Flashback – Subaru's POV
Subaru's eyes opened slowly to a blurry image—Rem screaming at Beatrice as they hovered over his body.
"…to give up?" he could hear her faint voice through the static of his foggy mind. His eyes began to close again as he faintly heard Rem pleading.
"Is there no other way to save…"
"...All, I suppose."
Subaru's eyes fought the darkness and opened again. He was greeted by the faint image of a white hand clutching his own—one of the hands that had saved him from nightmares in the previous loop. A hand that had given him comfort and warmth since the absence of his parents in this new and unforgiving world.
"You can do as you like with him now."
His eyes failed him once more as they were forced closed.
Darkness.
His eyes opened again—this time blinded by a white world. An emptiness of blinding light pierced into his retinas. Amid it, he heard a soft, resolved, and determined voice speaking to him as if he were an object of worship. Strangely familiar. Strangely comforting.
"He was right. I swear I'll save you… with or without help. You'll live."
His eyes began to close once more as darkness blanketed him again.
***
Flashback End
Rem was walking through the forest. A red aura surrounded her horned form. She glared forward, pushing through bushes, bleeding all over.
"I have to do this alone… no one else needs to get hurt anymore," she grunted, limping.
***
Subaru groaned and kept walking, Ram beside him and Toyota trailing behind.
Toyota had been chatting with the system for a while now, finally settling on a plan for what he wanted to buy in the near future.
Of course, pulling out his phone in front of the others was a no-go. Ram would probably assume it was some kind of metia, and Subaru—well, considering he'd been isekaied around 2012 (judging by when the original web novel dropped)—might start thinking Toyota was from the future. Especially since back then, Subaru had a flip phone. A high-end flip phone, sure, but still a flip phone.
So, to avoid any suspicion, Toyota had the system project a holographic screen only he could see.
Nice and discreet.
Scrolling and tapping on the prompt using only his eyes was infuriating. He accidentally hit several wrong buttons, which made him utterly furious.
If I were back on Earth, I'd have thrown my controller by now.
After a few minutes, he finally got the hang of it.
"System, show me abilities I can buy."
A long list of abilities appeared, and it was clear he'd be scrolling for a while to find the one he wanted.
"Hey, can I ask what that 'hornless' thing you just mentioned means?" Subaru asked, trying to kill the awkward silence. Toyota had been zoning out, lost in thought, and Ram had been walking like an emotionless killer.
Ram looked down, a faint frown tugging at her lips.
"Nothing special. Just as it sounds. It's another name for a foolish demon who lost their horn. I got into a bit of trouble and lost my only horn. I've relied on Rem for everything ever since."
Subaru looked down, guilt flickering across his face.
"I guess I shouldn't have asked, huh?"
"Why?"
"Well… I didn't know how important horns are to the race you call demons… but I assume it's a pretty serious problem. I thought asking about it might've been insensitive."
Ram continued walking, seemingly unaffected by the conversation.
"Back then, it was one thing… but now, things have calmed down. There are things I've gained, and lives I've saved by losing my horn. I'm sure Rem doesn't feel the same way, though."
"Huh?"
Ram stopped and turned to explain to the boy.
"Originally, members of the demon race had two horns. But twins are born with one horn each. Because of that, twins are detested. It's customary to dispose of them immediately after birth. But Rem and I… were allowed to live. A demon's horn awakens its instincts and allows it to devour mana, heightening its combat ability. But if one is reckless, the recoil will leave them battered."
***
Rem was laughing maniacally, flinging her arms wildly as she smashed open one of the dogs' ribcages. Intestines wrapped around her wrist as she viciously yanked her right arm out of its body, ripping its entire stomach through the fist-sized hole in its abdomen. Seemingly unaware of her own condition, she smiled—her teeth barely visible as her grin stretched unnaturally high, making her look sinister.
She continued to crush the dogs brave enough to approach her with her mace, lost in a bloodlust-driven frenzy. Each stomp she made sent shockwaves through the ground, creating craters beneath her feet. Over fifty dead dogs surrounded her, their bodies arranged almost like a twisted ring. Anything that came near was inevitably blown back by the wrecking ball of death she had become.
***
"Are you worried because you care for Rem?"
"Of course I am. It's true she's stronger than I am, but that's no reason not to worry about her. No matter what we're told to do, she does it far better. But I'm her older sister. I won't ever waver from that position," Ram said with a resolute expression.
Subaru looked at her for a moment before smiling. "Okay, I get it. I've got an idea, so don't worry. We'll bring Rem back safely."
He slowed his pace to walk beside Toyota, who seemed to have concluded his thoughts and looked disappointed—like someone who had gone all-in and lost everything.
Toyota had finally managed to find the one ability he wanted to work toward—an ability that broke the foundation of the world's laws. It could reverse cause and effect by rewriting them. One cause. One effect. All it took was a change.
Rewriting reality.
In the anime, Pandora had used it to undo her death by rewriting where she had been standing—essentially teleporting. The applications were limitless. If he couldn't have any other ability, he wanted this one. Not just for its hacks—but for its utility.
But when he finally found it…
Pandora's Authority of Vainglory – 10,000,000 Points Required
Why is it so ridiculously high? Subaru's the main character and we're almost friends. I've gotten 800 points from him. An extra, such as a villager, would probably be divided by 100... so maybe 2 points for a positive impression? I'd need to get almost five million people to have a good impression of me to earn this. It's ridiculous. After all that scrolling… it amounts to nothing.
[Host has forgotten about the missions, point rewards, and also: if host is looking for something specific, all you have to do is ask.]
Are you serious? After all of that ridiculous conditioning to stare at the button and roll my eyes every time I wanted to scroll—when I finally finish, you tell me this now? Are you a sadist? Also, how can I complete those missions with absolutely no ability? It's utterly ridiculous. You're scamming me. Don't I get a newbie package or something?
[Host, you have—in a way—already been given the newbie package. As for whether I am a sadist, I simply don't wish to respond unless it's to a direct question.]
Subaru whispered, "I have a plan."
Looking depressed and despondent, Toyota managed to mutter, "Plan?"
"Yeah. I'm going to attempt to tell you guys my ability. It'll increase my Witch's Scent. The dogs will be drawn to it. What do you think?"
Toyota's entire demeanor shifted to fear, but after a few seconds of contemplation, he mumbled, "I do want to test something… but I'd rather it be in a safer environment."
He then spoke louder, "If we're going to attempt your plan, we need to be in an open area where we can maneuver."
Subaru gave a grim smile. "I have the perfect place."
At first, when Toyota heard Subaru's plan, he panicked—his mind flashing back to that horrific scene of Subaru clutching Emilia's lifeless body, the aftermath of him forcing himself to speak. But then he remembered—that only happened when Subaru was prepared to kill himself. Right now, he wasn't.
That meant Satella would likely just stop him from finishing his sentence.
Still... Toyota had another suspicion. Ever since seeing the favorability meter, he'd been uneasy. Given Satella's current affection, to put it mildly, he doubted she would actually kill Him even if he did try to speak with that same suicidal resolve.
That led to a more intriguing question: if Subaru and Toyota were alone, would Subaru be able to talk freely? And what if Toyota tried to reveal it instead? Would Satella stop him, or would he be safe because of the system?
His curiosity itched at him, louder than his fear.
They finally reached the spot Subaru had picked—and Toyota recognized it instantly.
No wonder Subaru looked like that.
This was the place.
The cliff.
Where he had committed suicide last loop.
Where he had been tortured to death the one before.
Where sharp rocks jutted out beneath the cliff face like a deathtrap.
A semi-circle of trees surrounded them. It was open enough to move… but not easy to escape.
"Subaru, I'm going to test something. Tell me if you notice anything afterward."
Subaru tilted his head slightly, confused. "Huh?"
Toyota turned toward Ram.
"Ram, did you know Subaru can retur—"
THAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGG
Time stopped.
All sound ceased.
The only things he could hear were two heartbeats—his and Subaru's.
The wind, which had been gently rustling the treetops, froze mid-sway.
Ram, mid-step, was suspended like a puppet held in place by invisible wires.
Subaru's face was twisted in a mix of terror and curiosity.
His eyes were the only part of him that moved—slow, wide, tracking something Toyota couldn't see.
Toyota's body wouldn't move. His limbs were numb.
Only his eyes darted around, frantically trying to understand what was happening.
Subaru was clearly watching something—something approaching.
Toyota couldn't see it, but he could feel it.
A warm, gaseous sensation wrapped around his neck.
At first, it felt like a hand.
But as it slithered, coiling around him again and again, it felt more like a snake.
His heart pounded faster. Panic surged. The coiling tightened—just slightly.
Then something soft—warm—pressed against his lips.
A finger.
It felt playful, almost teasing. A shushing gesture.
But beneath that softness was a threat.
A warning.
System. Help. he thought, desperate.
But instead, a strange sense of comfort seeped into him—soothing and terrifying all at once.
His consciousness slipped like a stone into water.
Then—
Reality snapped back.
Time resumed.
Ram stumbled, eyes darting around. Birds exploded from the trees, screeching in alarm.
"What was that?!" she shouted, grabbing Toyota by the collar as he choked and wheezed, gasping for air.
The Witch had been watching. Watching both him and Subaru.
She'd most likely grabbed his neck with one of her shadowy hands.
Toyota reached up, touching his neck. No marks. No bruises. Nothing.
But he felt it—like the phantom pressure of a nightmare that clings after waking.
Subaru stepped between them, separating Ram and Toyota.
"You okay?" he whispered.
"Yeah… I think so."
Toyota blinked, still dizzy. "Did you see what did that?"
"Yeah. It was some long… shadow arm. Hard to make out since I couldn't turn my head. But there were more than ten of them. Two wrapped around your neck. The rest just hovered above you, like sentinels."
He let out a laugh, dry and humorless. "At least it wasn't your heart. You got the more quirky version."
Toyota managed a weak chuckle. "That's… one way to describe it."
Ram's voice cut in, sharp and suspicious. "Stalker. What did you do?"
"Just a terrifying test," Toyota groaned, still holding his throat.
Suddenly, the wind shifted—erratic, wild.
Ram's nose twitched. "The beasts are coming. A lot of them. And we still haven't found Rem."
"Actually, Ram…" Subaru began, just as a deep growl echoed from the trees.
GRRRRRRRRR…
"They're coming," he said. "Because we led them here."
"What?" Ram's eyes narrowed.
"We wanted to take some of the pressure off Rem," Toyota added. "Draw them toward us."
Ram stared at them like they'd both grown extra heads.
"Just like a tower defense," Toyota grinned.
Subaru lit up. "Exactly! Like a tower defense! What's your favorite? Mine is Plants vs. Zombies."
"You've got good taste! A classic."
"What do you mean 'classic'? It only came out a few months ago—"
"ENOUGH!" Ram snapped, cutting them both off.
"I don't know how you drew them here, but there are possibly thousands of those mutts! My original plan was to find Rem and escape, not slaughter every last one! If I knew this was happening, I'd have enlisted fighters from Arlam Village. Not… a stalker and Barusu."
"Hey!" Subaru yelped. "Why did you emphasize me more than the stalker?!"
(AN: Long chapter for my most distinguished readers🎩, From here on out, I'm locking in and focusing on defining and developing the characters. I have an idea that I want to implement. some of you may not get it, but those of you who do will have a field day soon.
I've also set an official release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Bonus chapters will drop on Saturdays if my demands are met. 🔫
Trade deal:
You give me 50 power stones, and I give you a bonus chapter.
Sounds fair, right?)