(A/N: Yes, another fanfic, I have a lot of such tertiary projects, don't worry I have enough chaps for this month if we include all the fanfics)
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{3rd Pov}
The war in Priestella had finally come to an end.
It was a victory, yes, but one that carried with it a bitter and almost unbearable aftertaste.
Everyone who had fought, everyone who had bled, everyone who had sacrificed—none of them could remember Julius anymore.
His very existence had been eaten away from their memories, stolen without remorse.
When Emilia, with a worried and confused look on her face, asked Subaru, "Subaru, is he your friend?" those words pierced Subaru's chest like a dagger.
In that moment, he was forced to question the decisions he had made, the paths he had taken, and the weight of every choice he had carried on his shoulders until now.
Julius, on the other hand, looked absolutely devastated.
And how could he not be?
His entire identity had been stripped away before his very eyes.
His own brothers—their names and bonds devoured, erased from history as though they had never been born.
His loyal Spirits, the companions who had fought alongside him, had forgotten him and their contract broken.
His master, the one who he had pledged his loyalty to, no longer remembered him.
His friends, his comrades, even the citizens who once praised him—every single one of them had lost all recollection of who he was.
He had once stood tall as the Finest of Knights, admired by all, but now he had been reduced to nothing more than a nameless, forgotten man in the crowd.
He had once been known as the Spirit Knight, proud and unshakable, yet now he was just an ordinary man with no recognition, no honor, and no place.
And yet, despite this crushing despair, Julius discovered one fragile light in the darkness.
When he realized that Subaru still remembered him, his heart filled with a joy so overwhelming that only he himself could understand it.
For Julius, that single thread of remembrance meant everything.
He was not truly gone. He was not entirely erased.
There was still someone—this reckless, stubborn man whom he had once defeated so thoroughly back in the Capital—who still acknowledged him, who still carried his name in his heart.
Because Subaru remembered him, Julius was not completely alone.
Because Subaru stood by him, others who had been wary and suspicious of Julius and his comrades were able to calm their doubts and let go of their distrust.
Subaru's words carried weight, and through them, Julius was spared from falling deeper into the abyss of being forgotten.
But before they could properly recover, before they could even begin to process what had just happened, the situation took another unexpected turn.
As the group remained in the middle of their tense discussion, a strange phenomenon unfolded.
Without warning, a massive screen appeared in the skies above Priestella, shimmering with an unnatural glow.
And it was not just there—soon, reports came flooding in that identical screens were appearing all across the world through metia.
They appeared over the grand Capital of Lugunica, across the sprawling trade centers of Kararagi, in the militaristic lands of Vollachia, in the city of Gusteko, and in countless other towns, villages, and important locations scattered across the world.
No matter where people were, whether in bustling cities or quiet countryside settlements, the mysterious screens made themselves known.
"Hey! What is that?!" Mimi shouted in alarm, pointing her small paw towards the sky.
Her usual cheerfulness was replaced by fear and confusion.
The entire crowd tensed immediately, weapons ready, minds racing.
"Could this be another scheme of the Witch Cult?!" Felix growled through clenched teeth, his anger and hatred practically boiling over.
His lady was still confined to bed, her body tormented by the lingering curse inflicted upon her by the Archbishop of Lust.
He had fought with everything he had, and yet even victory had not been enough to free her from suffering.
Yes, they had won this battle, but the cost was almost too much to bear.
Subaru, for his part, still carried the weight of guilt upon his shoulders.
He could not stop blaming himself, replaying in his head the choices he made, the risks he took, and the tragedies that followed.
Yet, deep inside, he knew the cruel truth: no matter how much he despised himself, there was no undoing what had already happened.
He could not simply throw his life away again and again.
Dying repeatedly to reset the world was no longer a choice he could rely on.
He had done everything in his power to save everyone, and even so, not all could be saved.
Things could always have gone worse—that was the bitter reality.
In fact, it was already a miracle, almost unbelievable, that they had managed to slay one Sin Archbishop and even capture another alive.
That alone was an accomplishment beyond measure, a feat that most would have deemed impossible.
And yet, despite their hard-won achievements, the sudden appearance of the mysterious screens made one thing frighteningly clear: the war might have ended, but their struggles were far from over.
As the crowd continued to murmur in confusion over the sudden appearance of the strange screens, the atmosphere shifted when the Sword Saint himself interrupted.
Reinhard, who had been standing at Felt's side the entire time, suddenly spoke up, his calm but serious tone cutting through the noise.
"My Lady… Reid is willing to be sheathed," he said gravely. The meaning behind his words was not lost on anyone.
At once, silence fell over the area.
Everyone understood the weight of Reinhard's declaration, and the chatter ceased.
If even the Sword Saint, the strongest of them all, was preparing for action, then the situation was not something that could be taken lightly.
"Is an enemy coming?" Felt asked firmly.
Despite the tension in the air, her voice carried a sense of confidence.
She had absolute trust in her knight's unmatched strength and judgment, and her expression remained calm, though her eyes sharpened in anticipation.
Reinhard did not attempt to hide the truth. "I don't know," he admitted honestly, his gaze fixed on the glowing screen that had just lit up with activity.
The mysterious image brightened, pulling everyone's attention toward it.
The air grew heavier, as though the very atmosphere sensed danger. Reinhard's hand moved, and with a smooth motion, he drew his sword.
The sound of the blade leaving its sheath was crisp and final, the kind of sound that made hearts race and breaths hitch. He stood poised, ready to strike at a moment's notice if the need arose.
Then, the figure appeared.
On the vast screen before them was a humanoid being, though its appearance was unlike anything any of them had ever seen.
The figure was dressed in a sharp black tuxedo, the kind of formal attire that one might expect at a noble banquet or ceremony.
However, its face was anything but human. Where one would expect eyes, a nose, and a mouth, there was instead a cosmic void—a humanoid shape, but one that seemed to contain the night sky itself.
Stars twinkled faintly within it, entire galaxies swirled, and countless constellations shifted as if they were alive.
It was as though the infinite universe had been condensed into the shape of a man.
The being's voice echoed, calm yet impossibly vast, as though it was speaking directly into each of their minds. "Time, space, reality… these things are more than just a straight, unbroken path. They are not simple lines that move in one direction. No. They are a prism, a structure of endless possibility. A single choice, no matter how small, has the potential to branch out into infinite new realities, creating alternate worlds beyond the one you know. I am the Narrator. I am the guide who walks these vast and limitless realities. Follow me, if you have the courage, and ponder the question: What if?"
The crowd reacted instantly.
"You gotta be kidding me," Al muttered, his tone laced with both irritation and disbelief. He crossed his arms with a huff, clearly unimpressed.
Subaru, however, froze in shock, his eyes widening as the words sunk in. "…Is he talking about the Multiverse?" he muttered aloud without realizing it.
His voice was low, but the silence of the room ensured that everyone heard him clearly.
"Multiverse?" Priscilla repeated, tilting her head with curiosity.
Her lips curved into her usual smug smile as she raised an eyebrow at Subaru.
"Oh? That is quite the peculiar word. An interesting term, I must say. Now, peasant, explain yourself. What exactly do you mean by this 'multiverse'?"
Al, standing behind her, quickly chimed in as well. "Yeah, bro, I ain't much for science stuff or this multiversal mumbo-jumbo either. Why don't you do us all a favor and give us the details, huh?"
He gave a lazy shrug, though his mechanical helmet tilted slightly toward Subaru with expectation.
Everyone's eyes turned toward Subaru, pressing him for an explanation he hadn't wanted to give.
Subaru let out a long sigh, scratching the back of his head in frustration.
"Alright, alright, fine," he said reluctantly. "I'll try to make it simple. Just imagine this world—our world—like a single piece of glass. Now, don't stop there. Imagine there aren't just one of these glasses, but an endless number of them, all stacked side by side, all existing at the same time. Each piece of glass represents a different world, and in every single one of those worlds, history plays out differently depending on the choices people made. That's the multiverse. Infinite worlds, infinite versions of us, each one branching off whenever something changes. And what this… voice… just told us is that if anyone here had made a different choice in the past, it would have created an entirely different timeline."
The explanation hung heavy in the air.
Many of those present struggled to wrap their heads around the concept.
For people who had lived their entire lives bound by the rules of one world, the idea of infinite others existing side by side was almost incomprehensible.
And how the hell Subaru knew such a thing either way?!
Oh, it is because he is Subaru! That makes sense!
"Ugh, how bothersome!" Beatrice exclaimed, her small hands clutching her head as though trying to physically push away the headache forming.
Her twin-drill curls bounced as she shook her head, glaring at Subaru. "Multiverse! What a ridiculously complicated term, I suppose! Who even comes up with something so troublesome?!"
She huffed in exasperation, and the rest of the group remained silent, each person lost in their own thoughts about what they had just witnessed and heard.
"Sorry, Subaru, but I didn't really understand any of that," Emilia admitted with an apologetic smile, tilting her head slightly as she tried to process his explanation.
Her honesty softened the moment, but it also made Subaru sigh in frustration.
The rest of the group wore equally troubled expressions, some scratching their heads, others folding their arms in silence.
Clearly, the concept of infinite worlds was not sinking in well.
Before Subaru could even try to explain again, the strange, cosmic voice rang out across their minds once more.
It cut through the silence with ease, its presence inescapable.
"I will show you countless realities," the voice declared, calm yet imposing, "realities born from choices, from possibilities, from the paths untaken. And within them lie achievements—victories, defeats, sacrifices, and rewards—that you yourselves might never imagine. These, I shall reveal."
"Now that I think about it… this is telepathy, isn't it?" Anastasia remarked, adjusting the scarf around her neck as her sharp eyes scanned the glowing screen.
Her voice was casual but carried a thoughtful edge.
Everyone glanced at her, and slowly, one by one, the others nodded.
The strange sensation in their minds, the way the voice bypassed sound and echoed directly into their thoughts—it all made sense.
The crowd grew more tense.
Dozens of questions piled up in their minds, but they couldn't ask them, not when the mysterious being spoke with such finality.
They had just survived the exhausting battle with the Sin Archbishops in Priestella.
Their bodies were worn, their spirits still scarred.
And now, out of nowhere, this massive, incomprehensible screen had appeared in the sky, as if to remind them that peace was still far out of reach.
For the moment, they decided to do the only thing that seemed sensible—observe quietly, watch carefully, and prepare to act when the time came.
The glowing surface of the screen flickered once more before stabilizing. This time, bold, sharp words appeared, each letter standing out as though carved in stone:
{400 years ago, Re:Zero World, Dimension 37848, Timeline (Envy), Augria Sand Dunes}
"This?!" several voices cried out at once, the group reacting instinctively to the revelation. Their eyes widened, but confusion quickly followed.
They did not understand what "Re:Zero World" meant, nor could they make sense of the strange dimension number.
It was as though the words came from a language meant for scholars or beings beyond their comprehension.
However, one part of the message was clear to all of them: "400 years ago."
That phrase instantly brought to mind the age of legends, the time when the Witch of Envy had rampaged across the world.
And the Augria Sand Dunes, a place infamous for being desolate and deadly, made the implication all the more unsettling.
As they processed this, the screen lit up again, this time with moving images instead of words.
[The barren expanse of the Augria Sand Dunes unfolded before their eyes, endless waves of golden sand stretching out in every direction.
The heat shimmered, and the air seemed heavy with a sense of foreboding.
A low, rumbling voice resonated from within the vision, making the air vibrate as though the sound crossed through worlds. "The Witch is here."
Then, the figure responsible for that voice revealed itself.
From within the dunes emerged a colossal dragon, a creature so massive that its shadow seemed to engulf the endless desert.
The beast towered dozens of meters high, its sheer presence overwhelming.
Its scales were a brilliant, shimmering blue, each one glinting like a gemstone under the harsh desert sun.
The creature's enormous face bore a resemblance to the mighty Earth Dragons, but more regal, more awe-inspiring, with a presence that demanded reverence.
From either side of its massive head sprouted two great horns, milky white in color, smooth yet gleaming, like polished ivory carved by divine hands.
The dragon opened its mouth slightly, and even that small motion radiated raw power, as though the world itself bowed to its authority.]
"U-Undoubtedly… it is the Divine Dragon himself! Volcanica!" Reinhard exclaimed, his voice sharp with recognition and awe.
The weight of his words struck the crowd like lightning.
Murmurs and gasps spread rapidly, and every eye locked onto the magnificent figure displayed on the screen.
For the warriors and knights, it was as if a legend had walked out of the pages of history. For the commoners and less knowledgeable, Reinhard's reaction was enough to drive home the gravity of what they were witnessing.
The Divine Dragon, the guardian who had protected Lugunica for centuries, the very foundation of their kingdom's strength—appearing here, in this vision of the past.
The tension rose higher than ever before. Whatever was about to be revealed would not be something they could take lightly.
For a moment, the sheer awe silenced them.
Then, gasps and murmurs spread rapidly as the reality of what they were seeing sank in.
Not everyone was amazed, however.
Felix, standing with his arms folded and his tail twitching in agitation, let out a sharp hiss of hatred.
His face twisted with contempt, his eyes narrowing into slits.
To him, this image wasn't just a reminder of divine protection or an ancient legend—it was the embodiment of his Mistress's suffering.
As far as he was concerned, if this so-called "guardian" had done its job properly, the Archbishop of Lust would never have left his Lady in her cursed, bedridden state.
At that same moment, the entire world seemed to react to the vision.
Back in the royal capital, the wise men of the council rose abruptly from their seats.
They gazed at the colossal dragon displayed in the sky, their dignified composure shattered as they stared in utter disbelief.
For them, this was no mere history lesson—it was witnessing the living embodiment of their kingdom's foundation.
[But before the crowd could settle, another voice rang out from the screen. "Our battle has only begun," it declared.
The image shifted, revealing the figure of a man with strikingly handsome features and bright, fiery red hair that practically glowed under the desert sun.
He stood tall, holding a gleaming Dragon Sword unsheathed and ready for combat.
His stance radiated confidence, and his aura was unmistakably that of a warrior destined for greatness.]
"I-Is that… Sir Reid?!" Wilhelm's voice cracked slightly as his eyes widened in recognition.
The old swordsman's normally calm and reserved face twisted with shock.
His gaze hardened as he took in the sight of the red-haired man.
As an Astrea himself, Wilhelm had seen the portraits of the founder of his family countless times, etched in books and displayed in records.
And there was no mistaking it—this was him.
This was Reid Van Astrea, the man who had paved the way for the Astrea name to rise into legend.
Before they could digest that revelation, the screen shifted again.
["Haha! I'm going to blast the Witch off the face of this world!"
The bold proclamation came from a woman who suddenly appeared in the vision.
Her long black hair whipped in the desert wind, and she was dressed in outrageously skimpy, revealing clothes that left little to the imagination.
Every curve of her body was on display as she carried herself with wild confidence, her grin wide and unrestrained.]
"Is that… the Great Sage?" one of the onlookers blurted, unsure, as eyes darted back and forth between her exaggerated outfit and her brash personality.
Many in the group, especially the men, found themselves gawking at her figure despite the seriousness of the scene.
Priscilla, however, reacted immediately, her eyes narrowing with sharp focus as she scoffed in amusement.
"What a bountiful figure! A chest that rivals my own!" she declared proudly, shifting her stance as though ready to challenge the woman purely in terms of beauty.
"That shouldn't be your focus, Princess!" Al groaned from behind her, slapping a hand to his helmet in exasperation.
The screen shifted again.
["Shaula, Reid, and Volcanica… this should be the last battle against the Witch of Envy," came the voice of yet another person.
This time, the image revealed a man who looked entirely different from the others.
He was tall and dignified, with long, flowing white hair that shimmered under the light. His sharp golden eyes burned with intelligence and conviction.
His appearance commanded respect, but his expression carried an aura of calm assurance, as though he has already witnessed everything.]
Then the Narrator's voice thundered once more, echoing in the hearts of everyone present.
"The Great Sage Flugel, the Starkeeper Shaula, the First Sword Saint Reid Van Astrea, and the Divine Dragon Volcanica—all of them gathered here to challenge the Witch of Envy, the very being who had once destroyed half the world."
Gasps spread again.
"Wait a second?! Great Sage Flugel?! Then does that mean… Shaula isn't the Great Sage?!"
Mimi exclaimed, her small body trembling with surprise.
Her eyes darted from the screen to Subaru and then back again, as if begging for confirmation.
"It seems that is indeed the case…" Wilhelm said slowly, his weathered voice carrying both weight and unease.
He kept his gaze fixed on the white-haired man. "When I look upon that man, I cannot help but tremble involuntarily. My instincts warn me. That is no ordinary figure."
(A/N: Ah, yes, Re Zero is not re zero without the glazing)
[On the screen, the Divine Dragon's mouth opened, and its powerful, commanding voice filled the air.
"Say, Flugel… what does your omniscience reveal? You have guided us this far. Of the four of us, you are the weakest in strength, and yet your leadership has proven invaluable. Without your insight, we would have perished long ago."
"Hehe! Master really is amazing!" Shaula giggled brightly, suddenly pressing herself against Flugel and hugging his arm tightly.
Her movements pushed her chest forward, squishing it against him without hesitation.
"If not for Master, all of you would already be a pile of meat!" she added proudly, glaring over at Reid with a look of absolute disgust.
Flugel, however, didn't react much to her clinging.
His expression remained calm as his piercing golden eyes turned toward Reid.
"Reid. For the last time. If you don't stop fondling Shaula's breasts, I will destroy everything you care about."
His tone was steady, not raised, not angry—just calm, as if he was merely stating a fact rather than issuing a threat.
Reid, however, only burst into laughter, his red hair swaying as he threw back his head.
"Haha! Just let it go, friend! I can't help it! Her breasts are magnificent!" he bellowed with shameless joy.
The other three—Flugel, Shaula, and even Volcanica—looked at him with expressions that could only be described as disgust mixed with disbelief.
Their eyes were cold, their silence deafening, as though staring at human trash.]
Back in the present, Reinhard, Heinkel, and Wilhelm all felt their faces burn red with embarrassment.
They wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and hide themselves from the shame.
"Is this… really the Great First Sword Saint?!" Wilhelm muttered under his breath, his pride as an Astrea shaken to its core.
Reinhard's jaw tightened, his hand gripping his sword so hard it trembled.
Heinkel, meanwhile, simply buried his face in his palms.
The reality was undeniable.
The founder of their proud Astrea line, the man who was supposed to embody strength and honor, had just revealed himself on the grand stage of history as a complete and utter pervert.
A pervert who dared to grope his female companion in the middle of a battle against the Witch of Envy.
"Man! He's supposed to be the very first Sword Saint? Then why does he look and act so… disgusting?" Anastasia muttered with a twisted expression, unable to hide her distaste.
Her casual yet cutting remark struck like invisible arrows, piercing the hearts of the three Astreas present.
Reinhard, Wilhelm, and Heinkel all grimaced at once, their shame so heavy that they instinctively looked away, unable to meet anyone's gaze.
Before anyone could dwell longer on the embarrassing truth of Reid Van Astrea's character, the Narrator's solemn voice thundered again, cutting through the silence.
"It was high time… to seal the Witch!"
The words echoed ominously, but before anyone could react further, the screen suddenly faded to black.
"Heyyy!! What the heck?! I was watching that!" Hetaro shouted in protest, his tail standing straight up as he waved his arms in outrage.
His loud complaint drew a few chuckles, but the tension in the air didn't lessen.
"Seriously? Are we really supposed to believe all of that?" Ricardo asked skeptically, crossing his massive arms.
His beastly voice carried doubt, but his eyes betrayed unease.
"It is true," Reinhard spoke up calmly, his hand resting firmly on the hilt of his sword.
"My Divine Protection tells me that everything shown on the screen is no illusion. What we witnessed was reality."
Everyone turned toward him at once, their eyes widening.
His words silenced the doubts instantly.
Reinhard had Divine Protections for almost every situation, and if his divine protection told it was truth then it meant it was the truth.
The implication that all of those legends and embarrassing truths were real left the crowd both unsettled and amazed.
Before they could say more, the screen lit up once again, bathing the area in a pale glow.
["I will save you!"]
The familiar voice rang out loud and clear.
"S-Subaru! Was that your voice?" Emilia asked in shock, her hands pressing together nervously.
She recognized the voice instantly—there was no mistaking it.
She had heard his tone countless times, and the warmth behind it was etched in her heart.
"Eh? Ah, must've been someone else who just happens to sound like me," Subaru tried to laugh it off, scratching the back of his head with a forced grin.
But despite his attempt to act casual, sweat trickled down his forehead.
His heart thudded in his chest like a drum.
'What the hell is going on?! That line… didn't I say that back when I was killed by Elsa? Or was it… was it the time I spoke to Satella? Damn it!' His thoughts raced in panic as his eyes stayed glued to the glowing screen.
He wished it wouldn't show his past!
(A/N: Ah, about that...)
The vision changed again.
This time, words—not just sounds—rang out, reverberating inside their minds like a song sung without instruments:
[Can you tell me? Can you tell me the way the story ends?]
The haunting words repeated, echoing with an eerie rhythm that none of them could ignore.
The screen shifted, and the sight it displayed made the crowd go still.
It was Subaru.
His figure appeared right there before them—yet it was unlike the Subaru they knew.
His posture was lifeless, his eyes dull and empty, drained of the fire and stubbornness that they normally see in him.
He stood with an eerie stillness, his hand slowly stretching forward as if reaching for something unseen.
In the distance before him, a strange glowing light pulsed with an ominous, almost sinister aura, beckoning him closer.
"Hey! What the hell is Cap'n doing there?!" Garfiel roared, his teeth bared as his sharp eyes narrowed at the scene.
His instincts screamed danger, and he took an aggressive stance, as though he could leap at the screen itself.
"Yes, Subaru! Explain yourself!" Otto demanded, his voice trembling between worry and anger.
His hands clenched into fists. "Why is it showing you? What is going on here?!"
"The song… it really is Subaru's voice, isn't it?" Liliana whispered, her normally cheerful demeanor gone as she placed a hand on her chest.
Her wide eyes reflected the image of Subaru on the screen, and her voice quivered with unease.
Everyone turned toward him again, their gazes filled with questions, confusion, and fear. But Subaru had no answers.
His throat felt dry, and words refused to leave his mouth.
The screen didn't give him or anyone else the time to explain.
It pulsed with light again, abruptly shifting to the next vision without pause, dragging everyone further into its mysterious revelations.
To be the continued...