Re:Zero -Starting Life in Zero

Green raised his right hand high, then bent his sharp claws and stabbed them into his palm.

Fresh blood gushed from between his fingers, dripping onto the dusty floor of the forbidden library.

In the blink of an eye, green plants sprouted from the soil and bloomed into clusters of golden roses.

The outline of the behemoth made the ceiling creak, but its voice was as gentle as a honey-soaked incantation.

"My dear Belle, come see the gift I brought back for you..."

A glint seemed to flash in Betty's gray eyes.

"Are you planning to sell Betty to the Beast as his bride?"

Green slowly lowered her head, the shadow of the giant beast completely enveloping her.

The curve of his lips carried a hint of wickedness, yet his eyes brimmed with undisguised sincerity.

"I beg the most benevolent and kind great spirit, as depicted in fairy tales, to pluck a golden rose and bring me from the desolate castle into the sunlight."

The reversal of the scene puts Betty in the position of reaching out, which is no longer a staircase but an elevator for the tsundere.

click-

A rose was gently plucked.

Betty turned around, pulled over a step stool, and placed it steadily at Green's feet.

Then, holding the golden rose, he stepped up to the top of the ladder.

She stood on tiptoe, reaching out to touch him, her voice barely audible, yet every word clear:

"Betty... I still can't reach you."

A low chuckle escaped from Green's throat as the giant beast's head slowly lowered until their noses touched and their breaths were in sync.

He had assumed the girl would pin a rose in his hair.

But the next second, Betty stood up even higher, her soft lips gently touching his ferocious beastly face.

The beast's body couldn't feel this subtle touch, but Green's heart was pounding wildly in his chest, making his ribs vibrate.

Betty reached out and hugged the giant beast's mottled muzzle, her warm tears brushing against the rough texture, wetting a patch of icy flesh.

She closed her eyes, her voice choked with sobs, yet incredibly resolute:

"Betty, in the name of the Great Elf, makes a pact with the one before her—we will stay together until the sun and moon set and never rise again."

There were no dazzling magic circles, no witch's whispers.

But Green clearly sensed that the invisible chain that had bound the Forbidden Library and Betty for hundreds of years was breaking inch by inch.

A brand new thread appeared out of thin air, one end taking root deep in his soul, the other end binding the girl's slightly trembling fingertips.

The immense magical power within her surged along the silk threads, flowing into Betty's limbs and bones.

Green slowly withdrew his power, the outline of the giant beast faded, and he transformed back into human form.

Betty, having lost her support, fell from mid-air.

Green strode forward, opened his arms, and gently embraced her.

Betty gripped Green's collar so tightly that the fabric made a slight tearing sound.

She buried her face in his chest, urging in a muffled voice, "Green, what's your answer...?"

"I, Grimm, swear an oath to the sky, to the earth, and to the vast ocean."

As he spoke, Green embraced Betty in a princess carry and slowly walked towards the door of the Forbidden Library, his voice as soothing as to be captivating.

"I wish to be with Betty forever, to love what she loves, to think what she thinks, to bear her pain, and to help her through her suffering."

Whether in poverty or wealth, whether in chaotic times or abandoned by the gods, I will draw my sword for her, sheathe my claws for her, and never abandon her, until forever…

The moment she stepped over the door frame, Betty's eyes snapped shut in fear, and her body trembled slightly.

Fortunately, Green's gentle voice soothed her broken heart, and his sincere vows made her feel like she was bathed in a spring breeze.

Finally, the two emerged from the oppressive, forbidden library.

The cool night breeze pulled Betty closer to Green's arms, and the real touch made her tears flow again.

"Betty doesn't care about such a pretentious contract..."

Her voice was muffled in Green's chest, thick with a nasal tone, and her knuckles, gripping Green's clothes, had turned white.

Green looked down and saw the girl's reddened eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.

The warmth and softness from fingertips were completely different from the cold pages of books in the forbidden library.

Betty's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she wanted to melt into Green's chest.

"Haha, I've always been this dramatic," Green chuckled, then jumped off the balcony with Betty in his arms.

call!

He tossed Betty into the air, then immediately activated the forest's protection, transforming her into a giant beast during the fall.

"You idiot, Grimm... what do you think you're doing?!"

Betty's skirt fluttered in the wind, like a delicate hibiscus flower.

Green controlled the angle carefully and caught Betty on his huge head, then ran at top speed towards the outside of the courtyard.

"Wuhu!"

"I want to take you to the top of that mountain, to wait for the sun to rise, and to feel the first rays of sunlight!"

Rumble, rumble...

The enormous footsteps echoed across the land.

The moonlight cast long, long shadows of the two of them, and the petals of gilded roses still clung to Betty's hair, shimmering in the night.

Inside the mansion's high-rise, Roswaal leaned against the wide floor-to-ceiling window, watching Green and Betty walk away into the distance.

"Has the dragon-slaying boy begun to grow his wings? Spartacus... You must become my strength, Grimm Andersen..."

After muttering to himself for a moment, Roswaal lowered his eyes again, his gaze falling on the Book of Wisdom in his hands, the pages moving without wind.

"The one destined to slay the dragon... what a wonderful title."

"However, to wield a sharp sword, a reliable hilt is essential..."

Roswaal narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Ram, who was serving him.

"Ram—you don't seem to have replenished your magic power for several days, come here..."

Ram's expression was complicated. He took a barely perceptible half-step back, his tone distant yet respectful.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Roswaal... Ram's magical energy is still plentiful..."

Roswaal was somewhat taken aback by her reaction, then awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hands.

Her fingertips gently traced the pages, a smile not reaching her eyes: "Sogga...you have your own plans too, Ram..."

They had made an agreement when accepting Ram's surrender.

Roswaal promised to help her investigate the Witch Cult and settle the blood feud in the Ghost Village.

However, since Roswaal himself was one of the main culprits in destroying the Oni village, the following two clauses were added to the contract:

If the world proceeds according to Roswaal's Book of Wisdom: Ram must be absolutely loyal to and obey all his commands.

If the worldline deviates from the prophecy in the Book of Wisdom: Roswaal will be at Ram's mercy, his life, death, and fate will be entirely decided by Ram.

Ram's eyes were filled with a mixture of hatred and gratitude, her fingers trembled slightly, and the flow of mana within her body became restless.

She lowered her eyes, concealing the turmoil within them, her voice as soft as a sigh: "It's late, Roswaal should rest early. Please, Ronram, take your leave..."

The peach-haired maid bowed and withdrew, gently closing the door behind her.

As long as Rem exists in the world, she will always hold the number one place in Ram's heart.

Green's appearance changed the contents of the Book of Wisdom.

This also gave Ram a glimpse of an opportunity to win the contractual bet.