*This chapter is an edited MTL

　—His consciousness was in a deep, deep darkness.

　In the darkness that spread out into a stupor, his consciousness searched for a change.

　The endless jet blackness seemed to continue to the end of the world, or the world had given him a feeling of entrapment like a box garden that only extended as far as he could reach.

　Where was this place, and why was he here?

　Such questions came to his mind, but even that seemed strange.

　He didn’t even know who the hell he was to think like that.

　Only his consciousness was drifting in this void, and the vessel of flesh that supported him was not conveying his will.

　He was standing. He had his feet on the ground. However, the footing he was aware of had been assimilated into the darkness that covered his field of vision, making even his foothold literally uncertain.

　—Suddenly, the world of darkness changed.

　The shadows began to distort and the space in front of him began to crack.

　After only a brief moment of abnormality, a figure emerged from the space.

　He thought it was the shadow of a woman. And what could he call the indescribable feeling that spread through his chest the moment he recognized it?

　He wanted to run to the shadow, as if rushed by an explosion of emotions. However, his feet were still not obeying his will, and there was nothing he could do to the distant shadow.

　He wanted to speak to her, but he didn’t know what to say or how to formulate words.

　He wanted to cry out at his disappointment, but he didn’t know how to express his feelings.

　He didn’t know, he didn’t know, he didn’t know anything.

　However, as if the shadow understood his thoughts, it slowly extended its arms and closed the distance between them from the other side.

　Slowly and surely, the two hands came close enough to embrace each other.

«—I love you.»

　The euphoric sensation that came from the tips of her fingers, and the pleasure that enveloped his whole body—

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　The moment his consciousness traveled back in time and inhabited his physical body, Subaru fell over with a flourish.

???: "Whoa!　W,What's wrong, brother!"

　Looking down at Subaru, who had fallen on the street without warning, Kadomon was behind the counter raising and lowering his hands with a panicked pretense.

　Subaru, choking from the impact of falling down so boldly and making needly scrapes, frowned at the pain.

Subaru: "No…, I, kinda slipped."

Kadomon: "You slipped, but it looked like you might have lost one of your legs?　Is the way you stand and walk okay?　If you lose anything other than your common sense, I won't be able to keep up with you anymore.”

Subaru: "I don't need that kind of worry... or, what do you mean by anything other than common sense?　You're talking about me like I'm some kind of a reckless, uncommon man."

Kadomon: “The truth is, you're exactly right. Yeah, I think you’re something more difficult to handle, considering the fact that you’re in trouble with the nobility.”

　He clucked his tongue and expressed his disapproval at Kadomon's scathing remarks.

　Suddenly, Subaru felt a tug on his sleeve, and immediately afterward felt a warm wave of excitement in his body. He turned around and turned his head toward that warmth.

???: "—Are you all right?　Subaru-kun."

　Saying this, he saw Rem placing her palm on Subaru's scrapes.

　The water mana transmitted from her fingers interfered with Subaru's scrapes, increasing his healing power to stop the bleeding and heal the wound.

　As he felt the pain fading away, Subaru's heart was filled with,

Subaru: "Rem…?"

Rem: "...?　Yes, I’m Rem."

　Subaru called out her name in a weak, gravelly voice, and Rem tilted her head curiously, then asked,

Rem: "What's wrong?　You look as if you've met a dead person. Don't worry, Rem is here. It's Subaru-kun's Rem."

　Unusually for her, she smiled in a joking manner.

　She must have seen Subaru's current exhausted state that much more painfully. And the words she uttered, 'like meeting a dead person,' were not funny at all.

　Really, it is not funny at all, not at all.

Subaru: "Rem, I'm..."

Rem: "It’s difficult, isn’t it. I think it is much more like Subaru-kun to laugh than to have your face clouded over. That's why I was trying to get you to smile somehow."

　Rem raised her eyebrows faintly as if troubled. And while she was doing so, Subaru's scrape finished healing. Rem nodded her head, "It's done," and was about to remove her fingers, when he saw that,

Subaru: "——"

Rem: "Subaru-kun?"

　Subaru grabbed the finger that tried to move away from him from above, trying not to let her warmth escape.

　Rem looked up at him with a surprised face at Subaru's forceful behavior. But when she saw the painful emotion floating in Subaru's expression, she asked,

Rem: "Really, what's wrong?　I'm glad that Subaru-kun is... doing this and that, but if it's too sudden, I'll be surprised."

Subaru: "Thin. Small... warm, right?"

Rem: "I'm a little concerned about being small, and it's something I don't like to be told. But I don't mind if it's Subaru-kun, and besides, it's normal for it to be warm. —I'm alive, you know."

　At that comment, Subaru huffed and looked up to see Rem.

　From the front, her eyes and gaze entwine, and Rem remains there with compassion.

Rem: "You're worried?　But Rem is here, you know. Subaru-kun risked his life to save me. So, I’ll be fine."

　—No. It's different.

　Subaru let Rem die. He killed her. Twice, mercilessly and cruelly.

　The first time, or perhaps fundamentally, it had nothing to do with Subaru. But the second time was different. The second time, without any excuse, Rem died for Subaru.

　In order to protect Subaru, in order to save Subaru, for Subaru's sake, she used up her life and squeezed every last bit out of it and died for Subaru's sake.

　The Rem in front of him does not know that.

　She did not know how much pain and humiliation she had been subjected to and how cruelly she had died.

　Only Subaru knew.

　And if it were to happen again in the same situation, Rem would not hesitate to try to protect Subaru in exactly the same way, and she would be humiliated and killed in the same way.

Subaru: "——"

　Subaru found himself clutching Rem's small hand as if trying to push away the emotion that was nearly overflowing from inside him, and turning over to avoid showing his face.

　At Subaru's reaction, Rem's fingertips trembled with anxiety, wondering if she had said something to embarrass Subaru. But it was only for a moment. Perhaps she thought that such an attitude would scare Subaru even more.

Rem: "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay."

　Gently, she patted Subaru's back with her free hand, as if she was soothing a child.

　As if caressing and caring, until Subaru could look up.

　Always gentle, always loving.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Kadomon: "Sorry to bother you, but it's bad for business when you're flirting there."

　These were the words of Kadomon, who had been watching the scene at his storefront, as he shooed them away.

　If he were the normal Subaru, he would have said something like, "Regardless of whether we're here or not, it's not even a business to begin with!" But Subaru didn't have the mental capacity to do so.

　He simply followed Rem's lead and quickly left the scene.

　The owner's conscientiousness was evident in the fact that he did not immediately send us away and did not try to disrupt the situation until Subaru calmed down, but unfortunately, Subaru also did not have the mental capacity to notice this.

　Unfortunately, Subaru had no mental capacity to notice this.

　—Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

　It was an overwhelming hatred that would not disappear even if he died and rewound time.

　Petelgeuse Romaneé-Conti.

　That was the name of Subaru's current, predestined enemy. He was the worst murderer who had committed an unforgivable crime and slaughtered Rem and the villagers.

　Killing this man was Subaru's current mission.

Subaru: "I will surely choke him to death... with my own hands."

　He would make that fiend disappear and distort with his own hands. A dark joy was born in Subaru's heart as he thought of this, and a twisted smile, the likes of which had never appeared on his lips before, dwelled on his lips.

　He would stab him, tear him apart, crush him, twist him, make him beg for his life, and then kill him.

　Just imagining it, an unbearable urge to laugh rose up from the back of his throat.

Rem: "...Subaru-kun, may I have a word?"

　Subaru, immersed in such disturbing amusement, was stopped by Rem, who followed half a step behind him.

　Stopping at the sound of her voice, Subaru turned to Rem and asked, "What's wrong?” She stared intently at Subaru's face and gave a small sniff with her shapely nose.

Rem: "No,.. it could be Rem's misunderstanding. It's just that the... bad smell from Subaru-kun seems to have intensified a little."

Subaru: "Bad scent, huh?"

　He rubbed his nose against his arm and tried to smell it, but I couldn’t discern it.

　Looking back, there were several things similar to that in Petelgeuse' ramblings. He had considered it before, but had forgotten about it.

Subaru: "After all, does my return to death have something to do with the Witch...?"

　Every time he tried to confide about his Return by Death, the Witch’s Scent surrounding Subaru grew stronger.

　He had tried to take advantage of this in the forest of magical beasts, but he was too busy afterwards to pursue the matter in depth and left it alone.

　Perhaps this subconscious avoidance of drawing conclusions was part of the strong power of the word "Witch.”

　Before he began to get into a train of thought he had never tried before, Subaru smiled at Rem, who looked at him anxiously as he shut himself away. Then,

Subaru: "Don't make such a funny face, Rem. You're ruining your pretty face, and your future looks bleak."

Rem: "I'm sorry. Rem is a worrier, so she couldn't help but..."

Subaru: "Don't worry. I'm still the same person no matter what, and I won't be defeated by that smell.”

　Subaru did not have many cards in his hand.

　In this world, Subaru didn’t have the cards that ordinary people had. So, he had to play his cards with characteristics that could be different from others, whatever they may be, as if they were positive.

　What was the Witch’s Scent? In the forest of magical beasts, he had outwitted its malice and treated it conveniently, hadn’t he? He could continue to do so in the future.

　Subaru's laughter silenced Rem for a moment, and her gaze wandered around as if wondering what attitude to take. To encourage her reluctant attitude, Subaru scratched his head, then held out his hand and said,

Subaru: "Here, let's go. If you're worried I'm going somewhere, catch me."

Rem: "What?"

Subaru: "If it's a contest of strength, I’ll never win, and you’d feel safe then, wouldn’t you?"

　Rem looked at Subaru's face and hands, and then said,

Rem: "Yes."

　Smiling, she took her hand and stood next to Subaru, not half a step away.

　The two of them then walked off, standing side by side. Rem, looking down at his hand, closed her mouth tightly and without saying a word, matched Subaru's steps with speed.

　As he walked with this teasing girl through the lower section of the royal city toward the noble district, Subaru savored the warmth of her hand and continued to feel his murderous intent stirring within him.

　Although they were hand in hand, their hearts were pointing in opposite directions.

　Natsuki Subaru's mind was dark, stagnant, and deep into the depths of his fascination.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

　This was Subaru’s third time looping in this world.

　His first was the loop that occurred when the insignia was stolen on the day of his summoning.

　The second loop was the one triggered by the Witch Beast commotion at the Roswaal Mansion.

　And now, for the third time, a loop involving the Witch, the whole picture of which is still unclear.

　In this third loop, Subaru had already died twice.

　In his previous loops, when he had Returned by Death, he would sort out the situation and use it as a fertilizer to somehow come up with a plan.

Subaru: "It's a pathetic story…"

　This time, he had a flaw in that his memories of both the first and the second time were indecipherable.

　He did remember the first world, albeit vaguely.

　Subaru had been left behind on the way to the mansion in the dragon carriage with Rem, and he and Otto headed for the mansion. Then, he and Otto parted on the way and arrived at the village—from there, there was a very unclear haze over his memory. The information that he could recall in fragments was Rem's death and Ram's death. On top of that, the only thing he could remember was that he died somewhere in the mansion.

　In the second world, it was even worse.

　He had no recollection of his return, and it was not until he met Petelgeuse, before and after the murder of Rem, that his memories began to become clearer.

　Considering Subaru's broken state of mind leading up to that point, it might be said that it was inevitable, but his memories up to that point were only fragments, even more fragmentary than fragments. Whenever he was able to gather the fragments of his memory, he was able to recall...

Subaru: "Petelgeuse Romaneé-Conti…”

　It was the name of the hated madman and the source of Subaru's current energy.

　After understanding the inadequacy of his situation, Subaru had to go deeper into his thoughts.

　In other words, he had to pick out the important memories from his first and second loops, which were scattered all over the place, and break through the loop for the third time—he had to kill Petelgeuse. In order to do so, he had no choice but to work his nerves to the point that  his brains burnt out.

　The first thing to consider was the official time limit.

　The attack on the Roswaal mansion and the village in the immediate vicinity of the mansion would probably take place around half a day after Subaru arrived in the village, when the Witch Cult will have attacked.

　There should be no fact that the date changed significantly between the first and second worlds. Considering that in the first world, Subaru left Crusch's mansion three days after the altercation at Kadmon's store, and then it took him about two days to return to the Mathers' territory.

Subaru: "The time limit is five days, or maybe four and a half days...?"

　He could only gnash my teeth due to the lack of time.

　The scale of the problem was so different, yet the time available was almost the same as the last time at the mansion. In that limited time, he had to exterminate the Witch Cult—or at least ensure that he finished off Petelgeuse.

　Once the time limit had been confirmed, the next step was to confirm what was necessary to break through the loop.

　Avoiding the attack on the mansion and the village, and exterminating the Witch Cult. Petelgeuse had to be killed. These were the issues that Subaru had to deal with this time.

　Each of them was nothing but a condition that would naturally be fulfilled when the last one—the killing of Petelgeuse—was completed if they were pursued in a pure and simple manner.

　In other words, the condition that this time fate has placed upon Subaru was:

Subaru: "We have to kill Petelgeuse."

　Killing him, the root of all evil, the vicious murderer, would save everything.

　It was a terribly simple and straightforward rule this time. Now all he had to do was figure out the answers he needed to accomplish that simple condition.

　The Witch Cult led by Petelgeuse—their forces were not of a scale that could be resisted alone, at least not on their own. Even Rem, in her Demon form, was eventually killed, even if she overwhelmed them with her individual strength. It was unclear to what extent Petelgeuse's unusual ability, the "Unseen Hand," was involved in this, but there was no way that she alone could be forced to deal with such a problem.

　What was needed to counter the group was the power of another group.

　Against such violence in numbers, the Maathers' power is quite low. In fact, he had never seen Lord Roswaal leading his own private army. Normally, a lord would have a force of his own, but in Roswaal's case, perhaps because his own group annihilation power is too high, his reserves of that kind of force are unknown.

　At least, there was no indication that he had posed any resistance against the past two attacks. This choice should be erased from his mind.

　No, come to think of it.

Subaru: "Where was Roswaal at the time of those raids in the first place...?"

　Neither the first nor the second time did Subaru see him.

　The second time, he was at the scene of the mansion's collapse, and it could be said that the safety of the three people and one animal, excluding Rem and the villagers, was unknown. However, Roswaal had to have seen the attack on his own village, and there was no evidence that he had destroyed the Witch Cultists.

　One possible explanation was that,

Subaru: "Roswaal was immediately assassinated or taken by surprise and was unable to fight. Or he was absent... at such a critical moment when he had to be there?"

　If the former, he could only exhale at the circumspection of the Witch Cult, and if the latter, he could only exhale at the bad timing. In fact, Roswaal was a man with a track record of being away from the mansion during the previous incident and not being present at the crucial moment. It was not impossible to say that there was no possibility.

　Furthermore, in the process of recalling them, Subaru recalled the end of the previous loop. It was,

Subaru: "That big, incomprehensible creature that destroyed the mansion?"

　It was a quadrupedal beast with an unbelievably huge physique that could be mistaken for the mansion itself.

　The cold air it spewed froze the world in a spectacular manner, and although it was hard to say for sure, Subaru's death was probably caused by the cold air freezing him to death.

　If that was one of the trump cards of the Witch Cult or something like that, it would have been even more impressive to see Subaru die from the cold air.

Subaru: "Even more so, our forces are too weak."

　Even if they were to engage in a single battle with the Witch Cult, Rem alone would be noticeably insufficient as a fighting force. And if the last boss was waiting in the background, it would be out of the question.

　Therefore, Subaru's most urgent task was to find the strength to fight, no matter what it took. That is, a force that could stand up to the Witch Cult and super-sized boss characters.

　And Subaru had a guess as to that strength.

　It was...

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

　When Subaru arrived back at Crusch's mansion with Rem, the time was already approaching dusk and the sun was beginning to turn dark red.

???: "Have you returned?"

　Wilhelm greeted them at the gate.

　He looked at them from a distance and squinted at them as they walked close to each other.

Wilhelm: "Hmm. Subaru-dono, it is natural for a boy to have a flirtatious heart, but I personally don't find it very impressive."

Subaru: "What are you talking about, Wilhelm? I'm just holding her hand to make sure I don't get lost. Right?”

Rem: “Yes, of course he is. I have to keep my eyes and hands on you to make sure you don't get lost, or Rem will be very worried. I don't think I can let my guard down even inside the mansion."

Subaru: "No, I don’t think that's right..."

　Subaru responded to Wilhelm's teasing voice, and Rem put a lot of strength into her hand she held with a strange stubbornness. Chuckling at that, Subaru looked again at Wilhelm and said,

Subaru: “Is someone here to see Crusch again?”

　The question was in response to the dragon carriage parked beside Wilhelm.

　Pulling the vehicle with its luxurious decorations was a graceful black earth dragon with a somewhat shiny appearance, not because of its fur, but because of its hard skin.

　It was unclear if it had a pedigree like a horse, but at the very least, it had an air of dignity that set it apart from other earth dragons he had seen in the past.

　The coach sitting on the coach’s bench was also dressed in formal attire and did not make a single gesture of idle talk as he bowed to us.

　Wilhelm, who understood the meaning of Subaru's question and gaze, pulled back his chin and said, "Yes, that's right.”

Wilhelm: "Since the announcement of her participation in the Royal Selection, there have been many people who have asked for an audience with Crusch-sama."

Subaru: "So there are the people who are trying to curry favor with a woman who may be the future king. Well, there must be a lot of trouble in that area."

　Wilhelm smiled as he expressed the fact simply and without hesitation. Then he looked Subaru in the eye and tightened his expression.

　His demeanor made Subaru twist his head, wondering what was wrong.

Wilhelm: "Subaru-dono. Did something change your mind down there?"

Subaru: "What?　What do you mean suddenly? Do I look different?"

　Shrugging his shoulders in amusement at the sharp voice, Subaru spun around on the spot. Wilhelm closed his eyes at the sight as Rem, still holding his hand, was made to spin with him.

Wilhelm: "There is a darkness nestled in your eyes. Something real, something unmistakable."

　With a snap, Subaru stopped and the feckless smile disappeared from his face.

　And what emerged from beneath the vague smile was the smile of the «real thing».

Subaru: "I don't think so, Wilhelm. It doesn’t seem like I’ve changed at all."

Wilhelm: "I wouldn't say it's a small change. There must be a reason, not a good reason, to dwell in that dim light. —I know it well.”

　Wilhelm responded in a low voice, a faint smile etched on his mouth as well.

　Subaru's heart was filled with satisfaction when he realized that there were no bright signs, but only a pure and well-honed feeling for «something».

　Wilhelm was also a person who had a burning desire to kill something unforgivable. Therefore, he understood Subaru as Subaru understood him.

Subaru: "Do you want to keep me away?"

　From Wilhelm's perspective, Subaru's current hatred would make him hesitant to let the Crusch get close to him. But Subaru was half-convinced that he would not.

　And in fact,

Wilhelm: "No. Subaru-dono, you may do as you wish. Compared to just a few moments ago, when you were not trying to see everything, you are much more preferable to me now."

　Wilhelm responded to Subaru's words by shaking his head.

　Subaru's mouth naturally twitched into the same kind of smile as Wilhelm's. The two of them are acquainted with each other on the surface, even if they don't know each other's innermost thoughts and feelings.

　And so, the two exchanged a somewhat dark smile.

Rem: "Subaru-kun. You look bad."

Subaru: "Hehehe ...... is that so, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!　Rem, wait, you're going to tear it to shreds!"

　A sudden tug on his ear interrupted the vicious secret conversation. Subaru protested, but Rem turned her narrowed eyes on him.

Rem: "Please don't make Rem feel uneasy."

Subaru: “Hey, hey, it's very unusual for Rem to make a request like that, but it's so vague. I'm sure you'll be fine, I'll take care of it all. I'm going to take care of it all.”

　Subaru had nothing to be worried about now that he knew what he had to do.

　There was something that must be done, and the simplicity of knowing what needed to be done for it was comfortable right now.

　How easy it was to just kill the person you have to kill.

　Subaru smiled at her and spun kind words.

　But Rem's expression became more emotionless in response, and her hand tightened even more, as if she was frightened of something.

　Then, as if puzzled, she almost said something.

Wilhelm: "It seems that our guest is leaving."

　Wilhelm suddenly turned his attention toward the mansion and muttered something like that, and then he saw a figure walking toward him from behind the gate—from the Crusch Mansion, which had opened its front door.

　He was a tall man with long, dusky blond hair. Dressed in well-tailored formal wear which was adorned with ornaments. He was about 30 years old. At first glance, the image of a prodigal aristocrat with a wild spending spree was Subaru’s first impression of him.

　Unaware of such an image, he took notice of the three people gathered in front of the gate and said, "Ho-ho?”

???: "Wow, what an unusual group of people you have here."

　Touching his beard, which he seemed to have grown in a fashionable way, the rich man looked at them and commented in this way. When Subaru raised his eyebrows in puzzlement, as if his surname were known, his personage politely bends at the waist and says,

???: "Please excuse me. My name is Russell Fellow. —Natsuki Subaru-dono."

Subaru: "...Polite, thank you. And by the way, may I ask how you know my name?　I'm a small-town guy with a very small personality, and I'm embarrassed to have my name on the market."

Russell: "A little bit of a connection, you know. During the meeting for the Royal Selection, the person who claimed to be the knight of the candidate, Emilia-sama, is well known. However, not many people are aware of the fact that this person is currently recuperating at Crusch-sama's mansion."

　Russell, who responded to Subaru's growing alarm with a light-hearted smile, smiled with a sarcastic expression on his face. However, the content of the comment had already aroused further alarm, and the bad character of the other party, which seems to have been done intentionally, was clearly conveyed.

Wilhelm: "Russell-dono. Did your discussion with Crusch-sama go well?"

　Wilhelm interrupted him from the side and snatched his gaze away from Subaru, who was beginning to emit a swarthy gaze. Shifting his gaze from Subaru to the old man, Russell shrugged his shoulders, shook his head and said, "No."

Russell: "Crusch-sama is a harsh woman. Her eyes are sharp and her intentions are harsh. Considering what I’ve been through, I doubt it will be easy."

Wilhelm: "I see, I am sorry. If you do not compromise, it will be very difficult for the others to make her agree to it.

Russell: "If you have the dukedom and the presence of Wilhelm-sama, the conditions are too good to start the Royal Selection. …You call yourself Wilhelm Trias now?"

　They call each other by name and continue their conversation, which was puzzling to Subaru.

　Wilhelm pulled his chin at Russell's words and turned his wrinkled face down.

Wilhelm: "It would be too presumptuous of me to take my wife's family name now, you know."

Russell: "You are also a caustic one, dazzling to those of us who do not live that way. Nevertheless, I will support you both."

　Throwing superlatives at the old man, who kept his eyes down, Russell took the dragon carriage—his own, Subaru guessed. He stepped onto the carriage, while giving instructions to the mute coach.

Russell: "If this is what Crusch-sama is aiming for, it will be a joyous story for both of us. It will be a long-cherished wish for Wilhelm-sama as well. I am looking forward to it."

　The doors of the dragon carriage were closed, the reins were tightened, and the carriage began to move. The earth dragon, which, like the rendezvous, respected silence, drove off without a single neigh of its head, and Subaru stepped up beside Wilhelm as he watched the dragon carriage leave the gate.

Subaru: "Wilhelm-san. What kind of person was that now?"

Wilhelm: "Russell Fellow. He's an arithmetician in charge of the commercial association in the Royal Capital. His title is only that of the head of a merchant family, but he is a shrewd man who is involved in the front and backstage movements of the country’s wealth. I should think that Subaru-dono knows more than his name is known."

Subaru: "Heh. It doesn't make my heart dance to be known not by a girl but by an old man like that."

Wilhelm: "Hm, I agree with that."

　Wilhelm responded sternly to the light talk and turned to Subaru after straightening his posture, he began with a “Well then,”

Wilhelm: “I guess that's the last of today's visitors now, Russell-dono. Let's go inside... Subaru-dono, is there something wrong?"

　At Wilhelm's question, Subaru scratched his head and curved his lips.

　He wasn’t interested in being too obvious, it was as if he was being anticipated. But there was nothing wrong if you thought it was going to go through quickly.

　Subaru thought about this, straightened his back in front of Wilhelm, and after his face tightened into a serious one, he said,

Subaru: "Sorry, but I'm the last visitor today. I would like to talk to Crusch. The agenda is something like, can you help me?"