――I can hear the distant sound of a bell ringing.

The bell tolls fiercely, crashing like waves, ebbing and flowing, like the persistent cries of anguish that Subaru, lost in despair, fails to notice as it echoes in a painful crescendo.

A terrible pain grips my temples, and I feel something hot welling up at the back of my nose. However, by biting my tongue, cutting my lips, and tasting my own blood, I force my consciousness to focus on the sharp pain.

The pain that pierces my chest, the overwhelming sense of loss devoid of reality, the impotent fury that can only howl against the unreasonable—all of it is overshadowed by the taste of blood in front of me.

“Hey, are you okay, sir? You seem to be in pain…”

“Sir, sir, you look like you’re in turmoil. Did you have an accident?”

Nearby, I can hear two familiar voices expressing concern.

Though it hasn’t been long, their voices are known to me—a nuisance at times, a burden at others, a source of relief and trust.

――Now, they cruelly shake my eardrums with a completely different resonance.

“Ah, I’m fine.”

Responding briefly while feeling their gaze upon me, I lift my face with my eyes still closed.

The cause of the cloth pressing against my face and the surging emotions gradually fade into the waves. If I were to open my eyes, I might notice my pupils are slightly red from remnants of distress, but with my eyes shut, no one would suspect anything.

I take deep, calming breaths, striving for inner peace.

Having overcome the initial shock, I fight against the slow, suffocating despair that wraps around me like a noose, even now allowing the sense of loss to whimper within my heart.

Still, I should be able to rally myself enough to find a reason to act.

“I’m sorry for worrying you. I… kinda just woke up a bit dazed.”

As I open my mouth, words spill out as if my tongue has loosened. I weave dry pleasantries with my cracked lips, forcing out a faint laugh. Yet, I still can’t bring myself to open my eyes.

As I gaze into the darkness with my eyes shut, I wish the world would change completely. Or perhaps, a fleeting dream shown by drowsiness would suffice.

Ah, how wonderful and infuriating it would be to think that everything is merely part of Roswaal’s plot to deceive Subaru.

That fleeting thought feels oddly like a brilliant idea, giving me a hint of relief in my chest.

Feeling somewhat liberated by this self-made excuse, I let out a small, relieved sigh.

“Ah, right…”

I open my trembling eyelids, and for an instant, the blurry world thrusts reality upon me.

Standing on either side of the bed, the twins, Ram and Rem, press their palms on the bed and look at me. Their expressions, still blank, meet Subaru’s gaze.

I can’t read any emotions in their looks. In the four days we’ve spent together, whatever bond we might have built seems to have dissipated into mist.

“Sir…?”

The twin’s bewildered voices resonate in unison.

Their gazes instantly change, following Subaru, who jumps up from the bed. Subaru feels a chill running through him, instinctively pulling away from the two of them.

“Don’t move so suddenly, sir! You need to stay calm.”

“Sir, it’s dangerous to move abruptly. You should take it easy for a while.”

Fingers reach out towards me, and I reflexively recoil. I catch a glimpse of their eyes narrowing with a hint of pain, but my mental state lacks the clarity to recognize this shift.

An unbearable sensation.

The feel of familiar humans regarding me as strangers.

Just days ago, I endured the same sensation… in the crowd, in the alleys, in abandoned houses. Yet this time, it’s different. The situation is different, the time is different; the experiences are not the same.

This isn’t a do-over with someone I didn’t know. This is a one-sided reset with someone I should’ve established trust with.

The feeling of knowing someone becoming a different person overwhelms me, causing nausea to wash over me.

With fear reflecting in my trembling eyes, the twins begin to notice Subaru’s unusual behavior.

A brief silence fills the room as neither of us dares to act, so I say,

“I’m sorry… I can’t right now.”

Clutching the doorknob, I tumble out into the hallway a split second before the twins can react to stop me.

Tasting the coolness of the hallway under my feet, I exhale heavily and dash away, with no clear destination—frantically, without knowing what I’m running from.

I don’t even understand why I have to escape. My instincts scream that if I stop, I’ll be caught, so all I can do is keep moving.

I just couldn’t remain there any longer.

Alarms blare in my head. My heart and instincts scream that I can’t stay in that place. I don’t know the cause—only that I can’t.

Rushing past many similar doors, I find myself stumbling down the corridor with an almost comic clumsiness.

And gasping for breath, following an instinct, I open a door and slip into—

――The Forbidden Library, filled with stacks of books.

Once the door is shut, the library is completely sealed off from the outside world.

In that case, opening this door from outside would be like being trapped in a never-ending struggle with every doorknob throughout the mansion.

Breathing heavily, I slump against the door. Even as I sit, my shaking knees tremble uncontrollably, and my outstretched fingers quiver like those of an alcoholic who has just run out of liquor.

“Maybe I could have a paper sumo wrestling match; that would be amusing, ha.”

The self-deprecating words lack sharpness, and the dry laugh only emphasizes the void within me.

The air in the tranquil library is imbued with the scent of aged paper, horrendously tranquilizing Subaru’s fraught psyche.

Even realizing it’s just a flimsy comfort, it’s the only solace Subaru can cling to in this moment.

Again and again, I take deep, soothing breaths, when—

“How rude of you to come in without knocking, you little rascal!”

A voice mocking my struggle for breath resonates from the depths of the dim room.

In a corner sits a girl with creamy hair, perfectly poised as always, keeping her distance—Beatrice, the guardian of Roswaal’s Forbidden Library.

She slams the book she is holding shut with a loud thud, her petite body holding a tome far too large for her.

“How did you manage to break ‘door crossing’… just earlier and now as well?”

“Sorry, just let me stay for a little bit. Please.”

I press my hands together, pleading, without waiting for her response, I close my eyes. ――In this quiet, uninterrupted space, I must confront reality and myself.

I need to calm down. I must accept the reality. I am Natsuki Subaru. This is another world, Roswaal’s Mansion. The twins’ names are Ram and Rem, and the one in front of me is Beatrice. This is the Forbidden Library, easily accessible through what I’ve called ‘door bouncing.’ My left hand bears no wounds. No proofs of effort remain. The promised morning will not come. The promise made—tomorrow, with someone, somewhere—.

“That’s right, Emilia…”

Silver hair glistens in the moonlight as I recall her shy smile.

A girl, shining like a starry sky beneath the moonlight, with whom I made promises.

“Beatrice.”

“Did you just call me by my name without an honorific?”

“What day is it today…? Do you know what time it is?”

I unilaterally ask a question, catching Beatrice off guard, as if she is offended.

She glances at my attitude disdainfully, then snorts.

“For me, who spends her days in this library frozen in time, the outside date and time bear no meaning.”

“In simpler terms?”

“It means I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

“Damn it! You’re useless! I was such a fool to have any hope!”

“You really do speak your mind, don’t you?”

With Subaru’s straightforward words, Beatrice crinkles her nose adorably. Despite her distorted expression, I say, “But…”

“At least you don’t treat me like a stranger. And you said ‘door crossing’ was ‘earlier and now,’ right? Damn, this is confusing!”

“Quit rambling on your own… I want less noise in the library. It disrupts the tranquility.”

Sighing, Beatrice responds, and then her gaze fixes back on me, annoyed by my staring.

“Just three or four hours ago, I teased you for your ill manners.”

“What about the ‘frozen in time’ library scenario?”

Even if drained of energy, I won’t forget to argue and poke Beatrice’s sore spot.

Feeling that routine come to life, I take stock of her words.

――Three or four hours ago, when Subaru and Beatrice first crossed paths.

It must be the moment I woke up at Roswaal’s Mansion. When the infinite corridor illusion was dispelled and I hit the jackpot in one shot.

At that time, Beatrice dragged some mental… something out of me, leading to my overwhelming collapse.

When I next woke up, I found myself in bed, greeted by Ram and Rem.

“So, I guess I woke up for the second time at Roswaal’s house…?”

I cling to memories that brush against me, understanding now.

The twins had only come to wake me up that one time. Moreover, I had only been a guest using the guest room bed on that first day.

So, that means—

“I’ve come back from five days ahead to four days ago… is that how it is…?”

With clarity, I redefine the present situation.

Due to some mysterious force, I’ve looped back through time again. Notably, to a time I didn’t wish for.

I can understand this reality, but understanding isn’t the same as acceptance.

Scratching my head, I try to fathom the cause behind my return.

The only instance when I experienced ‘time-reverse’ was the very first day of my summoning to this other world. After dying three times, I managed to save Emilia and thought I’d escaped the loop.

Indeed, the ‘Return by Death’ time loop had never transpired before, and the last five days at Roswaal’s mansion should have been exceedingly peaceful.

Yet suddenly, here I am, booted back through time—without any forewarning.

“The conditions are different this time, right? I thought I’d simply return if I died, but could it be that I roll back for about a week…?

If that’s the case…”

That means there’s no adequate explanation for why this day was chosen to rewind.

Although the mechanics of time control remain unknown, there should have been some foundational rules from those repeated days. Among them is the matter of revival location.

If I hadn’t escaped that loop, then I should have woken up once again before Scarf Face the vegetable vendor.

“But in reality, I’ve been greeted by these two angelic maids instead. It was as if heaven had traded places with hell.”

As I think this, I check myself over, patting down to confirm I’m in one piece.

If I were to obey the previous conditions, then my reason for looping through time like this should be clear. In other words—I must have died.

Yet the question arises,

“If I died, then how did I die? Everything was normal up until bedtime. Even after falling asleep, I wasn’t exactly creeped out by the notion of death.”

Even if the sleepiness had taken hold too effectively, could a ‘death’ occur without any memories from the moment of being killed?

There’s a chance I could have been poisoned or gassed—maybe even while I was asleep, locked into eternal unconsciousness. But that would imply assassination, and I don’t think I hold anywhere near enough significance to warrant it. As it stands, I can’t imagine having that much value.

“So perhaps this is a forced loop due to unmet clear conditions?”

Aligning this situation within a game context, it suggests I failed to raise necessary flags. However, I don’t know who planned these flags or what type of flag triggers this situation.

Games without clear on/off flags can be frustratingly challenging. It’s all too easy to find oneself relying on strategy guides.

“Trading info with friends through word of mouth, getting tangled up in false leads, and making steady progress… That was the true enjoyment of it, right?”

“You’ve started mumbling, and now an utterly absurd vibe is filling the air.”

Beatrice, watching Subaru sink into contemplation, comments disinterestedly. When I bring my gaze back to her, she pouts as if she’s irritated at being ignored.

“Talking about ‘life and death’ as though it holds meaning, it’s all such petty human perspectives. Then what emerges? A bunch of empty rhetoric and nonsense—unworthy of discussion at all.”

With a shrug, she dismisses my woes. It’s a feeling of relief for Subaru, finding comfort in her unchanged attitude toward me.

Brushing off the dust from my rear, I reach for the doorknob, only to hear her voice calling from behind.

“Are you going?”

“I need to check on something. I’ll cope with bad moods afterward. Thanks for your help.”

“You’ve done nothing for me… Now hurry up and leave. I have to rearrange the doors.”

Her tone lacks warmth, but somehow it feels pleasant to me in this moment.

While she likely didn’t intend it, I feel as if she just gave me a little push forward, and I step outside.

Twisting the doorknob, a refreshing breeze hits me when I step outside. My bangs sway with the wind, and I shield my eyes from the faint pain it brings.

Then the wind dies down, and I can feel the grass beneath my bare feet—within my view is—

“Oh man, it’s beautiful.”

My heart leaps at the sight of the silver-haired girl, slightly catching her breath in the garden.

She sure knows how to surprise, I can’t help but mentally grumble about that cheeky girl.

And then—

“Subaru!”

Noticing me, the girl’s purple eyes widen, and she rushes over in a panic. The three-syllable bond that spills from her lips in a ringing tone always sends fresh shivers through my heart.

Naturally, my feet start moving towards her.

As she faces me, taking in every detail, the corners of her eyes brighten with relief. But then she immediately regains her composure, fixing her posture and gaze.

“Stop worrying! You vanished right after waking up, and Ram and Rem were running around the mansion in a panic!”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I kinda got held up by Beatrice.”

“Again? I heard you were mischievous not long ago…”

With a worried look, she gets closer to me—Emilia’s unguarded demeanor almost makes me instinctively reach out, but I hold myself back, restraining my weak heart.

If I were to act on that impulse here, it would be too reckless. It would completely undermine the point of disturbing Beatrice’s peaceful solitude. Causing her to wrongfully suspect me isn’t the aim here.

All I can do in response to Emilia’s worried face is give her an ambiguous smile. With my unfamiliar demeanor, Emilia seems somewhat distant and unaffected.

That’s only natural. She can’t possibly know how ‘not like myself’ I’ve become, considering we’ve only shared a little over an hour together.

Between us lie the four long days that could never be bridged.

The gap where I hold all the secrets of those days, while Emilia remains unaware.

“I must have some kind of radio signal, huh?”

“A radio…? What are you talking about?”

“I was just getting a bit poetic there. Anyway, I’m really glad you’re safe.”

Emilia’s active style—black knee-high socks on a skirt over her lap, her whole outfit encapsulating an energetic vibe—evokes fond memories from when Subaru first encountered her.

Of course, underneath that outfit, she’s likely intact after passing through the Thieves’ Repository.

“Beneath her outfit…? That’s kinda hot in my mind.”

“Thank you for saving me… I was planning to say that, but your gaze is making me uncomfortable.”

Her narrowed eyes shoot daggers at me, forcing a natural chuckle from Subaru.

Slowly but surely, I feel my rhythm returning to normal. I need to rev up the gears and get this Natsuki Subaru show on the road.

Honestly, this situation could actually be seen as lucky.

This time, I’m not starting from in front of that vegetable vendor. There are no trivial dog-death flags set up to thwart me, and I won’t start off in the dumps by saying something stupid to Emilia either. I won’t have a ‘Elsa’s intestine festival end’ this time around.

Having braved the battle in the Thieves’ Repository, a passionate bond that others could not interfere with is undoubtedly igniting between us—two who walked through life and death together.

What is now merely a small ember could explode into a magnificent bloom at just the right moment.

“I’m practicing some positive thinking.”

As I reflect positively while looking back, I realize this is also an opportunity.

Unlike before, when I had to cross that absolute line of death in the Thieves’ Repository, this time I have no critical threats to face before confronting the direct cause of the loop.

In other words, all I need to do is calmly trace the familiar route, adjusting it into an exemplary response.

Simply revisiting the same route will surely get us to those moonlit promises exchanged.

――Then, what would occur if we take a truly refined route? How much more would the moonlit promise blossom into a treasure trove of potential?

“Heh, this time I’m starting off at the climax…!”

“You’re getting all fired up, but your body is alright, right?”

“Yeah? Oh, I’m in tip-top shape! Just a bit low on blood; it’s like my very essence got siphoned away, and I feel like my endurance is getting worn down from waking up, plus it’s like my mental fortitude got a swing from a bat… but I’m good!”

“That sounds like a description of someone utterly exhausted!”

“Pressure makes diamonds! Baseball’s about swinging for the fences in the ninth inning with two outs—that’s just how I roll!”

I snap my fingers and give a thumbs-up.

In response to my demeanor, Emilia lets out a resigned sigh, her shoulders dropping.

“Anyway, as long as you’re okay. So, are we heading back to the mansion? I have a little business here, so I’ll stick around.”

“Oh, spirit talk time! You won’t mind if I tag along, right? I wanna wake Pack up and enjoy some fluffy snuggles!”

“I mean, fine, but you really can’t get in the way! This isn’t a game, you know?”

Emilia tilts her head at my wiggling fingers, telling me off like I’m a kid.

That protective sisterly vibe only makes me feel a warmth of determination igniting in my heart.

“Then let’s roll! Time is finite, the world is grand, and the timing for me and Emilia-chan is just getting started.”

“That’s true… wait, what was that? Why are you calling me ‘chan’?!”

I lead her with lightheartedness despite her protests, having crafted all this new rapport even amidst potential corrections.

As we continue to call out to each other, I already know how pointless it is to try and correct her. And it’s one of the bonds I crafted during those four lost days.

――We’ll get it back.

Trailing behind the girl with the unhappy expression, I mutter that quietly to myself.

I suddenly stop and gaze at the retreating silver hair before shifting my eyes to the sky.

――I see the sun rising irritatingly low on the eastern horizon.

Once, it’ll repeat five times, and then the moment of promise will arrive.

As long as I can bear witness to the sun coming forward to meet promises exchanged with the girl who suits the moon.

――Time is on my side, and I know the answer.

“Dunno who’s pulling the strings, but I’ll get it all back and have them eat their words. Don’t underestimate the modern-day hothead!”

I clench my fist towards the sky, declaring war against whomever may be out there.

This marks Subaru’s first clear statement of rebellion against the very existence that enforced ‘summoning’ and ‘looping’ upon him in this world.

Thus begins my battle against the second loop.

To overcome the week spent at Roswaal’s Mansion, and to unveil the continuation of those days.

To keep the promises made that fateful night, to fulfill the vows exchanged――.

“Bring it on, Fate—bring it on!”