Re:Zero - Starting from Zero (Natsuki Subaru)

Natsuki Subaru ran forward at his fastest speed, but soon he noticed something was wrong.

"This isn't right, is it? It's far too quiet."

Sensing something amiss, Subaru Natsuki stopped and looked around. When his gaze returned to the front, a masked man appeared before him.

The masked man wore a black robe, and not a single inch of his skin was exposed.

Subaru Natsuki broke out in a cold sweat, sensing something was wrong.

Natsuki Subaru subconsciously took a step back, only to find himself surrounded by countless black-robed figures.

The aura emanating from those black-robed figures made Subaru Natsuki feel very uneasy.

Just when Natsuki Subaru thought he was about to be defeated here...

The men in black robes bowed respectfully to Subaru Natsuki before retreating in the direction he had come from.

"What happened?"

Subaru Natsuki swallowed hard.

Now, there's absolutely no way for Subaru Natsuki to go back.

Since the men in black had already turned back, Subaru Natsuki could only move forward.

The more Natsuki Subaru thought about it, the more eerie it seemed. Although he felt fear, he quickened his pace.

Natsuki Subaru recalled the experiences of the past few days.

He was treated like a clown in the royal palace, fought Julius, and parted ways with Emilia.

He also had a major falling out with Crusch's faction, and Rem abandoned him, leaving him alone...

The more Natsuki Subaru thought about it, the more confused he became, but the fear in his heart was temporarily suppressed.

The sun rises in the early morning.

Natsuki Subaru looked at the familiar path in front of him, his expression somewhat complicated.

"I'm back……"

Natsuki Subaru knew that the village was not far ahead, and Roswaal's mansion was just ahead.

Natsuki Subaru walked into the village, which was unusually quiet.

There was none of the usual chattering and noise from those kids who would chatter incessantly whenever they saw him.

Natsuki Subaru knocked on a door, but there was no response. So he pushed the door open, saw what was inside, and then silently closed it again.

Subaru Natsuki then went to another house.

After struggling to push the door open, he saw the scene he least wanted to see.

Natsuki Subaru walked through the village, looking at the once peaceful and serene village now...

His expression grew increasingly grim.

There were dried bloodstains on the village buildings.

There were blood-stained blades on the ground.

As Natsuki Subaru walked further, he felt a stickiness under his feet, as if he had stepped on some kind of liquid.

However, Subaru Natsuki can't care about those things right now.

Natsuki Subaru saw the mountain of corpses before him.

The villagers who had once been so friendly and cheerful to him were now dead, their bodies piled up like a small mountain.

Natsuki Subaru took a step back with a grim expression, but tripped over the corpse behind him and fell to the ground with a thud.

His hand instinctively braced itself on the ground, but touched thick, fresh blood.

Natsuki Subaru then belatedly realized what he had seen along the way since entering the village.

Upon entering the villagers' houses, one sees the villagers lying dead in a pitiful state.

Walking in the village square, what you see is a mountain of corpses piled up from the bodies of the villagers.

All around was blood, flowing like a river.

Natsuki Subaru couldn't accept what was happening before him; his pupils trembled violently, and he felt his stomach churning.

"Where's Rem?"

Subaru Natsuki thought to himself.

Since so many villagers have been killed, they must have encountered a very powerful enemy, right?

Since there are such powerful enemies here, what about Rem who returned early...?

Natsuki Subaru dared not think any further.

Natsuki Subaru uncontrollably recalled every little thing he had done with Rem.

Rem's smile, Rem's sorrow.

He once walked with Rem along the village paths.

It was so wonderful before.

Now, only Natsuki Subaru remains, walking alone on the eerily quiet path.

"Rem, Rem, where's Rem?"

Natsuki Subaru only realized now how much Rem had considered for him.

Rem came alone because she knew it was very dangerous here, even though she knew she had abandoned Subaru and that she knew she would make Subaru angry.

You idiot, you idiot, you idiot, you idiot, you idiot!

Natsuki Subaru clutched the letter Rem had left behind tightly with his blood-stained hands; the letter was stained red with blood.

Natsuki Subaru recalled Rem's demon form during battle and comforted himself, telling himself that Rem was strong and would definitely be alright.

Everything will be alright, everything will be alright, everything will be alright, everything will be alright!!!

Natsuki Subaru didn't know how he walked through the gates of the mansion.

Natsuki Subaru had just stepped into the courtyard of the mansion.

Subaru Natsuki saw what he least wanted to see, what he least wanted to see at this moment.

The meteor hammer that belonged to Rem lay quietly on the ground, stained with blood.

Natsuki Subaru looked in the direction of the chain on the meteor hammer on the ground and saw a scene he never wanted to see in his life.

"So, Subaru, please wait here for Rem. Rem will definitely come to pick you up after everything is resolved."

Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but think of the words left in Rem's letter.

Natsuki Subaru trembled violently, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his eyes were filled with endless despair.

Rem smiled through her tears.

Rem looked at herself tenderly.

Rem turned a blind eye to her reckless behavior.

The happy expression on Rem's face when she gets her head patted.

Rem stayed by his side even when he was at his most embarrassed.

"Please take care. Please stay there until I return, I beg you."

"Respectfully, Subaru's son, Rem."

Looking back on everything I've experienced with Rem.

Natsuki Subaru finally couldn't stand up anymore.

Natsuki Subaru's legs buckled, and he knelt directly on the ground.

in front of you.

It's Rem's corpse.

Rem is dead.

A knife resembling a dagger was stuck in his head.

Blood was spilled all over the ground.

Natsuki Subaru's lips trembled as he tried to say something, but he felt as if he had lost his voice and couldn't utter a single word.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down Subaru's face, and only despair remained in his eyes.

……

？ ！！

Inside the Tower of Sages.

Emilia gasped, then felt as if her heart was being squeezed, making it hard to breathe.

"Back then... Subaru... actually went through something like that..."

Emilia couldn't believe the images playing on the screen.

How is this possible? How can this be?!

Emilia bit her lip.

Emilia has not forgotten just how terrifying the enemy they faced was.

The Archbishop of Sloth and Sin, White Whale.

However, in Emilia's memory, it was only with the help of Subaru Natsuki and everyone else that they were able to successfully defeat the Archbishop of Sloth and the White Whale.

Emilia felt a slight tingling sensation in her nose.

Natsuki Subaru... just what kind of hell did he go through?

Emilia felt that what was being shown on the screen was not even the tip of the iceberg of all the suffering that Subaru Natsuki had experienced.

"It's all my fault... I had no idea how much pain Subaru was going through back then, and I arrogantly said I would pay back everything..."

"But everything Subaru has given... can never be repaid... Not only that, because of my departure... it has caused Subaru..."

Emilia lowered her head, feeling extremely guilty.