...
{3rd Pov}
Zero wasn't finished yet. After a short pause, he turned his gaze toward Emilia, his expression sharp and calculating.
"Ah, Emilia," he began, his tone dripping with mockery, "the woman that Natsuki Subaru loves so much… How about we find out just how much she's really worth to him or rather how much Subaru is worth to her?"
Emilia froze under his stare, her heart pounding as unease began to rise within her.
Zero continued, his words deliberate and cruel.
"Emilia, let me be perfectly blunt with you… you're a useless, stupid, idiotic half-elf."
His voice was calm, yet filled with venom.
The insult hit Emilia like a physical blow, and she visibly flinched, her eyes widening in shock and pain.
"Shut up!" Subaru snapped, his voice cracking with anger as he took a step forward, his fists clenched tightly.
"Emilia isn't useless! She saved me!"
(A/N: Boi didn't even had any other argument to support Emilia 😭😭)
Zero raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Oh really? Is that how you remember it?" he asked slyly.
"Tell me, Emilia — did you truly save him? Or was it Subaru who showed up out of nowhere to save you back in the Capital?"
Subaru's expression darkened.
His teeth ground together, and he felt a surge of frustration rise in his chest.
He knew exactly what Zero was doing — trying to twist the truth, trying to turn them against each other.
But the worst part was that there was some truth in those words.
That day in the Capital, Subaru had gone through the same events over and over again — four separate times.
Only during his very first loop had Emilia truly saved him, and it was that single act that had driven him to risk everything to protect her afterward.
In the loops that followed, it had always been Subaru who had thrown himself into danger for her, desperate to change the outcome, desperate to save her no matter how many times he died.
"I-I…" Emilia's voice trembled as she tried to respond.
Her mind was in turmoil. She wanted to deny it, to say that she had helped Subaru just as much, but the truth made her hesitate.
She hadn't known Subaru at all during those early days — he had appeared out of nowhere, and from that moment on, he had done nothing but fight for her, again and again.
After spending an entire year with him, she had come to accept the strange things surrounding
Subaru — his sudden knowledge of events, his uncanny timing, his reckless bravery — all as just a part of who he was.
It was something she couldn't quite explain, but she had simply grown used to it.
He always seemed to be there, in the right place, at the right time, no matter how suspicious or impossible it seemed.
And now, hearing Zero's cruel words, Emilia couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt deep inside her chest.
"Tell me, Reinhardt," Zero said suddenly, his piercing gaze shifting toward the red-haired knight.
"Did Subaru not warn you about a possible attack by Elsa in the slums that day?"
His tone was sharp, calculated, as if he already knew the answer and was merely forcing Reinhardt to say it aloud.
Reinhardt's usually composed expression faltered.
His shoulders tensed, and for the first time, he looked genuinely uncomfortable.
There was a flicker of guilt in his eyes as he looked at Subaru, who was standing silently beside Emilia.
His lips trembled slightly before he finally spoke, his voice quiet but clear enough for everyone to hear.
"Yes," he admitted, lowering his gaze for a brief moment.
"Subaru did warn me."
A faint murmur rippled through the room as people exchanged surprised glances.
Zero didn't stop there.
He leaned forward slightly, pressing the point further.
"If not for Subaru's warning," Reinhardt continued on his own, his tone now filled with reluctant respect, "I wouldn't have been able to find Lady Felt later on while patrolling the slums. I was only there because of what he told me."
That confession hit everyone like a wave.
Emilia, Felt, and even the others who had been present during that chaotic day were taken aback.
This was something they had never known — something that had never been spoken of before.
Back then, most people — including Emilia and Felt themselves — had believed that what happened was simply a coincidence.
They thought that Felt had just been lucky enough to run into Reinhardt while trying to escape from Elsa, the deadly Bowel Hunter, after Subaru and Emilia stayed behind to hold her off.
None of them had realized that Subaru's warning had set everything in motion.
Zero folded his arms and gave a small, knowing smile.
"In simple terms," he said coldly, his words cutting through the tension in the air, "not only did Subaru save your lives that day, but he also saved Felt and Old Man Rom as well."
Subaru let out a quiet breath, his expression unreadable, though his eyes showed a flicker of discomfort at being praised so openly.
Felt, on the other hand, stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock.
She had always thought Subaru played a big part in saving her that day — after all, he had fought beside Emilia and risked his life against Elsa.
But over time, her gratitude had faded, redirected toward Reinhardt, the one who had ultimately defeated Elsa and taken her in afterward.
Hearing the truth now, Felt felt a strange mix of guilt and realization wash over her.
The very person she had dismissed as reckless and loudmouthed had actually been the reason she was still alive.
Reinhardt might have been the one to strike Elsa down, but Subaru had been the one who made sure Reinhardt even got there in time.
Realizing that Subaru had been the biggest reason she and her old man, Rom, were even alive in the first place, Felt couldn't help but feel completely stunned.
Her mind went blank for a moment as she turned her eyes toward Subaru.
To her surprise, Subaru himself looked just as shocked as she was, as if the weight of what Zero had revealed was only now beginning to sink in for him as well.
In truth, Subaru had never given himself much credit for what happened back then.
In his own mind, he had always downplayed his actions, convincing himself that he had been nothing but a burden to everyone around him.
The only thing he ever thought was remotely noteworthy from that entire incident was the moment when he jumped in front of Emilia, shielding her from Elsa's sudden attack.
But even that, he had later dismissed as meaningless.
In his heart, he had convinced himself that Reinhardt — the Sword Saint — would have appeared in time to save Emilia anyway, or that Emilia herself, being a powerful magic user, could have probably fended off Elsa's attack without needing his reckless interference.
He had told himself countless times that his role had been small, that his efforts didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
However, standing there now, as the truth of those events was laid bare by Zero's merciless words, Subaru's mind began to piece everything together.
He remembered the timing, the warnings, the chaos that unfolded in the slums, and how every single action he took had led to a different outcome.
The realization hit him hard — if not for his warnings, his persistence, and his refusal to give up, Emilia, Felt, and even Old Man Rom would all have been dead that night.
Every life saved, every decision that changed the flow of that day, had started with him.
"I don't understand…" Crusch finally spoke, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the room.
Her sharp, composed voice carried a mixture of confusion and suspicion as she looked directly at Zero.
"What exactly are you trying to imply by saying all this? Even if what you claim is true — even if both Subaru and Emilia, and Felt as well, were saved thanks to his actions — how does that affect the current situation in any meaningful way? From what I know, Subaru was properly rewarded for saving Emilia that day."
Her tone was calm but firm, her eyes narrowing as she tried to read Zero's intentions.
Zero, however, remained unfazed.
He gave a slight smirk, his eyes gleaming with a strange mix of amusement and contempt.
"Have patience, Duchess," he said coolly, his voice laced with authority and a hint of mockery.
"I haven't yet arrived at the conclusion of my point."
He then turned his gaze briefly toward Subaru before speaking again, this time louder and clearer so everyone could hear.
"As for that so-called reward you mentioned… let me ask you this — what did he really get? Subaru saved two Royal Candidates from certain death. Without him, not only would Felt be gone, but Emilia's candidacy for the throne would have ended before it even began."
He paused for a moment, letting his words hang heavily in the air.
"And yet, after accomplishing all that, after risking his life again and again, what was his grand reward?"
Zero's tone darkened as his smirk faded, replaced by a cold, almost pitying expression. "He was given the position of a mere servant in Roswaal's mansion. That's all."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Every person in the room felt the weight of those words — the uncomfortable truth that, despite all
Subaru had done, his efforts had gone mostly unnoticed, buried beneath the chaos of everything that followed.
"Wait a minute! You can't count that as a reward!" Subaru shot back immediately, his voice filled with both frustration and embarrassment.
He pointed an accusatory finger at Zero, his whole body tense.
"That was my mistake! I was the one who requested that job! I didn't want to burden anyone else, so I asked to take on work myself. It wasn't a reward for anything!"
Zero's lips curled into a wide, knowing smirk, his expression radiating amusement.
"Oh! Now that's what I call a 'big brain' move!" he said sarcastically, clapping slowly, mockingly impressed.
"Instead of using all the otherworldly knowledge you've — knowledge that could have allowed you to invent groundbreaking technologies, start a thriving company, become an incredibly successful and wealthy entrepreneur, and even win Emilia's heart on your own terms — what did you choose to do instead?"
He paused dramatically, letting his words sink in as the room's tension grew.
"You decided to throw all of that potential away and become a manual laborer in a mansion full of people who are all essentially superhuman. Not only that, you completely ignored the fact that you have absolutely no housekeeping skills whatsoever! And yet, there you were, trying your best to manage the workload of a household in a world where everyone around you is leagues ahead of you in strength, skill, and talent!"
Zero clapped his hands again, this time more deliberately, as though giving a standing ovation to Subaru's disastrous life choices.
"I have to admit, I am genuinely impressed," he continued, his voice laced with both mockery and amazement.
"Impressed by the sheer audacity of how thoroughly you've managed to ruin the trajectory of your own life despite having every advantage imaginable. Most people would at least try to leverage what they know to make their lives easier, more successful, and, frankly, more impressive. But you? You took the path of maximum self-inflicted struggle."
Even Subaru and the others were completely stunned by Zero's words, though their attention was particularly caught by the phrase "otherworldly knowledge."
Subaru, however, seemed frozen in place, as if the words themselves had physically rooted him to the spot.
His mind raced uncontrollably, piecing together what that phrase really meant and what it implied about his own wasted potential.
'Damn it!' he thought, slamming a hand against his forehead in frustration.
'If I had become a wealthy businessman in this world, wouldn't it have been so much easier to court someone like Emilia? I could have offered her far more support than I can in my current position as a lowly servant. And with the abilitiy and knowledge I already have… I wouldn't even have failed!'
Regret piled up inside him like an avalanche, crushing any sense of pride he had left.
He reflected bitterly on the past year, realizing how little he had truly accomplished outside of mundane tasks.
Most of his time had been spent doing work around the mansion — helping with chores, training in his secret practice grounds, and refining his skills with the whip.
'That's it!', Subaru berated himself internally.
'I literally did nothing else. I could have spent that time creating even simple inventions from my world. Even if I can't make something as advanced as a mobile phone, building something like a car or some basic machinery isn't impossible, especially with the magical support Beatrice and Roswaal could provide me!'
He pressed his hands to his temples, feeling the weight of his squandered potential more keenly than ever.
The realization was harsh: he had deliberately given up the chance to do something monumental, all for the sake of Emilia.
Zero, noticing the inner turmoil flashing across Subaru's face, leaned back slightly with a satisfied smile.
"Oh, I remember," he said casually, his tone almost teasing.
"You did consider that path, didn't you? But then… you abandoned it, choosing instead to dedicate yourself entirely to Emilia. Isn't that right?"
Subaru bit his lip, silent, unable to respond.
His mind whirled with the truth that Zero had so effortlessly uncovered.
Emilia, meanwhile, stared at both of them, her eyes wide with shock.
She could feel the weight behind Zero's words, but she couldn't fully grasp the gravity of the path Subaru had given up.
The possibilities that had been left unexplored in favor of a life of servitude and mundane struggle were simply beyond her understanding — yet she could sense that they had been significant, monumental even.
He had given up all that for her?
Zero's expression hardened, his voice taking on a harsh, almost predatory tone as he addressed her directly.
"How utterly clueless you are, Emilia. You don't even begin to understand what Subaru has sacrificed for you…"
Emilia's eyes fell, and a wave of self-doubt washed over her.
She felt small, inadequate, and guilty all at once, overwhelmed by the realization that Subaru had willingly turned away from immense opportunities — opportunities that could have changed not just his life— simply to stay by her side.
"Oh, by the way," Zero began, his voice carrying that sharp edge that immediately drew everyone's attention, "did you know that your sponsor's own maids actually tried to kill us? That blue-haired girl, Rem, chased us down with a morning star, fully intent on killing us. And don't even get me started on that completely useless sister of hers, Ram — she was already prepared to dispose of our bodies the moment her sister finished with the killing."
The words hit the group like a thunderclap.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Subaru and Emilia, disbelief written across their faces.
To think that the maids of Roswaal's mansion — the very household that should have been protecting their guests and benefactors — had actually attempted to murder them was almost too outrageous to comprehend.
"Impossible!" Julius shouted, his face reddening in anger.
He stepped forward, his glare locking on Zero as he fumed.
"How could they even think to kill them for no reason at all? It doesn't make any sense!"
Zero, however, remained completely unfazed by the knight's outrage.
He leaned back casually, crossing his arms, and let out a dry, incredulous laugh.
"Why are you glaring at me like that, you stupid knight?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Look at Subaru and Emilia's faces! Isn't the truth written all over them? Not only was Subaru actually targeted by the maids in Roswaal's mansion, but he also gets insulted on a daily basis by Ram, who seems to think he has absolutely no worth whatsoever."
Subaru's eyes immediately flared with anger at Zero's words.
"Shut up!" he shouted, his voice trembling with both frustration and indignation.
Zero, however, simply smirked at Subaru's outburst, clearly enjoying the chaos he had created.
Subaru, however, wasn't ready to give up without defending himself.
His expression crumpled slightly as he tried to explain the situation from his perspective.
"Nee-sama doesn't insult me!" he protested, his voice cracking just a little.
"It's… it's just her way of showing affection! That's all it is!"
Even as he spoke, though, there was a sense of helplessness in his tone.
He knew how ridiculous it sounded, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to call Ram's constant verbal attacks malicious — at least, not entirely.
They were, in his own mind, a twisted form of attention, a warped sense of care that only she could express.
Zero, as usual, didn't let him off easy, and the tension in the plaza thickened as everyone realized just how complicated and bizarre Subaru's life in Roswaal's mansion had truly been.
"Really?" Zero said, his tone sharp and deliberate, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke.
"Being insulted every single day, called useless, a waste of space — is that really what you would call a way of showing affection?" He let the words sink in, watching Subaru squirm slightly under the blunt truth.
"Do you remember when Rem was in love with you? Ram didn't hold back, did she? She openly stated how horrible a choice you were. And yet, that same woman chose Roswaal — the very man who, by the way, is the main reason her entire clan is now dead. Her sister lies in a coma, and Elsa was hunting both you and Emilia relentlessly. All of this because of him."
Zero paused for effect, letting the weight of his revelation settle over the group.
He could see the shock ripple through everyone's expressions, especially Emilia's, who looked pale and confused, as though struggling to process everything he was saying.
The more they heard, the clearer it became just how twisted and dangerous the Emilia camp really was.
"As expected of a half-elf," suddenly a voice came carrying a tone of cold finality.
"Her camp is filled with people who are completely unhinged — psychos, through and through."
A sudden voice echoed across the room, cutting through Zero's monologue.
It was calm, icy, and laced with scorn, but it didn't come from anyone on Zero's side. It came from their own group.
Everyone turned sharply to see who had spoken, and the sight made a few of them blink in surprise.
It was Priscilla herself, standing there with that signature smirk, her posture exuding confidence and superiority.
Her sudden intervention left the group momentarily stunned.
Zero's smirk remained, but now it was tinged with curiosity, while Subaru and Emilia exchanged confused glances.
Even some of the onlookers couldn't help but notice how unexpected it was for someone from Subaru's own circle to so openly criticize Emilia's camp in such a brutal, unapologetic manner.
Priscilla's words carried weight simply because of who she was, and the room seemed to shrink around them, as everyone slowly realized just how sharp, ruthless, and unflinching her perspective could be.
"I may be strict with my servants," Priscilla began, her voice calm but dripping with arrogance, "but even my divine self knows exactly when to punish someone and when to reward someone."
She smirked as her sharp gaze landed squarely on Emilia, the look in her eyes clearly meant to antagonize and provoke her.
In truth, Priscilla had already aligned herself with Zero's side once she discovered that Gloria was her daughter.
That revelation had ignited a new, obsessive curiosity in her.
Now, her focus was entirely on uncovering the conditions surrounding Gloria's birth, not out of simple maternal concern, but because she wanted to recreate it perfectly.
Everything about Gloria's existence — her abilities, her mannerisms, even her appearance — was, in Priscilla's eyes, flawless, and she wanted to replicate that perfection for herself.
After all, for Priscilla, Gloria was the ideal daughter in every conceivable way.
She excelled in every area imaginable, surpassing expectations at every turn.
Even her physical attributes, down to the chest size, met Priscilla's exacting standards.
*AHEM*
And regarding Priscilla's untimely death one year later?
Priscilla's divine self wasn't foolish enough to let that happen without preparation.
She was fully aware that events of that magnitude could occur, and she had taken precautions in advance to ensure her own survival and the preservation of her plans.
Her intelligence and foresight meant she could anticipate threats before they materialized, making her virtually untouchable in situations where others might falter.
Priscilla's words, full of self-assured confidence and veiled menace, left everyone around her quietly reassessing the depth of her cunning and the lengths she would go to achieve her objectives.
After all to them it seemed Priscilla being Priscilla again.
Emilia's hands clenched into tight fists as she listened to Zero's relentless verbal assault.
Her knuckles turned white, and a flush of anger and frustration swept over her.
She could feel every word striking her like a jab, leaving her struggling to maintain her composure.
"That," Zero continued, his voice sharp and unyielding, "isn't even half of the things I could point out about people around you, whom your consider your friends and family."
He shifted his gaze deliberately toward Felix, his smirk widening.
"How about we turn our attention to your other knight friend, Felix? The jealous bastard and, without a doubt, the biggest hypocrite after the finest of hypocrites in this place by the way."
Everyone turned their eyes toward Felix at that, their curiosity and unease growing as Zero continued without giving him a chance to respond.
"That person," Zero said, his tone now cutting and accusatory, "constantly insults you, acts as if you are weak, while in reality, he himself is nothing more than a crying, whining fool. And let's not forget that he even tampered with your gate while you were healing, ensuring that if you ever left Crusch's control prematurely, you would self-destruct and die."
At this, the entire room collectively gasped, the horror of Zero's claim settling over them like a heavy fog.
Every eye turned toward Felix, who visibly flinched at the accusation.
His face flushed with guilt and tension as he opened his mouth, seemingly ready to retort, but then froze completely.
He realized immediately that there were two lie detectors present, and that any attempt to deny Zero's claims would instantly betray him.
Subaru's expression, on the other hand, was one of pure horror.
His eyes widened as he stared at Felix, realizing just how serious the accusations were.
And as everyone observed Felix's guilty, stiffened posture, their shock turned into grim understanding — there was no room for lies in Zero's words.
Every single thing he had just said about Felix was undeniably true, and the knight's silence spoke volumes.
The tension in the plaza thickened, and even Emilia, despite her anger, couldn't help but register the chilling reality of Zero's revelations.
(A/N: Lmao tension is now as thick as curd with the shock therapy Zero is giving)
It was one thing to argue and point fingers — it was another entirely when the truth hit this hard, laying bare the hidden faults and betrayals within her own alliance.
"Tell me, Felix," Subaru said, his voice unusually calm but carrying a deep undercurrent of hurt.
His eyes, however, betrayed him, reflecting a mixture of shock and betrayal as he stared directly at the other knight.
"Did you… did you really do that? Did you tamper with my gate so that I would self-destruct if you deemed it necessary?"
Crusch, having lost her memories but still able to perceive the gravity of the situation, instinctively took Subaru's side.
Her gaze sharpened, and she stepped slightly closer to Felix, her voice steady but filled with authority.
"Tell me the truth, Felix," she demanded.
"Did you really do that? Are Zero's words… accurate?"
Felix's face paled, his lips trembling as he struggled to find an excuse, but in the end, he could not deny the truth any longer.
"Y-Yes," he stammered, his admission coming out in a small, shaky voice.
The words hit the room like a thunderclap.
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, their expressions ranging from shock to outright horror.
Subaru's chest tightened painfully, and a profound sense of betrayal washed over him, heavier than anything he had felt before.
(A/N: Definitely not heavier than when Emilia left him)
"Wh-Why?" Subaru's voice cracked, and he trembled as memories of every conversation, every interaction he had shared with Felix flooded his mind.
He had always been cautious, always held a bit of distrust toward Felix, but he had never imagined it would come to this.
He had accepted Felix's sometimes abrasive and distant behavior, chalked it up to personality differences or pride, but this… this was something far more sinister.
Felix's attempt at justification came out in a flustered, almost desperate tone.
"Nyaaah! It's not my fault!" he protested, his ears flicking slightly as his voice rose.
"You were unstable! You were acting crazy! I didn't want you to cause trouble for Crusch-sama! So I… I did what I thought was best!"
But before he could continue, the situation escalated further.
Crusch, who had been standing calmly until that moment, stepped forward with surprising speed.
With a swift, precise movement, she slapped Felix across the face, her hand connecting with a sharp crack that made him stumble backward.
The force of the slap stunned him completely, and the entire room froze in disbelief.
Eyes widened, mouths opened slightly, and even Subaru took a small, involuntary step back, horrified at the sudden display.
The tension in the place skyrocketed, leaving everyone in a suspended silence.
Felix's guilt was now compounded by humiliation, and the atmosphere thickened with the sheer intensity of unspoken accusations, anger, and betrayal.
Subaru's expression darkened as he tried to process not just Felix's actions, but the very real danger he had been placed in by someone he once considered a friend.
"You are trying to justify your disgusting actions?" Crusch's voice rang out sharply, full of authority and righteous anger.
"Felix, you are a healer — most importantly, you are someone people should be able to trust with their lives. And yet, you broke that trust completely! You shattered the very foundation that healers rely on, the faith that people put in those who are meant to protect and save them!"
If she hadn't lost her memories, Crusch might have hesitated.
Perhaps she would have understood Felix's motivations or simply reprimanded him without letting her anger fully surface.
But the current Crusch had no recollection of Felix or the others from a year ago.
They were not allies, not friends — at best, they were slightly more familiar strangers.
The familial bond she once shared with Felix, the closeness built over shared struggles and hardships, had been completely erased by the loss of her memories.
To her now, he was just another person who had acted horrifically.
Zero, of course, seized the moment to inject his usual brand of cruel insight.
"Don't be so heroic, Duchess," he said, his smirk widening as he leaned back slightly.
"Because your past self was no less of a bitch. Remember, Subaru, the time when all three of them denied you?"
Subaru's mouth opened as if to argue, to say that they had no obligation to help him and that he should not feel betrayed.
But the memory of those horrifying scenes came rushing back in full force.
He remembered the dead bodies of the villagers from a prior loop, the blood-stained streets and the screams that still echoed in his mind.
His face went pale, and for a brief moment, he felt the icy grip of fear and guilt tighten around his chest.
'Obviously', he thought bitterly.
'I fixed everything. I saved them all. I proved myself over and over again. I earned their trust, I earned their lives, and I've earned the right to be loved and respected…'
And yet, Zero's words, sharp and precise as ever, planted a seed of doubt in his mind once again.
Despite all the loops, all the sacrifices, and all the proof of his loyalty and worth, Subaru felt a gnawing unease.
Why did Zero always have to make him question himself, even when he had already done everything to make things right?
Why did he have to remind him that even the people he saved, the people he loved, could still betray him or fall short of the ideals he had worked so hard to achieve?
The doubt crawled into Subaru's mind, cold and insistent, and he could feel the weight of it pressing down on his already exhausted spirit.
"Worthy of being loved?" Zero's voice cut through the tension like a blade, sharp and unrelenting.
"Subaru… you don't even understand what love really is, do you?" His words snapped Subaru's attention back fully, forcing him to focus on the man who had been pushing all his buttons.
For a moment, Subaru stared at him in shock, his eyes widening.
"Damn it! Are you reading my mind, you bastard?!" he shouted, his voice cracking with a mix of anger and disbelief.
Zero merely shrugged, calm and unfazed, his expression almost casual.
"I don't need to read your mind," he said smoothly.
"We're… basically the same person."
He paused, letting the implication sink in before continuing with a cold, cutting edge in his tone.
"If you feel the need to constantly prove yourself just to be worthy of being loved, then the truth is simple — they are using you."
"Shut up!" Subaru yelled, his voice raw with emotion, but Zero didn't stop.
"Can't you see it?" Zero continued, his tone steady, almost matter-of-fact.
"The moment you're no longer useful, they'll discard you without hesitation. Without a second thought."
"Shut up!" Subaru screamed again, pounding his fists against his knees as his voice broke.
"They don't truly love you," Zero said, his words like cold steel pressing down on Subaru's chest, slicing through any comfort or hope he had built for himself.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Subaru's voice grew hoarse, his body trembling as he fell to his knees.
His hands clutched at the ground, his head dropping, and he muttered the same words over and over — "Shut up… shut up… shut up…" — as if repeating them could somehow drive Zero's words out of his mind, as if sheer repetition could make the painful truth disappear.
The room was deathly silent except for Subaru's broken, desperate muttering.
Each "shut up" carried a weight of anguish and frustration that no one could ignore.
It wasn't just anger; it was fear, betrayal, and a deep, aching sorrow, all converging in that single, shattering moment.
Zero watched him intently, his face calm, almost detached, as if studying the exact point at which Subaru's spirit began to crack under the unbearable pressure of truth and doubt.
"I… I still have Rem," Subaru muttered, his voice quiet but filled with desperate hope, clinging to the one anchor he believed would remain unshakable.
His words sounded natural, almost instinctive, as if he could convince himself of their truth simply by saying them.
Zero, however, only smiled — a cold, sharp smile that carried both amusement and malice.
"Oh really?" he said, his tone dripping with mockery.
"Did you forget exactly what kind of bitch she really is?"
"That's over! She loves me!" Subaru shouted back, his voice rising with frustration and the strain of his emotional breaking point.
It sounded as if this declaration was all he had left, a last desperate defense for the one person he trusted and cherished above all else.
Zero tilted his head slightly, his smile never faltering.
"Oh, really?" he asked, a hint of cruel amusement in his tone.
"Do you even know that, starting a few months from now, Rem is supposed to wake up?"
His words were sudden, precise, and heavy with implication, catching Subaru — and everyone else in the place — completely off guard.
To be honest, most of the people present didn't know the full details about Rem.
They only knew that she was one of Roswaal's maids, a loyal servant whose memories had been consumed or altered by the gluttony.
The intricacies of her past, her thoughts, her feelings — none of it was common knowledge, which made Zero's revelation hit even harder.
"The Subaru of the past," Zero continued, his voice calm yet piercing, "thought that when she woke up, she would hug him, kiss him, console him, be grateful and affectionate toward him… But what he actually got was suspicion, scorn, and broken fingers."
Subaru's eyes widened in disbelief, his jaw tightening as he recoiled from the words.
"Impossible! You're lying!" he shouted, shaking his head violently.
"No… no, that can't be true! Rem… my beloved Rem… she wouldn't treat me like that! She wouldn't!"
The denial in his voice was raw, filled with the weight of betrayal and heartbreak.
His mind couldn't reconcile Zero's words with the image of the kind, loving Rem he had cherished.
Every fiber of Subaru's being resisted the thought that the person he had trusted most could be capable of suspicion and violence toward him, even under extraordinary circumstances.
After that, Zero began narrating the chain of events involving Rem, leaving everyone in the room in a state of shock and disbelief.
He explained how Rem, having lost all her memories, had ended up protecting one of the Sin Archbishops of Gluttony — a being responsible for the destruction of countless lives — much to the astonishment of everyone listening.
He detailed how she had, again and again, attempted to kill Subaru, and how, despite that, Subaru had continually put himself in danger to protect her.
Every act of care, every effort to save her, had been met with rejection and hurt, as Rem's actions were cold, merciless, and entirely ungrateful.
And yet, in contrast, she had spared the Sin Archbishop — the very person responsible for countless tragedies — highlighting the twisted priorities that had governed her behavior.
Once he finished recounting Rem's actions, Zero shifted his focus to the behavior of others who had interacted with Subaru, making sure to leave no one unexamined.
Naturally, Julius was not spared from scrutiny.
"Julius is the type of man who suppresses the weak," Zero began, his voice steady but sharp.
"His chivalry isn't what it seems. It prevents him from allowing anyone to speak the truth, anyone who dares to oppose the hatred that permeates their society. To him, maintaining appearances is far more important than actually standing for what is right."
Zero paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing with a sharper edge.
"Why was the so-called finest of Knights silent that day when Emilia was being insulted? Why did he not act in defense of someone clearly wronged? Yet, the moment it came to you, Subaru, he rose with grandiose action, beating you down so that you would know your place. Why?"
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze piercing.
"Don't tell me it was to protect you. Because if his intention was truly to shield you from the nobles and royal knights, then what does that make him? It only proves how worthless, hypocritical, and self-serving these people really are. To them, justice is whatever suits their desires, not what it should be."
The words hung in the air like a weight, and the room fell silent for a moment.
Everyone could feel the sting of truth in Zero's narration, and Subaru's jaw tightened as the bitter reality of the people he had trusted — the people he had admired for their strength and honor — was laid bare before him.
Zero didn't stop there.
He continued, his voice steady but carrying the weight of accumulated pain and frustration, as he began listing off the actions and behaviors of those around him.
Again and again, his focus returned to Emilia, recounting everything from her subtle actions to her overt decisions — each one highlighting the distance she had maintained, the lack of understanding she had shown, and how her priorities often ignored his feelings.
He spoke of the moment he had confessed to her, how she had told him to wait, treating his emotions as if they were secondary, as though they barely mattered at all.
It was as if she hadn't even considered the effort it would take to understand him, choosing instead to focus only on whether she loved him in return, a cold, detached evaluation of his heart rather than a response to it.
Subaru's words struck Emilia like a physical blow.
The guilt that had been simmering within her boiled over, and she was finally forced to face the consequences of her thoughtlessness.
She felt a heavy shame descend upon her, realizing how often she had failed to appreciate his dedication, his risks, and the countless ways he had put himself in danger for her sake.
The recounting didn't stop there.
Zero reminded everyone — including Emilia — of how many times Subaru had saved her within the sanctuary, protecting her even when the odds were stacked against him.
Beatrice, too, was not left out.
This time, however, Subaru didn't have the strength to deny the Zero accusation against Beatrice's strength or loyalty.
He understood fully that she had chosen to join him because he had been the first one to reach out, the first one to extend a hand of friendship.
The initiative had always been his, just as it always had been.
By the time Zero finished, everyone in the place was left stunned, confronted by the undeniable truth of their own actions and behaviors toward him.
The weight of their mistakes and indifference pressed down on them, and they couldn't ignore the reality that Subaru had carried everything alone, borne the burden of their expectations, neglect, and misunderstandings for all this time.
Zero, who had been speaking with his usual mix of teasing, mockery, and biting anger, now shifted his expression.
The smirk vanished, replaced by something completely different — a look of understanding, a quiet, almost comforting empathy that caught everyone off guard.
His eyes softened, and his voice, when he spoke, carried an unexpected warmth.
"Cannot you see?" Zero asked, his tone calm, steady, and devoid of cruelty this time.
"Ever since you came to this world, you have been alone. Completely alone. You've had to face everything, bear everything, and fight everything by yourself, without anyone truly standing by your side."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air, heavy with truth, before continuing, his gaze unwavering and direct.
"You are alone, Natsuki Subaru… You always have been."
To be continued...
(A/N: I am in train and you should be glad that I know how to upload the chapters from my mobile by now, otherwise there would have been no chapter today.
Also give me powerstones so I upload this tmrw as well, btw you can check out my Pride if Alternative Fanfic you haven't already.
I have also uploaded sloth if continuation which is a side Fanfic of this Fanfic, you should know what it is about. Finally I am going to upload wives reboot, if you want three royal candidates, ram and a myster heroine being crazy for subaru then this fic is peak. Also there might be Netori in this fic so proceed with full awareness.
As always this hypcorite will never include netorare in his fanfics, only Netori)