Re: Level (never) Zero
Re:Zero x Solo Leveling

Chapter 1: Literal Return to 0

"No,no... no way, not after all this, this can't be happening, NO NONONONONONONONONONONONO!" Natsuki Subaru yelled as his world fell apart.

Beatrice laid broken at his feet, Emilia dead, Rem, Ram Puck.. his dear earth dragon Patrasche.

They were about to find it the real answer he had been looking for so long, to understand the reason of him both being in this world, and why the witch had selected him as her lover. And how is she and Satella related to Emilia.

He wanted to get rid of this power, the ability to never die, anyone would think that is a boon, to be able to reset things, but he had learned, in pain, blood, sweat and tears the horrors of being able to return by dying.

No one will remember your sacrifice.

No one will remember your pain.

Only.

YOURSELF.

"I WILL KILL YOU YOU BASTARD!" he yelled as he walked on, even if his body was broken, his gate collapsed, his arms useless.

"If I can't punch you to death, I will kick you to death, if I can't kick you to death I will headbutt you to death, if I can't do that I will bite you to death, and if I can't I will curse you to death, I WILL KILL YOU!" he yelled in defiance.

One giant sword, two, three, four, five. Stabbed into his body, as his guts splew about, he continued, "No... not yet... I am not gonna die yet, not until I see it... what it is... your weakness... you bastard..." and with that... his eyes closed.

*return by death sound effect*

As I closed my eyes and felt the darkness envelop me I saw something in my vision.

A pop-up message: "Welcome, Player"

Natsuki Subaru had woken up... it felt... oddly familiar.

He grabbed his chest, he was panting as he remembered the pain he felt when dying

He had returned, to the very first time he arrived in this world.

He couldn't understand what was going on.

But he knew one thing.

"I have to save them, I have to help them... I have to meet them again, to get back those times, those memories... that have and never been..."

And just as he put one foot forward, all the pent up stress and fears caught up to him and threw up, this would be the first and last time he would ever do so.

The weakest will now become...

World Strongest.

And so, the story begins from 0 but this time, the lead will have more than just a temperamental ability.

All his skills, all his knowledge of the future has come back... all he needs to do is just as he always done. To keep fighting for that future he yearns, the light at the end of the dark road he walks in.

And so, beginning from 0, he starts his road again, forearmed and forewarned, he will, he would not.

ACCEPT DEATH

"I will not bend, I will not break I will not give in to despair"

With a demon possessed look he went to re do the timeline

And so, he walked down the road, and found the 3 people who tried to mug him so many times in his first time here, only this time, he had no mood to play victim.

While his body was weak again, his experience made the difference, after he dispatched one of them he quickly went to the smaller one and slammed on the floor, his head bleeding, the third one grabbed his knife and went to stab Subaru, but instead he dodged to the left and quickly and brutally smashed his palm into his face, his nose was bleeding.

"Oi... did you just pulled a knife on me? That's hella dangerous you know? What would had happened if I had been hurt?" he said as he then noticed that he had a small stab wound on him, but it was not as deep as the many he had, he ignored it due to him experiencing worst.

After beating them he walked by and crashed against.

It was her... his angel.

EMT

He knew what he had to do.

Felt, he had to get to her, but first, he needed to get into that fight and get lightly wounded, enough to elicit a response from Emilia-tan.

"Give us all you got!"

yeah, it was so cliche.

So he went and delivered a punch in the face to the one with the twin blade, enough to send him flying and breaking his nose, then sweeping the leg of the big one.

It was the small one that he needed, he allowed the blade to sink into him slightly before kicking him away. It was then when she came, Felt, being chased no doubt by Emilia-tan.

As she rushed by he screamed in pain and dropped into the floor.

Even when rewound, even when all is set back to 0.

Emilia-tan will always be an angel, she tended to his wounds and he offered in turn to help her.

"We are looking for a thief, blond hair right? Very short and skinny, probably malnourished.?" Subaru asked.

"Y-Yes! That's right? Did you see her?!" she asked.

So beautiful, so naive, such an angel.

"Yeah, but she is long gone, however, I can think where she will go, she stole something from you right? Was it rather valuable?" Subaru asked.

"Yes! Very!" she answered.

"Then she probably went somewhere shady, but before we go there, we need backup... is there any knights around?" Subaru asked.

Just then Reinhard appeared.

"Are you alright? I heard a commotion" he asked as he saw the trio on the floor and a healed Subaru and Emilia in sight.

"I need your help, this girl has an important item stolen, but I don't think it was just a regular theft, it was planned" Subaru said.

"Oh? What was stolen?" Reinhard asked looking at Subaru with interest.

"My insignia" she said.

"I see, and why would you have that train of thought? uh... forgive me, I have not asked for your name" Reinhard said with an apologetic look.

Subaru gave a toothy grin, "Natsuki Subaru! Now with introductions out of the way... it's simple if you think of it, she has a little pouch with some currency, quite a bit from the look of it, why go for an insignia that has no monetary gain? It would be hard to fence I suppose, by your reaction"

Reinhard looked shocked, all of what Subaru said was true, "Still, what does that-" Reinhard begun but Subaru turned around and ask.

"That insignia... what is it for? Please, without the information, I can't continue with this" Subaru said looking at Emilia.

She looked into his eyes.

"Why? Why do your eyes look like you are suffering?"

It was at this moment where he felt it, a lone tear fall down.

"Uh... would you look at that... I can still feel sadness" Subaru said with a kind, but sad smile, he felt like a broken man, he looked like one too, his eyes having seen so much death.

"Those are not the eyes a boy his age should have" Reinhard thought to himself.

"I apologize... but my well-being isn't important... so... what is it? The insignia" Subaru asked.

"It is for the upcoming royal election... I am to show that as proof of me being a candidate for the crown" she said.

"I see, then that means... that they will probably look for a shady part of this town to find someone to fence the insignia... how about it? Would you care to help us? By the way, I don't believe the thief did this knowing that, I suppose such an insignia is a secret of sorts? How about it? Would you let the thief go or give a reduced sentence should she comply apologize and return the item?"

"Why are you defending the thief?" Reinhard asked.

It was time to take a gamble.

"Cause when she took the insignia... it glowed, that must mean something right?" Subaru said.

Reinhard eyes widened in shock, as well as Emilia.

"I suppose it would be best for me to get involved here"

"No, not just yet... it would be better for me and this lady to go on our own... think about it, this was planned... that means someone is paying to get it from her, and when they discover she is a possible candidate..."

"I see, so you wish for me to stand at ready should it be required?"

"Yes, no offense but you would stand out too much in that place" Subaru said with a smirk.

"I see, you are right in that, I will stand by hidden in the shadows"

"Thanks, it means a lot to me that you are helping us" Subaru said with a thankful smile.

"It's... weird, for some reason.. I feel like I've known you... perhaps in another life" Reinhard said.

"Don't you know it" Subaru mentally said as he smiled at him.

And so Emilia and Subaru navigated the slums, as he did his best to try to get lost here and there as to not arise suspicion.

They managed to get to the Loot House.

"The more things change..." Subaru said under his breath with a smirk

*knock knock knock*

"To the large rats" A voice asked.

"Poison" Subaru answered.

"To the white whale"

"A harpoon" Subaru answered once more.

"To the revered dragon"

"A bag of shit" I said with a smirk.

The door opened to reveal a large dark man.

"Damn old man... you are tall" Subaru said with a disarming smile.

"You... are not afraid?" old man Rom asked.

"We came to do business, should we be worried?" Subaru asked as Emilia neared closer to him.

"Come and sit down kids, want something to drink?" he asked.

"For the little lady some milk, same as me, wouldn't do to drink alcohol so early" Subaru said.

"Anyways, I am here to get something, a little girly stole something from this lady, I wish to buy it back... I managed to find somethings that worry me, and before I say anything, I will warn you, you may die if you don't believe me" Subaru said.

"Are you threatening me boy?" Rom asked.

"No, not at all, I never said it was us who would kill you" Subaru said.

And so Subaru told them about the one who hired Felt.

"You are lying right? Please tell me you are lying" Rom asked.

He shook his head.

"Damn, that girl is too greedy for her own good" Rom said.

"But, wouldn't that be her good point as well?" Subaru said.

Rom smiled.

"So, let's have a little plan" Subaru said with an evil smirk.

The damn bitch will never know what hit her.

For all their sake he would become even more fanatical than a oni.

Just then, a small pop up window appeared in Subaru's sight.

It made his heart skip a beat.

"User has obtained: "Beloved by the blue oni" title, strenght, agility and stamina will be increased by 1.5 times using 5 units of od per second, secondary effect, increased charisma effect to onis"

"This… could be rather useful" Subaru said, ignoring the appearance of the pop up. He had no desire to question it

Chapter end.