Subaru was back in the spot where he had first started his new life and was still shocked about what had happened. He looked around in a daze and tried to get his bearings back but was having difficulty doing so. He eventually realized that all his equipment that he had him was gone.
"Aqua? Kazuma? Megumin? Where is everyone…Then again how am I still alive…I was clearly stabbed in the stomach…"
He quickly pulled his shirt up to see that there was no mark left on him. You couldn't even tell that he was being stabbed much less about to die.
'How is this possible? Wait…There could have been an extremely amazing healer nearby and saved me just before I died…But why would I be back here?'
He walked through the town seeing everything as if nothing had happened to him prior. Once again he reached the crowded street and was pushed into the alley where he had been beaten up before. He left as quickly as possible and reached the Adventurer's Guild soon after. He looked around for his party of friends but didn't see them anywhere. He left the guild building and went back to the streets to look for Yunyun to see if she was still around somewhere.
'Maybe if I find her she can explain what's going on…But why wouldn't anyone be there?'
He started checking his pockets and felt a familiar bulge. He took the object out and was shocked at what it was, it was his flip phone that he had traded to Rudy just the other day. Subaru started checking everywhere but couldn't find his adventurer's card anywhere.
'Did I lose it somehow?'
He continued walking through the town and saw someone he thought he knew. After looking harder he knew exactly who it was.
"Yunyun! Hey! It's me Subaru!"
Yunyun stopped waking and turned around as he came up from behind her. She seemed to be just as shy as they first met, in fact it felt like she didn't know him.
"It's me! Subaru! The person you helped out just the other day!"
"I-I'm sorry but…Who are you? I-I'm pretty sure you have the wrong person! No one ever actively searches for me!"
"What do you mean you don't know me?"
Subaru could see that Yunyun was feeling uncomfortable and decided to do what was probably for the best.
"I-I'm sorry…I guess I had the wrong person…"
Subaru walked away and Yunyun continued on about her business still felling a little strange. He sat down at some stairs and tried to sort his thoughts.
'Let's see…I was stabbed, everything became black, I end up exactly where I was when I was reborn, and Yunyun doesn't seem to know me…Maybe it's all just a coincidence? But…I know I felt that pain, the pain of dying, again. Maybe Yunyun doesn't remember me since we only knew each other for such a small time…Maybe Rudy! Wait, his party would be gone already…' "Huh?"
Subaru saw Rudy and his party walk by and head towards the Adventurer's Guild. He stood up and started walking towards them.
"Rudy!"
He stopped, turned around and wore a confused expression on his face.
"Who are you? What do you need?"
"…..Eh?"
Subaru no longer had any idea what was going on but left quietly to regather his thoughts again.
'Something definitely happened, I know that Rudy wouldn't forget me…Maybe if I play the events out the same as I did before everything will return to normal? Wait what am I saying! It's like I'm saying I'm in the past, I know that can't be….And I don't want it to end the same!'
He walked back to the Adventurer's Guild and opened the front doors. He saw Rudy and his gang sitting at the same table, eating the same food, chatting about the same things the day he fist arrived. He went over to the registry and walked up to one of the women standing at the tables.
"It seems I've lost my guild card, do you think k could get a new one?"
"Of course, I'll just have to find your name in here first…What's your name?"
"Natsuki Subaru."
"Okay…I'm sorry but it doesn't show you're registered."
Subaru walked away and headed out the doors again. He found an small old glass bottle, filled it with water and put it in his pocket before heading back inside. He walked over to the table that had Rudy and the rest of the party and did the same thing he did the last time.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a novelty on hand. Fine, follow me."
Subaru followed Rudy back to the same place they fought before and stood in the same positions.
"Wait! Shouldn't we use wooden swords so he don't accidentally kill each other?"
"Guess that's true…"
Subaru was once again given a wooden sword and stood in a battle position. When the fight started he quickly took out his bottle of water and doused Rudy in water making him drop his sword.
"I've got you this time!"
Subaru hit Rudy's side with the sword and continued until Rudy gave in. He didn't hurt him that much since he still considered Rudy a friend even if he didn't remember him.
"Fine! You win! Take the money and leave me alone!"
Subaru was given the 1,00 eris required to register at the guild again. He did the card making process again and once again the woman couldn't read what his strange skill was. He took the card but was able to notice something different on it. 「Return By Death」
"Huh? I can read it now?"
"Sir? What do you mean you can read it now?"
"Nothing. I'll be going now."
Subaru now was able to see what his hidden skill was but from the looks of it no one else was able to see it.
'Does this mean I really did die? What does Return By Death even mean?'
Subaru was playing his cards differently leading to a new timeline of events. How will this affect the story he has written for himself up till now? With the power to Return By Death the possibilities are now uncountable and we'll have to see where this power leads him…