―― I lost the bet.

The combination of Rem’s tearful yet smiling expression and Subaru’s own past words filled his heart with the sense of defeat that came from losing a battle he believed would bring it all.

He believed, no, he hoped that she who had such dependency on him might choose him over everything else.

Perhaps, she might abandon everything and choose him instead.

It was a fleeting dream. An arrogant thought. He should have known better.

He had thought of escaping precisely because he couldn’t find any worth in himself, yet he still placed his hopes on what?

“Right now, it might be… hard to smile, but… once we put it into action, I’m sure it will become something to laugh about… yes, it is! So, um…”

Though the conclusion had already been reached, the next words that slipped from Subaru’s mouth were nothing more than a desperate, soft pretense.

He couldn’t come up with a solid rebuttal against Rem’s words. However, if he didn’t continue speaking, hope would fade away. Perhaps, she might still change her mind.

Continuing to talk was just a wishful thought.

“…Rem has been thinking too…”

Gazing longingly at the clinging Subaru, Rem whispered with closed eyes.

She tilted her beautifully arranged face slightly upward,

“Once we arrive at Kararagi, we will first need to rent a place. While it would be nice to have a house to establish our foundation for living, given our financial situation, we can’t push it too far. So, let’s find a way to earn a stable income first.”

Raising a finger, she spoke, adding to Subaru’s earlier vision of the future.

“Fortunately, thanks to Roswaal’s guidance, I’ve received an education, so I believe it will be fairly easy for me to find a job in Kararagi. As for you, Subaru-kun, you might end up either looking for labor work or helping me out.”

With a small laugh, Rem teased Subaru about his inability to do anything.

It was a fair evaluation of Subaru, who lacked knowledge or skills in this world.

“Once we stabilize our income, we should look for a better place to live. During that time, Subaru-kun should study so he can take on other jobs… It’ll probably take you about a year to be able to genuinely work. I hope you can become independent even sooner than that.”

Surprisingly, her educational philosophy was rather strict.

While she often gently assisted with his studies in lieu of Ram, she showed no mercy in assigning tasks or problems. It was likely due to her own strictness, and yet, Subaru found that part endearing.

“If the two of us work together and manage to save up a decent amount of money… we might be able to buy a house. We could even open a shop. Since Kararagi is a bustling trade city, I’m sure that your unique ideas could be put to good use.”

Clapping her hands, Rem drew an overly optimistic vision in the air.

Subaru could almost perceive the images she was envisioning clearly.

In that scene, Subaru would still be causing trouble for Rem while being spoiled by her, yet he would also carry some responsibility, working hard and sweating it out.

If only it were true, that would bring him such happiness.

To work earnestly for her, solely for her, would be the greatest joy.

“Once our work is on track… it’s embarrassing to say, but… children, perhaps. Being a half-demon and half-human, we might have some mischievous kids. Whether boys or girls, twins or triplets, they should all turn out adorable.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she shook her head slightly as if flying a little too far ahead.

Counting on her fingers, she stopped when she reached a terrifying number that exceeded ten.

“I’m sure not every moment will be filled with joy, and things won’t always go as smoothly as imagined. If only girls are born, and Subaru-kun ends up feeling out of place at home, that could happen too.”

“…Rem.”

“But still, even when the children grow up and start treating you poorly, Subaru-kun will always have me on his side. In the neighborhood, we’ll be known as the renowned couple, spending time together slowly as we age…”

“…Rem.”

“I’m sorry, Subaru-kun, but please allow me to leave first. On my deathbed, I want to hold your hand, surrounded by our children and their children, and quietly say, ‘I was happy,’ as they see me off…”

He couldn’t lift his face.

Rem’s vision of the future quietly, gently, yet painfully pierced Subaru’s heart.

“To be happy, to end my life contentedly…”

“There’s no way…”

Filling with such an aching happiness, Rem concluded her vision.

What remained in Subaru’s heart was an unspoken sorrowful passion.

His throat trembled. A heavy sensation sank deep within his stomach. A headache arose. A warm sensation welled up behind his eyes, and he shook his head to suppress it.

“If you genuinely… think that…!”

She could run away with him, no matter how far…

But that plea fell a bit short.

“If Subaru-kun smiles and desires that future… then I truly believe I could die happy.”

She smiled, holding back a deeper sadness than Subaru’s, and it didn’t reach her.

Dumbfounded, looking at that painful smile, Subaru gradually understood.

No matter how desperately he clung to her, he could not change Rem’s will.

He had genuinely and unmistakably lost the bet.

“――――”

A heavy fatigue suddenly overwhelmed his shoulders.

The feeling of collapsing right there, barely restraining his disgrace, Subaru covered his face with his hands and sank into despair.

Rem had refused to accompany him.

And that essentially meant the end of all means to save her. If he were to stay by her side to protect her, what awaited was the cruel fate that would befall her as she moved toward the mansion―― an unchangeable tragedy and a dead-end of cruel destiny.

Yet still, would he leave Rem behind and escape alone?

That would leave him shrouded in uncertainty, but it would allow him to escape the unavoidable despair that lay ahead. Of course, the outcome of events would remain unchanged whether Subaru was present or not. It was merely a slight benefit that he wouldn’t have to witness it—— if he closed his eyes and ears and played dumb, he could avoid confronting the harsh reality.

Even that small salvation was something Subaru desperately craved right now. However, accepting it alone seemed pointless.

Whether challenged to fight or sunk in madness, fate would never allow him to flee.

So then, what on earth was Subaru meant to do――?

“If I can live with Subaru-kun… then knowing that Subaru-kun wants to take Rem to wherever he plans to escape gives me genuine happiness. I’m really happy. — But it’s no good.”

With her hand on her chest, Rem tore up the ticket of escape that Subaru had offered her and lowered her gaze, filled with a mix of emotions.

She knew that to escape, and to realize the dream she had just described, was inherently contradictory to her own desires.

Because if they escaped together now… it felt as if Rem might be abandoning her most beloved Subaru-kun.

“――――”

What on earth was she saying?

Lifting his gaze slowly, Subaru stared at her in disbelief.

Rem offered him a sad smile, yet her eyes remained steadfast, piercing through him. Under her conviction, Subaru felt overwhelmed.

“Subaru-kun. Please tell Rem what happened.”

He shook his head. It was impossible. If he did, Rem would die.

“If you can’t speak, then please trust me. I will find a way.”

He shook his head. It was impossible. That would cause Rem to die.

“But for now, let’s at least go back, alright? If we take our time and think it through calmly, a good plan may come to mind.”

He shook his head. It was impossible. If he waited for that, everyone would die.

“I have already worried… thought… suffered… and so I gave up.”

Nobody believes Subaru.

Nobody expects anything from him.

Everyone warned him not to do anything with his shallow foolishness.

By continuing to ignore that, he suffered immensely and finally reached this point.

That time, that erosion of the heart, for Subaru was――.

“……Giving up is easy. But…”

Suddenly, Rem voiced a retort against Subaru’s weak words.

――Giving up is easy.

The moment the words entered his ears, an unfathomable shock surged through Subaru’s entire body.

The overwhelming sensation felt as if he’d been struck by lightning from above, and the inexpressible surprise exploded within his heart, flooding his body with a burning sensation, as if every pore had opened.

“Giving up is… easy…?”

“Subaru-kun?”

“Don’t, mess with me…!”

Subaru’s resentful voice leaked out as he glared at Rem, who was bewildered.

There was no way. Giving up was easy? To simply turn his back and run away, throwing everything away — that must be so carefree, right?

That kind of foolishness had no place in reality.

“Is it so easy to give up!?”

An explosion of suppressed emotions erupted, and they spilled out onto his tongue.

Surprised by Subaru’s outburst, Rem flinched, and the people passing by in the Royal Capital glanced over, bewildered.

Ignoring the crowd’s intrusive gazes, Subaru glared only at Rem standing before him.

“Do you think I’m just going to sit idly and casually give everything away, then give up!?”

It was a decision born from a bitter struggle. An experience that made him cry blood, until his throat was dry from shouting, taught him that this was a conviction.

To completely give up—surely that’s an easy conclusion to voice, but how many sacrifices did it require to reach that conclusion? Denying its weight was entirely unacceptable.

“Giving up wasn’t easy at all…! It would have been much easier to say, ‘Let’s fight,’ ‘I will do something!’… But it’s futile! There’s nowhere to go! There’s only a path of surrender…!”

The dead-end of fate mocked Subaru, blocking off every possible avenue presented to him.

No matter how many times he challenged, no matter how many times he faced it, no matter how many plans he devised, whether trying to delegate his duties to others or even attempting to flee.

It was now impossible to lift it all back up.

Even those he wished to save rejected his outstretched hand— how could he still say he could keep trying? Who has the right to tell Subaru that he’s giving up too soon?

Who could speak such words after experiencing the same ordeal, tasting the same suffering and dilemma, and seeing the same hell as Subaru had?

“I really want to succeed, and I really want to save them. I can’t stand to lose anyone.”

That deep desire was genuine.

The feeling of wanting to save them, to protect them, to avoid losing anyone—those thoughts were truly sincere.

But they wouldn’t reach anyone. They wouldn’t allow him to reach them. This was the result of all the days that made up Subaru’s life.

So Subaru――.

“Subaru-kun.”

With a voice strained and drained of emotion, Rem called out to him.

He couldn’t look up. The ringing in his ears was too severe, and exposing his pitiful honesty filled him with bitterness. His gaze remained fixed on the ground.

He had been defeated, crushed under his own circumstances and his own fate.

“Giving up is easy.”

“――――”

“But,”

Rem repeated the words that had enraged Subaru just moments before.

As she spoke, he felt a deep skepticism about her words, and he lifted his trembling lips.

Why couldn’t she understand?

No matter how much he had done, could she not perceive his suffering?

That internal turmoil, that dissatisfaction, that senseless sentiment fell apart in front of Rem’s unwavering gaze.

“――Subaru-kun doesn’t suit that.”

Gazing steadily into Subaru’s black eyes, she made that assertion.

Rem spoke with a clarity that indicated her unwavering belief in him.

“Regardless of how painful things have been, how much you’ve suffered, I know that you are a man who will never give up.”

In front of him was a man who was currently wallowing in despair, casting away everything, on the verge of giving up. Yet Rem spoke, undeterred, unafraid, and unwaveringly presented her words.

“Rem knows.”

“――――”

“More than anyone, you Subaru-kun, are the one who cannot abandon hope for the future. You can laugh about it.”

“――――”

Rem stood before Subaru, listing all the actions he had taken to help her, the moments he had fought for her, and the memories they had shared together.

As she spoke of the “curse” he had placed upon her, she painted a vivid picture of their connection.

She remembered everything.

“Since that dark night in the forest, when I lost everything except my sister, time has stopped for me.”

She recalled fragments of a harrowing past, gazing intently at Subaru.

A steadfast love gleamed in her eyes without wavering.

“Subaru-kun thawed the frozen heart of mine, and in that moment, in that morning, he saved me. You cannot understand how much I was saved or how happy I was.”

Therefore, resting her hand on her chest, Rem continued, “I believe in you. Even when it gets painful or difficult, if you start to lose hope—if everyone else in the world loses faith in you, if even you can’t believe in yourself, Rem will still believe in you.”

Taking a step forward, Rem bridged the gap between them.

Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around Subaru’s restrained neck. Even though her pulling strength wasn’t strong, Subaru found himself defenselessly embraced by her.

With his head nestled against Rem’s chest, he heard her voice whispering down to him.

“You, who saved Rem, are my true hero.”

As her lips pressed on his forehead, he could feel warmth radiating from the point of contact.

His heart swelled with an incomprehensible flood of emotions.

Blood circulated back into his numbed limbs, and the noise that had filled his head began to clear.

“Despite how hard I tried, I couldn’t save anyone…”

“Rem is here. The Rem that Subaru-kun saved is right here.”

“I’m empty and powerless. No one listens to me.”

“Rem is here. Anything Subaru-kun says, I want to hear. I want to listen to you.”

“Nothing is expected of me. No one believes in me… I hate myself.”

“Rem loves you, Subaru-kun.”

The warmth of her hand on his cheek, looking directly into his eyes, filled with tears.

Her state, her words, affirmed the truth of her feelings for him.

“I… am… worth it…?”

No matter how many times he tried, he had ruined everything each time.

Everyone died. He couldn’t reach them. Everyone perished. He hadn’t thought enough.

Empty, powerless, foolish, slow to act, unqualified to even wish to protect someone.

Could he really be worth anything?

“It’s okay, Subaru-kun.”

“――――”

“It’s you that I want.”

He had failed to impose any belief on himself, yet there was someone who believed in him.

With that unwavering faith, had the opportunity to keep fighting against fate returned to Natsuki Subaru?

“Let’s begin anew, from here.”

“W-What do you…”

“Just like Subaru-kun moved my once-frozen heart, now we’ll take the time we thought were stalled and start moving again.”

He frowned at the memories of the past, regretting the time wasted and feeling ashamed of the days he spent wasted.

Rem smiled softly at him.

“Let’s start from here. From scratch… no, from zero!”

“――――”

“If it’s tough walking alone, I’ll support you. Let’s share the load. We’ll walk together while supporting each other. You promised me that on that morning, didn’t you?”

By standing side by side, they could envision a future filled with laughter. A future they could share hand-in-hand.

“Show us something cool, Subaru-kun.”

He had shown nothing but a lackluster side of himself so far.

So it was Natsuki Subaru’s responsibility to fulfill that promise, the one he had placed upon himself.

“…Rem.”

“Yes?”

When he called her name, she replied quietly.

He raised his head. Looked forward. Stared into Rem’s eyes. They were gentle, serene, waiting for his response.

Therefore, to be the Natsuki Subaru that she loved, he had to affirm once more.

“— I like Emilia.”

“— Yes.”

Giving a knowing smile, Rem nodded in understanding at his confession.

Within that smile, a deep kindness emerged, and Subaru realized just how cruel the truth he was about to speak was.

“I want to see Emilia smile. I want to help her future. Even if they tell me to stay away, or dismiss me, I want to be by her side.”

Now, affirming his unwavering feelings for Emilia, he recognized his own feelings toward Rem.

Yet the nature of that longing felt different than before.

“Loving someone shouldn’t be an excuse to demand understanding for anything and everything… that is arrogance.”

“……”

“It’s okay if she doesn’t understand. Right now, I want to help Emilia. I want to pull her out of a painful, difficult future and toward a future filled with smiles.”

So thus.

“Will you help me?”

Extending his hand, he turned to Rem by his side and asked.

Knowing he couldn’t accept her feelings without exploiting them, he realized how unfair it was, and still, he could not bring himself to abandon the future of someone precious to him.

“Alone, I can’t do anything. I’m lacking in everything. I don’t have confidence to walk straight. I’m weak and fragile. So please, won’t you lend me your strength so I can walk straight?”

“You’re quite something, Subaru-kun. Asking for something from someone you just turned down?”

“Even I think it’s hard to ask something of the person I just turned down.”

Worn out, Subaru chuckled, and Rem burst into quiet laughter.

They shared a light-hearted moment before Rem straightened up, gracefully tucked her skirt, and bowed.

“I will gladly accept your request! If that means that Subaru-kun—my hero—can greet the future with a smile…”

“Just watch me from the front row seat.”

Taking her hand, Subaru pulled Rem closer, until a small “Ah” escaped her lips as her diminutive frame was enveloped in his embrace. Thankful for the existence of the girl who liked him just as he was.

“—I will become the greatest, coolest hero you could ever hope for!”

His heart was ablaze.

In Rem’s embrace, her face pressed against his chest, hiding her expression.

Her breath was warm. Their foreheads, cheeks, radiated heat. Surely, the tears flowing from her eyes were the warmest.

—Even now, Subaru couldn’t love himself. He still loathed himself.

Yet because of the girl who declared she liked him.

Because there was someone whom he wanted to see him as someone worthy.

—He looked at Emilia. He looked at Rem. Therefore, he wouldn’t look down.

“――――”

It might have been courage borrowed from someone else, yet he firmly believed that the feelings he held close were genuine.

From here on, he would start over.

The story of Natsuki Subaru.

—The otherworld life from zero.