...
{3rd Pov}
Both Subarus stood with their eyes locked on each other, tension crackling in the air like static before a storm.
The whips in their hands were held tightly, their grips firm and unrelenting as they slowly closed the distance between them.
Neither spoke a word.
The silence was thick, broken only by the faint rustle of their clothes and the creak of leather as their hands tightened around the handles.
Each waited for the other to make the first move. Even as Subaru's glare bore into Zero, sharp and unyielding, he did not act first.
He was waiting—testing, reading every slight movement, every shift in Zero's stance.
Zero, however, decided to take the initiative.
He cracked his whip, the sharp sound echoing through the air, and swung it forward with calculated force toward Subaru.
In immediate response, Subaru moved just as swiftly, his own whip snapping outward to meet Zero's attack head-on.
The two whips collided with a loud crack, twisting and coiling around each other mid-air like two snakes locked in combat.
Both men pulled hard, each trying to wrest control from the other, the tension in their arms visible as they struggled for dominance.
"Your one year definitely didn't go to waste," Zero remarked, his tone a mix of sarcasm and acknowledgment, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tested Subaru's strength through the pull of the whip.
Subaru's glare deepened, his voice low and cutting as he replied, "But your twenty years did go to waste. Your skills are barely at my level."
Zero's grin widened at the provocation, the words hitting their mark.
He gave a sharp tug on the whip, using the force of the motion to build momentum, then suddenly swung it with renewed power.
The whip cracked again, still intertwined with Subaru's, creating a sound that echoed like a gunshot across the field.
Subaru's grip held firm as Zero pulled.
Then, just as quickly, Zero released his whip completely and charged forward, closing the distance between them with sudden aggression.
Subaru didn't flinch. Instead of being caught off guard, he immediately recognized the feint and turned it to his own advantage.
Using the whip still tied with Zero's as leverage, he swung it with sharp precision toward Zero's advancing form.
Zero reacted instinctively, moving his hand up to grab the incoming whip, his eyes locked on Subaru's, both of them fully aware that the next move could decide the fight.
'Is he actually stupid?! That whip attack has enough force to gouge through flesh!' Subaru's mind screamed in disbelief, unable to comprehend the reckless behavior of his future self.
The sheer audacity of trying to block such a powerful strike with his bare hand was beyond reason.
As expected, the moment the whip lashed out and struck Zero, who had raised his arm in a futile attempt to shield the rest of his body, it instantly coiled around his forearm like a hungry serpent.
The leather dug deep into his skin, the sharp edges biting mercilessly as it wrapped tighter and tighter.
A second later, a sickening sound echoed through the air—the whip tore into his flesh, shredding skin and muscle, ripping open red lines that quickly oozed blood.
The damage was brutal, grotesque even, yet to everyone's shock, Zero didn't so much as flinch.
His expression didn't even waver.
There was no sign of hesitation, no pain, no retreat.
Instead, with an expression that could only be described as unnervingly calm, Zero grabbed the whip tighter with his bleeding hand.
The muscles in his arm flexed violently as he pulled with all his might, yanking the whip right out of Subaru's grip.
The sudden force nearly threw Subaru off balance, his hand stinging from the loss of control.
"You idiot!" Zero shouted, his voice laced with raw fury and confidence, blood dripping down his arm yet his tone unshaken.
"Do you really think something like this—just this much—is enough to even make me flinch after everything we've been through?!"
Without giving Subaru a chance to respond, Zero charged in with explosive speed and threw a powerful punch aimed directly at Subaru's face.
Subaru barely managed to duck, his body reacting purely on instinct.
But before he could regain his footing, the whip—now snatched and controlled by Zero—snapped against his chest with a vicious strike.
The impact sent a sharp shock of pain through Subaru's body and forced him to stumble backward, his footing lost.
Zero didn't hesitate.
He immediately capitalized on the opening, stepping in and driving his fist straight into Subaru's face.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone rang out clearly.
Subaru's nose shattered under the impact, and blood burst forth instantly.
The sheer force of the hit made him reel, his head snapping backward as he staggered.
Emilia and Beatrice both froze in shock, their expressions pale, trembling as they watched Zero gain the upper hand.
The sight of Subaru—bloodied and struggling—was almost too much for them to bear.
Their instincts screamed at them to move, to help him, and Subaru's allies immediately shifted into combat stances, their magic flaring as they prepared to intervene.
But before they could take even a single step forward, hundreds of radiant weapons materialized high above them—swords, spears, and arrows made entirely of light, each one gleaming with deadly precision.
"No one will intervene!" Gloria's voice thundered through the air, sharp and commanding.
Her eyes blazed with a dangerous light as she glared at them, her expression leaving no room for defiance.
"Mongrels, if you have even a shred of self-respect left, you will stay your hands and not interfere in their fight."
The sheer weight of her presence was suffocating, and under that piercing gaze, their movements came to an immediate halt.
None dared to defy her command.
"Capt'n!" Garfiel shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with alarm and disbelief as he witnessed the brutal sight unfolding before him.
Zero, his hand already a mangled and bloodied mess, used the very same injured hand to tighten his grip on the whip.
The whip, now slick with both blood and sweat, lashed forward with controlled precision and wrapped itself tightly around Subaru's neck.
The leather constricted instantly, biting into his skin, cutting off his breath as Zero pulled with ruthless strength.
Subaru's body jerked as the choking pressure intensified, his hands clawing at the whip in a desperate attempt to free himself.
Zero's expression was unreadable—cold, furious, and yet… strangely desperate.
Without giving Subaru a moment to breathe or recover, he pulled the whip tighter and drove his fist into Subaru's face.
Once.
Then again.
Then again.
Each hit landed harder than the last, the sound of knuckles striking flesh echoing through the air like gunshots.
Blood splattered across the ground with every impact.
Subaru's head snapped back repeatedly, his face swelling and breaking under the relentless barrage.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Zero roared, his voice raw with rage, the emotion behind it so intense it silenced everyone around.
Another punch.
"What are you even living for?!"
Another strike followed, harder this time, making Subaru stumble forward only for Zero to yank him back by the whip still strangling his throat.
"Do you think your life is worth less than hers?!" he bellowed, his voice cracking with something that sounded almost like pain beneath the fury.
Then came another savage hit.
"Do you think our lives are worth less than theirs?!"
The words tore out of him like a confession mixed with accusation, and yet no one watching could fully understand what Zero truly meant.
His voice carried more than anger—it carried something heavier, something deeper.
Every word was like a weapon, every blow meant not just to hurt Subaru's body but to hammer some kind of truth into his mind.
It wasn't just violence; it was a twisted, desperate attempt to make Subaru understand something none of them could yet grasp.
By the end of it, Subaru's face was unrecognizable—a swollen, bloodied mess.
His nose was broken, teeth shattered, lips split open and bleeding.
His eyes were swollen black and blue, nearly shut from the repeated hits.
He could barely stand, his breath ragged, wheezing through the constriction still around his throat.
Finally, Zero stopped.
His chest heaved, his breathing heavy and uneven.
The whip that had been coiled around his own hand and Subaru's neck suddenly twitched and was torn apart—not by Zero's strength, but by an invisible force, shredding into pieces mid-air.
The fragments of the whip fell limply to the ground.
Zero stood over Subaru, looking down at him in silence.
Their eyes met—Zero's golden eyes, sharp and burning, staring into Subaru's battered, bruised, and bloodshot black eyes.
For a moment, neither spoke.
The only sound that filled the air was Subaru's choked gasps as he struggled to breathe again.
Subaru coughed violently, spitting out broken teeth and blood that dripped down his chin and splattered on the ground below.
His whole body trembled, and tears—born from pain, exhaustion, and confusion—streamed down his battered face.
He gasped for air like a drowning man, his mind spinning, unable to comprehend whether Zero's attack was an act of hatred or something far more complicated.
"Does it hurt?" Zero asked in a calm, almost casual tone that immediately ignited fury among Subaru's allies.
His voice carried no remorse, no hesitation—just that unsettling calmness that made his words sound crueler than any insult could.
The question hung heavy in the air, and everyone who heard it felt their anger spike.
'What the hell does he mean by that?! ', they thought collectively.
'Does it hurt?' After beating Subaru into this bloody mess?!
The sight before them only made it worse.
Subaru stood barely upright, his face swollen beyond recognition, blood dripping freely from his nose and mouth, teeth knocked loose, eyes darkened with bruises.
Every breath he took came out ragged and uneven, his body trembling from exhaustion and pain.
Of course it hurt—how could it not?
He looked like he'd been through a battlefield and lost miserably.
Garfiel clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Emilia's lips trembled with restrained anger, and Beatrice's magic began to stir instinctively, glowing faintly at her fingertips.
Even Julius, who usually maintained a calm composure, looked visibly unsettled, his eyes darting between Zero and Subaru.
They were all one step away from attacking the moment it seemed Subaru's life was in real danger.
"I-It… does hurt," Subaru finally managed to say, his voice weak yet steady, his breathing labored. Despite the pain evident in every word, his eyes still held a spark of defiance.
"But after all… I've experienced worse."
Zero stared at him in silence for a moment before letting out a low, dry laugh that carried no real humor.
"How amusing," he said, his tone sharp and cutting, though there was a strange weight behind it—something colder, heavier.
"I wonder how much it hurt our parents when they lost us forever."
The words hit Subaru like a sledgehammer.
His body froze instantly, his mind going completely blank as the sentence echoed inside his head.
For a brief moment, the defiance in his eyes faded, replaced by shock—raw, piercing, and unbearable.
His breathing hitched, and his expression faltered.
Everything—the anger, the pride, the stubborn will to stand tall—almost crumbled right then and there.
Then, with effort, Subaru forced himself to glare back at Zero, his bloodshot eyes narrowing.
"Don't you dare call them your parents," he spat out, his voice trembling with rage and grief.
"You lost the right to say that the moment you became this… this monster."
Zero didn't flinch at the accusation. Instead, a faint grin formed on his face, twisted and unreadable.
"Am I the monster?" he said softly, almost to himself, before looking directly at Subaru again.
"Or is it you?"
There was a pause—a silence heavy enough to make the air feel suffocating.
Then Zero laughed again, louder this time, his voice echoing with something dark and unrestrained.
"Better yet!" he shouted suddenly, spreading his arms wide.
"We both are monsters!"
Before anyone could react, a surge of light flared around Zero's hand.
In the next instant, a wave of powerful healing magic erupted from him, flooding the area with a soft yet overwhelming glow.
The energy engulfed both him and Subaru completely, swirling around them like a living force.
Everyone watching froze in shock.
The light seeped into their wounds—Zero's mangled hand began to mend, the torn flesh stitching itself back together, the blood vanishing as if it had never been there.
At the same time, Subaru's battered face began to heal rapidly—his nose straightened, his broken teeth reformed, and the bruises and cuts disappeared one by one until not a trace of the earlier beating remained.
The sheer intensity of the healing magic stunned everyone present.
Even Felix, who prided himself on his mastery over healing arts, could only stare with wide eyes.
"That… that level of magic," he muttered under his breath, disbelief clear in his tone.
"Even I couldn't pull that off…"
In seconds, the battlefield was silent again.
The blood and pain were gone, but the weight of what had just transpired remained, heavier than ever.
"Tell me, Subaru," Zero began, his tone disturbingly calm yet laced with something venomous beneath the surface.
His golden eyes glowed faintly, sharp and unblinking as he stared directly into Subaru's face.
"Who do you think is the bigger monster between us? Me—who twisted the very laws of space and time itself just to find a way to see my parents again? Who went so far as to resurrect a Witch from death? Who destroyed the entire nation of Lugunica without hesitation?"
His words struck like thunder. T
he moment the last sentence left his mouth, everyone around them froze.
Their faces turned pale, eyes wide with disbelief and horror.
Destroyed Lugunica?
The very idea was too monstrous, too impossible to process, yet the conviction in Zero's tone left no room for doubt.
A cold chill swept through the crowd as the realization set in that he was not boasting—he was confessing.
"And what about you, Subaru?" Zero continued, his voice rising slightly, filled with a mixture of bitterness and scorn.
"You, who abandoned your own well-being—your sanity, your body, your soul—for a group of complete strangers. Tell me, do you even realize how much pain it would cause your parents if they knew what their son had gone through? What he still goes through?"
His words cut deep, his expression showing no sympathy—only judgment.
"They are not strangers!" Subaru shouted back, his voice breaking from emotion, his breathing ragged but his defiance unwavering.
"Oh really?" Zero tilted his head slightly, one eyebrow arching, his lips twisting into an amused smirk.
"If that's the case, then tell me, Subaru—who are they to you?"
"They're my friends," Subaru replied instantly, no hesitation, no doubt.
"My friends and my family! And I love Emilia!" His voice cracked slightly at the end, but the conviction in his tone was undeniable.
There was no fear in his expression, only sincerity—pure and absolute.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Reinhardt, who had been standing nearby with his hand on his sword, finally spoke up, his tone firm and resolute.
"Indeed. We are Subaru's friends," he declared, his piercing blue eyes locking with Zero's golden gaze.
There was no hesitation in his stance, no hint of doubt.
"Even though the time I've known Subaru hasn't been long," Reinhardt continued, his expression unyielding, "I have complete trust in him. His resolve, his courage, his will to protect others—those are things I deeply respect."
Zero listened quietly, his expression unreadable for a moment.
Then, suddenly, a low chuckle escaped his lips.
It started small, almost like he was holding it back, but soon turned into a dry, amused laugh that echoed through the air.
"Heh… Is that so?" he muttered, shaking his head slightly.
"How touching. Truly touching."
Then, with a grin that looked far too sharp to be friendly, Zero took a step forward.
His eyes gleamed with a mix of curiosity and mockery.
"If you're truly his beloved friend, Reinhardt," he said, his voice low and deliberate, "then how about answering a few of my questions?"
The sudden shift in his tone made everyone tense.
Subaru's stomach twisted with unease, an uncomfortable weight forming in his chest.
He didn't know what Zero was planning, but the look in those golden eyes told him it wouldn't be simple or pleasant.
Still, despite the creeping dread gnawing at him, Subaru glanced at his comrades.
Each one met his gaze—Emilia, Beatrice, Garfiel, Reinhardt, and the others.
There was no hesitation in their expressions, no fear.
Only determination and trust.
Subaru exhaled slowly, his heart pounding in his chest, but he gave them a small nod.
No matter what Zero asked, he believed in them completely.
"Let's start with you, Reinhardt," Zero said, his voice steady and almost casual, though there was a clear undercurrent of something darker hidden beneath the calm.
"After all, technically speaking, during the fourth time, you were the very first person Subaru met."
The moment he said fourth time, a subtle tension filled the air.
The words carried a hidden meaning—something only two people present truly understood. Subaru's eyes widened slightly, his breath catching, while Aldebaran's expression hardened.
They both knew exactly what Zero was referring to: the fourth loop.
The fourth agonizing cycle Subaru had experienced.
"Do you remember," Zero continued, his golden eyes narrowing slightly, "how Elsa, the gut hunter, attacked us? And how, like the hero you are, you arrived at the perfect moment to save us?"
His tone was almost mocking, but not overtly cruel—more like he was testing something.
Reinhardt nodded slowly, his expression calm but wary, unsure of what Zero was building up to.
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy, almost suffocating.
Without warning, the air behind the group shimmered, warping unnaturally as two black, pulsating tentacles manifested out of thin air.
The sound of them tearing through reality was sharp and sickening, like claws scraping through glass.
In the very next instant, they lunged forward—one aiming directly at Felt, the other at Heinkel.
The attack was so fast that most couldn't even register it.
To ordinary eyes, it was nothing but a blur—a faint flicker in the corner of their vision followed by the rush of displaced air.
Only the most powerful among them—Priscilla, Wilhelm, Julius, and Reinhardt—were able to even perceive the movement before it struck.
And among them, only Reinhardt reacted.
The instant the tentacles appeared, his body moved before conscious thought could even form.
His reflexes were so far beyond human limits that time itself seemed to slow around him.
The world blurred into silence as his sword flashed, faster than sound.
The first tentacle was obliterated mere inches from Felt's heart.
The impact created a burst of air pressure so strong that her hair whipped back violently, though she wasn't harmed.
Before anyone could even process what had just happened, Reinhardt vanished from that spot, his afterimage still fading when he reappeared in front of his father, Heinkel.
Another explosion of motion followed, his blade tearing through the second tentacle in an instant.
The creature's black flesh disintegrated into nothingness, its attack completely neutralized before it could reach its target.
The entire sequence of events—from the appearance of the tentacles to their total annihilation—didn't even take half a second.
To everyone else, it looked as though the attack and Reinhardt's counter had occurred simultaneously.
One moment, there was danger.
The next, it was gone—erased so completely that only the faint tremor of displaced air and the echo of steel remained.
Even those accustomed to Reinhardt's power found themselves speechless.
The speed, the precision, the sheer dominance he displayed—it reminded everyone present why he was called the Sword Saint.
Zero, however, didn't look surprised.
He only smiled faintly, as if this had been exactly what he expected.
Zero began to clap slowly, each echoing sound sharp and deliberate.
"Impressive reaction! Truly impressive! That was an astounding rescue, Reinhardt," he said, his voice filled with a mix of mockery and genuine acknowledgment.
His words carried an unsettling tone that made everyone uneasy, as if he wasn't merely praising Reinhardt, but dissecting him with every syllable.
It was only then that the rest of the group fully realized what had just happened—they had been ambushed.
The attack had been so sudden, so perfectly executed, that most hadn't even grasped the fact that they were seconds away from losing Felt and Heinkel.
The realization sent a chill down their spines.
"What's the meaning of this, bastard?!" Felt shouted furiously, her voice trembling with rage as she glared at Zero.
Her hands were clenched into fists, her whole body tense.
She didn't care who he was—attacking her and her people was unforgivable.
Her anger only intensified when she realized something strange—she was standing.
Also, she could move her legs freely.
Zero had restored her ability to walk after he supposedly killed her legs, and yet, in the chaos of the battle and confusion, no one had even noticed this until now.
But before anyone could comment on it, Zero turned sharply toward Reinhardt, his expression darkening.
"I should be the one asking that question," he said coldly.
"What was the meaning of that, Reinhardt?" His tone was accusing, almost venomous.
He pointed straight at the Sword Saint, his golden eyes burning with intensity.
Reinhardt's expression didn't change much, though his posture stiffened slightly.
He stood beside his father, his blade still drawn but lowered, eyes calmly fixed on Zero.
"Resorting to petty tricks," Reinhardt replied with measured words, his tone calm but firm.
"And you're still trying to question me, as though I'm the one at fault?"
"Of course, you're at fault!" Zero shot back immediately, his voice rising with genuine anger.
His hand clenched tightly at his side as his expression twisted with frustration.
"You're standing here, showing me that you can react to an ambush several times faster than what happened during that attack on Emilia back then. You moved faster than anyone could possibly imagine—you stopped two tentacles that appeared out of nowhere, one after another, in less than half a second!"
His words came faster now, his tone sharp and heated.
"And yet you expect me to believe that the same man, the so-called Sword Saint—someone capable of reacting faster than sound, faster than thought itself—couldn't stop one woman?!" His voice cracked slightly with emotion, rage and disbelief mixing together.
"You couldn't stop a single slash from Elsa—someone who barely moved between two strikes within a single second—and you just stood there and let my guts spill out?!"
The weight of his accusation hit like a thunderclap.
Everyone froze.
The air grew heavy, suffocating, as the implications of Zero's words sank in.
His tone wasn't just angry—it was wounded, filled with betrayal and disbelief.
The memory of that incident, of the moment when Subaru had fallen helplessly in front of Emilia, came flooding back.
For the first time, even Reinhardt seemed momentarily taken aback, his composure faltering just slightly.
The others—Emilia, Beatrice, Garfiel, even Julius—could only stare in stunned silence.
Zero's words weren't an empty rant.
Reinhardt froze completely the moment the question left Zero's lips.
His expression stiffened, and for a brief instant, the legendary Sword Saint looked almost… uncertain.
His eyes darted around, meeting the faces of everyone surrounding him—each one staring back at him with silent demand for an answer.
There was confusion, disbelief, and a growing sense of unease in their gazes.
Even Felt, who had always trusted him without hesitation, was giving him a look that was both questioning and strangely wary.
Subaru, standing a short distance away, felt his chest tighten.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, the logic behind Zero's words made sense.
He didn't want to believe it—didn't want to even consider it—but what Zero said wasn't completely wrong.
The thought sent a cold chill down his spine.
"That was because it was a surprise attack!" Emilia suddenly spoke up, her voice trembling slightly but firm.
She took a step forward, as if trying to shield Reinhardt from the accusation.
"Elsa was supposed to be dead! There was no way for anyone to expect her to come back!"
Her words made Subaru exhale deeply in relief.
Right.
That made sense.
Of course—Elsa's reappearance had been a complete shock to everyone.
He nodded quickly, clinging to that reasoning.
"Yeah… exactly. That bastard almost got me doubting myself," he muttered under his breath, his body still tense but trying to reassure himself that Zero's words were just manipulation.
But Zero's expression didn't soften.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes narrowing with cold amusement.
"Oh really?" he said slowly, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Was my current attack just now not a surprise attack as well? And tell me, Reinhardt—don't tell me that the great Sword Saint doesn't have a Divine Protection that allows him to sense whether someone is dead or alive?"
The air froze.
Reinhardt didn't answer.
His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
His hand twitched near the hilt of his sword, not in preparation for battle, but in hesitation—an uncharacteristic flicker of uncertainty.
His silence said more than any excuse could.
Everyone's eyes widened simultaneously as they registered his reaction.
The realization was like a blade to the chest.
Even Reinhardt's breathing hitched slightly, and then he spoke, voice shaking ever so faintly.
"I… I—It was a mistake," he finally managed to say.
"A mistake," Zero repeated, his voice sharp and mocking, his expression twisting into one of scorn. "
Indeed, a mistake." He stepped forward slowly, his tone rising with restrained anger.
"After all, the lives of a random commoner and a supposedly half-elf Royal Candidate were not even worth a single copper coin to you, were they?" His words came out like venom, cutting deep.
Reinhardt's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing, clearly trying to come up with a response—but no words came.
For once, the man known as the strongest human alive had nothing to say in his own defense.
Zero spread his arms out wide, as if addressing an audience.
"Do you see this, Subaru?" he asked loudly, his tone now laced with bitter mockery.
"This is your friend, Reinhardt van Astrea—the Sword Saint you trust so much. The same man who let you bleed out in the slums while pretending to be a hero."
Subaru's mouth opened, but no sound came out.
He wanted to yell, to defend Reinhardt, to tell Zero to shut the hell up—but his mind wavered.
His thoughts spun in circles, trying to make sense of it.
Every logical part of his brain screamed that Zero was twisting the truth, manipulating everyone—but at the same time, his reasoning couldn't find a hole in Zero's logic.
It all made sense, and that was what scared him the most.
His heart pounded painfully in his chest.
No… it can't be true… right?
Zero's grin widened slightly as he saw the hesitation flicker across Subaru's face.
"You're speechless, aren't you?" he said softly, almost like he was whispering directly to Subaru's soul.
"You feel it, don't you? That creeping doubt eating at the back of your mind. Don't worry, I'm not done yet. This…" He took a deep breath, his expression hardening again, his voice low but full of conviction.
"…this is just the beginning."
And from the look in his eyes, everyone could tell—Zero wasn't bluffing.
Whatever was coming next was going to be far worse.
To be continued...
(A/N: Hmmm, we got a good ranking yesterday, if we get a good one today as well I will continue uploading as well otherwise I will just shift my focus to Versatile Mage: Infinite Resources, that fic has been waiting for regular updates and has got a lot of potential)