Chapter One: I Love You! — I'm Sorry!

The Witch of Greed, Echidna, and Natsuki Subaru have wrapped up their second Tea Party together just moments ago. It was Subaru's request for Echidna to avoid removing herself from his memories, for his mental sanity.

After his most recent 'reset', Subaru was close to destroying himself had it not have been for Echidna's support. With him revealing his ability to her, it was a lot of baggage that Subaru released, all at once. Something that he did not want to forget happening, no matter the cost.

However, Echidna was greedy, honing true to her title. She wanted to see what would happen if Subaru had forgotten once again, to see the actions of a man desperate for relief, unable to die. She was willing to accept the price of her decision.

After all, having just been told of Subaru's ability to Return by Death... It would be too tantalizing to avoid seeing the results of the ability he had.

Thus, she ignored his request, and returned him back to the world not remembering anything.

After all, it's not like they were in a contract or anything. Subaru's mental stability was not something Echidna should be placing above her curiosities.

She did warn him before. She was an evil person, after all.

Ah... guess he would forget about that, too, right?

"I love you."

Subaru looked at his feet, watching the sea of darkness swirl around him—the texture of the black muk feeling strangely warm and velvety.

How did this happen?

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

"..." Subaru slowly lifted his gaze up, to better see the phantom. His eyes were lifeless and void of emotion.

The blood still trickled from his forehead, down to his chin. A consequence from his recent outburst of despair.

"Why!? Why!? Why!? Why!? —"

"I love you." Subaru watched the shadow repeat these words, over and over again, watching him with interest as she kept releasing her darkness over to him.

Everything else nearby was consumed, with little exception. The trees, the wildlife-

The tomb behind him still remained. But that wouldn't last long.

His head hurts... It's like he's missing a piece of a puzzle in himself. After his outburst, all he could remember... was...

Nothing. He couldn't remember a thing.

He saw earlier that Emilia was missing from the tomb. If he put two and two together, then Emilia was most likely a casualty to the phantom in front of him.

By all means this was a 'failed run' of this life. Subaru should be trying to kill himself to start over again.

But he wasn't. He had lost the nerve, the will to keep fighting, after his last reset. There was no buffer, nothing to raise his spirit since then.

No Emilia to rest his head on. No Rem to pretend he was a Hero for. Nothing.

It was just him, and the Witch of Envy. His contractor. His reaper. His judge, jury, and executioner.

"I love you... Subaru-kun?"

Subaru's heart jumped when the phantom neared his face, the shadowy fog making none of its features apparent. A familiar pang of fear welled up, as he stared at the figure.

This... thing was the one responsible for his curse, right? Return by Death: The thing that's been eating away at his sanity, and leaving no mercy whenever he tries to get help for it... Right?

Was it here to also kill him? Just like Elsa... and just like those damn rabbits...?

"Hey..." Subaru called weakly, and the spirit seemed to rise at finally hearing its beloved speak,

"If you're here... to kill me... at least make it quick, okay?"

The spirit, after a moment's pause, gave its response.

"No."

Subaru's face tightened. No...? To say something like that —

Subaru only then noticed the darkness below him rose to his upper leg, just below his stomach—and was rapidly climbing.

"Please! I'm begging you!" Subaru, desperate for a better 'end' to this cycle, tried to reason with the phantom. He couldn't muster the strength to fight, his body still traumatized from his last death, so he opted to reason with the spirit—

"You won't die." The spirit spoke once more, and reached around him in a loving hug, yet despite that, Subaru's fears only worsened.

By now, the darkness rose to his chest. It's bizarrely-warm embrace filling his clothes, brushing his chest which his heart thumped in incredibly fast speeds.

Subaru, despite losing all sense of self just a moment ago, felt his body release adrenaline, screaming 'Run!' at him, despite having nowhere to go.

Subaru's eyes teared up, "Why...!?" he pleaded, to any God listening.

"Trust me."

Subaru's heart jolted at the voice of the phantom in his ears. The darkness was at his neck.

Trust it? Was this spirit really out to 'get' him? Or was he just being played with? —

The darkness rose to his mouth, and Subaru was forced to 'drink' it. It filled his lungs, his stomach, yet he could still breathe. The uncomfortable sensation of his body filling up was close enough to send his body in shock —

"...because I love you."

The darkness shaded his eyes, and he was only able to see black.

He had many moments to 'end' himself, to avoid such fate, but his lack of resolve got the better of him. His limbs, locked. His senses, snuffed out. He was now at the Witch of Envy's mercy...

The darkness around the area dissipated, faded away, almost like it never existed at all.

A few moments passed.

Despite losing all sense of control over his body, his heart eventually calmed down. His breathing was never interfered with, and his whole body was wrapped in warmth. It was like he was sleeping on a bed.

Yet somewhere, in the back of his head, he felt a sensation of moving.

Not in a sense of travelling in a car, or riding a horse. Not the typical sense of movement. No...

Rather, he was shifting into another space. Being moved, over and over again, in short bursts.

It's was like at the very beginning of his journey here, being moved from his world into that of Lugunica.

Except over, and over, and over... until —

The warmth he was accustomed to, instantly disappeared. His sight came back, along with the control in his body. He was lying down, looking up at.

White?

Yes. White.

White below him too, he noticed, as he rose up to a seated position. The space he was in, was completely empty. Void of anything, and everything.

Almost everything.

Subaru blinked, as he noticed a figure in the distance. A girl, kneeling down with hands on her lap. Eyes closed. Almost like she was focused. Meditating.

Subaru, quickly looking at himself to check if he was okay to move, slowly got up and made sure his footing was stable. Seeing as the 'ground' itself was nothing but void, he'd take caution in not falling over.

He began walking to the figure, slowly. His mind raced with questions.

What was he doing here? Who is that girl? Where is this place?

Why hasn't he ended this cycle already?

Be it stubbornness, or lacking the resolve to finally commit the act of Returning by Death, Subaru kept pushing this cycle further and further, despite the risks associated with it.

He already lost Rem, pushing far past the checkpoint without saving her. It was his biggest regret to this day.

And yet, Subaru sought out the opportunity this cycle presented. The Witch of Envy didn't kill him, so there must be a much more ulterior purpose for him to be here-

As Subaru approached the figure, he got a better look of the person in front of him, and stopped, taking a sharp breath of air. No longer covered by a heavy haze of darkness, he could finally see the features of this girl.

The girl in front of him had white hair. Elvish ears. White, porcelain skin. All features close to Emilia-

Yet she also wore a dark, purple dress, an outfit unlike Emilia to wear. And... although it was hard for Subaru to explain, she had an atmosphere around her that was completely different to Emilia's.

A lonely, hollow feeling was around the girl. One that Subaru felt almost immediately.

And at that moment, Subaru knew exactly who he was looking at.

This wasn't Emilia. This girl may look like her, but she was not her.

No, this girl who looks like Emilia... she can only be...

"The Witch of Envy, Satella..." Subaru remembered Beatrice's voice, and the pictures in the children's book, explaining the witch of legend.

"...The Worst of the Worst."

This girl was the Witch of Envy—The real deal. She was the reason for him being in this world. She was the reason he was suffering—him and Emilia, the latter for just being associated with her race.

She was the one responsible for whispering 'I love you', all the while clutching at his heart for just talking about his only saving grace, Return by Death.

Should he be scared? Angry? Subaru wasn't sure what emotion to put up first...

And yet...

There was this... warmth in his heart. One that he could only feel towards Emilia. Relief. Happiness.

...Love?

Surely, Subaru was losing his mind.

Shaking his head, he approached the girl. Just as he was scared, he was curious. He wanted—Needed answers. What was his reason for being here. In this space. In this world.

In front of the beautiful girl, he stared at her gorgeous hair and wondered she hadn't taken notice of his existence yet—hoping it wouldn't trouble her! —

Stop. It. Subaru shook his head, trying to rid of his feelings that he was certain, were fake.

He steeled himself, took a deep breath, and gambled his life on another risky decision.

"Satella." His voice rang. It boomed, across the empty space. Loud. And clear.

'Satella' shifted. Her head slowly looked up, higher and higher.

And violet eyes met brown.

He watched the girl, as she sat motionless. Her eyes fixated on him.

Silence... but not for long.

Then they grew wider... and wider.

"Aaa..." A croak, of a voice dry without air. Like vocal cords that weren't used for years.

Subaru blinked, as he watched the girl's eyes shake.

"Aaa... Aaah..." her mouth trembled, as her body shook, but she doesn't break her gaze from him.

"Naah..." she speaks, but her voice is frail and... close to breaking down? "Suu... Kiii...ghhh...!"

Subaru's eyes widen, as the witch despised by many, has tears running hot and fast down her face. Her mouth grimaces, as teeth chatter in shock. Her eyes reveal a luster that was once hidden away.

And she looked to him... in wonder! In sorrow! In relief! In regret! —

"...Su... baru...?" she whispers, and slowly, reaches out to touch him...

Subaru almost winces at her hand being cold. However, it wasn't the icy cold that his heart usually meets whenever he speaks of his curse...

Rather, it was a kind of cold somebody who hasn't taken care of themselves would have—a lonely cold, without any warmth to share.

Subaru, just a bit confused about what's going on, responds a bit sheepishly, "Uh... The one and only, I guess?"

Frankly, he must've said something wrong, or he was just bad with girls who're crying, cause after he said that—

"Uuu... Uaaaah..." Satella looks ready to burst once more.

"H-Hey, don't —" Subaru doesn't finish, as suddenly, the girl crashes into him, her weight almost toppling him over, "Woah!?"

"Subaru...! Subaru...! Subaru...!" She repeated in his chest, like a mantra, and Subaru's arms awkwardly hover above her shoulder blades, unsure whether to return the embrace, "I've waited... so, so long...!"

"I've watched you...! I've seen everything...! Everything I've forced you to go through...!"

That caught Subaru's attention. He felt her grip tighten on his jacket, the dampness on his chest becoming more apparent by the second.

"I've seen you die... too many times... and some in the worst ways possible..." she continued, and the revelation sent chills up his spine. Someone knew. It wasn't just him, carrying the burden by himself-

The Witch of Envy, soaked with tears, looks up to the boy and immediately yells the words that shatter everything he knew about the witch.

"I'm sorry!" she pleaded, her tone begging forgiveness!

"...Huh?" Subaru was in disbelief, but she doesn't stop,

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" She continued, her hair bouncing as she apologized,

"I should've given you more! Given you something to defend yourself with! Given you magic! Knowledge! Power! Anything to have avoided your struggle!" She looked down, biting her lip,

"After my... other me brought you in, I should've reacted with what little mana I have. Given you another gift to help better yourself in this world, but...!"

"'Other me', what are you...?" Another keynote Subaru took notice of, but even if he spoke —

"But I was selfish. Greedy. Worried of the chance I'd never meet you again if I used up the last of my magic on the spot. So I watched you... and...!"

She started shaking, "It's my biggest regret, to this day...! I never wanted... to see you die so many times...!"

Subaru could feel the girl's sadness towards him. The shaking in her small body, the way her voice cracked with despair, it reminded him of how he used to break down at his very worst.

"Hey, just calm down a bit-" Subaru finally placed his hands on her shoulders, but she didn't seem to notice,

"Being sealed here, in this shrine, I could only do so much to reach you... I've sent little shards of my soul, my subconscious, to call out to you..." she spoke, and Subaru stopped once more, "Using as little of my magic as possible, I've sent them to tell you a message, to assure you I was watching, and to hopefully bring you here someday."

"But... even something like that, backfired on me." she laughed, shaking her head, "They were just mindless puppets, saying the same thing over and over, 'I love you'... they just turned out to be just as horrifying, I'm sure...!"

"Even so... with you here now, I need to say it... I absolutely want you to hear it...!" she turned her head upwards, towards him.

"Natsuki Subaru, I love you!" she exclaimed, with conviction, enough to make his knees almost buckle, "I've love you, and will continue to love you until I fade away in the passage of time, or until you finally kill me for the trouble I brought you—and even then, I will still love you!"

"Even if you hate me with every fiber in your being, something which I deserve for what I've done to you, I will and forever always love you, Natsuki Subaru!"

She declares her compassion towards the boy, towards Subaru, as he receives the declaration up front, loud and clear, with no distractions around.

Her voice echoes a bit, through the empty void they both stood in, as Satella still continues to rock with very small tremors in her body. The tears she shed have all but stopped, but her face was still damp, and her eyes were still watery, threatening another episode.

A confession of this magnitude... was something Subaru was not expecting one bit...

Yet, he couldn't let it distract him. Another second here is another chance at risking his Save Point.

He just needs to ask the questions that deserved answers, ASAP.

"Are you... really the Witch of Envy? The worst of the worst, or so everyone's told me?" Subaru asked carefully, watching the girl's reactions.

"Eh...? Uhm..." Satella, initially taken aback from the question, dampens her mood from listening the latter half of said question, "Ye... yes."

"And... are you the reason why I'm here, in this world? Are you why I have retur..." Making a double-take, and realizing just who he was talking to, he continues, "Return by Death?"

Expectantly enough, the curse never happens. However, the witch makes a small grimace.

"It's not... easy to explain, Subaru." she starts a bit quiet, but the boy pushed forward.

"Please answer me... Are you, or are you not the reason why I'm here in this world?"

"Yes, and no—but mostly, yes!" Satella exclaims, clenching her eyes closed. Subaru, obviously confused, watches the witch continue, "This me, the one you're talking to, I'm Satella... Regardless of which me it is, I am the one responsible for you to be here in my world..."

"But... I'm not the reason why you were pulled from your world. Rather, it was my other me, that made the decision to move you, and to curse you with Return by Death!" she picks up volume, as she finished answering the question, almost as if she hated the answer herself.

"Wait... are you saying there's two Witches of Envy!?" Subaru felt a cold pit form at the thought. Not one, but two entities that, to him, were basically the equivalent of the Grim Reaper spelled bad news for him!

"No! No, no, it's... I have...mmn..." Satella took a deep breath, "I have another side of me, that I have pushed down and resented in the past 400 years. That side of me was the one responsible for the disaster I've caused back then, and it's the one responsible for pulling you here into this world."

"So... like a spit-personality disorder... right?" Subaru tried to make sense of it, which the witch nodded.

"Yes. And one that holds more power than I do, currently." she replied firmly.

Red flag. That spelled disaster for Subaru—best to avoid contact with the 'other side' of her if that's the case.

"Then... would it be possible for you to send me back, to my world?" Subaru asked meekly, before glancing at his body, "As it stands right now, I have absolutely no way of facing anything this world sends my way... I don't want to let Emilia down, but... after what happened before..."

Almost like a reflex, the nerves on his body flared up, remembering what happened to him. To call those things bunnies, it was a disservice to everything that has killed him thus far, and yet it was one of the most terrible deaths yet.

"I... I'm..." Subaru noticed Satella shaking once more, and watched her carefully, "I'm sorry... It's impossible... with the way I am, currently, I have no way of being able to send you back to your world."

Subaru could tell she was troubled with answering his question. Regardless, Subaru already made amends with the idea that he wasn't going home any time soon.

'Sorry, Mom, Dad...' he had to brush them away once more, to focus on the situation he faces now. Maybe one day, he'll meet them again for real.

"Then... Satella..." Subaru called out to the girl, before she could wallow in her sadness, "Is there a way for you to send me back to the very first 'Save Point'? Could you respawn me to when I first arrived in this world?"

"...What? You want to go through everything... all over again...?" Satella was shocked at his request, "But why!? Why risk losing everything you've gained so far? Would that make all you've sacrificed, worthless!?"

Now, she sounds offended, surprising Subaru just a bit. He continued,

"Maybe. But Satella, please. I've lost a very important person, someone who I can't keep going without. I don't think I have the will to push forward without her...!"

"Rem... right?" Satella responds, with a small bite to her tone, "To talk about another woman, even after my confession..."

"Satella... please..." Subaru, not caring the status of this witch and everything she represents, firmly grabs her shoulders to catch her attention, "Tell me if it's possible, or not...!"

"..." Satella's cheeks glowed a red hue, as she looked away, "It... It might be possible... If I—"

"It might!?" Subaru, finally hearing the golden words, felt like breaking down, "Oh my God, it's possible? Really!?"

"If...!" Satelly exclaims, catching the boy's celebration short, "If I can spare just a bit more mana. As it's stands... I'm just a bit short to do anything, right now."

"And from where we are right now, inside the Shrine that sealed me away..." her eyes turned to the ground, then looked around at the void, "Mana is a luxury I currently can't afford to lose... I'm really sorry—"

"What do you want me to do?" Subaru's voice was clear as day, his spirit returning to him. Something that Satella couldn't miss.

"H-huh?" she replied meekly, and he pushed forward, like his usual brash-self.

"What do you want—no," Subaru's eyes steeled with conviction, as she stared at the Witch of Envy, "What do I need to do for you to grant my wish. I need this, Satella."

"Wha... Aaah..." she starts finding the void nicer to look at, as her face heats up, "Well... that's...!"

"Do you need to absorb my mana, like Beatrice? Will that do the trick?" Pointing a thumb at himself, Subaru's teeth shined, "Because even if you sucked me dry a thousand times, I'd be willing to do that and then some, just to return to Zero!"

"D-D-Don't word it like that, you idiot!" Satella turned beet red, hearing Subaru's response, "Be-besides, with how much mana you hold, We'd be here for years before we can make anything happen!"

"Then how about a contract!?" Subaru pushed, genuinely surprising Satella, as he continued, "Like the one Emilia and Puck have! Would that do the trick for you?"

"...That's... You..." Subaru could notice that he stunned the Witch, and hoped he was on the right path for something. She immediately looked away,

"I would love nothing more than to make a contract with you, my Beloved..." she whispered, and snared Subaru's heart in a vice grip.

"Ah... well... that's great...!" he started scratching the back of his head, suddenly feeling anxious—

"But... don't you understand what you're asking for?" She stared at him, catching his attention, "You're asking to be linked to the very thing that ruined this world: Me."

"If you do something like that, surely your life will only get harder. My miasma will never leave you, no matter how long you live. People will associate you with me, and think of you poorly! Surely, a contract isn't the answer you're looking for..."

"..." Subaru looked down, realizing that this, too, was a poor decision to make—

"...But..." Subaru looked back at the girl, who clenched on his shirt just a bit harder, "Even so... A contract like that would be enough to bring you back to the very beginning..."

She released him, and placed a hand on her chest, "And on top of that, if you choose me... If you make a contract with me... my everything is yours for you to command!"

"...!" Subaru watched as the girl continued.

"My magic! My authorities as Envy and Sloth! My body and very soul will be yours, as your body and soul is to me!" Satella spoke with firm conviction, "I won't let you die powerless and hopeless, anymore! If you die, it's to be after we fight back with everything we've got!"

"Are you saying... that if we made a contract, I will get your abilities?" Subaru asked carefully, and the witch nodded with fervor.

"Yes! I promise you won't be powerless anymore!" she insisted, and Subaru's breath hitched.

The many regrets that Subaru has, caused by his inability to protect himself, and those he cared for... Would this contract be the key to his success?

"What's the catch—I mean..." Subaru's thoughts were getting ahead of himself, and he shook his head, "Satella... what would you get from this, if we do this contract? As it stands, only I benefit from this deal."

"Me? Uhm..." Satella looked a bit sheepish, and started playing with her hair, "Well, more than anything, if my strength is what it takes for you to be a Hero again, I benefit from it too... but..."

"But...?" Subaru trailed her comment, as she lowered her head,

"The contract will allow me to know where you are, at all times. I can also be with you, whenever I desire. It's..." she gulped, then stared at Subaru, "You'll be the key to me seeing the outside world, after 400 years."

"But—wait—something like that's actually bad! You'll just destroy the world again!—"

"As part of the contract, I swear on my life that I won't!" Satella exclaimed immediately, shaking her head, "You and I are equals in terms of the contract, and everything you set as terms will be enforced upon me, as everything I set will be put upon you."

"I wish to see the world again, and be linked to the person I love above all else...!" Satella's tears rolled once more, as she smiled towards Subaru,

"And in return, you will own everything I am, and I will use the remainder of my mana to send us back to the beginning, as you have requested." She closes her eyes, and brushes her tears away, "And neither of us will be able to void the contract—It will be set deep within our gates, and shall remain to our very last breath."

'...Everything...?' Subaru bit his lip, as the Witch of Envy offered him a chance to make everything right. Or to absolutely ruin everything he's worked for.

'...but... if I do this, I can save Rem...' Subaru held a hand over his mouth, 'I can make things better between me and Emilia, and save those that died in the Battle of the Great Whale.'

'If I just follow what I've done before, and try harder for the parts I screwed up on, then... maybe...'

Subaru looked at Satella, and she looked back, trying to read his emotions.

He toughened his resolve, and took a deep breath, 'This could work... No, this will work...But I need to make sure of one last thing!'

"Satella... I have one more question. After this, I'll decide whether or not I'll make a contract with you." His hands fell back to his side, as he gazed at the Witch of Envy.

"...What do you wish to ask of me, my Beloved?" she replied, and Subaru choked up a bit at her reply.

"Ah, well... that nickname you're giving me is actually what I wanted to ask." Satella blinked, as he continued, "Satella, I don't remember ever meeting you once, since I got here. You say how much you love me, and yet I don't know if I can ever return your feelings to the same extent."

Saying "I love Emilia" to Rem was one thing, but saying those exact words to the incarnate of Jealousy, herself? Subaru knew better that to trigger that flag. Hopefully Satella could catch the meaning behind his question—

"As much as I wish to hear you say these words back to me..." Satella's eyes glazed to the ground, "I've already told you, 'Even if you hate me, I'll always love you!' So long as you accept my feelings, I will be okay just being with you!" She smiled a bright smile, trying to appease Subaru.

"But... that begs the question... what did I do... to make you fall so deeply in love with me?" Subaru tried to make heads and tails of the Witch's Affection, to which the girl blushed and looked away.

"Even if it wasn't you now, it was the you back then that thawed my frozen heart." she hovered her hands above where her heart was, "You showed me how beautiful the world can be, and how wonderful 'love' is."

"The me back then...?" Subaru asked carefully, albeit confused, "So am I... a reincarnation of the Natsuki Subaru you fell in love with?

"Natsuki Subaru is Natsuki Subaru!" she responded in kind, with a gentle smile, "You, and only you, are the person that me and my other self love the most!" Satella exclaimed, leaning forward,

"You are the man that saved my life! And if you let me repay the favor... It would do me no greater satisfaction, my Beloved!"

Her words, along with the persistent feeling of warmth in Subaru's chest, told him that this was nothing but the truth. If he were to question his feelings any more, it would be to question his sanity as it stood now.

Natsuki Subaru didn't exactly love Satella, given his history with her, but if what she was offering ended up to be true, and he could have the chance to save everyone... He was willing to see if his feelings will ever change.

"Alright... Alright, Satella..." he walked over to the girl, his mind all figured out. Satella watched him with surging hope...!

"What do I have to do, to make this contract with you?" Natsuki Subaru gave his answer, and the witch glowed.

"Ahh...! Then...!" The witch stood in front of him, hold out her hands, "Grab your hands in mine... please!"

"Okay..." Subaru held the girl's hands, and noted how incredibly soft they were. The two of the shifted their fingers a bit until both of them were comfortable.

"Okay... what's next?" he spoke calmly, although his face was starting to burn red—as did Satellas.

"I need to connect our gates together, to complete this contract... Please be still." she closed her eyes, and the energy around her seemed to change.

A small glimmer of light appeared above where her heart was. The light slowly started move, leaving a trail that linked from her heart... as it approached Subaru.

Subaru, watching with curiosity, saw the light plummet into his chest—a jolt of electricity ran through him, as he got goosebumps from the act.

"...haah..." Subaru released a breath, as the foreign feeling left him slowly. Satella released her hands from him.

"And so, let it be known furthermore..." she spoke, her voice almost enchanted, "That Natsuki Subaru, and the Witch of Envy Satella, have made this contract today. I am his, and he is I... till death do us part."

Subaru stiffened as he caught what she said at the end—wouldn't something like that be said if you were getting married!?

"Subaru, it is done." Satella spoke firmly, "We are now linked together, as you have asked."

"Gr... great!" Subaru replied, not in a convincing matter. To be fair, he wasn't sure how to react after practically signing a deal with the devil—a gorgeous devil that was in love with him, but those were just details,

"So then... do you have enough to send me... Us, back?" Subaru asked, and Satella immediately nodded.

"I do. Are you ready to start from the beginning, my Beloved?" Satella approached him, and placed a hand on his chest, "Once I do this, I will not be able to bring us back to this life. This is up to you, Subaru."

Subaru, remembering the two closest to his heart, nodded his head with conviction, "Yeah. Let's do this, Satella-tan!"

Giving the affectionate suffix he gave Emilia, to Satella, she immediately realized how important the nickname she received was, "Of course... Subaru-kun...!"

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she released words of magic unfamiliar to Subaru, "Al Tiid!"

And immediately, the void around the two of them began to shift and change. Fading out to black.

Subaru turned to Satella, "I'm counting on you, Satella-tan..."

"Believe in me...!" Satella replied in kind, before kissing his cheek. She pulled away, "...My Beloved." her voice was kind, as her figure shifted and wobbled...

Into nothing...

Subaru closed his eyes...

The sound of a busy market came almost instantly, as Subaru's eyes shot wide open. Greeted by the warmth of the sun, and the smells of food on display, he knew he wasn't in the empty space anymore.

"This is... the Market, in the Capital City of Lugunica...!" Subaru turned to look around more, but felt something brush his leg—not to mention the weight he was currently holding in his left hand.

He looked down to see... the plastic bag he was given from the clerk, back in the store from his world. One of the only items he was allowed to bring with him.

This exact place, and the bag he was holding—

"Uh, kid?" he turned to find the Appa seller asking him a question, "You're kinda spacing out in front of my stand. You looking to buy, or what?"

The Appa seller, who Subaru thought at one point was his physical 'Save Point' for so long... didn't even recognize him!

'There's no doubt about it...!' his fists tightened, as he looked towards the horizon, "I've really been brought back... from Zero, huh!?"

"...Uh... Okay kid, you're starting to freak me out. Get lost, already!" The Appa Stand Man was tempted to throw one of his produce at the kid, and Subaru immeditely raised his hands.

"Ah- Er—Sorry, Grampa, I'll go, I'll go, okay!?" Subaru covered himself as he started to move away rather quickly-

He felt a weight pull him back a bit, and turned to his arm carrying his bag... only to find...

"Hold on... Haah... not so fast, Subaru-kun..."

Satella used his arm as a place to rest her head, as she looked tired. Out of breath.

Subaru's body seized up, as the Witch of Envy stood next to him, in broad daylight!?

Hey there! Thank you for reading my story in-the-making, Re:Zero Hour! Allow me to make some things clear as I work on more chapters, just to give you an idea on how this story will go.

Firstly, the story will continue from the very beginning of Re:Zero! This first chapter is a huge hurdle considering the events take place in the Second Season of Re:Zero / Arc Four in the Novels, but after this, the story should be thought as 'A Subaru from the future starts at the beginning, with Satella at his side.'

Secondly, Subaru with power has always been a rough line to cross for stories like these. Some of the best parts of Subaru stems from his ability to only rely on his friends, and to be the best person he can be. I completely understand if some of you get threatened at the idea of Subaru breaking away from that role and being something he's never meant to be: Powerful, even if it's just a little bit.

However, considering what I had Satella say in this chapter:

"If you do something like that, surely your life will only get harder. My miasma will never leave you, no matter how long you live. People will associate you with me, and think of you poorly! Surely, a contract isn't the answer you're looking for..."

I hope to push the idea that something like will not make his life easier, and new hurdles can appear from the choice Subaru has made. Consider it a New Game+ of sorts, with the difficulty cranked up quite a bit. Hopefully this thought alone can interest you in coming back for new chapters.

Finally, I'm going to strive for at least five chapters, to set up the groundwork for this story and go from there. Making Satella a prominent figure in this story, and giving Subaru a few more cards to work with, will hopefully give this story a different kind of spice that'll keep you reading!

Of course, only time will tell. Thank you again for reading, and I'll answer some reviews in the next chapter, if you leave me any!

9/5/20: Edited Cover Art and small typo fixed. Story published on Wattpad with additional artwork. (Wattpad story code: 948517708) Announcement will come next chapter.