『 Natsuki Subaru came to Felt and Old Man Rom's shop once again. He anxiously wanted to complete the exchange with Felt as soon as possible.
But just like last time, Felt insisted on waiting for the employer to arrive.
However, what was different this time was that Puck hadn't fallen asleep, and Felt had managed to escape, coincidentally running into the Sword Saint, Reinhard.
Natsuki Subaru still wanted to tell the other party to run; after all, the Gut Hunter was truly terrifying!
But… it was just one sword strike!
The wind surged, and the terrifying sword qi almost obliterated all life within a certain radius!
Reinhard casually swung his sword, and the Gut Hunter, whom Natsuki Subaru had treated as a boss, was directly beaten into a state of critical injury!
And as Emilia's savior, Natsuki Subaru finally opened a new chapter in his otherworldly life. 』
『 .....』
〜Myriad Worlds livestream Chat〜
[ Kumoko (So I'm a Spider, So What?): "Ha… hahaha, that's not quite what I imagined." ]
[ Orochimaru (Naruto): "Hiss… other than possessing the ability of Return by Death, he doesn't seem to have anything special." ]
[ Sengoku (One Piece): "So this is an otherworldly transmigrator? Feels… hmm, not bad?" ]
[ Chaotic Evil Gudako (Type-Moon): "Just say he's trash. After all, this guy's performance is really pathetic. Actually, is this guy named Reinhard the real protagonist? Feels like he's very strong. It wouldn't be impossible for him to pass for a Grand Sword Saint in our world, right?" ]
[ Echidna (Rezero): "If you change the world's rules, it's entirely possible. After all, this child is the strongest existence on the surface here~" ]
[ .....]
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Everyone looked at Natsuki Subaru's figure before them, gradually remembering Simon from before.
Although Natsuki Subaru's intelligence was indeed somewhat worrying, he was still decent in certain aspects.
Watching this boy's growth history… that wasn't bad either.
.....
『 "Strange ceiling—" When Natsuki Subaru woke up again, although there were still voices speaking in his ear, thankfully it wasn't that 'Hey, mister, want to buy an appa?'
Instead, two beautiful girls dressed as blue-haired and red-haired maids appeared before his eyes: Rem and Ram, a pair of sisters.
Natsuki Subaru also chose to stay here. He wanted to stay and work, though, of course, it was more because he couldn't bear to leave these beautiful girls.
The master of the mansion, Roswaal, was taken aback, but he agreed.
Under the guidance of Ram and Rem, he soon became familiar with the Roswaal mansion. It turned out that besides Emilia, Rem, and the others, there was also Beatrice, the guardian of the Forbidden Library.
Soon, a day passed. Before going to sleep, Natsuki Subaru made a promise with Emilia to go to the village to see small animals together tomorrow.
This is a date, right? It must be!
Carrying this excited feeling, Natsuki Subaru fell into a deep sleep.
At night, the witch's sharp, twisted voice echoed, but Natsuki Subaru didn't hear it at all.
And when he woke up the next day, he immediately struck a pose.
But Rem and Ram looked at each other, looking at Natsuki Subaru with confusion. Is this guest very strange, isn't he?
Natsuki Subaru was stunned; he hurriedly explained, but soon he realized something.
"I… died again." Cold sweat flowed uncontrollably down Natsuki Subaru's face.
He had died again; he had died once more last night… 』
『 .....』
〜Myriad Worlds livestream Chat〜
[ Gabriel (Gabriel DropOut): "The respawn point this time isn't the appa stall, a little regrettable." ]
[ Natsuki Subaru (Rezero): "Hey, hey, hey! If I went back to the appa stall, it would definitely cost me my life!" ]
[ Misaka Mikoto (A Certain Magical Index): "So it's just like a game, right? As long as you survive for a period of time, there will be a save point. This is the fourth death, right?" ]
[ Kumoko (So I'm a Spider, So What?): "The key is how did he die! It's too strange! Isn't Natsuki Subaru-senpai safe already?!" ]
[ .....]
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
The witch's wailing…
Many viewers had already noticed the nature of Natsuki Subaru's ability.
There were two possibilities: one, Natsuki Subaru transmigrated to another world and developed some kind of mutated innate ability.
The second was that he had been singled out by some entity; after all, this is quite common in worlds with gods, or even those with transcendent abilities.
It was just like Divine Protection; only Natsuki Subaru's "Return by Death" ability was a bit heaven-defying.
Moreover, after entering the new map, Natsuki Subaru's situation seemed to be even more difficult.
But the viewers not only felt no pity for Natsuki Subaru's plight, but instead felt even more delighted.
Every death was accelerating the distortion within this boy's heart!
.....
『 No one remembered him… and no one understood him. Natsuki Subaru was silent for a moment, then digested it himself.
With his big heart, he even chatted and laughed with Rem, going to see the villagers together.
Then, in the evening, he flirted with Emilia again until nightfall, when Natsuki Subaru gradually became uneasy because he had died at night the last time…
Just as this thought crossed his mind, extreme discomfort made Natsuki Subaru break out in a cold sweat, and he began to vomit crazily. He struggled to crawl out of the room, wanting to seek help.
But in the pitch-black corridor, the sound of cold chains echoed, and then a black shadow smashed down like a meteor. Natsuki Subaru's arm was directly smashed off, and his body was heavily slammed to the ground like a sandbag.
Sharp, twisted wailing and crying—the witch's wailing and crying echoed in his ears!
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah!" Natsuki Subaru sat up abruptly from the bed. In his pupils was the lingering pain and the collapse of death.
He gasped for breath; he… died again?!
But he didn't even see the killer's face! 』
『 .....』
〜Naruto World〜
"It's simply a waste of a heavenly treasure,"
Orochimaru shook his head.
If he had such an ability, his first choice would be to study all the forbidden books he had previously dared not touch!
Next would be infinite death-seeking, exploring the entire ninja world, and then exploring the unknown!
He would use this ability of infinite trial and error to lead the entire ninja world, to lead life onto the path of evolution!
But… all of this was ultimately just a dream.
In Orochimaru's snake-like eyes, helplessness and loneliness were unconcealable.
A genius from a humble background… hehe, just a tool of the village, a joke of the ninja world.
—
『 After some deep thought, Natsuki Subaru decided to change his wish of staying there to becoming a guest!
Wanting to catch the killer, Natsuki Subaru had an idea the next day. He pretended to say goodbye to everyone and chose to leave, but in reality, he waited on the mountain far from the castle for the killer to appear at night!
The time soon came to the evening. Natsuki Subaru held a kitchen knife, waiting for movement in the castle.
But a morning star flail suddenly flew out from the forest. Natsuki Subaru dodged in a panic.
After continuous dodging, he finally saw the figure of the killer.
But the moment he saw the killer, Natsuki Subaru's expression became dull. Because the one who wanted to kill him was… Rem!
In front of Rem, Natsuki Subaru had no room to resist. He was one-sidedly slaughtered.
Natsuki Subaru explained loudly, but in return, he only got Rem's ruthless interrogation.
"You must be related to the Witch Cult; you smell like a witch, and you're still saying you don't know anything!"
Natsuki Subaru could no longer suppress the collapse and fear in his heart!
What made him collapse even more was that the one who killed him… was the girl in front of him!
"WHAT DID I DO! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? WHAT DID I DO WRONG? WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH?!!"
Natsuki Subaru didn't understand, but the morning star fell, and everything plunged into darkness.
Sharp, twisted wailing and crying—the witch's wailing and crying echoed in his ears!
When Natsuki Subaru woke up again, he saw Rem standing beside him. The fear of death instantly surged into Natsuki Subaru's mind!
He pointed at Rem in a breakdown, unable to say a word. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't a hallucination… he… he was going to be killed by this guy!
Natsuki Subaru ultimately didn't say a word because he knew that, even if he said Rem was the killer, who would believe him?
No one. From beginning to end, no one believed him.
At noon, Emilia came over. She was very worried about Natsuki Subaru and asked him what was wrong.
Looking at the worried expression on the gentle and beautiful girl's face, Natsuki Subaru decided to tell her about his Return by Death.
But just as he was halfway through telling the secret, Natsuki Subaru suddenly discovered that the girl in front of him had stopped moving.
No… it wasn't that she stopped moving; it was… except for him, TIME AROUND HIM HAD STOPPED!!!
The horrifying feeling of death made Natsuki Subaru's scalp tingle. He looked around uneasily. Thick black mist swallowed the world like ink, and then a large black hand stretched out from that black hole.
With a gentle grab from the palm, Natsuki Subaru almost died on the spot!
He would die… he would die, die, die, die, DIE!!!
As long as he dared to say this secret, he would definitely die!
Natsuki Subaru covered his heart, breathing heavily. Facing Emilia's concern, he didn't say another word.
At this moment, he finally understood that his ability… could not be told to anyone! 』
『 .....』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Seeing this, everyone finally confirmed their conjectures.
Natsuki Subaru had indeed received a gift from a certain entity, and Return by Death was that entity's gift. And this entity had a great relationship with the Witch.
Every death was deepening the causality between Natsuki Subaru and that entity!
This corresponded to why Rem said Natsuki Subaru had a strong witch's scent, and one thing was very clear: the Witch was not popular in that world.
Natsuki Subaru had received a gift from a god, but was he to be an enemy of the world?
If that were the case, then it would be truly interesting~
.....
『 The sense of loneliness and desperate collapse changed Natsuki Subaru's eyes; they were empty, lost, and powerless.
Natsuki Subaru sent Emilia away and sat on the bed, the despair in his eyes almost overflowing.
Fortunately, at this moment, Beatrice appeared. Because of her guilt for knocking Natsuki Subaru unconscious before, and the inexplicable feelings she had for this boy who could always accurately find her, Beatrice promised to protect Natsuki Subaru.
Under Beatrice's protection, Natsuki Subaru survived the fourth day.
But before Natsuki Subaru could be happy, Emilia told him bad news: Rem was dead…
"…Why… why is Rem dead?" Natsuki Subaru couldn't believe it. In his mind, the scene of that girl slaughtering him even surfaced.
But Natsuki Subaru knew nothing about this matter; all he knew was about his own Return by Death.
But if he said it, only death awaited him.
"Shh—" A stream of light flashed by, and an ice blade cut across Natsuki Subaru's cheek, blood splattering. Natsuki Subaru looked over in astonishment, only to see hatred in Ram's eyes!
So… he was treated as the killer?!!
But… but from beginning to end, he didn't know anything!
Roswaal also looked at Natsuki Subaru coldly at this moment. Although he had Beatrice's protection, it was clear that without explaining everything, nothing could be changed…
Natsuki Subaru's pupils contracted violently, and his feet moved; then he ran out in a breakdown!
Behind him came Ram's scream, sounding like a demon, "I WILL DEFINITELY KILL YOU!!!"
Natsuki Subaru ran desperately, and finally, he stopped at a cliff. The dusk bathed him in its light. His whole body was cold, but with Beatrice's guidance and the happy memories with Rem and Ram from before, Natsuki Subaru finally decided… to jump off the cliff to save Rem!
The timeline skipped and leaped, saving them time after time. Natsuki Subaru found relief in death after death. 』
『 .....』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Everyone's mouth twitched. No… buddy, are you a turtle?
You've been tortured this much, and you can still endure it???
Everyone looked at the rapidly flashing screen and the countless scenes of Natsuki Subaru's Return by Death, and instantly understood. The future Natsuki Subaru was still the same as now, constantly using death to save Emilia and the others.
But… It's too frustrating, right?
A transmigrator who turned the Return by Death ability into this? And all for a woman?
Natsuki Subaru, do you really lose the ability to walk whenever you see a woman?!
Everyone was completely disgusted; it was the kind where just looking at Natsuki Subaru made them feel sick.
But at this moment, the screen changed again—
Everyone's expression revealed a touch of astonishment. They saw the rapidly flashing screen actually rewind back to the scene before Natsuki Subaru jumped off the cliff to seek death.
Then… Natsuki Subaru ran?!!
Why is it different from before?! Everyone widened their eyes, suddenly thinking of something!
Regarding the possibility of the multiverse, that is, a single moment, a single action, a sentence, a difference in thought, all could potentially give birth to countless branches!
So, this is the divergence point of Natsuki Subaru's fate?!
.....
『 Fear, collapse, panic, the gears of fate turned—
The desire for life, the fear of death, Natsuki Subaru ran away in a sorry state!
Snow drifted in the sky, and the red behind him seemed to condense into substantial killing intent!
In this sky full of snow, chasing and fleeing, fighting for life and death.
I don't know how long it had been—
Finally, Natsuki Subaru was pressed to the ground by Ram, his neck tightly squeezed by the girl's cold palm, the boy's eyes seeming to bulge out.
Although his body was struggling, there was only emptiness in Natsuki Subaru's eyes; his spirit had long since given up struggling.
How discordant, how hypocritical this all was. Too ugly, Natsuki Subaru.
He wanted to welcome death peacefully, but he was destined not to be peaceful. This was the death he deserved, right?
But before dying, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help asking himself, what exactly did he do wrong, what exactly did he do to deserve such retribution?
He couldn't figure it out, and Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Ram whispered like a demon!
Natsuki Subaru didn't answer, nor could he answer. The fear of death, the numbness of the long escape, and the disappointment in these people…
He just wanted to die immediately now; he just wanted to die right now…
But at this moment, Ram's hand loosened. It turned out Ram had also exhausted her strength; she collapsed to the ground, snowflakes drifting onto her face, quietly melting.
Natsuki Subaru stood up silently.
Looking at the fallen girl, at this moment, countless images flashed through Natsuki Subaru's mind: beautiful, sweet, happy, joyful, but all that remained at the end was…
ONLY THAT… KILLING INTENT THAT WAS AS CRUEL AND COLD AS A DEMON!!!
A TORRENTIAL HATRED AND ANGER SUDDENLY ROSE IN THE BOY'S HEART!!!
Why… why… why?!!
Why must he be the one to die? Why must the one who dies be him! What on earth did he do wrong?
Like a madman, Natsuki Subaru's pupils trembled violently! THE FLAMES OF UNWILLINGNESS AND ANGER BURNED EVERYTHING!!!
In the distance, a crow made a sharp, ear-piercing cry, its pitch-black eyes watching the two people below.
That's right, the one who dies doesn't have to be him. Natsuki Subaru tilted his head, and a weird smile suddenly appeared on his blood-stained face.
He silently picked up a stone—
Bang—
In the forest, Natsuki Subaru laughed silently and hoarsely!
The evil within consumed all kindness; the boy was no longer the boy he once was!
A REBIRTH FOR THE KING—OFFERING DEATH!!!
At this moment, THE PURGE KING… WAS BORN!!! 』
『 .....』
〜Type-Moon World, ????? Worldline〜
In the Inner Sea of the planet, In The Furthest Tower—
"This is really interesting~ From pure white to pitch black, blackening is the helpless choice of fate being forced to the extreme~ It's… just wonderful!"
Merlin's face was full of pleasure. What she wanted to see was a satisfying story, not some wimp~
—
〜Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World〜
Even across the screen, one could feel the despair rushing toward them…
Emilia's tears flowed silently; looking at Natsuki Subaru's desperate and painful appearance on the screen, her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a large hand, unable to breathe.
—
( Translator-kun: For those who are gonna say that it's skipping too much, well, the main point of this one is about the Purge King Subaru, the initial, just a brief introduction of the background of Subaru and his 'Death by Return' )