The air in the room was thick with silence—tense, suffocating, oppressive. Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the floor, but it did little to warm the cold dread that hung over everyone.
Subaru lay motionless on the bed, pale and still, eyes wide open but unseeing. His body looked whole, but his mind had retreated far from reach. A husk—his breathing slow, his face devoid of any spark.
Rem sat at his side, her hands gently folded over his. Her face was expressionless, but her fingers trembled faintly.
Felix sat a short distance away in a high-backed leather chair, legs crossed elegantly, cheek resting against her palm. Her chestnut hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulder, and her feline ears flicked once before she exhaled, long and slow.
"This is honestly one of those times where I just have to throw up my hands and say there's nothing I can do, nya..."
Sitting back in a leather chair, resting her fingers against her cheek, Ferris declared this plainly.
Her cat ears twitching, and her chestnut-colored hair swaying, the beautiful woman glanced at Subaru lying on the bed, then turned a pitying gaze to the girl standing beside the bed.
"It's only his body that's injured, so Ferri-chan could've done something. Whether it's outside or inside, if it's physical, I can usually manage something, nya. But... I can't do anything about the heart."
"...No, thank you very much for doing all you could."
Lowering her head, Rem expressed her gratitude to Ferris, who was apologizing for her own inability to help. But her voice lacked tone, devoid of emotion. Unlike the composure she usually maintained through conscious effort, this was a result of the overwhelming turmoil inside her.
But the results were discouraging. If it was a problem beyond Ferris' abilities, then it was something even the greatest magic users in the entire royal capital would be unable to heal.
"It's discouraging," Crusch muttered from where she stood near the bed, arms crossed. "But if Ferris can't do anything, I doubt anyone else can…"
Felix shrugged lightly. "I hate to say it, but what are you all planning to do now, nya?"
"We don't know the cause," Rem replied, her tone calm but tight. "Until we do, we're just stumbling in the dark."
"Not a problem for me," Felix said with a flick of her tail. "In fact… he's easier to treat now that he's not flailing around and being dramatic. But I can't help but wonder—"
He paused, tapping a finger to her lips, then sighed.
"—if there's even any point in continuing treatment."
Rem blinked. Slowly, she turned to face Felix. "…What do you mean by that?"
Finally lifting her face from Subaru's emotionless one, Rem looked to Ferris. Meeting her gaze, Ferris prefaced her next words with, "Please don't get mad, okay?" and then said:
"The reason we're treating Subaru-kyun's gate is to make sure he doesn't have trouble living a normal life in the future, right?"
"Yes."
"But if he can't live a normal life anymore, then what's the point of just healing his body?"
"—! Subaru-Kun is—!"
"You're saying it's not over? After seeing this? Seriously? I mean, sure, he went through some stuff, but if someone's heart breaks this badly over just that, then even if he 'recovers,' it's not going to fix anything, right~?"
Rem's mouth opened, but no words came out.
Felix closed her eyes and murmured, "I don't hate Subaru, okay? Ferri-chan doesn't carry grudges. But I do hate people who throw their lives away."
That was when Tanaka shot a side eye glare as he was sitting right next to Rem.
"Then maybe keep your crappy opinions to yourself."
The room tensed.
Felix didn't even blink. "Oh? And here I thought you'd keep sulking quietly like before."
"I was trying to give you space to do your job," Tanaka said, voice ice-cold. "But now I'm hearing nothing useful. Just someone preaching over someone else's trauma like they're morally superior."
"You are misunderstanding something, nya," Felix replied, her smile narrowing. "I hate you too, actually. You're no different from him. You ran from treatment. Cowards, both of you."
Tanaka's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Is that so? Well then, don't misunderstand me either. I refused treatment after realizing you're full of shit."
Felix's smile twitched.
"You claim to be the best healer in Lugunica," Tanaka continued, venom creeping into his tone. "But where were you when the royal family got sick? When they died? You did nothing."
Felix's expression darkened, ears flattening slightly. "You__ You know nothing... Don't talk as if you know anything."
"I know some things. But you are the one who knows nothing, so how about you shut the hell up."
Rem stepped in front of Tanaka. "Stop it, Tanaka-Kun! We have to figure out what happened to Subaru-Kun."
Tanaka exhaled heavily and looked at Subaru again—still lying motionless, as if untouched by any of this.
"I know what happened to him."
The room froze again.
"…What?" Felix asked, her voice quiet, but laced with confusion.
Tanaka didn't blink. His expression was still, unreadable. "I know what caused it," he said, his voice low. "But I can't tell you."
"What?" Rem stepped forward, her tone rising with a rare edge. "Tanaka-kun, please—this isn't the time for secrets. If there's something that could help Subaru-Kun, you have to tell us!"
But Tanaka raised a hand—firm, calm, but final.
"It's not that I'm deliberately trying to hide it." He paused, searching for the right words. "It's… a taboo. Something like an Oath-Bound Curse."
His eyes swept over the room, meeting each gaze.
"The mere intention of revealing it… even trying to hint at it can result in unbearable pain. Not just for him—for me too. We might die."
A suffocating silence fell over the room.
Crusch's eyes flicked from Tanaka to Subaru's pale form, her expression tight. Felix's eyes twitched, the tension written all over his face, despite his earlier facade.
Tanaka turned toward Crusch. "As unbelievable as it sounds… you know I'm not lying."
There was a beat. A pause heavy with unspoken understanding.
"…I've seen a cursed contract tear a man apart before he could utter a single word," Crusch finally said. Her voice was flat. "I believe you."
Tanaka nodded, slowly. "It's not a contract but it's something similar. As I said, It's a complicated situation. And I'd rather not even skirt too close to the details. I don't know where the line is… and I won't risk crossing it."
He swallowed hard, eyes drifting back to Subaru.
"There's nothing wrong with his body," he said quietly.
This was the result of return by death.
He saw something. Something that crushed him
He looked down. Bit his lip.
"I should've gone with him…" Tanaka muttered in voice so low, no one could hear him.
His shoulders trembled. For a moment, he looked like he might fall apart himself.
Guilt etched itself into every line of his face.
"…I'm sorry. Can you leave us alone? Just for a moment. I want to talk to him in private."
Crusch hesitated but gave a short nod. "Very well. We'll be outside."
Rem gave Subaru one last glance, eyes filled with worry, then quietly followed the others out of the room. The door shut softly behind them.
Now alone, Tanaka sat beside Subaru's bed. The stillness returned, but this time it was heavy and suffocating.
"…Hey, buddy."
His voice was soft. Uneasy.
"I need you to talk to me."
Subaru's eyes didn't move. They stared straight ahead—empty, glassy, hollow.
"I don't know what the hell happened to you. I don't know what you saw. But you've got to say something. Anything."
No response.
Tanaka's jaw clenched. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on Subaru's lifeless face.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should've listened."
He remembered the warnings. The desperation in Subaru's voice. Regardless of his intentions, he was right, something happened.
He exhaled, shaky.
"I don't know how to fix this. I don't know if I can. But I'm staying, alright? I'm not walking away again."
"Take your time to recover. No one's rushing you."
His voice cracked, but he smiled through it, faintly.
"This time, I'm with you. We'll go back to the mansion together. All of us.
*********************************************************************************************************
He knew things the people of this world couldn't even begin to fathom—truths buried beyond time, fragments of futures that had not yet come to pass. And to a certain extent, he understood how events were supposed to unfold.
Yet no matter how hard he wracked his brain, no matter how many loops he mentally scanned, there was nothing—nothing—that should have triggered Subaru to loop.
Rem was alive.Ram and Roswaal no longer sought his head.There was no looming catastrophe he could recall.
He combed through his memories again, scraping every corner of his mind like a desperate archaeologist.
But there was nothing.No warning.No sign.No cause.
Tanaka let out a shaky breath and dropped onto a bench in the hallway, slumping forward as he dragged both hands over his face.
There's nothing I can remember... Nothing I missed... Right?
His fingers pressed into his scalp, as if the pressure could force the answers out.
If he had gone with Subaru… if he had just listened instead of brushing him off—maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way.
He lowered his hands and stared blankly ahead, expression eerily calm.
"It's all my fault…"
Then suddenly, the calm shattered.
With a strangled roar, Tanaka kicked the stone wall beside him, the impact echoing down the corridor.
"God…! Fucking dammit!!" he cursed, voice cracking with frustration and guilt.
The sound reverberated through the hallway. When he finally looked up, heart still pounding, he noticed two figures standing just down the corridor—Rem and Crusch.
They had heard everything.
Tanaka stiffened, shame rushing in to fill the space where his rage had just been.
"I—I'm sorry… I thought I was alone."
He turned toward Rem and softened his voice. "Rem… could you stay with Subaru? I shouldn't have left him alone. I need to speak with Crusch."
Rem stepped forward without hesitation. As she passed him, she paused and reached out—her small hand gently tugging at his sleeve. When he met her gaze, he saw no judgment, only quiet strength in her blue eyes.
"It's going to be okay," she said softly, offering a faint but reassuring smile.
Tanaka's eyes trembled.
"…Thank you," he whispered.
She gave a nod and walked off, leaving him alone with Crusch.
He straightened himself and turned to the dignified noblewoman, clearing his throat. "I know this might sound rude, but… I have a request."
Crusch arched an eyebrow but didn't speak, allowing him to continue.
"I need to borrow a dragon carriage. We have to return to the Al-Mathers estate."
Crusch folded her arms, considering. "You believe seeing Emilia might snap him out of it?"
"…Maybe," he replied, voice low. "But that's not the main reason."
He looked past her, his eyes unfocused.
"I think something's about to happen. Something very, very awful."
Crusch didn't respond immediately. Her gaze searched his face, then slowly softened.
"I won't question your reasoning nor your actions," she finally said. "And I'll have a dragon carriage prepared for your journey."
Tanaka blinked, slightly surprised by her quick agreement. "You will?"
"But on one condition."
She stepped closer, her expression composed yet not cold.
"When all of this is over, you return to my estate—and allow Felix to try and cure your condition."
Tanaka hesitated, confused. "Why… would you do that? What do you gain from helping someone like me?"
Crusch looked away for a moment, as if thinking carefully. Then, her voice dropped lower, more introspective.
"I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "But I've made too many decisions in the past based on logic… and still found myself surrounded by regrets. This time, I'd rather follow my instincts."
There was no calculation in her eyes. No hidden motive.
Just sincerity.
Tanaka remained still, digesting her words. Then, slowly, he extended a hand.
"…Alright, I accept you condition."
They shook. Her grip was strong.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "Truly."
*********************************************************************************************************
"――Thank you for everything. On behalf of my master, I offer our deepest gratitude for your kindness up to this day."
Rem bowed deeply, her voice steady despite the storm quietly raging within her.
Standing across from her in the grand entrance hall of the Crusch residence were Crusch Karsten and Ferris. Golden light from the tall windows spilled across the polished marble floor, casting solemn shadows between them.
It was time for farewells.
Tanaka stood beside Rem, silent, eyes cast down, as if the weight of the air was pressing on his shoulders. His gaze never once shifted toward the boy slouched behind him—Subaru, wrapped in silence, vacant-eyed.
"Returning to the mansion is fine," Ferris said, arms crossed, "but… do you have a plan?"
"If I can at least meet with Lady Emilia…"
Rem tried to keep the frustration from slipping into her voice, but it was there—buried just beneath the surface.
She had tried everything.
Still… sometimes, he muttered names.
"A name…" she said aloud, almost to herself.
"Hm?"
"Sometimes... he says names. Mine, my sister's. And…"
Her voice trailed off as her eyes drifted toward Subaru. He was standing there, swaying slightly, as if lost in a wind only he could feel.
It warmed her to know that he remembered her name… but it frustrated her heart that none of her efforts, none of her love, could reach him.
"The name he says most often is Emilia-Sama's. If we could meet her… maybe something would change."
"I know it's not the most admirable choice," she continued, her tone now more formal. "But this is no longer a burden I can carry alone. I need to return. To find guidance… and maybe, a way forward."
Behind her words of duty and practicality was a vulnerable truth she would not voice: I want to save him. I need to save him. Because if I don't… I'm afraid he'll disappear completely.
"――Wilhelm has arrived," Crusch said, her gaze narrowing slightly.
Rem turned toward the mansion gates. A dragon carriage pulled up, sturdy and travel-worn. At the reins sat Wilhelm van Astrea, his white hair stirred by the breeze, his calm presence radiating reliability.
"That's the last long-distance carriage we have," Crusch noted. "We nearly sent it out on another errand."
"Lucky break, huh?" Ferris added, though there was no humor in their voice. "If you cut through the Lifaus Highway at full speed, you should reach the mansion before midnight."
Rem squinted up at the sun as it neared its zenith. Noon. It would be a long, exhausting trip—but doable. She could feel it. And when they got close enough, perhaps she could use her connection to Ram to send word ahead.
As Wilhelm descended and handed off the reins, Crusch turned toward Tanaka, who had remained unusually quiet.
"You haven't looked at him once."
Her voice was gentle, not accusing.
Tanaka didn't answer. His jaw tightened, and he seemed to brace himself.
Crusch reached forward and placed a hand lightly on his shoulder.
He flinched.
"…I do not know the full story," she said softly. "But I highly doubt that blaming yourself is the right answer."
For a moment, Tanaka said nothing. Then he slowly turned his eyes toward Subaru, the young man's empty expression reflected in his own fractured soul.
"It could have been prevented..."
His voice was low, hoarse.
Crusch withdrew her hand, nodding once. "Just don't carry it alone."
He gave a faint nod in return. "...Thanks."
At the gates, Rem stepped up to Wilhelm, exchanged a few quiet words of thanks and instruction, then climbed into the driver's seat of the carriage.
"Subaru-kun, over here."
"...Huh?"
His voice barely registered, a breath more than a word.
Gently tugging his arm, she seated him beside her. It felt cramped for two, but she wrapped one arm firmly around his waist and gripped the reins tightly with the other.
The wheels creaked into motion, the carriage beginning its journey.
A long, long journey awaited them in this position.
*********************************************************************************************************
The world outside passed in hushed silence, painted in the muted gold of the afternoon sun as the dragon carriage rolled steadily along the worn stone path of the Lifaus Highway. Trees lined the road like silent sentinels, their leaves barely rustling, as though even the wind held its breath.
--The atmosphere is strange.
Rem realized it gradually, like noticing a foul scent too late after breathing it in. She sat inside the carriage, Subaru's head resting gently on her lap. He had fallen into a light, childlike sleep, face tranquil, lips parted ever so slightly. His dark hair spilled across her thighs, and she absently ran her fingers through it, her movements slow and soothing.
Maybe it's because she had time to think it over last night...
The emotions that had knotted themselves tightly in her chest had begun to loosen. She had come to terms with at least some of them, and though she still ached inside, there was a bittersweet contentment in having him beside her like this—even if it wasn't truly him just yet.
He leaned into her... he reached for her, even if unconsciously... That alone had made her feel warm.
But now, that warmth was being steadily smothered by a chill she couldn't explain.
"It's too quiet…" Rem muttered aloud, eyes narrowing.
Tanaka, seated across from her near the front edge of the carriage, glanced her way. He had been silent most of the trip, arms folded, gazing outward as if searching for movement in the distant tree lines.
They had taken a shortcut—Rem had veered off the main path in hopes of saving time, following an older route where the tall grass brushed against the wheels and the wildflowers grew unchecked. It wasn't reckless. She'd taken the road before. But something about the silence now felt wrong.
Even when they were on guard against attacks by monsters and bandits last night, there were several strange things.
Not only was there no sign of any hostile presence, but it was also strange that I couldn't even hear the chirp of an insect.
She strained her ears. Not a single chirp. Not even the rustle of small animals in the brush. The only sounds were the steady creak of wood and the deep huffing breaths of the earth dragon pulling the carriage.
A bad feeling ran through her mind.
This kind of silence, and the way living things hold their breath - such things are always a sign that something strange and extraordinary will occur beyond human understanding.
"--Sister?"
Suddenly, Rem's mind was filled with a tangle of emotions that were not her own.
--That was an unbearable anxiety, but the fact that it disappeared so quickly made Rem feel anxious.
Her older sister, who usually appears calm on the surface, is in fact bold inside. Basically, the only times she is shaken are when it comes to her master or, if she's being presumptuous, her younger sister Rem.
She felt such anxiety towards Rem that it was easy to empathize with her. And the fact that it disappeared so quickly meant that she restrained herself from letting it be conveyed to Rem.
That anxiety would not have been conveyed if they had been farther apart, but it reached Rem, who was returning from the royal capital.
"Rem," Tanaka's voice cut through the air, low and serious. "What's wrong?"
"My sister. I just felt her emotions. Sudden... sharp anxiety."
She swallowed, her breath catching.
A shared silence passed between them. The air was thicker now. Heavier.
Rem's voice dropped to a whisper, almost a plea:
"We have to get back quickly—!"
The dragon let out a snort as she pulled the reins harder, spurred on by her urgency. The wheels lurched forward with renewed speed, the carriage now rattling from the rough terrain of the shortcut path.
Her heart was pounding now, harder than before. A sense of dread clawed at her chest. She tried to remain composed—her face blank, her voice even—but inside, panic was bubbling over.
This flaw of hers—this desperate resolve—had always led her to overextend. And now, it was blinding her again.
Tanaka reached out, about to say something—but he didn't get the chance.
Thwip—
A sharp, cutting sound split the air.
Then—thunk.
"...Gh—!"
Tanaka jerked violently forward, the force of the impact throwing him toward the front wall of the carriage. A dagger—slim, and sharp—had embedded itself in his back, just above the shoulder blade. Blood sprayed against the wooden interior.
"Tanaka!" Rem shouted, eyes wide, heart skipping a beat.
But there was no time to check on him.
--In front of her very eyes, in a world where time had stagnated, Rem saw the earth dragon's head being blown off.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
--The running earth dragon's head was blown off from its base, and the dragon carriage being pulled followed its mindless giant body as it collapsed, bouncing wildly off the road and overturning.
The overturned vehicle scraped the ground spectacularly, making a thunderous noise while raising smoke. The wood broke and the body of the fallen earth dragon got caught in the wheels, causing an unpleasant sound of flesh being torn apart and even blood smoke to splash everywhere, and the scene was transformed into a disaster in an instant.
Tanaka hit the ground hard.
The impact knocked the breath from his lungs, and he barely had time to scream before pain surged through his entire frame. His shoulder exploded with agony—the dagger still embedded deep in the joint—and he felt something crack in his ribs as he rolled through the dirt like a ragdoll.
The moment he stopped, the pain stabbed deeper. His vision wavered, and the sky above spun wildly.
Then—shadows fell over him.
Witch Cultists.
Figures in tattered robes loomed over him. Witch Cult members. Their expressions were wrong. Their eyes were wrong. Their voices—worse.
They began to murmur in low, reverent tones.
"The Star King..."
"The betrayer of the Aurora..."
"Must die…"
The words slipped through their lips like a cursed prayer, repeated over and over again.
Then they lunged.
Their reverence vanished in a blink, replaced by snarling bloodlust. Like jackals descending on wounded prey, they rushed at Tanaka from every side, blades gleaming, hands twisted into claw-like grips, teeth bared in frenzied glee.
The first dagger never reached him.
A flash of silvery light burst outward as the nearest cultist's blade slammed against a barely visible barrier—a translucent dome of spirit-forged mana that shimmered like morning dew. The impact sent the weapon spinning from his hand, and the cultist shrieked in frustration, clawing at the protective veil.
More came.
They stabbed, scraped, and pounded against the barrier with wild ferocity, their weapons clanging and sparking. One hurled a bottle of flaming liquid—a crude firebomb—which exploded on contact with the dome, sending flames licking across the surface. The fire didn't breach the shield, but the heat and light refracted wildly, casting Tanaka's curled form in a grotesque silhouette.
"He must die... must die... must die…"
Tanaka's ears rang. The world spun. The whispers drilled into his skull, each syllable a hammer blow behind his eyes. It felt like his head was being split open from the inside.
He gritted his teeth. Rem was somewhere nearby, fighting with wild fury, her morning star slamming into cultists with relentless rhythm. But Tanaka's vision was blurring—he could barely register the blue flash of her hair amidst the chaos.
Then he saw it—
A cultist darting away in the distance.Subaru. Slung over the man's back, limp. Unconscious.
Tanaka tried to rise, but the pressure in his head was unbearable. The chanting wouldn't stop. Louder now. Endless.
"The betrayer of Aurora must die…"
"Must die... Must die..."
His vision bled white.
His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms as the pain hit a fever pitch.
"SHUT UP!!!" Tanaka roared, the words torn from his throat.
And in that instant—
Silence.
The ringing slowly vanished, as if someone had severed a thread of reality.
The shield of light that had formed around his body flickered... then dissipated.
Tanaka slowly opened his eyes, his breath ragged, heart pounding.
Around him—
Stillness.
Every single cultist that had been circling him and Rem… was dead.
Ice—Jagged, cruel, and crystalline—pierced through skulls, chests, and limbs. Like frozen stakes erupting from the earth, each one perfectly placed.
Blood pooled at their feet. Steam curled from fresh wounds into the cold morning air.
Tanaka looked at his hands—trembling. Then looked to the side where Rem stood, unmoving, eyes wide with disbelief.