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{3rd Pov}
Subaru had no idea what kind of massive changes had already taken place behind the scenes.
Completely unaware of how the world around him had shifted, he continued moving forward with his own plans, already determined to rescue the villagers no matter what it cost him.
To begin with, he encountered a merchant who was clearly at the edge of collapse.
The man was desperate—his business was failing, and he needed someone willing to buy his oil at the previous market price.
If he couldn't sell it soon, bankruptcy was inevitable, and worse still, he would be sold into slavery along with others who had chosen to stay with him.
Those people were willing to follow Subaru as long as he could pay and buy the oil later.
Subaru didn't hesitate.
He knew full well that he didn't have the money to pay them.
He was nothing more than a butler now.
Emilia had denied any deeper relationship with him, had clearly distanced herself, and had made it obvious that he was not her knight.
On top of that, there was no real guarantee that Roswaal would honor any promise made in Subaru's name or cover the cost afterward.
He understood all of that.
Still, he agreed.
Saving the villagers came first.
Everything else—money, responsibility, consequences—could come later.
If people had to get angry at him afterward, then so be it.
If he had to bear the blame alone, he would.
With that decided, they made preparations immediately.
The plan was to leave that very evening.
If everything went according to schedule, they would arrive at their destination by dawn.
From there, Subaru intended to evacuate the entire village before noon, moving them to safety before disaster could strike.
He didn't know if the plan would succeed.
He didn't know if he would be punished for it.
But he knew one thing for certain.
He couldn't afford to wait.
However, just as the wagons began rolling toward the city's entrance, they were abruptly stopped by a group of guards.
"What is the meaning of this?" Rem demanded coldly, her sharp gaze fixed on the men blocking the path.
Although neither she nor Subaru were nobles, they still represented Roswaal's authority as his servants.
That alone was usually enough to deter interference.
For guards to stop them without clear justification was, in effect, a direct challenge to Roswaal's attendants.
The guard captain stepped forward calmly, showing no sign of intimidation.
"We have received orders from the Karsten Knights," he said evenly.
"We are to detain Natsuki Subaru here. They will be arriving shortly to escort him to Duchess Crusch Karsten. She has requested an audience with him."
The words immediately drew attention to Subaru.
Earlier, one of the two soldiers dispatched by Crusch had already arrived and informed the city guards of their instructions.
They had given a detailed description of their target—explaining that he was a servant of Lord Roswaal and providing his appearance in clear terms.
When Rem presented Roswaal's insignia to authorize the wagons' passage through the gate, everything clicked into place.
The black-haired, black-eyed man wearing a butler's uniform standing among them could only be one person.
Natsuki Subaru.
Realizing this, the guards moved with purpose, their posture tightening as they carried out their orders.
What had initially seemed like a routine delay had now turned into something far more serious.
Hearing that, Subaru's face went pale.
Then it twisted.
His hands began to tremble as anger surged through him, hot and uncontrollable.
Boiling rage filled his chest as thoughts spiraled violently in his mind.
'What does she want now?', he thought bitterly.
'After denying any help, after throwing me out like trash… does she want to humiliate me again? Or is this it? Is she finally going to do what she said and kill me?'
The humiliation burned just as much as the anger.
Time was slipping away.
Every second wasted here meant more danger for the village.
He needed to get there quickly—needed to evacuate everyone before it was too late.
Being delayed now could cost lives, and that thought made his blood boil even more.
Otto, who had been watching the situation unfold from the side, grew visibly anxious.
This was exactly the kind of trouble he wanted to avoid.
Being associated with someone who had a bad relationship with a Royal Candidate was far worse than simple detention.
It could ruin him financially, socially—completely.
Choosing his words with extreme care, Otto spoke up.
"Sir… it seems there is some kind of problem between you and the guards," he said cautiously, clearly uncomfortable.
Subaru bit down hard on his lip.
The veins on his temples and hands stood out visibly as he struggled to keep himself under control.
For a moment, it looked as though he might explode.
Then he forced himself to calm down.
He took a slow breath, then another.
Without another word, Subaru stepped down from the wagon.
He stood in front of the guards, his eyes narrowed, his expression tight with restrained fury.
"I will wait," he said simply.
Rem looked at him in surprise, but she immediately understood.
As much as it frustrated her, this was the only viable option.
The alternative—forcing their way through—would mean openly breaking the law.
And if that happened, the merchants would never follow them.
Their mission would fall apart before it even began.
So Subaru stood there, burning with anger, watching time slip through his fingers—waiting for someone he never wanted to see again.
Subaru had already made up his mind.
He decided that he would see how things played out in this loop.
For the first time in a while, there was a faint sense of hope—fragile, unstable, but still there.
And as long as even that small hope existed, he was willing to keep going.
He was willing to die again.
And again.
He had already resolved himself to it.
If he returned by death the next time, he would never approach the three Royal Candidates again.
He would simply leave the city, just as he had planned this time, and continue on his way after meeting Otto in the next loop.
No begging.
No humiliation.
No wasted time.
Yes, that choice demanded his death.
Whether by his own hand or someone else's didn't matter anymore.
Natsuki Subaru had long since given up whatever sense of self-worth he once possessed.
To him, his life had value only insofar as it could save others.
If his death could protect people, if it could spare innocent lives, if it could make someone smile even once—then it was worth it.
That was how he thought now.
In his own eyes, he was weak.
Pathetic.
A complete loser.
He believed that the only thing that gave him any value at all was Return by Death.
Without it, he couldn't even imagine what he would be.
Just another useless man who couldn't accomplish anything on his own.
So he chose to take another chance.
A tired, hollow expression settled on his face, as if he were already preparing himself for what was to come.
It was the look of someone who had already envisioned his own death and accepted it as inevitable.
Not long after, the two soldiers dispatched by Crusch finally arrived.
The moment they spotted Natsuki Subaru, their eyes lit up in recognition.
They remembered the Duchess's orders clearly—far too clearly to make any mistakes.
One of them immediately turned and hurried off to inform the Karsten camp of his location.
The other remained behind.
He stood close, watching Subaru carefully, his posture tense and alert.
This was not just an assignment—it was a matter of survival.
If anything went wrong, if Subaru slipped away or was mistreated, the consequences would be severe.
Their lives depended on this.
Quite literally.
'Does she want to get rid of me quietly?', Subaru thought, a cold chill running down his spine. 'Like an assassination?'
That was the only explanation that made sense to him.
The idea alone made his body tense up.
His hands began to tremble slightly before he forced himself to take a deep breath.
Even then, his eyes looked hollow, as if the life had been slowly drained out of them by constant fear and exhaustion.
'Why is everyone trying to hurt me?', he wondered bitterly.
'Why does it always come to this? Am I really that worthless?'
His chest tightened as frustration and despair mixed together.
'This has to be a trap,' he thought sharply, gritting his teeth.
'It definitely is a trap. Damn it.'
He glanced toward Rem, and she immediately noticed the change in his expression. Something was clearly wrong.
She didn't need him to say anything to understand that he was deeply unsettled.
To be honest, she herself was already suspicious of Duchess Karsten's sudden interest.
Nothing about this situation felt normal.
Rem knew the reality of Subaru's position all too well.
If Duchess Karsten decided to kill him, there would be little to no consequences.
In the eyes of the public, Subaru had already been labeled reckless, unstable, and outright mad.
Many nobles and Royal Knights openly hated him because of the words he had spoken back at the Royal Castle.
If he disappeared now, few would question it.
That thought made her grip tighten slightly.
The only real way for them to survive this was to leave—immediately.
If it had only been the two of them, Rem was confident she could force a way out if necessary.
She trusted her own strength enough to make that happen.
But that wasn't their situation.
They needed Otto.
They needed the merchants.
They needed everyone to move together.
Without them, evacuating the villagers would be impossible.
And that meant they were trapped here, standing still, with danger closing in from all sides—waiting for someone whose intentions they could no longer trust.
Subaru gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening as he finally made a decision.
'Fuck it.'
'I've already died multiple times. I already know how this ends.'
The thought burned through his mind as his hands clenched into fists.
'Instead of dying here and letting all the villagers die along with me… at least this time I'll try to save them before they get killed.'
He didn't delude himself.
He knew he was weak.
He knew he wasn't a hero.
He knew he was pathetic, useless, and constantly getting in the way.
But even knowing all of that—even accepting it—he still wanted to save them.
The children.
The villagers.
And Emilia.
That alone was enough.
"We're leaving," Subaru said calmly, his voice unnervingly steady despite the storm raging inside him.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and climbed back into the wagon, sitting down beside Otto.
Otto looked at him in confusion, clearly not understanding what had just happened or why Subaru was suddenly acting this way.
Before anyone could react further, Rem stepped forward.
With a smooth, practiced motion, she pulled out her morning star.
The sound of metal shifting instantly alerted everyone around them.
Guards tensed.
Soldiers stiffened.
Weapons were unsheathed all at once, steel glinting in the open air.
"Surrender yourselves at once!" the captain in charge of the city gate shouted, his voice sharp and commanding.
"There is no need for violence!"
At the same time, the Karsten soldier's face turned pale with panic.
Sweat beaded along his brow as he stepped forward hastily.
"Sir, please!" he said urgently, his voice strained.
"Lady Karsten has given us strict orders to bring you safely. We truly mean no harm! Please, there's no need for this!"
But Subaru wasn't listening.
He couldn't afford to.
His recent experiences had taught him a harsh lesson—believing people was the worst mistake he could make.
Every time he trusted someone, it ended the same way.
Betrayal.
Humiliation.
Death.
Everyone was after him.
They hated him.
They wanted him gone.
They wanted him dead.
That was how it always felt.
In his mind, there were no allies left.
No safe choices.
No room for hesitation.
There was only himself.
And Rem.
That was all he had—and that was all he was willing to rely on.
Rem moved first.
Without hesitation, she swung her morning star in a wide arc, the heavy weapon tearing through the air with brutal force.
At the same time, she channeled her magic, rapidly manifesting water mana around her body.
In an instant, compressed blades of water shot outward, slicing through the space between her and the soldiers.
The captain reacted just in time.
He raised his weapon and barely managed to deflect the incoming morning star, the impact rattling his arms as sparks flew from the clash of metal.
The sheer force behind the blow forced him to slide backward, boots scraping against the stone ground.
The rest of the soldiers scattered immediately.
They threw themselves aside, rolling and diving to avoid the incoming wind attacks.
Several of the blades cut dangerously close, slicing through armor straps and embedding themselves into the ground and nearby structures.
One misstep would have meant serious injury—or death.
"Run!" Subaru shouted at the top of his lungs.
He yanked hard on the reins of the ground dragons, his movements frantic but decisive.
The beasts screeched loudly in protest, their claws scraping against the stone as they lurched forward.
Panic rippled through the animals, but they responded to the pull, surging ahead with surprising speed.
Thankfully, the city gate was still open.
As the wagon jolted forward, Rem disengaged instantly.
She leapt backward with perfect timing, landing on the rear of the moving wagon and grabbing hold firmly.
Her grip tightened as the wagon picked up speed, the city rapidly falling behind them.
Shouts erupted from the guards as they realized what had happened, but it was already too late.
The wagon burst through the gate and out onto the open road, leaving the chaos, confusion, and steel behind.
Within moments, the city walls were shrinking in the distance.
They had escaped.
Or so they thought.
"Fire arrows!" the captain shouted sharply.
His command was carried out instantly.
Archers positioned above the city gate moved in unison, nocking arrows with practiced speed.
A moment later, flaming projectiles streaked through the air, aimed directly at the lone wagon fleeing down the road.
Otto completely lost it.
He screamed hysterically as the first wave of arrows came flying toward them, his panic spiraling out of control.
His hands flailed uselessly as Subaru struggled to keep the ground dragons steady, the wagon shaking violently as it sped forward.
Rem reacted immediately.
She focused her mana and cast water magic in front of the wagon, forming a rushing barrier of compressed water.
The incoming arrows were deflected mid-flight, veering off course or being stopped by the barrier and cast harmlessly aside.
But not all of them.
One arrow slipped through at an awkward angle, redirected instead of stopped. It struck Subaru squarely in the shoulder with a sickening thud.
"Arghhh!" Subaru cried out, his body jerking from the sudden pain.
The reins nearly slipped from his grasp.
Rem's eyes widened instantly at the sound of his scream.
A crushing wave of self-blame slammed into her chest.
'Why does this always happen?'
'Why do I ruin everything?'
'Why can't I do anything perfectly?'
Her heart pounded violently, her breath hitching as rage and guilt surged together.
For a split second, she felt herself teeter on the edge of slipping into Oni Mode—her emotions threatening to spiral out of control.
Then Subaru shouted again.
"Rem, help! Otto's losing control!" he yelled through clenched teeth.
"We need to get to the village—now!"
That snapped her out of it.
She turned sharply and saw Otto struggling wildly, half-fighting Subaru for control of the wagon fully realizing what he was doing and trying to stop them as he considered them criminals now.
His panic was making the situation worse, not better.
Rem didn't hesitate.
She jumped fully into the wagon, grabbed Otto by the collar, and yanked him away from Subaru with brute force.
Before he could even react, she delivered a single, clean punch to his face.
The impact was brutal.
Otto went limp instantly, collapsing unconscious onto the wagon floor as blood poured from his broken nose.
Rem ignored it.
Subaru, despite the pain radiating from his wounded shoulder, tightened his grip on the reins.
His teeth clenched as he pulled with everything he had left, muscles screaming in protest.
"Hyah!" he shouted hoarsely.
The ground dragons screeched loudly, responding to the force and urgency in his command.
Their pace increased sharply, claws tearing into the road as they surged forward at full speed.
Meanwhile, back at the city gate, the captain raised his hand sharply, signaling the archers to prepare another volley.
The remaining men moved quickly, reaching for fresh arrows and drawing their bows, ready to strike the fleeing wagon once more.
They never got the chance.
A blade suddenly burst through the captain's chest from behind.
"Cough—!"
Blood sprayed violently from the wound as his body stiffened in shock.
A crimson-orange sword had pierced cleanly through his heart, its heat scorching flesh even as it held him in place.
His knees buckled as his strength drained away in an instant.
Before he could even understand what had happened, a cold, heartless voice reached his ears.
"Vermin," the voice said calmly, filled with disdain.
"You have angered my divine self. How dare you harm him."
The captain's eyes widened in terror.
In the next moment, blazing flames erupted from the sword, engulfing his body completely.
Fire consumed him in seconds, reducing flesh, armor, and bone to nothing but drifting ash scattered by the wind.
At the same time, Aldebaran moved efficiently through the chaos.
Without hesitation or unnecessary flair, he cut down another archer who had been too slow to react.
The man fell before he even realized what was happening.
Aldebaran turned, scanning the battlements—and found that there was no one left to fight.
The remaining archers had already been incinerated.
Priscilla stood among the scorched remains, flames fading around her as if they had never existed at all.
Not a trace of hesitation or remorse showed on her face.
Aldebaran let out a slow breath and scratched the back of his helmet.
"The political fallout from this…" he said dryly, glancing at the destruction, "…is going to be insane."
Priscilla snorted dismissively, clearly uninterested.
"Aldebaran," she said sharply, her tone brooking no argument, "get mine divine self a ground dragon."
She turned toward the road where the wagon had disappeared, her eyes burning with intent.
"I must chase after him."
Aldebaran was shocked.
Not by her insistence.
Not even by the fact that she had casually killed soldiers who had merely been doing their duty, simply because they had angered her.
What truly unsettled him was something else entirely.
Priscilla Barielle was willing to personally chase after Natsuki Subaru.
That alone was absurd.
Priscilla did not chase people.
She never had.
If someone did not bend to her words or acknowledge her authority, she simply discarded them.
As long as they did not openly defy her divine rule, she had no interest in pursuing them.
In her world, people either came to her willingly—or they ceased to matter.
And yet, here she was.
Demanding a ground dragon.
Preparing to give chase herself.
All for one man.
For Natsuki Subaru, she was willing to cross that line.
She was determined to make sure he ended up in her camp, no matter what it took.
In fact, she had already explained to Aldebaran that Subaru was meant to be part of their camp in the future.
According to her, events had been altered—time itself had shifted—and this time, Subaru didn't remember anything.
Aldebaran accepted that explanation easily.
It fit her.
This was exactly how Priscilla Barielle lived—like a blazing sun.
She acted according to her desires without restraint, without hesitation, and without apology.
If she wanted something, the world was expected to bend around that fact.
Still…
An uneasy feeling lingered in the back of his mind.
It wasn't doubt nor suspicion.
It was discomfort.
The sheer intensity of her reaction—the way she was acting over Subaru—suggested that whatever relationship they shared in the future was far deeper than Aldebaran had initially assumed.
Deep enough that even Priscilla, who chased nothing and no one, was now willing to do so.
And that realization unsettled him more than the flames ever could.
Were they merely allies?
Was Subaru simply someone Priscilla had come to respect deeply after truly understanding the extent of his struggles?
Or was there something more between them?
Aldebaran couldn't say for certain.
Still, one thing seemed unlikely to him.
He didn't believe Priscilla Barielle and Natsuki Subaru shared a lover's relationship.
Priscilla had never been subtle or restrained when it came to her desires.
She was direct, bold, and unapologetic in everything she did.
If she wanted someone, she would declare it openly, without embarrassment or hesitation.
That was who she was.
And yet, the situation wasn't so simple.
If Priscilla was capable of killing Aldebaran countless times over disagreements in the future she spoke of so casually, then perhaps going to extreme lengths to reclaim someone she considered valuable wasn't far-fetched at all.
To her, worth mattered more than sentimentality.
If a person had value—real value—then the world was expected to bend to accommodate that fact.
From that perspective, her current actions made a disturbing kind of sense.
Aldebaran decided not to dwell on it further.
For now, he had orders to follow.
He turned his attention to the merchants nearby, who were frozen in place.
They were pale, shaking, and far too shocked to even process what they had just witnessed.
Soldiers had been incinerated.
The city gate had descended into chaos.
And standing at the center of it all was Priscilla Barielle, radiating authority and danger.
Before they could even think to protest, royal gold coins were tossed toward them—carelessly, dismissively—clattering against the ground as if they were nothing more than worthless copper.
The merchants stared at the coins in disbelief, not daring to question it.
They got the ground dragons from their wagons.
Ahem.
They were not stolen from.
They were acquired.
With that settled, Aldebaran mounted up as well.
Priscilla had already taken off, riding hard in pursuit of Subaru's wagon.
There was no hesitation in her movements, no doubt in her intent.
She was chasing him, not to punish or humiliate him as her past self did.
But with a single, unmistakable purpose.
To protect him.
Meanwhile, Duchess Karsten's forces finally arrived at the city gate.
What greeted them was chaos.
Scorched stone, lingering heat, and the unmistakable stench of burned flesh filled the air.
Dead bodies lay scattered near the entrance, some reduced to little more than ash.
Sections of the gate were still smoldering, blackened by intense flames that had clearly not come from ordinary weapons.
The soldiers immediately began questioning everyone present—guards, merchants, bystanders, anyone who had witnessed what happened.
It didn't take long for a clear picture to emerge.
This had been Priscilla Barielle's doing.
According to the testimonies, Natsuki Subaru had fled the city like a criminal, forcing his way out under pursuit.
And Priscilla herself had followed after him, leaving destruction in her wake without hesitation or restraint.
The moment Crusch understood what had happened, her heart sank.
A cold, sinking feeling settled deep in her chest as a terrifying thought crossed her mind.
'She kills anyone who disrespects her…', Crusch thought grimly.
'Is her goal to kill my Lord? Just to satisfy her petty sense of superiority?'
Anger surged through her at the idea.
The mere possibility made her hands clench involuntarily.
She knew Priscilla well enough to understand how dangerous that woman could be when she decided someone had offended her pride.
Then another realization struck her.
'Did my Lord escape because he knew Priscilla was after him?'
The thought made her wince.
She brought a hand to her face and facepalmed hard, frustration flooding her expression.
Of course he would run.
Of course he would assume the worst.
Given everything that had already happened, how could he think otherwise?
She already knew that things were changing.
She already knew this timeline was different.
And yet, despite all that knowledge, she had foolishly assumed she could still move everything according to her original plan.
That mistake might have cost her dearly.
Now, Priscilla was chasing Subaru.
And Crusch could only hope—desperately—that she was wrong about Priscilla's intentions.
"Miss Karsten, it seems you are in quite a pinch."
The sudden voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Crusch turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as she saw Anastasia Hoshin step forward into view.
She was surrounded on all sides by her own forces—mercenaries, magicians, and fully armed soldiers moving in disciplined formation.
Behind her stood her personal group as well, all visibly prepared for conflict, weapons ready and expressions serious.
The sight alone was enough to make several of Crusch's soldiers tense.
Anastasia hadn't come alone.
She hadn't come unprepared.
Her presence was deliberate, calculated, and timed far too perfectly to be coincidence.
For a brief moment, the air between the two camps felt heavy, charged with unspoken intent.
Crusch could immediately tell that Anastasia already knew what had happened at the gate.
The faint, knowing look in her eyes made that painfully clear.
This was not a friendly visit.
This was an intervention.
And in that moment—standing face to face, surrounded by armies and uncertainty—the two women who had both returned through death finally met each other's gaze.
Neither of them knew.
But for them Natsuki Subaru can be only theirs.
To be continued...