What number of times has it been that my consciousness has been consumed by this emptiness?

Before him lay a scene beyond comprehension, and Subaru stood there, speechless, just as he had done countless times before.

He had been battered down by it all. Time and again, he felt like he might just want to utter a weak complaint that he deserved to be saved soon.

After having repeated this over and over, only witnessing tragedies.

In front of the frozen Subaru, on the bed lay a blue-haired girl.

Her face devoid of life was pale, and her closed eyes would never open again. The thin nightgown she wore seemed fitting for a casual setting, but it contrasted sharply with her strong impression, giving her an unnaturally childlike aura.

Suddenly, Subaru realized he had never seen her in anything other than her maid outfit. And the first time he saw her in anything else, it was as her final attire.

“Why… is Rem…”

He whispered, running his fingers through his hair while looking down.

Before the incomprehensible situation, his head spun uselessly, throbbing in pain. He was likely also fatigued from lack of sleep. The thought of thinking felt quite bothersome.

Repeating this cycle four times, three of which he had been killed, she was the one Subaru needed to be most wary of.

While Roswaal could potentially give the order to silence her, and Ram likely stood in the same position, there was no doubt that the experience of having lost his life made him consider Rem the greatest obstacle this time.

Thus, he had pushed them away, persuading even the reluctant Beatrice to get involved, stalling the situation and buying himself time.

As a result, being able to see the fifth day dawn was good news.

“Why have the roles changed so drastically…?”

It was supposed to be Rem trying to kill him. There was absolutely no reason for it to be the other way around, nor could Subaru think of any reason for Rem to be killed.

Suddenly, Subaru wondered if she was truly dead, stepping forward to confirm. The girl laid on the bed with her hands crossed over her chest, looking as if someone had carefully arranged her beautiful death face.

He reached out to touch her still body. But—

“—Don’t touch her!”

His hand was struck away by an arm swung with force, and Subaru let out a small groan, raising his face.

On the other side of the bed, Ram clung to Rem, tears cascading down her face. Ram continued to weep without showing any signs of stopping, saying,

“Don’t touch Rem… my sister.”

It was a rejection, leaving no room for negotiation.

With that single statement, Ram turned back to cling to Rem’s body, softly whispering as if telling a story to her sleeping child, a devoted and painful sight.

In response to her sister’s heart-wrenching display, there was no sign of awakening from the girl.

A pale profile, unhealthy lips, and a body that had ceased to pulse.

Seeing that up close, Subaru finally came to accept the reality.

—Rem is truly dead.

“It’s probably due to magic, you know. It seems more like a curse than just magic.”

Having staggered out of the room, Roswaal, who had been standing by the door, offered his speculation.

Raising a finger, his normally relaxed expression tightened just slightly.

“The cause of death was due to deterioration. While asleep, her vitality was drained, slowly distancing her heartbeat, extinguishing the flame of life gently as she slept.”

At the mention of a curse, Subaru lifted his face.

It was a familiar deduction. And there were conditions to which Subaru could relate regarding the death Roswaal described.

This aligned correctly with the kind of anomaly he had felt during his second death. If one assumes that the cause of his first death was due to that, then Rem’s cause of death this time was the same as Subaru’s first and indirectly second deaths.

It lined up, but—

“I had thought that the magic that drained her was also orchestrated by Rem.”

Drained by magic and then crushed by a steel ball during his second death.

Recalling that situation, there was no way for Subaru not to suspect it was the same perpetrator. However, in reality, Rem had been delivered death by a curse, while Subaru had managed to survive the effects of the curse and the steel ball’s judgment.

In other words,

“Is the curse and Rem separate…? How does their relationship play out?”

In the case of the second death, he had been attacked after being affected by the curse-induced deterioration. One would naturally assume they were working together, but how does it apply in this case?

Thinking of betrayal, Subaru shook his head. There was already confusion surrounding the position of the curse user. By conditions, the curse user must be someone close to the mansion.

Otherwise, they would not have the opportunity to come into contact with Rem, and most importantly, they must be a person whose motivations and conditions overlapped with Rem’s actions.

Considering the words from the third world, Rem’s attempt to silence Subaru was likely motivated by a desire to please Roswaal. And while excessive, it was a result of loyalty, which also indirectly removed obstacles to Emilia.

Thus, the precondition that made it very difficult to avoid was shaken heavily due to the relationship with the curse user.

With no clear path for understanding, Subaru touched his chin in frustration. His fatigue was building, causing his blood flow to be terrible at the moment.

Realizing that no decent conclusions could arise, Subaru knew he could not help but think. It was in that moment.

“Could it be that their relationship is completely separate…?”

What if there is no connection between Rem and the curse user?

In the first instance, Subaru was targeted by the curse user and died. In the second instance, Rem killed Subaru, who fell into the curse user’s trap for some reason. The third instance was a pure runaway out of loyalty, and Rem killed Subaru. In this case, the curse user was uninvolved.

And this fourth time,

“Did Rem become the curse user’s target because I did nothing…?”

The causal relationship was unknown. The very reason Subaru could be targeted by the curse user was unclear. Perhaps the curse user’s target could also be a person within the mansion, but then it would raise questions as to why lower-ranking individuals like Subaru and Rem were prioritized over key figures like Roswaal or Emilia.

Ultimately, unless the identity of the curse user was determined, it would all lead to an endless loop. Subaru felt completely stuck, and at that moment, he clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Seems you’re quite deep in thought, huh?”

From a slightly elevated position, Roswaal looked down at Subaru and remarked. His odd-colored eyes narrowed as if to evaluate Subaru, making him feel uncomfortable as though his innermost thoughts were being stripped away.

Perhaps realizing his own lack of manners, Roswaal soon corrected his posture, bowing briefly to Subaru.

“My apologies. I too seem a bit on edge. It’s just that, seeing a beloved servant subjected to this, you know?”

Despite uttering an apology, Roswaal’s attitude did not truly soften. He crossed his arms and lightly tapped his folded arms with his fingers.

“To roast with fire, defile with water, cut with wind, and bury in earth. —I feel that much of a response is required to match this act. Though, it’s not my place to ask, but… dear guest, do you have any inkling of what might have happened?”

That low voice held no hint of jest.

Roswaal articulated a threat that carried the weight of sincerity, watching Subaru with intent. Suddenly, Subaru became acutely aware of the dire situation he was in and hesitated to respond. However, before Subaru could speak, another voice cut in.

“Last night, you mentioned to be on guard. That was you, right, Subaru?”

Looking up in astonishment, the gray cat—Pack—caught Subaru’s eye, moving his short arms as if washing his face.

With Pack’s unexpected remark leaving Subaru speechless, Pack tilted his head and said,

“Emotionally and morally, I’d love to support you. However, if you mistake the situation by prioritizing that, some unfortunate child might end up suffering.”

His black eyes gently glanced toward the room, rubbing his pink nose with a paw.

While he maintained his usual silly demeanor, it was evident he had thoughts about Rem’s death. He moved less than usual, fidgeting slightly.

“If there are lingering regrets or hesitations, a soul will fall into despair without salvation. That’d be sad for me as a spirit and, more so, for the one who has interacted with her.”

Shaking his small head side to side, Pack curled himself back up, having said what he wanted. Watching him silently, Beatrice also looked at Subaru without saying a word.

What emotions were pouring into her gaze, once so expressive? At that moment, Subaru couldn’t tell anymore.

“…Subaru.”

With worry in her eyes, Emilia tugged at Subaru’s sleeve, gazing at him with glistening eyes as if pleading for something.

If there was something she knew, that unspoken urge for communication flowed between them.

While he wanted to reciprocate her plea with all his heart, Subaru also felt an urge to push her away, which was his true feeling.

Everyone lightly expressed the feeling that they might know something.

But truthfully, Subaru wished he could shout loudly the very things he wanted to know. If there was someone who knew the real situation, he desperately wanted them to step forward and clear all the questions lingering in his mind, pulling him out of this dead-end alley.

However, in reality, no conveniently benevolent mastermind appeared, and the meaning of the four pairs of eyes trained on Subaru remained unchanged.

What was supposed to be a good warning to Pack had backfired this time. Even if Pack harbored some knowledge yet didn’t voice it, it was only natural that Emilia, closely tied to Pack, would have her suspicions about Subaru as well.

He repeated the cycle, struggling each time to improve the situation. But every action seemingly backfired, returning with a situation worse than before. Surrounded, how many times must Subaru experience this pain to feel a fraction of it himself?

“Subaru.”

Emilia called out his name clearly.

Her silence provoked a lingering doubt in her heart. In response to her predictable reaction, Subaru felt a wave of sadness rise within.

How could he convince them while being stuck in such uncertainty? Though he imagined they might just end up disappointed in him for not knowing anything.

His thoughts spiraled chaotically.

The very moment he wanted to voice that and have it all released, the stagnant world and black mist encroached upon him once more, as if drawn from his resignation.

He lost his words. No, his lips didn’t even quiver.

Naturally, his hands, feet, eyes, and tongue did not move, as if air itself had been completely severed from the world. Sound and motion vanished, and he fell into speechlessness in the absolute silence and stasis of existence.

Just the other day, when Subaru judged it was time to tell Emilia about “Return by Death,” that unjust phenomenon had forced its blockade on him.

The black mist surged forth, quicker and more elegantly forming dark arms than before. The arm, which had previously stopped just around the wrist, now began to take shape around the outline of his upper arm.

Similar to before, the arm showed no hesitation as it snuck into Subaru’s chest. It reached inside, softly brushing against his organs and ribcage, making its way to his heart, and—

—In an instant, his thoughts evaporated, and an indescribable pain that threatened death pierced his entire body.

“Subaru!?”

Hearing Emilia’s pained voice, Subaru realized he had returned to reality.

Holding his chest, sweating profusely, he knelt, gasping for breath.

With Emilia’s worried hand raised lightly, Subaru reflected on the earlier occurrence.

If the black mist had obstructed him when he intended to inform Emilia about “Return by Death,” it might mean that it had appeared once more for a similar reason—

“Could it be that extracting the loops from the explanation is impossible…?”

At the very least, based on those emotions, it was hard for Subaru to believe he could dodge persistent questioning. However, if that were true, the situation would be dire.

Subaru wanted to pour out his innermost thoughts, while the others were keen on unraveling those thoughts. For the black mist, this setup could not have been better.

Endless inquiries led to endless torments. The moment Subaru realized this, he trembled at the fear of the unbearable pain, taking a step back.

Such an action seemed like an unacceptable folly before the girl who cried in the room.

In that instant, a gust of wind slammed the door of the room, battering against Subaru’s bangs. Immediately after shutting his eyes against the sudden tempest,

“Wha…!”

A sharp pain pierced his cheek, causing Subaru to instinctively cover his face with his palm. What he felt on his palm was the damp sensation of blood dripping from a fresh wound.

Understanding that this was from the current wind-induced injury, Subaru’s shock deepened.

The pink-haired girl, her eyes filled with fury, glared at Subaru as she gently stroked her sister laid on the bed with the opposite hand.

“If you know something, spill it all out.”

“Wait, Ram! That’s…”

He caught himself from voicing the idea that he couldn’t.

The moment he said that, there was no way to settle the matter in this place. But even stopping himself meant he couldn’t come up with a solution.

Subaru had no idea what could trigger another warning.

That fear of pain caused him to lose sound judgment regarding Ram.

Consequently, his words trailed off, failing to quench Ram’s momentum.

With Subaru falling silent, Ram projected another gust of wind as a warning.

If one can tolerate cliché expressions, it could only be termed as the “blade of wind.”

It was likely some form of wind-related magic. The magic that aroused a Kamaitachi wielded a swift slash, cutting through walls and doors on its path to reach Subaru, landing a blow that felt akin to a ripping strike against his cheek—but it suddenly vanished.

Surprise rendered both Subaru and Ram silent. In the space between them,

“—I’m a person of my word.”

A girl with cream-colored hair echoed those words as she stood before Subaru.

Beatrice lightly waved her outstretched palm, effortlessly dismissing the Kamaitachi unleashed by Ram and displaying no pride in her prowess.

“While in the mansion, I will protect this human’s safety, okay?”

“Lady Beatrice…!”

With a seemingly bored response, Beatrice had Ram bite her lip in indignation.

Glancing at Beatrice, who had remained aloof, she looked up at the tall silhouette of Roswaal standing beside her,

“Roswaal. Your servant is being impolite to your guest. As the lord of this mansion, what sort of judgment do you have regarding this?”

In response to that, Roswaal briefly furrowed his brow. However, he quickly regained his usual composure, closing one eye while shrugging.

“It’s certainly regrettable. If possible, I would like to welcome him as a guest right away. If he were to vent his feelings and lighten his heart, then I would very much welcome it.”

“…That guy was in Beatrice’s Forbidden Library last night. Hence, he should have no connection to this matter.”

“The focus of the matter is no longer there. Beatrice, you surely understand that much, don’t you?”

The negotiations failed, and keeping his shoulders shrugging, Roswaal faced up, palms turned skyward. Suddenly, multicolored glimmers began to erupt in his hands.

Even with no knowledge of magic, Subaru was made aware that it was a visualization of concentrated magical power.

Red, blue, yellow, green—while he could not comprehend just how extraordinary this display was,

Beatrice let out a small huff at Roswaal’s performance.

“Still as crafty as ever, aren’t you? With just a bit of talent, some effort more than others, and just a tad bit of noble lineage and mentoring… Do you really think that’s enough to escape being the jack of all trades?”

“Still as harsh as ever, huh? Though, it wouldn’t be a lie to say I’ve yearned to test just how different you’d be from those of us constantly advancing through a stilled room.”

An overwhelming atmosphere surged between them, creating an illusion of distortion in the air around Subaru.

Unknowingly, these two were boosting each other’s fighting spirit while leaving Subaru, the very subject of their conflict, behind.

He had no idea why things had reached this point. Yet, he also couldn’t seem to speak the words to stop them.

“Though, I must wonder just how deeply you care for him.”

“Let’s save the jokes for our peculiarities, shall we, Roswaal? My ideal is still that very person—Rem. That human? Not charming enough, nor hairy enough, is he?”

While displaying visible magical energy, Roswaal lifted the air, yet Beatrice stood her ground without showing any apparent reaction.

However, Subaru could feel an overwhelming phenomenon occurring around the girl, warping the space around her, despite her seeming to stand still.

It was merely the residue of gathered power, but just imagining the power it contained made his spine shiver.

“Why go this far?”

“Contracts are absolute. Should it be broken, Beatrice will cease to be Beatrice. Being honest with one’s contract takes priority over all else.”

In response to Roswaal’s words, Beatrice echoed, “That’s true,” and continued.

“If you were the one who orchestrated this situation, using your contract with Beatrice, it would make for a dreadful conman, I suppose.”

“I’m not! I had no such intention…!”

Casting a sidelong glance at Subaru, Beatrice turned her expressionless eyes away.

Subaru had intended to approach her from the standpoint of concern for phenomena relating to his causes of death.

Absolutely, he was never hoping for things to arrive at such an absurd point.

“It doesn’t matter, all of that is irrelevant!”

Stomping her foot, Ram forced her way into the conversation.

With all eyes on her, she held her skirt’s hem tightly.

“Don’t get in the way, let me through. If you know anything about Rem’s end… then spill it all. Help Ram… save Rem!”

It was a painful plea, yet Subaru had no words to return.

Silence afforded him cuts of rage and disappointment. That, too, was barred from reaching Subaru and was intercepted once more.

“Sorry, Ram. Even so, I’m going to trust Subaru.”

Standing alongside Beatrice, it was Emilia who restrained Ram.

She extended her hand toward Ram’s shoulder, with Pack perched atop it, and stepped toward Subaru, casting her gaze momentarily downward in search of words.

“Subaru, please… If you can save Ram and Rem, would you share everything?”

Encompassed by the warmth of her feelings, Subaru felt shame for his own insignificance.

Even upon arriving at this point, Emilia tried so hard to stay by Subaru’s side. Despite Subaru displaying horribly selfish behavior in this loop and presently remaining silent about matters that mattered most to him.

And he felt weak for not being able to return her kindness in any manner.

“Sorry—”

In the moment he uttered that, he allowed himself to back off to create distance between them.

In an instant, Emilia’s hand reached out as if attempting to stop him. But before it could reach Subaru, it was redirected toward intercepting the blade of wind that had been unleashed, rendering it impossible for anyone to restrain Subaru’s movements.

“Subaru—!”

Shaking off the calling voice, Subaru barreled through the corridor without any regard. Even as he sensed the clash of magical powers behind him, he didn’t even have the courage to look back.

Despite Emilia having poured so much heart into him, Subaru did not have the courage to face that fear.

He was weak. Utterly fragile. So much so that he forsook every good intention and kindness, running away entirely for his own self-interest.

He no longer knew what he was supposed to do.

He had no idea where to go or how to think through things anymore.

Only—

“—I will definitely kill you!!”

The girl’s howl, filled with rage, echoed behind him like a scream rending the air.

The sound of a girl, half of her body lost, screaming her vengeance would only pursue him.

Thus, he fled, tucking his ears, shaking his head, voicing a soundless cry as he abandoned everything and ran.

He continued to run.