Chapter 2: Ep 1 Directors cut
-x-X-x-
The screen's flashing lights illuminated the theater as it flashed some very ominous and preferable visions and imagery with great speed. Seeing that nothing can be understood from these blurry images playing before them, many of the worried cast began questioning their predicament.
"Man, this kid always seems to have trouble coming for 'em, huh?" A feisty-looking dogman said humorously while grinning, trying to lighten the mood. Although, a few didn't find the joke as funny as he hoped.
Sharp teeth grounded as emerald-colored irises flashed towards the bulky beast-human. "Don' talk as if this is Cap'n's fault, ya hear?!"
"Whoa! Calm down, fella! I didn't intend to insult yer friend in any way!" Ricardo held his hands up nervously and apologized patiently. The need for calm and persistence flowing over his pride. He could see the rage in the blonde kid's eyes. The worry and confusion were also clear as day all over the agitated scarred face of the boy.
Ricardo also noticed that it wasn't just the boy who looked stricken from the previous events played on the strange window. Almost the entire camp surrounding the sleeping black-haired youth was distraught about the events.
Many in the theater were placed in a position of utter confusion at what they had witnessed. None more, than the few people sitting around the unconscious black-haired young man.
"What is this, I suppose?! It doesn't make sense for Betty to be missing from such an event, in fact!" The small blonde drill-haired girl shouted her rage and confusion as she held on to the boy's arm tightly. An expression of panic and fear etched on her childish face. The memory of what her contractor had to endure alone while everyone he cared for was dead around him was the worst… but that scene of him stabbing himself… It was downright haunting.
The small spirit never felt this scared in all of her miserable years of existence. The gore and horror committed against her Subaru was more than enough to bring her to tears. She would never let anyone figure out his connection to the cursed factors. Betty promised that she would be his protector. She would guard him against harm. Whatever that demon was… Betty would be prepared for it when it comes for her Subaru.
"You won't hurt Betty's Subaru again, in fact." The spirit growled dangerously as she burned the image of the demon into her head. The anger boiling within her shared by many of the people clutching her contractor tightly.
None, were as furious as a certain blue-haired maid.
Was this what had become of him after she fell to Gluttony's deceit? Did she fall only to cause horror on the one person she lived to die for?
Rem could only try and calm her breathing as she held her dress tightly. The memory of her love stabbing himself ingrained in her memory…
"Subaru-kun…" The maid whispered as she gazed at his sleeping form from behind. Her placement allowing her to gaze at him but never allowed to touch him or it would look scandalous.
The small Oni maid simply shook her head of the memory and focused on something else for now. Her anger won't do any good here unless she plans to embarrass her gracious lord and her sister before all of these important personalities present.
She was but a maid. She can't dwell on something shown to her by a weird window controlled by the people who kidnapped them to sit here.
She won't believe for a second that her hero suffered such a horrible fate as death with her out of commission.
Even though she was dead beside her own beloved sister… Rem couldn't believe that such a vision might happen.
It couldn't…
"Subaru… " A voice coated like a silver-bell spoke out. "Wake up, Subaru… " The voice begged, heartbreak and disbelief clear in their tone.
A beautiful silver-haired lady with pointy ears was shown speaking to the innocent sleeping young man beside her. Her eyes looking tired and despaired as she gazed down at the boy beside her.
Her tears showing signs of her distress and agitation at the unknown event that had played.
What happened in there? Why would her wonderful knight stab himself for no reason? Why did she let him fight that monster on his own? She wouldn't ever let him face something like that alone! She was… She was dead…
In the vision… her knight was facing a monster, alone, and everyone's corpses around him.
It was cruel. Horrifying. Completely imaginary.
It mustn't be real… She was alive… Her Subaru was alive…
Emilia finally found more courage to hold Subaru's limp hand. Her nervousness and fear almost dissipating immediately upon her fingertips connecting with his warm, loving, and protective grip.
The half-elf smiled for a moment, distress and vision completely forgotten as she took the chance to observe how adorable the boy looked when he was asleep. The warmth and closeness completely erasing the sense of unease and alarm the vision had set.
Her Subaru was happy when he was beside her. She was happy when she was beside him.
There was no way her wonderful knight would ever resort to harming himself like that. He had her and the rest of his friends. But he mainly had her.
It wasn't real. That entire vision was just a piece of imagination. Nothing shown on it was to be believed.
That's what the half-elf had come to as a conclusion.
Her Subaru was alive, happy, and sitting right by her side… as he should be. Emilia's warmth showed through her amethyst eyes as she held her knight's hand, comfortable for his safety.
"This is dumb!" A loud voice of a young girl shouted in frustration.
"Try breaking the wall with both of your fists!"
"I've been tryin' fer a while girly! Leave me alone!"
A blonde ruffed looking young man shouted in agitation as he sat on his seat and held his head in his hands. The expression of anger and confusion settling in.
A smooth, charming speaker moved in to stop an argument from erupting. "Felt-sama, please. I think we should give them all a bit more time to deal with… the tragedy, this vision showed us."
The charming speaker was met with an annoyed huff as the little girl beside him turned away and stomped towards her seat in the back of the row.
"This is lame! It wasn't real anyways! Why should we trust anything this stupid window shows us?" The scarlet-eyed, blonde girl shouted as she hopped down on her seat with a displeased expression clear on her face.
Her red-haired, handsome companion followed her trail and took the seat beside hers. His expression was one of pure contemplation and a hint of upset. Remembering that memory wasn't a pleasant thought, not to him or his lady.
"I've been thinking of all magic users and mythical monsters that might look like that… creature. But I can't remember anything that matches it's description." The royal knight spoke in a disappointed tone, looking down with bluish disappointed eyes.
"You think that vision was a fake, Felt-sama?" A stern lady spoke while looking at the blonde girl piercingly.
Felt glanced up towards the noble green-haired maiden and snorted.
"Yea, nothing in this world could ever kill Rein that easily." At his lady's words, the charming red-headed knight couldn't help but bow his head humbly.
"Your words are far too kind, my lady. But I fear that you have too much faith in me-"
"Yea, yea, you're humble. Shut up."
A helmeted, one-armed man laughed loudly from the very back in amusement at the sight of Felt's annoyance with her knight's humble attitude.
As Reinhard bit his lip in discomfort and worry for his lady's inflated perception of his ability, the girl was already facing the duchess and explaining her reasoning without a care shown.
"This idiot over here is the strongest person alive." Felt stated for the duchess and the crowed listening in with a matter-of-fact tone. "If the monster guy killed Rein then none of us have a chance against 'em."
As the green-haired duchess held her chin in thought, someone else decided to argue the blonde's words.
"Pardon me." A polite, nervous young man spoke with his hat held to his chest as he bowed towards the two ladies from where he stood. "I'm sorry to intrude, Felt-sama, Karsten-sama. But I fail to see how your point disproves the reality we've seen."
Not understanding what this icky looking wimp was saying, Felt decided to glare at him and demand an explanation. "What are ya saying?!"
Flinching at the harshness the lady was showing him, Otto stuttered nervously. "W-What I meant was how you've ignored the rest of this vision… We could learn from it-"
"There's nothing to learn from! It's all fake I tell ya!"
"But… your knight wasn't the only corpse visible…"
And just like that… the mood instantly darkened across the room as Otto let his words fall heavily across the theater. Before the many schemers and players for the ruby throne, he set the mood for a conversation ignored and almost hated.
"Everyone in this room was apparently butchered by this killer… Except for Subaru-dono." An old man with piercing blue-eyes mused thoughtfully and sternly.
The mood darkened even more as everyone remembered how their bodies were shown, cut-open and flung across the grass in a horrid display of decoration. As if the monster was showing off his amusement with their blood.
Reinhard wasn't the only one feeling angry or some sort of upset at his failure and incompetence with stopping the monster. Every knight, fighter, and friend present in the room were all clenching their fists in anger for not being able to protect the ones they swore to defend and shield.
None were as angry as the sharp-teethed blonde boy sitting beside the standing Otto.
"The monster knew him somehow. Why would Subaru-kyun know someone that powerful?" Felix mused from his seat while holding an expression of distrust for a moment.
"You guys seem to have forgotten something important…" Al raised his hand for a moment to gain peoples attention. As eyes fell on him, he began explaining his point. "It doesn't really sit well that we all happen to be in the same location, don't ya think? I mean why would all of us be standing on some random grassy field? It seems like a made thing to me." The one-armed man shrugged and fell silent, concluding his explanation to the crowed.
Many nodded their heads at the logical explanation.
"Hm, I do agreeee that the possibility of us all going out on a picnic and suddenly encountering this beast is highly improooobable." A clown-faced eccentric looking man voiced his agreement while his helpful pink-haired maid gave a curt nod. His smile was mischievous and sinister as he spoke.
A short chuckle came out of the innocent looking lady dressed in a fur coat and wearing a fox-scarf. "I do agree wichya. It is a slim chance for all of these personalities to be present in such a remote location. So that would be reason alone to dismiss what we were shown as a fake vision." As the purple-haired, scheming lady took control of the conversation, she smiled sharply as she tried to pounce on a point of contention she was having. She needed to look as authoritative as possible before her contenders after all.
Leading them out of here would be a huge blow for all their morale.
But she was interrupted by an uncaring blonde lady.
"It's not that ya idiot."
Anastasia slowly turned with a still smile. "Excuse me?" The merchant princess asked sternly, almost growling under her breath.
Felt simply crossed her arms and tapped her boot's toe against the floor in thought. "It's not just the fact that we were all dead on the floor." She ignored how her knight flinched and clenched his fists harder.
Her scarlet eyes slowly wandered towards the unconscious boy at the very front of the room.
A soft, almost adoring look present on her face as she spoke in a reminiscent tone. "I can't believe that big bro would just off himself like that." Felt shook her head in sadness as she remembered the image of the boy's suicide.
"Pardon me." Felt slowly looked up towards the duchess, who was now gazing down with interest and sharp observation. "Did you know Natsuki Subaru from before? You seem close with him since you're calling him a big brother."
Felt gave her green-haired rival for the throne a snort as she leaned on her hip. "Yea, I met the idiot before. He saved my life."
Rem and Garfiel looked at the girl with interest and surprise. Most of the room's audience looked surprised by this revelation.
"Oh, he did?" Crusch sounded her amusement at the boy's heroic antics while hiding her smile by faking a rubbing motion on her chin.
Felt nodded her head and pointed her thumb towards the boy. "Yep, this moron saved me from a really dangerous lady a few months ago. He had the gall to tell me that there was always something to look forward to in life before jumping into danger himself to buy me time for an escape."
Most were enthralled by the tale while others in the room smiled warmly and proudly at the tale told of their black-haired friend and colleague.
"My hero has always been this way…" Rem whispered as she gazed towards the boy.
Otto shook his head in exasperation but held a small smile of relief at his friend's habit of being a hero yet being a dumbass at the same time.
Garfield looked at the girl with a proud smirk and a starry look as he listened to how awesome his captain truly was.
The small loli spirit sitting beside the boy simply huffed and shook her head. A small smile for her contractor's beloved habit of saving those in need could be seen over her lips.
Emilia could only smile softly at the tale, the memory of her first meeting with the boy sending a warm fluffy feeling in her tummy.
"Typical Barusu, hmph! Setting his nonexistent charms on such a young maiden." Ram snorted in what appeared to be intended as disgust but her small smile was too telling of her true feelings on the matter.
"I see. Thank you for telling us this. I do agree that Natsuki-sama wouldn't seem like the type of person to just give up and give his life like that before such a monster." Crusch nodded her head in appreciation and observed the flashing screen before her.
"Yeeeesss, speaking of Natsuki Subaru-" Anastasia tried to take back her control over the conversation with a swift intervention but her mind couldn't have anticipated the next obnoxious speaker cutting her off.
"Hmph! Why is everybody repeating that commoner filth's name as if it was important to this discussion somehow?! All we saw was how much of a cowardly dog he was." A fiery-haired scarlet-eyed lady crossed her legs and fanned her face softly with a red fan while gazing uninterested at the crowds below her. Bored with their squabbling and disgusted with the subject.
At the lady's words, many expressed their displeasure and anger by sending the woman heated glares and snarled lips.
"Excuse me, Priscilla-sama. But I don't appreciate the way you speak of my knight's name." The silver-haired girl swiftly voiced her anger in a stern tone that was equally as matching as her cold expression.
Emilia glared coldly towards the nasty noble lady above, not fearing the glaring fires those scarlet eyes were shooting down towards her.
"You dare tell me how to speak, half-wit scum?" Priscilla snarled loudly as she glared at Emilia in disgust.
Surprising everyone, Emilia glared right back while holding her knight's hand. Her anger amplifying her courage. "I won't have you tarnish my amazing knight's name by calling him a coward. Subaru has always been a hero who puts everyone's happiness above his own. Don't let your words take you somewhere you might regret." As Emilia voiced her obvious threat in a determined voice, many around her nodded their heads in agreement from Rem to Garfiel and Otto to even Felt and Crusch.
Priscilla simply laughed loudly and stared down at Emilia with mirth and amusement clear in her eyes. "The only place I might regret going is near you or letting you kiss my shoe instead of staring at it, half-devil filth. Why don't you stop with the pointless politics and take your knight somewhere far away from us high-folk? You would have a coward for a slave and we would be rid of the both of you." The lady laughed snobbishly as angry scowls filled the faces of those watching the display.
Emilia kept her cold stare firm, her eyes narrowing and her grip tightening around her knight's hand as she faced the nasty noble.
"I don't suppose you've managed a way out of here yet, Barielle?" Crusch offered diplomatically as she glared firmly towards the screen. "It would be wise to stop inciting pointless fighting within your allies since we're all in this prison together."
This made the laughing witch almost fall over. "Fufuf~! You think I'm stuck here with all of you?! How delightfully naive of you my dear stepping stones! The world wants me here for a reason so I shall see it through. But if I truly wanted to leave this place then all I have to do is think it and the world will turn to please my wish." The smug, snobbish, arrogant lady smirked down at the commoners glaring at her and fanned herself in satisfaction.
"What a cunt." Felt snorted dryly while glaring at the nasty woman.
Emilia found herself agreeing with the little girl as she too glared at Priscilla with hatred in her eyes, along with Rem, Garfiel, and Beatrice.
A clap sounded throughout the theater, the richly dressed merchant queen held an annoyed serious expression as she looked around.
"Please keep this conversation focused, we need ta talk about what the screen will sho-"
As Anastasia finally got control of the conversation, her horror and despair could not have come at a better time as she instantly lost grip of the situation once again when a loud, smooth voice, filled the theater.
My apologies for the long wait. I hope you've all been lamenting on the events shown to you.
Everyone in the room made a collective jump to find the suspect speaking to them.
"What was that?!"
"Th' fuck?!"
"Hey, it's in my head! It's in my head!"
"Calm down Mimi!"
Every candidate and knight stared up at the flashing screen, serious and battle-ready expressions showing as they waited for whatever this voice was to reveal itself.
"Show yourself! Why did you do this to Subaru-kun?!" Rem shouted in anger as she moved to grab her morningstar… Only to find nothing in her pockets.
"My morningstar!"
Ah, yes. Your weaponry has been taken from you all. Can't have you kill each other or else this would be for nothing.
Many found it disturbing how they managed to lose sight of their weapons like that. Even Reinhard's dragon sword was taken, which truly terrified the knight of the possibilities.
I promise that your weapons are safe. So please don't think about them too much. And yes, your spirits are also fine and taken care of, please don't fret over them Julius.
The elegant knight only gave a sharp glare in response towards the flashing screen as their captor spoke calmly and smoothly.
"Excuse me!" Anastasia shouted in anger and annoyance as she glared at the screen.
Yes?
"Could you explain what is going on here? I doubt ya would just drag all of us in here and not give us an explanation."
Ah, Anastasia Hoshin. Opportunistic and ready to take advantage as always.
The lady stepped back in shock at the sarcastic tone the voice suddenly took with her. Her knight beside her glaring sharply at the flashing window while standing guard.
I know who you are, yes. I know what powers you hold. I know your secrets and goals.
As the voice spoke through to the audience, many began feeling the sense of suspicion and fear fill them.
I know about your guilt.
Two Oni girls and a redheaded knight stirred up at the screen's words.
I know of your regret.
Julius and Wilhelm clenched their fists as they felt the screen talking towards them. As they both were reminded of the horrible things they've done to people they trusted and cherished.
I know of your true colors
Felix and Al flinched suddenly as if they were struck by a hurtful fact.
I know of your selfishness
Emilia winced and sat back down while holding Subaru's hand in her shaking one.
I know your arrogance.
Priscilla scowled deeply in disgust, biting her lip in fury as she felt the words striking her.
I know your schemes.
Felt and Anastasia were the ones suddenly stricken by the voice's sentences.
I know your crimes.
A clown dressed man with a wide amused smile raised a brow as he felt the words directed at him.
"Oh, this will be interesting~" The magician mused from his seat.
Let me tell you all this…
I don't care.
You can all hype yourselves up however you like.
Make yourselves seem as strong and better fit for leading as possible.
Try your best to contain your disdain for one another and help each other.
I don't care if you do any of this.
You are nothing to me but prisoners.
As the voice hailed upon them these heavy words, many stood still in frozen shock at the person's harsh tone. As if he was annoyed with them.
I am your warden.
The voice announced in a stern tone. Finalizing his position in all of this.
I placed you all here for one reason and only one.
You will all watch the story of one person that affected the very core of this world.
As the voice clarified his position, eyes flickered towards a certain sleeping young man.
Emilia and Rem looked at the boy with surprise and confusion.
"What has Subaru-dono done to earn the ire of such a powerful being?" Wilhelm wondered grimly with a sense of protectiveness overcoming him as he thought of the brave young boy getting hurt.
The modern Sage Candidate.
Subaru Natsuki.
Emilia's knight
and…
her champion.
Emilia narrowed her brows in confusion and held the hand of her knight tightly. What champion? Why was the her emphasized as if the voice was in pain from speaking about it.
Who was this her?
Why was Subaru her champion?
Emilia's hurt-filled chest forced her to start breathing heavily as ungraceful thoughts filled her head.
"What does this boy have to do with all of us?" Anastasia questioned regally and sternly.
"And when did scum like you decide what a goddess chooses to watch?" Priscilla chimed in with a haughty tone, appearing to talk down towards the screen hovering above her head.
A goddess with no power, influence, or worth in a world she knows so little about.
As Anastasia fumed in anger at being ignored YET again, Priscilla laughed loudly at the screen's retort.
"The world turns in my favo-"
Favor? Yeah. No.
This isn't that world, Barielle-san. Please refrain from doing anything that might disrupt the viewing session.
"Excuse me, why would you show us something like the life of someone else? Why are we seeing Subaru-sama's specifically? And why do you keep calling him a sage candidate?" Crusch sternly took the chance to ask her most important questions as to save time and to keep attention on the subject at hand.
Anastasia stayed standing with her cheeks puffed in fury.
This is a viewing for you all to see.
Subaru Natsuki's life has a special element to it that you all need to learn from.
As for the sage candidate part… well…
You all will learn what that means in time, dear audience.
As my screen has finished loading the episode for you, I don't have time to allow you to meet the newest additions to our audience.
As he spoke, the lighting from the screen's confines stopped flashing randomly and began creating a clear vision.
Emilia and the crew looked behind them in confusion as they heard the voice of a shocked girl.
"Wha! What's happening?!" A cute adorable girl in a small maid outfit looked around in shock. Her eyes slowly fell on Emilia and everyone around her. "Emilia-sama?!"
"Petra-chan?"
Before the small girl could speak about her confusion, another light showed beside her and disappeared as soon as it came, leaving a confused blonde lady with sharp teeth and a maid's outfit.
"Wha?"
"Sis!" Garfiel shouted in shock and maybe some relief that his sister was here.
The busty woman replied with a stern look towards her brother. "What did you do this time, Garf? How did you create this mess for Emilia-sama?"
The boy looked betrayed for a moment, before turning furious. "Eh! Oi! I didn't do anythin'!"
Before the blonde girl could argue some more, she stopped herself and looked around at the filled theater room. Noticing so many powerful and well known individuals around her.
"Frederica Baumann, a maid working under his grace Roswaal L. Mathers. This is Petra Leyte and she is my understudy. Please excuse our intrusion."
Garfiel snorted at his sister's polite introduction, finding it unnecessary to be a suck up to these people. As far as he was concerned, he had his sister and his two friends with him here. He didn't need to worry about anyone else.
"What is going on? Why are we suddenly here?" Petra asked while looking around in confusion, her childish gaze wandering until she noticed a certain someone.
"Subaru!" The little girl moved to hug the hero she trusted so much but was stopped in her seat by her mentor's grip on her hand.
"You can't move towards them yet." Frederica whispered sternly to the little girl. "Something really important is happening…" Petra didn't know what that meant but she trusted her mentor dearly so she sat back in her seat and looked at the back of Subaru's head in worry.
Frederica noticed the tension in the room almost immediately as she focused. This wasn't a normal circumstance.
Now that everyone is finally here.
The two maids jumped in shock at the voice speaking through their heads as if he was a part of their conscious minds.
"Wha?!"
"Ew!"
The other members of the theater simply glared at the screen with distrustful expressions.
Let me start the session.
Enjoy.
At the voice's dry tone, they knew not to expect something hopeful from this screen.
Emilia and her camp watched with worried gazes falling between the screen and the sleeping boy sitting amongst them.
Others were watching in annoyance or interest as this all confused them.
So they watched, as the screen stopped flashing for a moment….
And then went dark.
Season 1 Episode one Director's cut.
Begin.
The window showed a dark void with flickering lights. Heavy pained gasps could be heard as somebody struggled to breathe.
"Who's…" Rem immediately caught the sound and her eyes widened as she recognized the voice
" This is bad… Very bad…" The person called out as they struggled and gasped in pain.
Emilia and her camp quickly leaned in attentive worry as they recognized what the blue-haired girl had.
"Subaru!" Emilia called out to the screen, worry painting her face for the struggling voice of her knight.
"He sounds like he's in pain." Felix was quick to point out, further worrying the Emilia camp and his own mistress for the well being of the boy.
"Subaru? What's wrong?" A much softer, silver-bell like voice cut in, seemingly filled with worry.
"I'm there with him?" The silver-haired lady asked in worry and confusion.
"Emilia-sama will protect Subaru! She is strong!" Petra voiced out in frantic worry as she held her hands together to relieve her nerves.
The darkness briefly dissipated and revealed a hand with a pool of blood, growing beneath it.
"Wha?!"
"No!"
Emilia and Rem gasped in horror as they recognized the trademark threads of the boy's tracksuit. The two ladies holding expressions of disbelief and anguish as they clearly saw him in a desperate position.
"Where am I?!" Emilia asked as despair filled her at the thought of being unable to save the boy from suffering like she always does.
"Seems like he's bleeding out on the ground." Anastasia mused in a serious tone as she analyzed the screen.
"Cap'n's gonna need help!" Garfiel grunted, leaning forward and preparing to prance at the screen incase his captain needed him. It looked really bad and the blonde couldn't handle watching the bloody hand of his captain without doing anything.
Beside him, Otto wasn't doing much better either. The merchant-turned-minister is barely holding the fear and extreme concern overwhelming his expression as he watched on the edge of his seat like the many members of his camp.
The window changed scenes to show a series of square buildings with lights all over them. One of them in particular is displayed. Isles of assorted metal cylinders and small paper books were arranged inside. Next to one of these isles, a familiar young man with nasty sharp eyes and black-hair is shown reading a book with pictures on it.
"Ah, I see. This is where they suck you in," he said as he flipped through the book with an amused expression.
"What… just… ?!" The fiery-haired, Priscilla uttered softly as she blinked in confusion at the jarring change. She didn't notice how the one-armed knight beside her went rigged at the scene. "Damn… bro…" Al muttered under his breath as he watched through his helmet.
"Look at them builds!" Ricardo whistled in awe at the architecture.
"What is this place? Why does Subaru move so normally as if it's not an unusual environment?" Reinhard found himself asking while his expression showed nothing but awe at the foreign land.
"This must be his home… " Julius mused as he inspected everything in the room Subaru was in.
Emilia's eyes widened as she glanced back and forth between the screen and her sleeping knight. Feeling a little happy that she is able to learn more of the boy's origin.
"Look at all of these appliances! Those fancy decorations! All of those small towers!" Anastasia gushed in surprise, her serious aura gone as her greedy need for knowing everything about this foreign place and use it for her business.
"This looks like a noble's district. Is Subaru-kyun a servant there too?" Felix questioned the black-haired boy's placement in such a fancy looking nobles district.
"Subaru-kun mentioned that he hails from a place where everyone lives as equals. He might be a noble in this place as well. I never knew that it looked so… unusual." Rem looked at the scenery with a wide eyes. Feeling the need to learn and understand everything present on the screen because it might make her understand her beloved more.
"So Natsuki-sama is a noblemen from where he comes from?" The green-haired duchess sitting in the back inspected everything around the boy with great interest and fondness, wanting to learn more about the items around him and why this architecture was shaped in such a compact yet clearly advanced way.
"Where does Nastuki-dono hail from exactly?" Wilhelm asked politely of the boy's camp members as he showed interest in the aspect of Subaru's home as well but didn't show it.
The Emilia camp members looked at one another, expressions of confusion present on their faces.
"Barusu never spoke of his home to us. He only told us that he wasn't allowed to go back there again and that it was a small island nation to the east of Lugunica."
Emilia's eyes dimmed slightly in sadness for her knight as Ram recited his words spoken long ago when he was still the new butler working in Roswaal's estate. She always found it heartbreaking how Subaru wont speak about his family or home to them. She always wanted to learn about him and how he lived his childhood. He was such and interesting kid with so many cool and genuinely progressive ideas that it made her truly invested in understanding his culture and traditions more and more.
She was quite amazed by the scene before her. This city, this advancement… it was all so fascinating and mystifying to her.
"Subaru's home is really cool!" Emilia couldn't help but stare in wonder and awe at what she was seeing. Happy to finally be able to understand something about the enigma that she proclaimed her knight.
She wasn't the only one however.
"An island to the east?" Reinhard repeated with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "But that's…"
"...It's not possible since there are no island nations to the east." Anastasia mused unconsciously as a growing smirk found its way across her face.
Her suspicion was correct.
This boy… was truly from beyond the ends of their world.
Many in the audience looked at the screen in confusion and awe.
"Hmmm, Subaru-kun may not be as exactly described by the gospel." Roswaal whispered while staring at the scenery with wonder and surprise. Not being able to understand why this information was left out of his book of knowledge when he was still following its foreseeing ink.
"How arresting…" Priscilla's scarlet eyes honed in on every aspect around the boy as if she was truly interested in his world. She had her chin resting on her upturned palm and her face held an expression of boredom but her eyes were wide and awake as she looked at this world that held so many things she didn't understand or believe to exist.
And yet this black-haired commoner is pacing around reading weird looking picture books as if it was just another day for him.
Who was this kid?
The scene changed once again to the hand with the increasing amount of blood beneath it, now twitching in place as the person clearly lost consciousness.
"No… Run! Hurry!" The boy crowed out with trouble as pain overwhelmed him.
*THUMP! *
Another body suddenly fell right beside the hand with the blood-pool beneath it.
The body of a silver-haired girl with white and purple robes.
"Emilia-sama?!" Petra gasped and held her hands to her mouth in shock. The look of horror and surprise showed across the respective camp members and their allies from Crusch's faction, while Reinhard, Julius, and Felt looked angry and apprehensive at what the screen was showing as they were distrustful yet still deeply effected by the sudden death of a good friend such as Emilia.
Others like Roswaal, Priscilla, and Anastasia simply watched with either boredom, interest, or amusement as they all were just interested in how this relates to the boy and didn't care for the naive girl's death.
"Wha…" Said useless girl found herself uttering as the scene before her deeply disturbed and shocked her to the core. She was dead. She had died.
Fear and confusion suddenly filled Emilia's heart… and she began breathing heavily because of it…
"Emilia-sama." A speaker sounded firmly from behind the panicking half-elf. Making her turn to face whomever was calling.
Crusch was suddenly standing behind her chair and her hand was placed firmly on Emilia's shoulder. The green-haired duchess was the first to notice her allied camp head's distress, therefore, she was the first to comfort the silver-haired girl as a curtsy of the alliance they were in.
"We need to keep watching this to understand. I doubt this is real at all." The duchess nodded her head with a stern expression that filled everyone with determination. Crusch's commanding aura filled some of the weak hearted in the room with a little comfort as she challenged the screens showings.
"Princess wouldn't die that easy… " Garfiel growled with a hand on his chin as he watched with screen with narrowed eyes.
"Emilia-sama… Forgive me." A soft yet very passionate voice spoke from beside Crusch, making Emilia turn to face the blue-haired maid.
"Subaru-kun's struggle has always been to help you… I doubt he would've let you die that easily… He's always managed to get out of pressing situations on his own and help everyone. I think this is fake… or a future vision maybe… But you shouldn't let this effect you."
Finding encouragement from both, the politically apt Crusch and the apprehensive Rem as they both didn't believe in the screen's authenticity, Emilia found herself compelled to ignore the shocking sight of her own death and carry on watching with the same sense of suspicion. Her heart remained heavy in her chest as something told her that this is all wrong… something was so wrong with this.
Her only source of comfort was the fact that she had Subaru sitting beside her and so she calmed down after swiftly taking his arm in link with hers.
Her heart remained heavy.
"Useless…" Roswaal whispered boredly and looked up towards the screen with more interest than he had for the girl he sponsored.
"What a wonderful thing to happen… I can finally see what your power truly holds…" The clownish lord whispered gleefully as his multi-colored eyes shinning with merith and excitement at the events playing.
He can finally learn how this boy's road was shaped by the gospel… and eventually how the boy broke away from that path and instead made his own path instead of letting the gospel… his teacher… decide where to go.
"It's the answer to my frustration… this viewing is an immense gift." Roswaal thought in his head once more. Not showing anything on his face but the same eccentric smirk he always wore.. he could feel the eyes of a certain noble woman scanning him suspiciously.
"Such a filthy cricket." Priscilla snorted as she turned from the clown that's been setting off many annoying instincts within her and watched the screen to see why the world was showing her these events.
What's required of a goddess such as herself to be here? Why would this boy be worthy enough for her to care?
She didn't even know the useless child!
The scene changes to Subaru picking up colored cups and plastic bags of food from one of the shelves.
" N ah, Natto."
"This is becoming a bit too jarring…" Reinhard mused while watching Subaru's environment with interest.
"I do agree that this is becoming a bit redundant if it's not gonna explain what's going on." Julius nodded as he found himself agitated at the desperate tone shifts the screen was pulling as if it was using Subaru's pain for an entertainment purpose.
The scene cuts back to the now limp body of the lady as blood suddenly filled the area beneath her.
The struggling hand scene from the beginning slowly moved towards the limp one of the girl's.
"Wait there…" The boy gasped, clear determination filling his voice.
Many, including Emilia, Otto, and Beatrice were full on glaring at the screen as it showed this entire struggle of Subaru's without explaining anything. They didn't believe in it nor cared but an explanation would still be nice.
A little blonde girl was suddenly wide-eyed as she noticed… that place looked really familiar.
Felt's heart started getting heavy as well…
Something wasn't right.
Again, the scene changes to Subaru at a counter speaking with another person.
"Ah.." Ricardo groaned as he was getting enticed by the previous scene but then it got changed back to this weird place which he understood nothing of.
"That'll be 363 yen."
Subaru picked up a metal coin and stopped to look at it.
"Oh, a grooved-edge ten."
"I guess that would be his home's currency?" Anastasia mused, more to herself than to anyone else as she watched with great interest. While everyone was waiting for the screen to change back to the struggling Subaru, Anastasia was actually the one person that didn't car about that part of the viewing… her focus was only on one objective that's been nagging her for the past few months… Subaru's origin… and the more she looked at it, the more she wanted to learn about the boy and his home.
She must know what everything was there and if she can use any of it to her own advantage. She had an urge to learn it. To use it. So she will take whatever she can of this viewing… it was the only reason why she invited the useless half-devil and her camp anyways… That boy's origin is a goldmine that she was trying to reach since the very first report from her network about him… Since the moment she learned that her best agents couldn't find a single thing about him from before he showed up at the palace halls that embarrassing day.
Anastasia's eyes were focused to the maximum as she analyzed every single object and shape on the screen.
Having paid for his items, Subaru exits the building.
He stops short of a road and watches a metal box speed past him.
The sight of the speeding vehicle shocked many in the audience.
"What was that?!" Otto asked as he saw the cube passing Subaru. Garfiel gaped beside him after he saw the machine.
"You wouldn't know what that machine is, I suppose."
Everyone turned their eyes to the small blonde twin-tails sitting beside the unconscious youth's side, a hand on her chin as she looked to be thoughtful of everything around the boy and the machine that had just passed him.
"So you were actually telling the truth, huh. I never doubted my contractor's stories but I never thought that… I'd ever see them, I suppose." The small elegant girl muttered while staring at the screen with great deal of interest and analytic focus to learn everything she could from Subaru's home.
"Telling the truth? Beatrice-sama," Otto suddenly turned to the little girl spirit with a look of understanding as everyone around him followed his lead. "Have you… heard of this unusual place before?" The merchant boy asked with his eyes shining with interest.
"Why would the little lady know anything relating to Natsuki-kun's residence?" Unable to hold her humor at how lost all of them were upon realizing Subaru's origin, Anastasia decided that this little girl should be a source of some nifty pieces of knowledge about the boy. According to Joshua's report at least, from when he invited the Emilia camp to visit.
The merchant wasn't going to waste a chance to squeeze the great spirit for information. Especially, when it comes to this kid.
"You'd do better to understand your place when talking to a spirit much older than you, girl."
Anastasia's eyes narrowed as her potent smile thinned once the blonde girl spat her response from the front row without even looking back at the people behind her. As if none of them were worthy of talking to her.
But Anastasia wasn't about to quit now, especially when this arrogant little twat took the road of insults.
Before she could press on more, a firm hand was placed on her gloved one…
"I would suggest not, milady." An elegant, smooth, yet worry-filled voice spoke in her ear, gesturing that her trusted companion finally found it appropriate to intervene.
"Oh, Julius-kun? Your lady was insulted by some little child and you're just gonna let it go?" Anastasia mused cheerfully and a little snidely from her seat.
The knight simply bowed his head and removed his hand from hers with a look of seriousness overcoming his expression.
"My apologies, Anastasia-sama. But that is no mere girl you were trying to finesse."
Anastasia's lips thinned once more, her expression calmed, her eyes softened.
"Ah, I guess it's true then."
Julius nodded his head to his lady as she muttered in melancholic acceptance.
"The rumors and my brother's reports were all true. Natsuki Subaru is a spirit knight. And that little girl is a great spirit." Julius said in a firm way required by any knight reporting to their master. Anastasia had to believe him, he was the only one in this room able to sense a spiritual entity since he had the protection to do so… maybe Reinhard could do that too but she couldn't have him in her camp… unfortunately.
Her eyes trailing back to the elegant spirit girl, Anastasia could only bite her lip in frustration as the need for information wasn't quenched within her. Making her mind run through hundreds of ways to get anything so she could end her greedy thirst to know more about this fascinating world of the boy's.
Luckily, she wasn't the only person who was curious about the subject.
"Betty-san… Do you know this place? Do you know anything of Subaru's home?"
The grand spirit only snorted at Emilia's innocent question. The amusement that this girl, hogging her contractor's arm as if he is precious to her while not knowing what Beatrice knew, truly delighted the spirit.
"I doubt Betty's Subaru would tell any of you, in fact. None of you have the same connection as his spirit does."
Emilia and Rem looked a bit taken aback as they both felt personally attacked by the small girl's proud tone and smug smirk as she continued to stare at the screen.
"So… Subaru told you about his home before?" Emilia asked her question with disappointment and hurt appearing on her expression.
"Hmph, of course! Betty's contractor would spend many nights telling Betty of his home and the many fantastical concepts his people have achieved, stories of wonder and pure creative imagination that Betty wouldn't believe had it not been my contractor telling them to Betty." As Beatrice crossed her arms and held her head high, she wore a dignified and proud expression, one telling of her elegant stature, as she noticed most of the people around her were looking at her with extreme interest.
"If I may, great spirit-sama." Beako turned to meet the questioner behind her, a polite, curious, yet stern, noble lady that sat far away behind Emilia's camp yet had her eyes firmly focused on them.
"I would like to know more about where this place is and why Subaru-sama left it for a country much less advanced."
Beatrice simply snorted at Crusch, her response completely deadpan at the duchess's demand.
"Betty's contractor told her of things you and these other ones around us wouldn't even comprehend, much less believe. A year's worth of tales every night only made Betty thirst for more knowledge and understanding of what he explained to me. He's special origins and way of life stays with no one but Betty because she's his spirit, in fact."
"B-But Beatrice-sama! We only want to know more about Subaru-ku-"
"I won't nudge on this matter, maid. It's Subaru's stories to share, in fact." Beatrice, completely shutting down everyone's questions about Subaru's homelife and refuting the hurtful Rem, sat in her seat with her face focused on the screen and a hand tangled with her sleeping contractor's arm. He's special. That's why she chose him.
"Could you at least explain what that metal carriage was, Beatrice-sama?" At the soft, curious, and innocent voice of the small maid sitting in the back and asking her nervously, Beatrice sighed and shook her head in annoyance.
"I can explain that, I suppose." Everyone, from the ever curious Reinhard, and the interested Julius to the excited Garfiel and anticipating Otto to even the quite upset yet still curious Emilia was now looking at the small spirit as she held her head high to explain Petra's question.
The small maid jumped in her seat with excitement.
"That metal box you saw moving on wheels was a new way of transportation that Subaru explained to me as the upgrade to what we call Dragon-drawn Carriages, I suppose. Subaru's people call it a 'car'."
"Da fuck's a car?"
"Garfiel!"
"What?"
Ignoring the reprimanding Frederica and the confused Garfiel, Beatrice continued to explain to the ever, curious, excited, and jealous crowd with a stern expression of nobility and pride.
"It's what people in Subaru's home use for faster travel. They don't have ground dragons at all on his island so they created a metal box with wheels on it that drives faster and much smoother than a dragon, in fact." Beatrice explained to the amazed crowd.
"Subaru's home achieved travel faster than dragons?" Reinhard asked with astonishment and childlike awe at the information.
Julius, Anastasia, and Crusch all started scheming of a way to get their hands on such designs and information, finding such inventions to be revolutionary.
Garfiel and Otto were just wondering how cool it would be to drive one and race with it. Or that was the case for Garf… Otto wanted to know if there was a cup holder in them or not.
"Wow, Bro's home is for smarty pants huh." Felt mused while holding her hands behind her head and watching the scene with an amused smile.
Priscilla simply raised a single brow for a moment but then carried on fanning herself with disinterest, since she couldn't care less about inventions that didn't give her power to fight her wars.
After her explanation to the crowd, Beatrice held her contractor's arm dutifully and held a small smile of pleasant happiness… Not noticing how Emilia was glancing between her and Subaru's sleeping face with heartbreak in her eyes. The half-elven girl appearing heartbroken that her knight wouldn't share such details and cool stories with her.
"Does such a country exist on our world, Roswaal-sama?" A stern, yet truly surprised pink-haired maid asked as she turned to her clownish lord, who was watching the screen with nothing short of an awestruck expression.
"Hmmmm…" The man hummed as his multi-colored eyes were set around the boy. "Teacher would've loved this… or did she already know about this? Why hasn't she inscribed her gospel with this knowledge for me, I wonder… Could she have been looking for Subaru's world this whole time?" The clown remembered of days where his teacher spent most of her lifeline, looking for a Sanctuary, suited for her thirst for knowledge and the safety of everyone she loved.
Could this be Echidna's long desired destiny?
"We might have to start making Subaru-kun shaaaare his storytime with the rest of us… Please note this once we get out of here, dear Ram."
"Understood, Roswaal-sama." The pink-haired maid bowed to her lord's serious order.
The scene changed back to the slow-moving hand as it finally reached the limp one of the girl's.
Subaru's revealed to be the owner of the hand with his mouth bleeding and his face grimacing from the pain.
"Going to… " He voiced out through blood sprouting throat.
"I feel as if this is foreshadowing an event."
A great deal of confusion settled amongst everyone watching, whilst seeing the young man they cared for in such a dire position, the huddled camp of his closest friends only watched with baited breaths and disenchanted eyes as if the event truly held no form of emotion within them, except for bewilderment.
"If this is all fake, we can simply ignore it. If it's a telling of a future unforeseen to us, we might learn from it to stop said events from happening."
Seeing the huddled camp members of the bewitched and worried half-elf do nothing but stare at the screen with expressions raging from confusion, to disbelief, to sheer hurt and anger for Subaru's state, Julius Juukilius took it upon himself to fulfill the noble duchess's query with his own theorized answer as he watched with an apprehensive face.
If nothing could be explained to them, they shouldn't take this event seriously, though it hurt to see his dear impulsive comrade in such pain.
He would learn to stop this memory from existing. All he needed was to watch and understand what this warden was trying to show them.
"This all must be shown for a reason… But why is it about Natsuki-san… Why is he always the one dying…" Like Julius behind him, Otto Swen; the official head of the interior for Emilia's camp, has been staring at the screen with his blue eyes shining with determination to understand the entire cause of this. His hands gripped a small, hidden pocket that was malformed in the shape of a decent square thing. His fingers sliding across his cloth and touching the object in his pocket with varying brevity and hesitation. A need for this object to answer his frustrations and questions. As he watched his brother bleeding on the ground, not understanding a single thing happening either on the screen or in the real world, the merchant boy held the burnt gospel in his pocket and wished for it to tell him all of the answers he needed to save his dear friends from this warden and maybe explain what the screen was trying to tell them.
Alas, he wasn't in the water gate city and he had no way to turn this useless chunk of burnt crisp sitting in his pocket into the grand tome of foreseeing it used to be… Otto had no other way to help his friends but to keep a strong face and not break down emotionally from whatever they were seeing… He'd already seen Subaru die once… this was another time where his friend was bleeding out again. They were before all of these important and dangerous personalities that were considered to be virtually their greatest rivals for the throne.
Whatever this will show, Otto needed to keep this camp together and hide anything that may be revealed to the other scheming characters less they use such information against Emilia or Subaru.
He had to list all of these problems and start finding ways to instantly fix them while complying with the person placing them here. It wasn't really helping that his friend's origin was being revealed to all of the opportunistic and shrewd schemers sitting behind him. He had no power to face down Anastasia once she starts scheming to get her hands on Subaru's origin… He can see Roswaal's eyes shining with interest and that on its own set extreme red flags in his mind. The nasty noble lady in the back had such an intense glare as she watched the scene of Subaru's bleeding face, Otto couldn't help but feel disgusted that she maybe annoyed that she had to sit and watch his friend's death… like he wasn't significant.
Otto didn't like this at all… and his frustration was driving his desperation to get any sort of upper hand through this mental cold war that suddenly sprung up as soon as this warden guy picked Subaru as his subject.
The scene returned to Subaru as he walked out of the building's parking lot with a white plastic bag in his hand.
"Looks like it changed again…" Emilia said as her face held a very apprehensive expression towards the screen, not liking how she had to see Subaru bleed out while she was beside him as a corpse once again. The very first time was enough for her to vow that she will protect this boy at all costs, hence why she was holding his arm with both of hers while watching the scene in discontent. She didn't like how useless she appeared in both visions.
But she carried on watching with a strong facade to understand why this window always showed her knight in a horrible situation.
"We must find a way to free Subaru of this curse and get out of here!" Rem whispered harshly as her blue eyes shined with determination throughout the darkened theater, looking and scanning the room for any notable detail that might aid in her escape.
Deciding that he's had enough from standing there, Subaru began walking across the wide street with his hand in his pocket...
And then…
A sharp-clawed hand, coated in a mist of darkness was shown cutting out of a white wall of space and reaching right towards Subaru.
A fearful scream was heard from both, Petra as she held on to Frederica with her face displaying fright, and Hetaro as he held on to his oppositely excited twin, Mimi.
"What was that?!" Felt shouted as she stood in alarm at the sight of the claws coming for Subaru.
The sense of alarm filled most of the knights as Felix, Julius and Reinhard glared with varied descriptions of alarm, desperation to jump in and help, or fear of what may come for this version of the boy.
"Why is it coming for him?! Subaru-kun is just walking to his home!" Rem seethed as she let her search for an exit cease for just a moment. She really didn't want to dwell on anything this screen will show them since it was all fake with a hint of truth like Subaru's home and such, but the sheer fact that a subaru would be hurt in front of her was enough to make her heart clench in guilt and vengeful fury.
Beatrice and Emilia looked at one another with their eyes wide, and then glanced towards the boy beside them. Just to make sure that they both were holding his hands and keeping him strapped between them.
"Whatever, this is, it will not touch Betty's contractor, I suppose!" The small girl grumbled while holding the boy's hand and glaring at the hand in anger. Memorizing and looking for any information related to such magic inside of her brain since she knew the contents of her mother's library by heart… To her shock, she couldn't find anything relating to such a hand.
Something that made Beatrice tremble a bit as she saw another threat that she wasn't familiar with attacking her Subaru once more.
"If Subaru gets attacked here… If he… If he doesn't make it, how did he leave his island home and come to us?" Emilia's soft voice trailed as she thought back to all three visions that showed her knight either bleeding out to death, or now attacked in his own town. Her thoughts were jumbled and confused as she couldn't make sense of all of this, her only comfort was to attach herself in his warmth as she hugged his arm while watching with wide eyes.
"I'd advise not getting emotionally invested yet, Emilia-sama." Crusch spoke, monotonously, as she rubbed her chin while watching calmly. "This could be a hoax made by our captor."
Once again, the same sentiment filled everyone's mind.
This could all be fake.
Yet a certain clown in the back only watched with narrowed eyes and a slight frown as he was the only person knowing of the truth.
This was a reality. And it was the story of the looping fool that refused the path of a sage.
And he started feeling sick to his stomach for a simple reason…
"Ah… He won't be able to see his home anymore, will he?" Roswaal whispered to himself as his expression changed to that of pity.
A weird force of wind ran through the world around Subaru as if it was a scanner. Sensing this, Subaru looked around before shrugging. " I guess anyone's eyes would be tired after holing up in their room, gaming all day."
"Just… what was that…" Frederica squinted her eyes and muttered as she was effected by the sudden force of magical energy.
"Why is it quiet now all of a sudden?" Julius questioned as he eyed the screen with his heart heavy.
Everyone else looked on in fear that the dark claws might jump at the boy from any place while he was too busy rubbing his eyes.
"Subaru-san…" Petra's childish voice whimpered with worry and sadness filling it.
Subaru rubbed at his eyes for a bit. As he was rubbing them the scene began to change. He struggled to force his eyes open at the sudden brightness.
Emilia and Beatrice looked worried as they felt a sinking feeling invading their chests as the bright light consumed everything around their beloved friend.
A sinking feeling that was felt by the increasingly frustrated Otto, and the insanely fidgeting Garfiel as he watched with gritted teeth, worried for his captain.
This feeling was felt all across the theater that it turned the stomachs of all watching, even the distanced characters like Anastasia and Priscilla felt a sudden pull of dread as they held serious stern expressions towards the screen's events.
Everyone watched with the foreboding feeling of a wrongness coming closer to the boy…
and they all understood what was wrong with this as soon as…
Once he opened them… And looked at the city before him with a haunted expression.
Everyone single one of them, watched with wide, disbelieving eyes.
And some even grew horrified.
"No way…!" Felt whispered breathlessly, as she dropped in her seat with her expression raging from confusion to pity at what she had witnessed.
Horror was all that could be seen on Subaru's friends however.
"Oh… Oh this isn't fair… THIS ISN'T RIGHT!"
"Oi, Oi, Oi! This wasn't making sense anyways, but ya have tah explain what the hell happened to Cap'n here, ya hear me!"
Otto and Garfiel shouted their own outrage as they understood the sheer immorality of the scene before them.
And it was for that same reason why Emilia, Beatrice and Rem held hands to their mouths or let their jaws slacken in shock and hurt for what had happened before them.
He looked around, slowly and emotionlessly , not registering that he had just been transported from his home.
"Oh this makes so much more sense noyw." Felix said and facepalmed at all the times he couldn't understand the boy's speaking habits or had to explain to him much simple concepts about their world when he was healing his gate.
"Ah!" The old man beside Felix held an expression of wide-eyed surprise, even the Sword Demon was in awe at the reveal.
Their lady, sitting beside Felix, let her hand drop from her chin and couldn't hold her jaw in place as she was astonished as well at Subaru's predicament.
"What's going on?" The boy's lips voiced with his eyes still looking around him as if he was in disbelief.
"I thought he was lying when he said he was from far away." Mimi said in shock. Her brother could only sputter beside her while Ricardo's face showed just how much he was surprised as he was dead quite and wide-eyed for once.
Julius, and Reinhard both leaned foreword with their eyes wide and their breathing heavy.
"No…" Julius whispered and facepalmed softly in despair as he remembered how ignorant and stupid he thought of the boy before meeting him again through the expedition… it all made sense!
"No wonder he didn't show good etiquette and manners in Lugunican form… I always thought it was because he was from far away… I didn't think it would be something like this." The red-headed swordsman spoke with his voice showing utmost pity for the black-haired youth on screen.
" T his stuff obvio us ly i s n't fak e. Which means… " The boy slowly blinked as his thoughts finally found coherence and the reality had finally hit him.
"Oh!" Emilia gasped with her hands grasped together as grief filled her heart for the poor kid. The silver-haired girl swiftly turned to the sleeping Subaru beside her and then looked back at the screen, her heart tugging painful at how lost and confused Subaru looked as he blinked in confusion.
Crusch just stared at the screen with shock. "Th-This should be impossible!"
"Yet it isn't." Wilhelm shook his head solemnly at the boy's misfortune.
"It would explain many of Barusu's… anomalies." Ram said from the back, holding sympathy in her eyes for the boy on the screen.
" I've been summoned into a parallel world!" Came the shout from the chosen hero as he finally realized his situation.
Title card:
Re:Zero Life in another world from zero.
"B-But… " The silver-haired half-elf stuttered as her face showed confusion and pity, "what about his home? His parents and friends?" Emilia questioned, finding it incredibly painful how Subaru wouldn't speak of such a dramatic moment or any of the people he missed in his older life. Was he alone all this time in the other world? Was he unable to talk to her about his older life or confined in her to comfort him?… Did he not trust her?
That thought made Emilia's amethyst eyes dim a little as she glanced at the ground in sadness, her heart bleeding for Subaru's predicament. Never would she have imagined her precious friend and knight having such a heavy burden. She didn't have a clue about what she would've done had she been transported into a different world from hers, much less with how amazing Subaru's original seemed in comparison to theirs.
Thoughts of how he took to coming to their world played in her head, does he intend to go back? Will he be able to go back and leave them? Does he love someone else in his own world?…. Emilia was only getting hurt more and more as her imagination ran wild about her knight's secrets.
"Couldn't he have told me?" The silver-haired royalty whispered while clutching her dress tightly.
"It would seem he's a waterfall survivor just like you, Aldebaran." A cold sounding beauty in red mused behind her fan while staring at the screen with a bit of apprehensiveness as the boy's entire summoning felt off to her. It bugged her.
Her helmeted knight simply looked down, assumingly closing his own eyes in respect or grief to Subaru.
"Subaru-kun's knowledge of our world is pretty lacking, and his clothes and items all came from unusual places we've never seen or heard of before… " Rem held a hand to her mouth as the shocking revelation made her think of the moments where she couldn't understand Subaru's antics or quips.
"It must be that shadow hand, in fact. Someone grabbed Betty's contractor from another world, I suppose." Beatrice showed her anger by simply glaring towards the screen with hatred for the confusion that was caused to her dearest partner… but she would be lying if she wasn't grateful for having him in her world. A confusing feeling to have for someone that clearly looks evil.
"Natsuki-san is from another world… Woah…" The softly gleaming merchant breathed out in awe, amazed for being close friends with such an amazing person, only for his amazement to turn into cold-blooded panic as he remembered his set mission to help Subaru from being exposed to these other people. He had failed before the mission even started.
That fact about his failure already proved itself once a smooth, cheerful lady mused loudly from her seat.
"That does explain why I couldn't find anything about him."
Otto's back stiffened in place, which was noticed by Garfiel as the blonde was looking at his friend while he was talking about their captain's origins. Both he and the merchant minister turned slowly towards the highly amused Anastasia.
The merchant queen of the widely known Hoshin Company was smirking cheerfully as she watched the screen with glee filled eyes.
Otto and Garfiel were not the only people looking at the lady in alarm, as Emilia and Rem swiftly looked at the candidate with startled and protective gazes. Hearing that competition were searching about the boy they both cared for dearly set off many warnings that their heads and hearts couldn't ignore.
And these two were not the only ones, as a small blonde spirit swiftly took to side-eyeing the merchant queen candidate with a cold and malicious stare, as she tried to prepare a swift corporeal attack from above Anastasia's head, to to make her spill all of the shrewd intentions she had for Beatrice's contractor, or spill her life-blood instead… but to her dismay the blonde immediately discovered that her powers seemed to be stripped completely from her in this Theater.
From beside Anastasia, there was also the royal duchess that had gotten over her shock immediately and quickly glanced at the merchant royal with a bit of hostility shown in her amber-colored eyes. The duchess feared what Anastasia may have planned to do with these background checks she had on someone as important and vital to the election as Subaru. His name alone has grown to legendary stakes across the world because of his great deeds, now that he's revealed to be a great waterfall survivor and with the influence to effect fate directly, Crusch knew for a fact that this young man would be in very grave waters as soon as they all left this predicament.
Not to mention the small bit of him being a sage candidate… Crusch needed to know what that meant. She can not allow this situation to give her enemies the chance to slip the throne away while she was distracted.
"If I may show some disrespect, Hoshin-sama." Ram, the pink-haired maid who had a small frown on her face and narrowed eyes as she faced the merchant sitting in front of her row, was the first to announce her thoughts on the matter, "Why would Barusu's origin concern you or your camp?"
The purple haired candidate giggled with a gloved hand on her mouth as the others around her looked apprehensive, even Felt was staring at the lady with suspicion, her scarlet eyes running back and forth between the sleeping boy and the smirking merchant.
"He intrigued me after he made the brilliant plan to subject the great calamity. I needed to know everything about him since he was my rival's knight. But sadly, there was next to zero information on his origin and previous associates. Which surprised me since my merchant network is the best in regards to unraveling information. But Natsuki-kun was practically an empty slate everywhere I looked." Anastasia had a faint gleam of glee covering her eyes as she now possessed a great amount of information that she didn't have before, that revelation would've made anyone panic since the boy was serving under one of her rivals… but Ana knew exactly what she could do to make this work. She need more information on the boy, needed to know how this kid that had nothing in a world he knew nothing about became one of the side pieces to this royal selection… perhaps he was even more important than a side piece.
It all thrilled the master merchant to the her core as she rubbed her scarf with excited smirks being thrown towards the screen in front of her.
It also made her feel good how much she was worrying and angering the people she purposely ignored.
Rem and Emilia slowly looked up at the screen with worried frowns covering their faces, Ram kept a small glare aimed towards the girl but was quickly forced to look away as the elegant Julius tilted his own head to give her a warning glance.
The scene changes to show a little blonde girl running with swift speed on the rooftops of the city. A weird jewel with a blood red ruby in the middle was shown in her hand.
"Huh?! This thing is showing this?" Felt shouted in surprise as she saw herself on the screen, all thoughts of Subaru slowly trickling away as she focused on the showing much more clearly.
"That means… Subaru's first day in Lugunica was… the day when we met." Emilia whispered with a disbelieving yet delighted expression. Her heart warmed at this fact, he wouldn't have to struggle long for this was surely her insignia Felt was running with on the window, meaning it would be the same day she comes into the loot house where this sweet dumby comes and….
Saves her…
"How did he…" The silver-haired girl looked at her sleeping knight with astonishment and confusion, before glancing back at the running girl on screen. She needed to watch this and learn, it already told her of a morbid fact about her tragic hero of a knight, she could learn more this way.
"Isn't that a dragon stone, Felt-sama is carrying with her, nyan?" Felix muses with a surprised look, making Julius narrow his eyes slightly.
"Hm? Why would a gutter rat be holding one when the knights didn't even know of her pathetic existence, I wonder?" Priscilla muses with a small smirk of amusement at the pathetic attire the girl wore on screen.
Fearing for his lady's reputation, not wanting them all to learn of what was happening on screen as he immediately recognized the situation, Reinhard forced the delight he held for Subaru's first day after getting summoned into their world being the same day they both met to stay hidden behind a large, proud smile as he breathlessly complimented in a loud voice so everyone could stay focused on him. "The speed my lady runs is truly amazing! What a sight to behold!"
"Kiss ass." Was the sarcastic muttered response from the small girl as she glanced at him with annoyance. Reinhard's forehead sweated a little from the embarrassment he put himself through to help his lady. But it was worth it for him, he would do anything to help his lady no matter the co-
"She was running because she was stealing my insignia." Emilia pouted up at the Sword Saint with disappointment and anger lush in her amethyst-eyes.
Reinhard slumped in his seat and couldn't help his jaw falling at how utterly ruined his plan was…
Awkward situations were not his strong suit.
"She stole an insignia, nyan?!" Felix shouted in shock and looked at the little girl with a glare for her treason.
"Just calm yer butt and watch." Garfiel muttered with a calm approach as he understood that it wasn't his place to intervene but things were cutting him off from watching his captain's origin story, his upcoming, and Garfiel would be damned if he loses this chance to watch this thing, fake or not. He was starting to think that this window has some merit to it, even though it should still be taken with a grain of salt.
"Fitting a usurper like you would lose something of such importance." Anastasia sighed in disappointment as she delivered a jab towards the unsuspecting half-elf lady with her insult.
Emilia simply grimaced and looked at her front without facing the merchant princess. Anastasia gave a little shake of her head while looking back towards the viewing.
Felt looked at the interaction with guilt filling her.
The scene changes to Subaru walking on the street with his plastic bag still in hand and a thoughtful smile present on his face.
"He doesn't seem all that concerned that he's been summoned far away from his world." Ram muttered instantly as she found the boy's smile a bit concerning to her.
"Could be… that Natsuki-san's life wasn't very good in his original world? That's the only reason why he wouldn't be distraught over this sudden situation thrown on him." Otto theorized with a grimace, making Garfiel stare at the screen with a more saddened expression.
Emilia, Rem and Beatrice gave the same sad frowns for the boy's disenchanting attitude towards his own home, worrying if he was treated well there or not.
"I guess I can assume this is a fantasy world. With typical medieval-style culture. "
Some in the cast, stared at the screen with confusion and perplexed faces not being able to understand the concept the boy was saying.
"Subaru always said the strangest of things." Emilia said while frowning slightly as she tried to remember what the boy said so she could think about the meaning behind his words properly.
"I would love to understand what Natsuki Subaru's words mean, it may help us in understanding him or where he comes from." Julius proposed with a hand on his chin, thoughtfully, looking at the screen with a glint in his eyes.
"Medieval, is a word that is used in Subaru's home to describe a long lost culture from the past. In his time, the culture is called 'modern times' in which there are machines or mechanical contraptions that make the normal everyday life convenient for humanity, much like those cars." Unexpectedly, the small loli blonde interjected over the confused cast and explained to them boredly from her seat beside the unconscious boy, secretly enjoying how almost every person in the room was looking at her with surprised and curious glances. Beatrice hid a small smirk behind her cold bored facade of an expression.
"Long lost…?" Rem whispered as she wondered if this culture was forgotten for a similar reason to how her clan's ways were wiped out because of their race dying out.
Others started thinking of what the information truly meant in terms of differences between Lugunica and Subaru's world.
"So that means Subaru-sama's world grew to be more advanced than ours, the young man seems comfortable enough to know about our world just from present clothes and surroundings in the capital. Are we truly that backward to Subaru's time?" undoubtedly, a green-haired duchess sitting cross-legged sternly analyzed all of the information she had heard and inspected Subaru's behavior and easy going attitude to being summoned into their world. Fascination filling her gaze at the prospect of the situation. A boy from an advanced society getting dropped into theirs, her mind couldn't stop thinking of the infinite collection of questions she wanted to ask about the boy's world and its history. Could there be another dragon where he comes from as well? Did his people manage to break dragon covenants and be free?