Boom—
A small transport ship ascended from the Frozen Forest, breaking through the atmosphere and returning to orbit—docking with the massive Starfleet vessel stationed above the planet.
Clack—
The bridge doors opened, and two Angeloids carefully placed a large block of ice onto the floor—inside of which was the frozen form of Emilia.
Even after a long journey through varying temperatures, not a trace of the ice had melted. Frosty mist still radiated outward from her body.
"Commander, we couldn't find a safe way to thaw her out, so we brought her here for you," Kanae said apologetically.
Emilia had sealed herself using runaway magic. The team wasn't confident in releasing her without causing damage—so they reported directly to Setsuna.
"It's fine. You all did well. Leave it to us."
Setsuna studied the ice-encased beauty before him.
Emilia—the first heroine of the Re:Zero world.
She had once lived as a member of an elven tribe deep within the forest. Over a hundred years ago, the Witch of Vanity and the Archbishop of Greed had attacked, followed by the Black Serpent—one of the Three Great Witchbeasts.
In the brutal battle that followed, the Witch of Vanity rewrote reality, the Archbishop of Sloth went mad, and Emilia lost control—her unleashed mana freezing herself and the entire Elior Forest.
She had remained frozen for over a century. Based on the current timeline—when Ram and Rem were still lolis—it would be another seven or eight years before the events of Re:Zero even began.
"Tohru," Setsuna said, gesturing to the dragon girl.
Tohru raised her hand and activated a magic circle.
Hummmm—
A surge of warm energy spread outward.
The frost encasing Emilia began to melt away.
Since her ice was formed by magical overflow, it didn't leave behind any water—it evaporated instantly into mist.
Shua—
Before long, the ice had completely vanished.
The silver-haired girl lying on the floor twitched slightly—her lips and fingers moving, her chest rising and falling in faint, shallow breaths.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, revealing a pair of beautiful violet irises.
She sat up weakly, rubbing her head.
Her body was still stiff, unable to stand, so she remained seated, staring blankly at her surroundings.
"Where… am I?"
She looked around at the metallic, futuristic interior of the ship, then at Mio and Tohru, both strangers to her.
"Here, put this on first."
Setsuna handed her a one-piece dress.
Her clothes had long since disintegrated into dust during the thawing process, a detail she seemed completely unaware of.
Unbothered, she sat there in full view—her smooth, flawless white skin and delicate frame drawing immediate attention.
"Commander, you've been staring a little too long," Tohru teased. "That's more than the time you spent looking at Shalltear earlier…"
"Ahem, Shalltear had padding. Nothing to see there," Setsuna replied, clearing his throat.
"Yah—"
Blushing slightly, Emilia quickly dressed herself.
She smoothed out her long silver hair and looked at Setsuna with innocent curiosity, her tone soft and airy.
"Um… may I ask… where is this? Who are you people? And… why am I here?"
"..."
"Emilia, do you remember anything?" Setsuna asked gently, crouching to meet her gaze.
"Me?"
Emilia blinked, closing her eyes to think. She pressed her hand to her head, trying to recall her past.
But her memories were hazy and fragmented. Aside from her name, she couldn't remember anything clearly.
"I'm sorry… I only know my name. I think… I lived in a forest with a lot of people… and then… something happened…"
"Other than that, I can't remember anything…"
Her expression turned pained.
"W-What's happening to me…?"
"It's alright."
Setsuna gently patted her head and sighed.
"It's fine if you can't remember right now."
As expected, Emilia's memories had been tampered with by the Witch of Vanity.
The Witch had invaded the elven tribe in hopes of using Emilia to unseal the power hidden deep within the forest. However, when Emilia lost control, the Witch's plan failed. Before retreating, she altered Emilia's memories—leaving her recollection of past events fragmented and unclear.
"We've been searching for you for a long time—to bring you out of that place."
"As for what happened before, you don't need to force yourself to remember. Leave that to us."
"I'll protect you."
Setsuna's tone was gentle.
"Oh…"
"Thank you… may I know your name?"
Emilia's voice was soft and airy.
Even after being frozen for over a century, her mind was still childlike and innocent. She blinked curiously at the man before her—instinctively sensing that he meant no harm.
She extended her hand, letting Setsuna help her to her feet.
"I'm the Commander of the Starsea Empire. Welcome to the Empire."
"We still have a few matters to handle in this world, so stay here for a while."
Setsuna gave her a brief introduction.
"Later, I'll take you—and the others—back to the capital."
Since it was still early in the timeline, most of the characters were still in their loli phase.
—Emilia's innocent air made her almost indistinguishable from one herself.
"Belfast, take her for a bath, get her some food, and a new outfit. Oh, and have the Angeloids recreate her original style—make sure to include the thigh-high boots and absolute territory!"
He called the royal maids over to attend to Emilia.
"Oh my, what a lovely young lady! Are you an elf?"
Dido and Sirius tilted their heads curiously, examining Emilia.
"I… I'm not—no…"
Emilia immediately flinched, shaking her head nervously as if someone had hit a nerve.
"It's alright. We have plenty of elves here. Even witches, too."
Setsuna patted her head reassuringly.
Emilia had always been sensitive about her half-elf heritage—aware that she was somehow different from others.
But within the Starsea Empire, there was no prejudice toward race or appearance. Human, elf, or otherwise—it didn't matter.
"Come, don't be shy. Let's get you cleaned up—what would you like to eat? Chocolate? Desserts? Or a proper meal?"
The royal maids' warmth and elegance quickly won her over.
"Eh? What's this? And that? … A ship? A flying ship? We're… floating in the sky? Outer space?! What?!"
The freshly awakened native was utterly overwhelmed by a mild case of interstellar shock.
...
"Hmm…"
"Commander, regarding the Witches of this world…"
After settling Emilia, Mio, Tohru, and Elma gathered before Setsuna.
In the Re:Zero world, the true threats weren't just the Witch Cult and its deadly Sin Archbishops. The masterminds behind everything—the ones responsible for Emilia's frozen slumber, and even for summoning Subaru and granting him Return by Death—were the Witches of Sin themselves.
Each bore the name of a deadly sin—Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, and others—but their power far eclipsed that of their mortal counterparts.
Four hundred years ago, the Witch of Envy had consumed half the world, forcing the combined might of the Divine Dragon, the Sage, and the First Sword Saint merely to seal her away.
The Witch of Gluttony created the three great calamity beasts that terrorized the world for centuries.
The Witch of Vanity possessed the terrifying ability to rewrite reality itself.
"Once the other squads finish their assignments, it'll be our turn," Setsuna said, skimming through the files.
"We might need to cross time itself to deal with them."
"Oh, so we're not skipping the witches either," Tohru said casually, swishing her tail. "Good. Those Sin Archbishops were way too weak—I didn't even feel like moving. Kanae and Albedo can handle them. The witches, though—they're worth my time."
"Mio," Setsuna turned toward the silver-haired girl beside him, "the Witch of Vanity's authority resembles yours. I'll leave her to you."
"..."
The Spirit of Origin smiled softly.
"Don't worry, my husband," she said sweetly. "I'll be happy to test whose reality-altering power is stronger."
...
After completely conquering the Kingdom of Lugnica, the Great Tomb's undead army rested briefly before marching north under Albedo's command.
Their next target: the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko.
Just like in the previous campaign, the undead legions advanced with unstoppable momentum, cutting a straight path toward the capital of the Holy Kingdom.
If even Reinhard—the strongest being of this world—could not stop the Great Tomb's army, the far less formidable Holy Kingdom stood no chance.
Soon after—
At the borders of the Holy Kingdom's capital, snow blanketed the land as blizzards swept through the northern reaches.
Here, the Holy Kingdom's army assembled for a decisive battle against the undead.
Across the frozen plains, thousands of soldiers and mages stood at the ready—the nation's entire military strength gathered in one place. Compared to Lugnica, the Holy Kingdom's magical capabilities were far more advanced.
The battlefield bristled with spellcasters chanting in unison. Having received reports that their enemy was an undead legion, they had prepared a vast array of light-based and purification spells drawn from ancient texts—Holy Light, Dispel, Consecration—each designed specifically to counter the undead.
Even their weapons and armor had been imbued with holy enchantments, so much so that even a glancing strike could reduce a lesser undead to ash.
The Holy King himself, along with his nobles and generals, stood at the front lines, radiating confidence as they awaited the Great Tomb's arrival.
"The Kingdom of Lugnica relied solely on its Sword Saint. Its soldiers had no combat effectiveness against the undead and instead became nourishment for them."
"Watch closely. We'll show you how the Holy Kingdom deals with these abominations."
At the king's command, the mages began chanting in a strange tongue, layering enchantments upon themselves and their troops—dozens of visible buffs stacking one atop another.
Their weapons and staves gleamed with divine brilliance, emanating an aura of sacred majesty.
Some of the high-ranking magi even summoned angelic projections—radiant beings wielding scepters, soaring over the ranks, greatly boosting morale.
They prepared for close combat, determined to prove their divine power against the undead.
Meanwhile, from a distance, the Great Tomb's army watched with intrigue.
"Oh~ They sure know a lot of fancy spells. Way more than the Lugnica soldiers," Lupusregina remarked, leaning forward to watch through her scope.
"And angels too? Huh. Maybe level twenty or thirty at best. Albedo, think Shalltear could take one of those?"
"...Why me again? But fine—angels are easier than the Sword Saint."
"Flashy," Albedo muttered dismissively, raising her hand.
"Prepare for full magical bombardment."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Shua—
The Pleiades, Antilene, and the Nation-Destroying Loli unrolled their scrolls, locking onto the enemy formation as they channeled energy.
[Super-Tier Magic: Fallen Down!]
[Super-Tier Magic: Wind of Corruption!]
[Super-Tier Magic: Unnamed Seraph Empyrean Summoning!]
...
Boom!
Rumble—!
In an instant, a rain of super-tier and high-tier spells descended upon the Holy Kingdom's army.
Explosions tore across the snowy plains, engulfing the entire front line.
Within seconds, the formation collapsed.
After one wave of magical bombardment, the undead legions charged forward, beginning their ground sweep.
"???"
The Holy Kingdom's commanders were dumbfounded.
Albedo's modern-meets-arcane tactics struck them like a dimensional rift.
They had never imagined that warfare—even in a magical world—had evolved to this degree. In the interstellar age, there was only one rule: overwhelming firepower was justice.
Before long, the Holy Kingdom's capital fell. Death Knights dragged up the nobles, bound tightly in chains.
"Take them away," Albedo ordered casually, glancing at her map.
"Administrative duties go to Lana. Regroup the army—we march south next to conquer the Holy Kingdom of Vollachia. The Kararagi City-States will be handled by the Chaldea unit."
"Additionally, Antilene, Evileye—there are some recruitment targets within the Holy Kingdom. Handle it."
"Understood!"
After a brief period of rest, the undead army began their southern campaign.
Their mission was clear: conquer the world with maximum efficiency in minimal time.
...
Meanwhile—
As the Great Tomb waged war across the Re:Zero world, the other squads were equally busy with their own missions—rescue operations, gathering individuals from across the land.
After rescuing Emilia, Ram, Rem, and the rest of the main cast, the next phase was locating the remaining scattered individuals across the world.
Using Sophon-based tracking, the squads precisely pinpointed each target's location.
"Yo, you must be Elsa Granhiert?"
In a small town in the eastern region of the Holy Kingdom, the Nation-Destroying Loli and Antilene located a black-haired, violet-eyed woman hiding in a secluded den.
Though still young, her body was already mature, her revealing outfit accentuating her figure perfectly. The air around her exuded danger—clearly, many had already fallen prey to her blades.
"Oh~ I know you two. You're from that so-called Starsea Empire, right? The one that just conquered the Holy Kingdom?"
Elsa rose to her feet, subtly drawing two curved daggers from her clothes, a teasing smile curling across her lips.
"Someone hired me to take care of you. I didn't expect you to come knocking yourselves."
"Hehe~ I can't wait to slice open your stomachs and see what's inside~"
"..."
The Nation-Destroying Loli tilted her head, unimpressed.
"I thought the Guardians of the Great Tomb were already insane, but you might actually top them."
"Forget it. We'll talk about your employer later—come on then."
Boom—! Crack—!
Two minutes later.
The "Bowel Hunter" was trussed up like a rice dumpling and tossed to a waiting Death Knight.
"Take her back. We'll have her re-educated. I'll deal with her employer myself. Honestly… the nerve of taking this kind of job."
"..."
Elsa's expression twitched.
"How was I supposed to know you people were this absurdly strong…?"
"Maybe we should make her a torture officer later—it suits her talents," Evileye muttered, half-joking.
Meanwhile, Angeloids piloted small transport craft, continuously retrieving new recruits from the surface.
The Demon Slayer Corps, Night Raid, and Goblin Slayer units all continued their own recruitment missions.
"Hey, Liliana—you want to be a songstress, right? Come on, we can give you a much better stage. You're with the Muse Company? Name your price, we'll buy it outright."
"Petra Leyte? Huh, still a little loli? But this kid's got magic aptitude…"
"..."
Having studied this world thoroughly before deployment, the recruitment process proceeded smoothly.
Every time, the squads offered deals perfectly tailored to their targets' desires—winning them over willingly.
And once aboard the ships, witnessing the technology of the interstellar age, all were left utterly speechless.
The allure of galactic civilization was irresistible—its technology, its mysteries—enchanting to both mages and scholars alike.
...
Meanwhile—
At the border between the Kingdom of Lugnica and the Vollachia Empire—
Hic—
"I'm so full… so full…"
In a small frontier town, Yunyun leaned back after stuffing herself at a tavern meal, letting out a satisfied burp.
Beside her, Megumin, Komori, and Komekko were still devouring food with bottomless appetites—as if their stomachs were dimensional portals.
"Next up, we have Erika performing 'STYX HELIX'—hope you enjoy it~~!"
"We're Axel Hearts! Please support us!"
On the tavern's small stage, a cute pink-haired girl and her companions began performing a beautiful song.
"Woooooooh—!!"
The crowd erupted into cheers. Their music was mesmerizing, their instruments dazzling—keyboard, guitar, bass, drum set…
None of these instruments even existed in the Re:Zero world.
The Axel Hearts' performance captivated everyone—so much that even the Crimson Demon lolis began singing along.
Within moments, the small tavern was packed wall-to-wall with excited spectators.
"Did you hear? They're idols from another world! No wonder their songs sound so good!"
"Yeah, and I've never heard anything like that before…"
"I don't know either. The songs on the setlist don't sound familiar to me. Supposedly, they're all big hits in other worlds… Let's see—'aLIEz,' 'Todokanai Koi'? What even are these…?"
The crowd murmured curiously among themselves.
Before long, all attention was drawn back to Axel Hearts, their energy sweeping through the tavern like wildfire. The audience clapped and cheered, completely enthralled.
The atmosphere was electric.
"Ah… what a peaceful day."
Not far away, Princess Iris sat on a chair, sipping her drink leisurely.
The Konosuba Squad had been living quite comfortably lately.
They'd spent their time sightseeing, traveling from city to city—roaming across the beautiful landscapes of the Re:Zero world.
The Crimson Demon lolis had eaten their way through nearly every famous dish in the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Axel Hearts, originally an idol group from the Konosuba world, had decided to revive their career here—bringing interstellar-era entertainment to the locals with state-of-the-art equipment.
Every concert they held was a sold-out event.
Everything was going perfectly.
No casualties. No danger. Everyone was happy. Every meal was delicious.
If life could just stay like this forever, Iris thought, that would be wonderful.
And yet, she couldn't shake the strange feeling that she was forgetting something…
"What was it again…?"
"Um…"
Yunyun poked her shoulder timidly.
"Captain, I've been meaning to remind you about something these past few days…"
"Shouldn't we, uh… be doing some actual work?"
"?"
Iris blinked in confusion—then froze as realization hit her.
Oh right. Why had the Commander sent her and the Konosuba Squad here in the first place?
And what was everyone else doing right now…?
Shua—
She opened her holographic display and checked the mission reports from the other teams.
Her face instantly paled.
During the Re:Zero expedition, every squad had been working diligently:
The Great Tomb Squad was conquering the world in a blaze of glory—earning the Commander's full attention.
The Demon Slayer, Night Raid, and Goblin Slayer squads were conducting special operations, recruiting key personnel for the Empire.
The Chaldea Squad was piloting Gundams and subjugating the city-states.
And her squad—the Konosuba Squad—had done absolutely nothing of importance.
They'd been eating, drinking, singing, dancing, and performing concerts.
All while burning through an absurd amount of the operations budget.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—!!"
The princess clutched her head, letting out a sharp, panicked scream.
"Everyone! On your feet! Assemble!"
"We're going to do something big!!"
—
—
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