Chapter 116: To save you all, I am willing to die as many times as it takes
[ "I just feel like… Petra, aren't you getting a little too close?"
"Who told Big Sister to be so cunning, hogging Subaru all to herself just now? It's fine, isn't it?"
Petra was pressed tightly against Subaru's left side. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"The harem has grown again, hasn't it, Natsuki Subaru?"
Anastasia teased.
"An arsonist of hearts, nyaa~"
Felix laughed.
"No, wait, everyone…"
"…What is it? Emilia-sama."
Ram asked Emilia.
"This here…"
Emilia paused, and her next sentence silenced everyone—
"This is somewhat different from my memories."
"Oh〜 so it's〜 this moment〜"
Roswaal said meaningfully.
"Subaru-kun…"
Rem fell silent.
Truly, just as one wave settles, another rises.
—
[ "Um, that's not it, you know, Petra. Subaru and I just now, right, we were just discussing important matters…" Emilia said to Petra.
"Hmph, I absolutely won't lose to Big Sister."
Then, Emilia noticed Subaru's strange expression and spoke: "…Subaru, your expression is very strange? What's wrong?"
"I was thinking, thanks to Petra being here, it was a huge help. By the way, didn't you keep your promise and not leave Emilia-tan all alone? Amazing, amazing. Ah, after we settle down, I still have to express my gratitude to so many people… and there are mountains of problems piling up… um…"
Subaru blushed, looking too embarrassed to speak, but he spoke up anyway:
"Um, Emilia-tan… there is something very important I need to discuss with you."
"Mn, what is it?" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"How lewd〜"
Ram said from outside the screen.
"Assuming something is going on without proof, Miss Ram."
Otto retorted.
—
[ "It's something very difficult to say, but I hope you will listen to me. Of course, I've already prepared myself to make the same report to Ram and get sent flying… but I wanted Emilia-tan to know first."
"…Mn?"
"Actually… it's about Rem. Rem, well, towards me… you can vaguely guess, can't you? So, anyway, she said a lot to me…"
"Subaru, calm down. Talking like that makes it hard to know what you want to say, but I can see that Subaru is trying very hard. You are a good boy, so speak slowly, okay?"
"'You are a good boy' feels like a rather crushing evaluation! No, I'm acting too unmanly. Ah, I have to be decisive at a time like this! Um, just like how I said I like Emilia, Rem also said she likes me, so…" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"About Lady Rem… is it. But Lady Rem is already…"
Outside the screen, Julius fell silent.
"Understood, Barusu wants both of them. That makes sense, a good guess; Ram will indeed send Barusu flying."
"Sister!"
"After sending him flying, I will wish them happiness. After all, Ram cannot interfere with Rem's love."
Ram smiled faintly.
"But… Rem is so happy… to have such a place in Subaru-kun's eyes… but…"
But she couldn't accompany Subaru-kun on his adventures anymore.
Rem said in a low voice.
"So what comes next… Emilia-sama will presumably…"
Otto said.
—
[ "Subaru."
"Yes."
The two looked at each other.
Natsuki Subaru's gaze was firm, while Emilia looked confused…
"…Who is Rem?" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"…"
"…"
"…"
Everyone fell silent.
Actually, with a little thought, one could surmise that given Subaru's personality, he would definitely commit suicide to restart.
Since he can restart, he can change everything… that was how it should have been.
But Emilia indicated her memories didn't match.
This meant that Subaru would attempt to kill himself to restart later, but the save point had already been updated.
"Rem… doesn't need Subaru-kun to go to such lengths for Rem…"
"…So, little Rem wants to rest eternally just like this, sleeping forever, and not continue to stay by Subaru's side?"
Felix said.
"No, that's not it, absolutely not, Felix-sama. Rem wants to…"
"Ferris-chan understands what you want to say. Since that's the case, then accept what Subaru-kun does for you. There needs to be someone who remembers little Rem, specifically Subaru, to save little Rem."
"By the way, one moment you're saying a man's reckless bravado will trample on the feelings of his beloved, and the next you're saying to accept Natsuki-san's actions…"
"That's called acting according to the situation."
Felix pouted and responded to Otto.
—
[ "It's too tragic." The scene shifted, arriving at night.
Emilia looked at the tragic state before her and spoke.
In front of them, the White Whale Subjugation Force responsible for transporting the White Whale's corpse was in shambles.
The dead were dead, the injured were injured.
"What on earth happened?"
Subaru observed his surroundings.
And in the next moment…
"NO!!" A miserable scream caught Subaru's attention.
He saw Felix lying on top of the fallen Crusch, weeping bitterly. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"This is… what happened while I was unconscious…"
Crusch said from outside the screen.
"Sigh… it seems that every time, Ferris-chan's reaction is the same."
Felix sighed and said.
This wasn't the loop where they broke through, but Felix's behavior on the screen was no different from his behavior in the successful loop.
—
[ "Rem…?" Subaru searched for Rem with a pained expression.
"Where is Rem?!" He began to run, searching everywhere, but hit dead ends at every turn.
"…Rem, where on earth are you… Re… Rem?!"
After searching for a long time, Subaru finally found Rem lying off to the side.
He rushed to Rem's side and shook her shoulders.
"Rem, Rem, Rem!"
But no matter how he shook her, there was no reaction.
This was only natural, because Rem was already in the "Sleeping Beauty" state.
"You know her?" An unfamiliar male voice.
Subaru turned his head; it was a healer.
"I know her! She is Rem. She's still alive, right? Why won't she wake up!"
The healer lowered his head and said in a heavy voice: "I regret to say, there is nothing more to be done. No matter the treatment, she will not wake up."
"Why?! Do you call yourself a healer?! If you're a healer, then cure her! Use magic to make her wake up quickly!" Subaru grabbed the healer by the collar, speaking as if threatening him.
But the healer remained silent.
What this meant was obvious.
"I beg you…" Subaru knelt weakly on the ground.
But there was still hope.
He saw a broken sword nearby… ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Natsuki-san is indeed…"
Otto showed a sorrowful expression.
"Subaru-kun…"
—
[ Picking up the broken sword, there was no doubt about what he intended to do.
He pressed the broken sword against his own neck—
"If I die right now, I'll have to fight 'Sloth' all over again… even so, I don't care."
As he spoke, he pierced his neck, and fresh blood flowed out.
"No matter how many times, I will fight him, and I will defeat him… Emilia and Rem, I want to save both of them. I won't let them die—to save you all, I am willing to die as many times as it takes."
Natsuki Subaru's battle continues. ]
.....