

"That's a good question, why is Barusu in this world? And what was that strange hand from the last episode?"

The red Oni queried, with the audience having some of their attention towards Ram's question.

Subaru pondered if he should right now, which would act as a major spoiler if they venture on with the viewing. Or he should...

"You will know in due time," was his decided and somewhat automatic cryptic reply. Much to the dismay of the half-elf and the blue Oni. Who had expected new from him.

As he thought about all of this, the old man noticed his sudden silence and serious reflection as he asked.

"So what are you doin' here, anyway?"

With the query that broke Subaru's thoughts off. He replied the old giant as soon as processed it.

"Oh... I'm looking for an insignia. It belongs to a silver-haired girl who helped me out. I don't know why, but it's important to her. I think she said it had a jewel in the center."

He answered honestly. Giving the old man his truthful intentions of his purpose of being here in the loot house.

The large man nearly took his swig but he answered.

"An insignia with a jewel... Sorry, but I ain't got anything like that."

"Are you sure? Try to think! Maybe you're just old and senile?"

"If I can't remember when I'm at my best, with booze in me, the only explanation is that I don't know it. But... I've got someone bringing in some goods later. I'm told it's some fine loot. There's a good chance it could be what you're lookin' for."

"Is the one bringing it in a girl named Felt?"

"What, you even know who swiped it?" he said in genuine surprise, "Of course, whether you'll be able to afford it is another matter."

With that said, after hearing the old man, Subaru confidently pointed his thumb at himself as he claimed.

"Ha! It's no use trying to size me up. I'm as broke as they come, after all."

After taking a swig of his booze, the old giant said, "Ain't no use talkin' about it, then."

"That is true."

"Nee-sama!"

"No, there's is the option of trading.

After hearing what the boy had said, the large man took a notice of a strange bag made out of some sort of unknown material as he looked the contents the bag held.

The audience sans Pleiades blinked at the bought contents from Subaru's world. With Ram looking at the bag in a mixture of surprise and doubt that it would work.

"Now that you mention it, you've got some unusual stuff there."

"That's right. For example, this is a corn potage snack ," he said as he pulled the said snack from the back and pointed it, "It's super tasty!"

"That's tasty?" asked the red Oni which future Subaru respond with a nod.

"That's food?" he asked in realization as Subaru gave him the snack.

Looking at it closely, it would seem that it had been stored by some sort of smooth material.

As he tried to find a way to pry the unusual object to open in his palms, he accidentally popped the strange material as its contents flew out of it.

The audience didn't know how to react if it was funny or just something out of the ordinary.

Now with the bag that contained the so-called "corn potage snack," he took a handful of it when he saw that it was small and it was enough that he couldn't get it with his fingers.

He put the food inside his mouth immediately with no hesitation as he gobbled all the food as he commented.

"I see! What an odd flavor! These would go great with booze!"

"Nee, Lia. When we go back to the mansion, could we ask Subaru to offer us that food. Judging by that old giant's reaction, it should be good, right?"

His daughter replied, "Mm, that's a good idea, Puck. We should ask him as soon as we return."

Pleiades stiffened a bit. Knowing who had gotten the chance to eat that snack.

I wonder Petra liked those anyway after she won the Snow-Making Contest?

He shrugged it off, not like it matters anyway. If everyone from his world liked it, it should be possible for people in this world to do the same. As seen Rom's taste with it.

Hearing the old man's positive response, Subaru nodded as he said.

"Right? Right? Hey! Don't just start eating them!"

With a satisfied look on his face as food clearly filled his mouth, he replied to the boy in front of him.

"Well, I dunno what you plan to trade, but you'll have to come back after Felt gets here." he took another handful of the food, "Mm, that's good!"

The sun was setting.

Subaru had been waiting several hours, sitting on the two-step stairway, he contemplated on the state the slums had showed him so far. With two kids staring at him in the distance, wearing nothing but poorly maintained clothing on what little they have.

It was... Pitiful to say the least.

"I guess in any world, there are people with money, and people without. It sure is easy to see the difference here."

He said audibly to himself, commenting the monetary status of both worlds to be the same so far.

Emilia slumped her shoulders at Subaru's words. Now knowing the poor and the rich exists in different worlds.

There was no need to ask Pleiades for confirmation. She knew at hand how money affects the daily lives of people around the world. Needless to say, it was all just common sense.

Not that he was angry at, but the world he sent had a very realistic setting than what he imagined previously when people in certain anime got transported to another world.

That, or he had taken the short side of the stick when he appeared suddenly in this world.

Then a shadow of a person approached where the entrance of the loot house was at. And it revealed to be the person in familiar clothing as said person spoke.

"Hey, what're you doing there? You're in my way."

As Subaru heard the voice of a girl he vaguely remembered of, he looked at the direction of the source of the voice and it revealed to be the supposed thief that stole Satella's Insignia, Felt.

"Felt!" he (and Emilia) uttered in recognition, seeing the girl that passed by him in the first loop.

"You know me?" she asked, surprised he knew her without her knowing.

"Of course I do!" he immediately claimed, "I've been waiting for you!"

"What for?"

"Wait, are you saying you don't remember me?"

"I nearly forgot that Barusu didn't know he could rewind time."

"Don't be like that, Ram. As Pleiades-san explained earlier, he had other reasons for not reaching to conclusion."

"Is that so, Emilia-sama?"

She put her chin as she thought carefully.

"Have we met? You know, I'm a busy woman, so I don't remember most people I meet unless they leave a huge impression."

"I'd say that was a pretty huge impression... Well, forget that. I want to negotiate or the insignia you have."

She cupped her chin with her right hand and thought for a bit. Before coming in to a conclusion.

"Oh, so that's it, huh? All right, I'll hear you out."

The next scene showed Felt at the door with Subaru behind as she knocked the door twice.

Then came the voice of the old giant.

"For a rat..."

"Poison."

"For a White Whale..."

"A harpoon.

"To the noble Dragon Lord, we are..."

"Shitbags."

"Eh!? That was the password?" she uttered in surprise, not expecting that those were the words used to enter the loot house.

"Well, it is certainly unique. Considering the fact that passwords vary from users, so it isn't surprising to say the least."

Pleiades explained, though coming from common sense was easy enough to know how different passwords were.

Anyone who has the same password as someone else is considered as an idiot.

Those were the signal and passwords to enter the loot house. As the door opened for Felt and Subaru to enter.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Old Man Rom. My target was more persistent than I thought. It took a while to shake them."

She said as she went with Rom recognizing Subaru as he followed her inside.

Next, the now named Rom the old giant, then offered her of what it seems to be milk. Probably for reasons because she's a minor or the world Subaru went to had interesting laws regarding the age of children and above legislated.

As she drank her drink, she then noticed something... Different about it.

"Hey, Old Man Rom, did you water down this milk? It's nasty."

"Hey, I give you something outta the goodness of my heart, and you call it gross?" he said as he rubbed his large hands on Felt's head.

Seeing this, Subaru commented, "You two are closer than I had either hoped or expected. I'm feeling left out here."

Emilia nodded at Subaru's words at the screen, remembering how Felt was that close to Rom after Elsa fled and Subaru's gut was slit open by the same assassin.

"Don't talk like a wuss when you've got a face almost as scary as Old Man Rom's."

Then Subaru went to look exactly as the word scary is.

"People have said many things to me, but you tell me I can compete with this old guy!?"

"Yes, Barusu. With your looks, you can certainly compete with that ugly giant."

"Nee-sama!"

"Ram that's horrible thing to call Rom like that!"

"I agree with Lia here. Though, it is certainly true that Subaru has the looks to appear like a bad guy."

"Oi, I take offense to that, even though I look exactly the same as your friend. Great Spirit."

"Tee-hee. Sorry, Pleiades."

"Okay, I went too far that time. Sorry, Bro."

Seeing the two banter each other, Rom spoke up.

"You two aren't in some conspiracy to try to piss me off, are you?" he said in a somewhat upset tone as he asked the two younger people in the building.

"Mm, perhaps." said Ram in amusement, garnering the annoyance of Emilia at her words.

Felt placed her now empty cup of milk on the barter table of the loot house as she then turn to address Subaru for negotiations.

"Okay, well, why don't we get down to business? How much will you pay for it?"

"You don't waste time... Before I answer that, you do have the insignia, right?"

"Of course I do." she claimed as pulled out the object out of her sleeveless coat, "See?"

Rom stretched his right hand and opened it, with Felt giving the giant the insignia as he inspected it.

"This one's got a jewel in it, so I had to work pretty hard to get it. If you can pay enough to match my effort, we'll both be happy."

She said in a way she was proud of her work, her hard work to get the insignia from the person she stole.

"I have no money."

He bluntly admit it, with Felt looked a bit displeased and Rom stared at him in surprise.

"As expected of Barusu, even after working in the mansion he hasn't gotten any money."

Oi, it's not my fault for not getting paid well, nee-sama. Tell it to Roswaal, you guys don't have that much money to begin with either.

Subaru internally voiced in his thoughts, remembering that most of the money Roswaal paid him was mostly for groceries at Arlam Village.

"Then we have nothing to discuss!"

Subaru then put his hand while raising a single finger at Felt as he spoke.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I don't have money but I have things worth money."

He pulled his phone from his pocket and showed the duo the things he said that is "worth money".

"What I have here is a magical device that can stop time for everyone, everywhere: a 'cell phone!'"

"His cell phone?" Rem voiced out her thoughts, curious how Subaru's metia from his homeland would be used to bargain in that loop.

"What's that?" asked Felt in a curious tone.

"Never seen one of those before." commented the old man, who've never seen an object like the one Subaru was holding was before.

With a sound of pressing a few buttons, Subaru proudly declared.

"Take this! Nine shots per second: Continuous Shot!"

Calling a rather exaggerated name for a burst shot setting for a phone. The effects, however, had nearly blinded his spectators.

"Whoa! Hey! What's that sound!? And that was too bright!"

"Are you tryin' to kill me!? Don't you go makin' lights of this old man with dodgy tricks like that!"

"Pleiades-san," Emilia called out to the Subaru-lookalike, "What were the lights Subaru used on the metia?"

"...Those were merely lights that produced from a certain part of your friend's cell phone, or metia depending on what you say, that helped light the area to produce a photo."

"Photo?"

"You'll see it shortly."

"Now, hold on."

With his spectators angry at the display of lights, Subaru held his phone as he showed the photo he made from his camera phone.

"Is this..." Felt said in surprised, looking at the digitally made photo.

"Them's me and Felt's faces. What sort of magic is that?" Rom commented looking at the photo of him and a glowing-eyed Felt. Courtesy of the flashes of lights.

Ram chuckled, seeing the glowing eyes of Felt as shown on Subaru's phone.

Subaru explained, "I told you, it's a mystical item that can freeze a moment in time. With this, you can capture moments in time and store them in here."

"I see! That is amazing!" said Felt.

Emilia nodded, seeing that it could freeze a moment in time and store it to view it at a later time. Though wondering what other functions Subaru's metia has to offer.

"Never seen the like. Is that one of the 'metia' I've been hearing about lately?" he asked, wondering if it is one of those "metia" he had heard about.

"'Metia?'" asked Subaru, who had just frankly heard the foreign term since coming into this world.

"He didn't know?" Rem said in surprise, looking at Pleiades for answer.

"Oi, the word 'Metia' doesn't exist in his world. Hence it was the first time for him to know the name. After all, did I forget to mention that magic doesn't exist in his world?"

"Eh!?"

They exclaimed in unison. Surprised and shocked about the particular reveal Pleiades had said.

"Then, Subaru-kun's world doesn't have magic in their world?"

Pleiades nodded, with Ram confronting Pleiades on what he said.

"How was he able to use magic then? If he came from a world without magic, then where did his magic come from?"

With that, Subaru with the alias of Pleiades, decided to answer in an explanation. Using his knowledge as a Sage, as Flugel's successor.

"Good question, how was he able to and where did his magic come from? And it has to do with Od Laguna."

"...Od Laguna...?"

Emilia uttered in confusion as she tilted her head. As if it was the first time she heard something like that.

Both Ram and Rem as well. It was the first time they heard of it.

"Od Laguna." Pleiades began, "It is believed to be the source of the world's Mana, Divine Protections, Memories, and Souls. No one knows where it is, what it is, or if it is a sentient being. But whether if it is heaven, hell, deity, or the world itself. it's something incredibly powerful and most likely not the last thing you people need to know."

The people other than Pleiades were nonetheless surprised, and shock that Od Laguna was such a very important factor in their world. Their source of power. And based on his words, their afterlife.

"You're trying to say that this 'Od Laguna' gave Barusu—"

"Yes. Od Laguna was the one that gave your friend Subaru his affinity for Yin Magic and his Gate. And perhaps, was the one responsible for having him retain all of his Memories the world forgotten and despite dying several times, it is likely he has a connection or directly related to Od Laguna for him to remember all of his deaths since arriving to your world. As well as remembering on what was forgotten."

He explained, though wondering if he really had a connection with Od Laguna. If Od Laguna of all thing was the one responsible for having him, who was from another world, be an anomaly to this world. Then perhaps Od Laguna was akin to this world's omnipotent source of energy that a certain few could manipulate such power.

Regardless, the audience turned back to the screen resume the viewing.

Rom then explained, "It's the name for devices that lets people who haven't opened the gate use magic like real magic users."

"I'm more concerned with the price. What can I get out of this metia?" Felt spoke, already interested of how high the price the "metia" Subaru possessed.

Cupping his chin with right hand, Rom said.

"Well, it's my first time using a metia, too. But I'd say there's no doubt it'll fetch more than that insignia."

"If they knew the true worth of the insignia, there is no doubt that the insignia itself would proved too invaluable for it to be stolen by some mere thief."

Ram's words were directed to Emilia who, in response, flushed in embarrassment to lose a national-level item that the Kingdom of Lugunica would do anything to get it back.

Hearing Rom's words, Subaru excitedly spoke.

"Then that settles it! This cell phone for the insignia! Negotiations complete!"

As he made his move to grab the insignia, Felt grabbed the small from the incoming of Subaru.

"Hey!" he uttered in surprise at Felt's sudden move. Not expecting that she would be quick to react.

"Nope. Not yet." she declared.

"Why not!?"

"You're not the only one I'm negotiating with for this."

"Wait. So her client is..."

"Elsa Granhiert. She was the client who had contracted Felt with stealing the insignia and killing you when you were at the loot house."

Pleiades said, making Emilia remember the tidbit that Elsa said about "negotiations," she mentioned at the loot house.

It all made sense.

She explained, with Subaru letting out a "Huh?" in response. And she responded with:

"Besides, I nabbed this insignia because I was asked to. My client told me I could get ten holy coins for it."

"That's extremely cheap for an item that would decide Lugunica's future monarch." remarked Puck.

"You already had a deal with the one you stole it for? I don't know what ten holy coins would be worth, but..."

"That metia you've got would be worth at least twenty holy coins... No, there are probably fanciers out there who'd pay more for a thing like that."

"And your friend Subaru's metia would be accurately priced like that." Pleiades said, remembering he sold that phone to Russel Fellow for the same price.

I just remembered. I haven't gotten that money after beating the White Whale and Betelgeuse's section of the Witch's Cult. And I completely forgot about it after the Sanctuary Incident. Damn it! I was supposed to be filthy rich!

Rom explained, in a way that caught Felt's monetary greed the moment she heard the least amount the "cell phone" possessed.

"Really!? That means I can get away with overcharging for it!"

"So, when and where are you meeting your client?" he asked, not wanting to move another location just for another round of negotiations.

"Don't worry. Negotiations will be held here. If a little thing like me dealt them alone, I'd be sunk if a client decided to bilk on me. But I don't have to worry with Old Man Rom here."

She spoke with confidence, assuring the boy from another world that negotiations won't go away from the loot house.

That was when Emilia felt a sudden chill on her back as she knew where Rom was killed.

That was when a knock on the door of the loot house was heard. Alerting the three occupants of a new visitor.

"Do they know the password?" Rom asked the little thief.

"Oh, I didn't mention it. That's probably for me. I'll go check." she said in realization. Apparently forgot to tell the supposed client the password was as she went to the door.

After Felt left her seat, Subaru turned to the old giant as he asked.

"You're okay with letting her use you like that?"

"Well, it ain't like we're total strangers. I've known her for a long time, so I'll help her out."

"Well that explains how close the thief and the giant were."

"Oi, Oni, would you stop saying that when you're going to call them that. Would you mind calling by their names?"

"Certainly, Pelt and Rum I mean to call them."

"...I'm not entirely sure that was intentional or out of spite to what I said earlier. You certainly do know how to name people you don't like."

He replied as he went to grab an abnormally large club, but was a standard size for a giant like him to wield. So, it wasn't too farfetch for something such as that to appear.

"You know, even I have to give a wry chuckle at the sight of someone looking like such a barbarian."

Subaru commented, with Rom ignoring such words Subaru had let out as he said to the boy in strange clothes.

"Well, look at where we are. Everyone around here is desperate to just to survive. It's common for youngsters to join forces with others in similar situations to keep themselves alive. But Felt ain't cut out for that. That's why I gotta look out for her."

"Felt did say he was like family to her." Emilia spoke remembering what Felt said to her and Reinhard after the assassin escaped back then.

With said, the creaking sound of the door opening was heard as Felt's voice rang out.

"I was right. It was for me." she said "Over here. Care to sit down?" she gestured her client toward her seat.

"There seem to be several outsiders here." the client remarked, seeing that there were people she didn't recognize.

"I recognize that voice. The Client was really is her."

Emilia spoke quietly, but nevertheless Subaru managed a glimpse of an emotion via Cor Leonis.

"Well, I'd be in trouble if you bilked on me. We weaklings have our own brand of smarts."

"The only weakling among your merry band is Barusu."

"Nee-sama!"

"I know this older fellow, but who's the young man?" she asked, noticing the boy with strange clothes she didn't recognize."

"This guy's your rival." Felt answered, "He's the other person negotiating with me."

Subaru turned to look at the girl's client, wearing a black cloak and black clothes that reveal her chest to her belly. With the person having black hair, purple eyes, and with a face that shows a beauty.

"Elsa..."

Having encountered her before, Emilia could easily tell she was person not to be underestimated with. A dangerous assassin who could kill her targets if she wants to .

"Nee-sama, she's dangerous." Rem told her sister, with the older Oni replying.

"Yes, Rem. She is dangerous."

The scene changed, showing the loot house from the outside briefly then to Elsa drinking the milk offered by Rom. After that, finishing her drink with licking the residue from her lips, she spoke.

"I see. I understand the situation now."

Having explain to her client on why Subaru was here, Felt said.

"So that means you two will be bidding against each other. I don't really care who gets the insignia, so I'll sell it to the highest bidder."

"I think I like that personality of yours." the thief's client remarked, "So how much did this young man bid?" she asked, curious to know how much he paid.

"I'm putting up this metia." he said as he pulled out his cell phone and held it in his hand and pressed several buttons, "It's a rare item, probably the only one of its kind in this world." A flash of light was produced, surprising the client. "That muscleman tells me it's worth no less than twenty holy coins." he showed her the picture he had taken.

"A metia..." she said in recognition but was soon relaxed, "As it happens, the client sent me with some extra funds. Just so I'd be prepared to sweeten the deal."

"Eh? If Elsa isn't the client, then..."

"She was sent to fetch in place of the real client, Emilia-sama." Rem said as her and others realized as a piece of a puzzle was placed at the mystery in front of them, "The real question is, who's the client?"

Subaru remained quiet, but knows who's the real client. And he knew exactly who that person was.

"The client... So you were asked to fetch it, too?"

"That's right. The client is the one who wants it. Would you happen to be in the same business?"

"Being in the same business as me would mean they're unemployed!"

There was an awkward silence.

It was so awkward the music died suddenly as the audience's faces were blank at Subaru's response.

NOT exactly one of my best moments, I admit. He internally said to himself, remembering that loop long ago.

Then the music resumed.

"So, this unemployed guy has named a price that puts him far in the lead. What price is your putting on it?" she asked, removing the awkward silence earlier on what she said.

In response, Elsa pulled out a small pouch and releasing all of its contents. Showing platinum colored coins with the symbols of both sides showing a tree and a dragon, and its depiction vary from coin to coin.

Emilia and the other widened their eyes at the sight of the amount of holy coins was shown. Revealing that Elsa's client is rich enough to bid that many holy coins.

Felt showed an uncharacteristic surprised look on her face, with her eyes blinking multiple times in disbelief at the amount of holy coins at the table.

Rom then counted the coins one by one in five groups with four coins each.

"Twenty exactly." he said at the amount he counted.

"T-Twenty! That's the same amount Subaru has for his metia. It's a tie! A draw! And that amount more than enough to buy a large patch of land of that same price."

"These are all the holy coins my employer sent with me. Is it not quite enough?"

With that amount, the audience knew Subaru had to do something in order to turn the tide to his favor. Not to mention on how he should do get away with it.

"You're a man!" Rom suddenly spoke out loud, "Don't make that pathetic face! I told you, your metia is no less than twenty..."

With what Rom said, Subaru immediately realized that twenty holy coins was the least amount the cell phone would have if sold. If it were someone who pay an overwhelming amount, then he was at the advantage.

Seeing it, Rom declared.

"As I see it, victory in this deal is leaning toward the boy. Sorry for you and your employer, but you'd better bag up those coins and leave."

Emilia let a sigh of relief, "I'm glad Old Man Rom was on Subaru's side. At least the favor was with him."

But she soon realized that this didn't happen before. A shocked look on her face was soon shown when something dawned on her.

Don't tell me...

She didn't want to believe it. She refused to.

Having heard that he won the bidding, Subaru couldn't believe it and he let out a loud "Yes!" that echoed throughout the loot house at the outcome that favored him.

Silence greeted him. With him nearly stuttered.

"Wh-What? What's wrong with a little victory pose? I'm psyched!"

"No one said anything," was Felt's answer to Subaru. "Go as crazy as you want. I don't care, as long as I get my profit."

The woman stood up, Subaru apologized to her immediately.

"Uh, sorry, Elsa-san. You'll probably get in trouble, huh?"

"It can;t be helped." Elsa replied, "It was my employer's fault for trying to underpay."

She took one last drink on her glass of milk. Gulping all in one go before she said.

"Well, this deal ended in disappointment for me, but I'll be taking my leave now." she said, licking her lips of the remaining milk.

This does not bode well for both Emilia and Rem. Which the former having that feeling far earlier than the blue Oni.

"By the way, what do you intend to do with that insignia?"

"Oh, I'm going to find its owner and return it to her." he answered, not knowing what he said had triggered a flag.

"Barusu, you idiot!"

Ram shouted at the screen. Angry at the words he had mistakenly uttered.

After what he said, Felt and Rom looked at him. With Subaru noticing with a look of dread shown on his face and Elsa's expression darkened.

"Oh... You're with them, then." she said menacingly with a darkened look.

"Subaru..." Emilia uttered, worried what would happen to Subaru next. With cold sweat of dread started to slowly pour out of her skin.

Suddenly, Felt tackled Subaru to the side. With the boy from another world uttered "Wh-What?" in surprise and shock in his tone on Felt's action.

"Do you want to die!?" she shouted at him with Elsa's voice ringing.

"Oh, my. You dodged my strike."

They looked at her, with her obsidian-colored blade shone in reflection to the setting sun. Releasing an ominous atmosphere as they looked at the blade.

""Subaru!""

Both Emilia and Rem cried out, worried for the young man as his life was nearly taken immediately.

Subaru, in particular, expressed horror on his face as he saw a very sharp dagger that Elsa was holding with right hand.

The dagger that would've killed him if it weren't for Felt's timely intervention.

Elsa smiled menacingly before turning her eyes to side and noticing Rom grabbing his club. Charging at her with a loud cry as he swung his club at her, which she dodged effortlessly. Jumping on the table and leapt once more when Rom swung his club at her once more. Destroying the table she last landed.

"This is my first battle to the death with a giant!"

"Quiet, little girl! I'll grind you up and feed you to the rats!"

He charged at her once more, swing his club at her which once more dodged effortlessly breaking another furniture.

But Rom didn't stop he swung his club to his left, colliding with Elsa dagger. Showing sparks with the nails at the tip of Rom's club at Elsa's dagger. Destroying another furniture. Sparks shown with giant's Nailed Club against assassin's Dagger.

The battle was intense, Rom's swings were filled with strength befitting of his size. Elsa's agility befitting of a hardened assassin.

To the audience seeing this, it was like a battle between one with the most strength and the other with overwhelming speed. It was clear who will deal the first blow.

Emilia, who had seen Rom's corpse from the previous episode and the injury she personally saw prior to the viewing, knew Rom's chances on delivering a perfect blow to the assassin was abysmally small.

And she knew Rom would die if it goes on like this.

"This is bad!" Subaru uttered, knowing the outcome on what would happen based on the previous loop with certainty.

"Don't worry. There's o way Old Man Rom will lose." she said assuredly, but Subaru knew otherwise. And there was nothing he could do about it.

"Take this!" Rom roared, swinging his club with a powerful downward strike.

Having enough of this, Elsa sped up. Swiped her dagger at the perfect timing of Rom swing. Cleanly slicing Rom's arm off as if it was nothing.

Time nearly slowed down as the old giant realized that his arm was cut off. His blood flying from off his removed arm and where it was last attached to.

"Old Man Rom!"

Emilia covered her mouth, a horrified look can be seen.

Although Ram and Rem were not affected by this, since they did not know Rom enough. But they were more concern at how fast Elsa had been when she slicing his arm off.

Pleiades was seeing this with renewed flashback of his emotions of the scene he had seen firsthand. After all, he was still Subaru with an alias.

Felt cried, her tone laced with horror at Elsa's display of the removal of Rom's limb. The gory display of her actions as well as the giant's arm landed near her. Splashing some of it's remaining blood at her face.

"Damn it!"

Rom roared, blood was flowing freely from his arm. Extreme pain can he easily be felt from the wound he received. Cold sweat produced by the pain can be clearly be seen at his skin.

Then, the assassin began speaking.

"I forgot to say..."

"I can at least take you with me!"

He declared as he charged at her. Ignoring the burning pain he's currently feeling. Wanting to take down the assassin with him to death.

In an instant, a broken glass was seen on Elsa hand.

Emilia widened her eyes, realizing what the object was used to cause Rom's death at the previous loop.

Don't tell me...

In that same moment, the sharp edges of the broken glass pierced through the giant's throat. Blood spurting out of the wound.

"NOOOO!"

Emilia screamed. Watching in horror of the old giant she saved before knowing all of this. The Memories of the world forgotten. The Memories only Subaru remembered.

"Thank you for the milk."

Those was the last words Rom heard when he could no longer hold back the pain and death he was currently experiencing. With his first and final vomit of blood from his one-sided battle with Elsa.

He collapsed, with his back leaning on the crate behind as his soul soon left from his body, and Rom was no more.

"I'll return this."

"She killed him... She killed Rom."

Emilia was shaking. Not entirely out of fear, but wrath at the assassin that killed the giant.

"Lia..."

The Great Spirit spoke softly. Comforting her as he drew near the half-elf.

Sensing this using Cor Leonis, Subaru sighed. Deactivating soon after he had activated it.

Rom's not the only victim, Emilia. There is another one shortly after.

She placed the broken glass cup, stained from her victim's blood, on the floor, saying the words on the already departed giant.

"You bitch... How dare you?"

Felt stood, bubbling emotion of rage filled inside her. The burning wrath of hatred was directed at the woman who killed the old giant.

"Oh? It seems you have more courage than your friend there." Elsa said, in a tone that wasn't the least afraid on what the blonde thief, "But if you resist, you might very well get hurt."

"I'll kill you, even if you don't fight back, you psychopath!"

She declared, wiping off the blood from her face. Rage can be clearly seen on her eyes as she said those words toward the assassin.

"If you move around, my hands might slip." twirling her blades in an action that can be see that she was a master of her blades, "I'm quite rough at handling blades, you see."

She's lying Emilia thought, With those blades moving and controlling that easily. It's hard to believe she's that rough as she said she was.

Turning to the young man behind her. Felt spoke to her apologetically at him.

"Sorry you got caught up in this."

"I-I..."

Felt grabbed the blade behind her back. Subaru failing to find the words he needed to tell before she disappeared in a blur. Moving at speeds faster than eye could track.

"What is this!?"

Emilia blurted out in surprise. Genuinely didn't know that Felt was able to do what she seeing her do.

"That's her Divine Protection," Emilia turn to Pleiades as he continued his explanation, "It allows her to move as fast as the wind. Blessed by it, she is capable of using wind magic like the red Oni over there can. But not on the same extent as her of course."

"How did you know about that?" the half-elf asked, genuinely wondered how the man know so much and yet they did not.

"I'm a man of many secrets. Holder of knowledge that will turn the world from it heels. I am someone you might consider as a complete anomaly."

He answered cryptically as had been about himself. But there were some truth placed between his words.

He is truly a mystery.

Divine Protection of the Wind.

Elsa thought as she recognized the Divine Protection used by Felt.

The young thief swung her blade downward. The speed she used, coupled with severe tunnel vision, did not know if she made her mark.

She rarely used her Divine Protection, only activating it when there were no other options left in either combat or during other situations. Hence, her Divine Protection isn't as developed as other people with Divine Protections in their disposal.

Elsa dodged as she spoke softly. Only Felt could hear what she said.

"How wonderful. I can see you are loved by this world. I envy you!"

Those were the words Felt had heard before Elsa's knife swung vertically at her in midair. Blood spurted out the second Elsa's blade had made its mark. Blood staining the loot house as her lifeless body fell to the floor.

"Felt!" Emilia cried out.

And Felt was no more.

"FELT!"

The half-elf cried out once more. Disbelief rendered her to accept what had happened.

Felt was killed. And it pained Emilia more than she realized.

Subaru looked at horror as he saw Felt fell to the floor. Bloodied and dead. His body trembling in fear as he saw Elsa turning.

"Subaru! Get up and run! You don't have a chance in beating her!"

Emilia cried out to the boy that saved her from Elsa. The same boy she had seen in this viewing that died from the assassin.

Is this it? Is he going to die all over again? For nothing?

"Subaru-kun..."

The blue-haired maid softly called out the name of the young man that saved her. Bravely provided distraction against the Mabeast for the means they could escape.

"The old man and the girl have fallen, yet you aren't moving. Have you given up?"

The words she said, Subaru stood up. Still trembling from the fear he felt.

"D-Damn it..."

"Ah, you finally stood up. It's less fun since you took so long, but still, not bad."

The two stare at each other. One filled with fear, the other looking at a prey to be feasted on.

Emilia could only wonder why it had to be this way. Why would Subaru had to suffer like this?

Subaru let out a cry. A cry he needed to remove any unnecessary fear that could potentially impede his movements as he charged at her. Knowing full well how capable she was after seeing two people that could arguably been stronger than him.

Raising his fist, he tried to deliver a straightforward punch at her. But Elsa was quick, with her fist hitting on Subaru nose and the next blow she was kick to his gut. Sending a few meters away from the assassin.

Reeling from the pain inflicted by the assassin, Subaru tried his best to not look pathetic but failed to do so.

Ram pitied him. He pitied at how weak and useless he is. His pitiful weak self wanted her to look away.

"It's no use, though. I can see you're a novice, and your movements are rough. You have no blessings or techniques. I'd hoped I could squeeze wisdom out of you, but you lack that, too."

She said in a way that summarized how weak and useless Subaru had actually been. And it pained him to hear those words.

"Shut up! I do have my pride! After you put me through all this..."

He refuted her words, with blood freely streaming from his nose due to Elsa's punch.

Barusu's pride. His pride that would never submit. Is that the root of your desire, Barusu?

Meanwhile the assassin herself was just standing there, unfazed by the words of a weakling known as Subaru.

"I do acknowledge that you have extraordinary determination. If only you could've done that sooner, things might have gone differently for these two."

Those were only the words of praise she could possibly give to the young man. If he had done that sooner than thing truly have gone different.

With an enraged look, Subaru suddenly remembered.

Flashbacks of the previous loop, Rom's corpse, the cut on his gut. Subaru remembered them all.

"Don't tell me..."

Emilia stopped herself, shook her head. There's no way he would've learn from that experience.

Wouldn't he?

And he knew what exactly he needed to do.

"I think it's time to end this. I'll send you to meet the angels."

Elsa moved. Strolling forward, knowing the boy in front of her had nothing to fear of.

But the boy in question responded with a stance. A novice stance but a stance nonetheless.

She charged at him, a drop of sweat slid from his face as she charged at him.

Elsa swung her blade, aiming for the spot she was infamously well known for. With the death of her latest victim in front of her.

Unexpectedly, Subaru moved. Able to predict and dodge the incoming horizontal slash that would've resulted with his gut open.

They couldn't believe their eyes. He was able to dodge that, from a caliber of Elsa's level no less.

With his gut safely away from the assassin's blade Subaru put all of his strength in one roundhouse kick at Elsa's side. Hitting her for the first time.

"How?"

"Like I said, Using his experience from the past loop, your friend Subaru used his knowledge of that experience to be able to predict Elsa's move. Hence, he was able to do so when they least expected to."

Emilia looked at Pleiades then back at the screen. Amazed that Subaru was able to use that experience and knowledge to his advantage.

Unknown to her, that was one of the perks Return by Death granted Subaru. But he needed the senses to do so.

Having died plenty of times, needless to say, his sense are at least sharp enough to know the intentions of the people around him based on his experience.

The blow had produced enough force to have actually moved Elsa a few meters away from him. A feat considered impossible for someone like Subaru to be made.

"Ah... I certainly felt that one."

With the look that one could tell that was aroused by something. Subaru felt heat coming from his lower side. And as he looked down, his gut was slit opened.

Both Emilia and Rem covered their mouths in horror as they saw Subaru's innards being shown from the cut Elsa had made.

Ram can be seen with her wide as if she couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Tragedy had struck once more to Subaru.

"Are you surprised? I opened your belly when we passed by one another. This is one thing I excel at."

As she said those words, Subaru fell. Clutching at the open wound on his gut made by the assassin herself as the blood flow freely from the wound.

Elsa came closer, opening the clothes that covered Subaru's gut. Pleased by the work she had made herself.

"As I thought... Your guts have such a lovely color!"

It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts...

"Subaru..."

Emilia uttered in horror and in concern for Subaru. Her frame could be described that the sight of Subaru suffering had traumatized her.

"It... Doesn't hurt? Does it hurt? Are you suffering? In pain? Sad? Do you want to die?"

Die? Am I dead? Am I still alive? When will I die? When will I die?

"No, Subaru, don't die. Don't die! DON'T DIE! DON'T DIE, SUBARU!"

With each word Emilia raised her voice. Her voice that couldn't be heard on the other side. The tears she was shedding. The Memories Od Laguna provided for the viewing, her words and tears that could not reach to the Subaru she was seeing right now. Her voice a wailing mourn to the boy that saved her.

But the Subaru from the future heard her. For he was close to her. And he didn't have to use Cor Leonis to know the emotion she was experiencing.

"Slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly..."

I'm scared... I'm scared... I'm scared! I'm scared! I'm scared! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!"

"Yes, you're slowly losing body heat..."

Elsa's cold eyes stared at his. The last thing before he dies.

"You're slowly growing cold..."

Those were the last words Subaru had heard before he felt the cold release of death.

Oh... I'm dead.

And so, the screen went dark.

Everyone in the room was silent.

After what they had seen, what they saw him experience, what they could tell of his feelings. It hurt them.

"Subaru-kun."

Rem had her tears fell from her face, her heart broken at the tragic scene she beheld at the screen. With her red-haired sister comforting her at the death of her beloved hero.

"SUBARU! SUBARU!"

Emilia was crying, tears freely streaming down from her face that their Subaru had found her beautiful. Her voice wailing at the tragedy she beheld, hearing his final thoughts before he died for the second time.

"This isn't fair! Why did he have to die like!? Why!? Why is it have to be Subaru!?"

Her voice was trembling. She refused to believe that he die like that in pain, in suffering, no comfort, no mercy.

"Why...?"

She asked herself of that question. Why did he have to die.

The most neutral of them with the exception of Pleiades, were Ram and Puck.

Puck, due to his contract with Emilia, was affected by the emotions she was experiencing and it pained to see her crying over the death of Natsuki Subaru.

Ram was the least affected, although Subaru was her fellow worker, and annoyance she had to admit. But she couldn't herself to be cold at him despite him lying at them that he could rewind time by using Return by Death. But then again, telling them the news he died after using Return by Death would be very painful if they aware of that to begin with prior to the viewing.

Pleiades himself could sit on his seat and reflect the episode had given them.

He knew there twenty-four more of the episodes to view at. And the condition for them to leave this room, the Theater of Memories as told by a small note from he read recently, made by Od Laguna. And it pained that they would have to see more of his suffering in future episodes.

"Hey."

He called out to them. His voice neither strong nor weak, not loud but not too silent.

They turned to him, and he turn to them.

"Just so you know, if you guys finish crying, just let me know. There are more to come, and I want you guys to be strong, Okay? You wouldn't your friend Subaru see you guys crying, right?"

He said, hopefully not too insulting as to break their hearts even more. And hopefully not to destroy their view of Subaru.

Well, this viewing did, but it's their to see what he had experienced.

Thankfully, they needed the moment to relax for a bit, and through Cor Leonis, Subaru could tell they were ready.

(Re:Zero ED 1 - STYX HELIX by MYTH & ROID)

"Oh, please don't let me die"

"Waiting for your touch"

"What's the matter, boy? You look like you saw a ghost."

The paled Subaru looked at the person in front of him. His eyes horrified and traumatized, as if dead.

Emilia felt guilty for all of this. She could feel the same way Subaru did. Horrified, traumatized, all of it. And it makes her sick to see him suffer like that.

And the song could only soothe her pain.

As for Subaru himself, why would a song be played on viewing on the past?

Oi, is the guy Lord of Helheim just put some song and played it like some sort of anime? Who the hell think he is to make my journey in this world feel like some anime!?

"Boy? You okay?"

"No, don't give up on life"

"This endless dead end"

"I have no idea what's going on anymore..."

With that he fainted. And the screen went dark

""Subaru/Subaru-kun...""

Both girls uttered in unison, concern that he fainted from all the shock he experience from the loot house

"Kurutta tokei kizamu inochi (The off-kilter clocks tick away lives)"

"Koboreteku kioku no suna (And the sands of time keeps falling)"

A splash of cold water hit Subaru at the face, resulting the boy to wake up. Seeing the green-haired man who sells appa the one who thrown the water at his face.

"Are you okay, boy? Here, forget about the money. Just take these."

"How kind of him. At least he didn't Subaru when he fainted."

She said, mostly to herself. As if to soothe of the and ignoring what had earlier with song and music played at the back ground.

"Mebaeta omoi made (Even these feelings that have just sprouted-)"

"Nee konna ni akkenaku (Hey, they're gonna disappear)"

As just Subaru had to take the offer of food and water from the man, Subaru noticed a girl with silver hair passing by.

Time seem to slow down for him as he recognized the girl with his mouth wide agape at the sight before him.

"Hey... Wait..."

"Subaru. What are you—?"

He stood, stumbling as he get up as soon as he can. The people surprised that he would at lengths to catch up someone the boy knew of.

"Wait! Please, wait!"

"Kiete shimau no (Far too soon)"

"Wait! Satella!"

Emilia covered her mouth with her hands. Completely forgot that the other hadn't told him her real name.

"I wish I was there"

"Subaru, stop. Please."

"Oh, please don't let me die"

"Waiting for your touch"

"Nidoto nani mo nakusanu you ni (So that you don't lose anything again,)"

"Watashi wo wasurete hajimete "Restart" (Forget me, and begin- "Restart")"

The nearby bystanders widen their eyes at the boy mention the name. The girl stopped her tracks when she heard him call the name.

"Please don't ignore me! My dying and not doing what you said were my fault! I was desperate! I went back to the loot house after that, but I couldn't find you..."

"Stop..."

The girl slowly turned her head, as if waiting for the boy to stop.

"No don't give up on life"

"This endless dead end"

"Kimi wo kudaku kono kanashimi ga (Praying that this pain that's"

"Itsuka owarimasu you ni (Breaking you down will end one day)"

"For now I will see you off

"I'm sorry for only thinking of myself. But I'm glad you're all right, Satella."

"Please, stop. Stop it!"

The girl turned to him, her eyes looking at his sternly. Not the one Subaru had seen her before his first death.

"What are you thinking?"

Emilia balled her hands into fist. Regretting that telling him of the name of the Witch of Envy as her own.

What had she done.

It shocked him, but what she said had taken him off guard.

"I don't know who you are, but don't call me by the name of the Jealous Witch! What are you thinking!"

He stood there, shell-shocked on what he heard of the kind girl he used to know as Satella.

And the episode ended with both of their eyes reflecting off each other.

"And we will die"

"Waiting for a new day"

"Nidoto... (I might never...)"

"And we'll start"

"Waiting for a new day

"Kimi to... (Be with you again...)"

With that, the second of the twenty-six episodes, was finally finished.

And cut!

Thank you all for reading this chapter. I worked super hard on this. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this and also...

Season 2 is finally and I've watched all four episode and all of them are amazing! As well as latest episode I cried and I cried like a baby! And I love it.

I would also like to announce that fic is officially the #1 on this community in terms of Favorites and Follows. And I love you guys for support me! T-T

That's all! Be sure to be safe from the virus, and don't die guys! Gabrielchiong11, out