Chapter Text
In the shadows of the abyss, sealed under a legend, sat two people.
Subaru: Haaa... It's so boring here…
The shadows of the shadow garden, swirled around him, protecting and keeping him here.
Satella: sorry, I didn't have much of a choice for IKEA shadow garden furniture
Satella appeared to have materialized from thin air.
Subaru: Gah! Why do you always appear randomly?!
Satella giggles as she gets close to Subaru.
Satella: i never left you, the shadow garden is only like 20 ft by 20ft
Subaru: It's so small!
Subaru thinks: Wait did she design it like that so we could just be closer together?
Satella: its 400 ft^2
Subaru: Oh ok, that makes much more sense... but whenever I walk, why does it feel like it's going on for infinity Satella-tan?
Satella: looping hallway and you can only see like 10 feet in front of you
Subaru: Ah that shoots down my old theory... so what do you want to do...?
Satella: you
Satella pauses
Subaru: S-Satella! He blushes
Satella: watch anime?
Subaru recovers from her pause leading to his misunderstanding.
Subaru: That works...!
Subaru gets up
Satella makes a TV, a loveseat, and popcorn appear in the shadow garden and asks: what do you want to watch?
Subaru: A loveseat? I thought you were going to choose a different seat, oh well! What about... Konosuba?
Satella: sure
They two watch, enjoying the antics of Kazuma and the others. A break from the horrors of the last 100 years of Subaru’s life.
Satella slowly over the show starts to get closer and closer to Subaru until she is sitting in his lap
Subaru now realizing what Satella has done, slowly warps his arms around her giving her a hug from behind.
Satella also starts to make the loveseat shrink, and Subaru does notice it.
After finishing the second season 2, they sit, waiting for season 3 to come out
While waiting, Satella asks: if you were Kazume, who would you date?
Subaru: Eh… no one, I’d probably wouldn’t get along with any of them, Aqua is rude, Megumin is a child, and darkness… yeah she’s a hard no, you?
Satella: hmmm, no one really, maybe the thief girl, but no one else, the only person for me is Subaru
Subaru could only blush
Now noticing that the loveseat is basically an armchair, Subaru speaks up.
Subaru: Is it just me or is the loveseat… getting a bit smaller…?
Satella looks at him confused, but inside knowing very well that it did
satella: no dear
Subaru: Are you sure? There! I just saw it get smaller!
Satella looks at him worried: Subaru, are you seeing things
she ruffles his white hair. Not soft and spiky like it was, but old and rough, like the old fur of a dying dog or cat.
Subaru: Tella-tan, you know I’m not seeing things! Haaa…
Subaru then starts to hug Satella tightly
Not expecting the hug, satella returns the hug after a second
Subaru: This… This feels nice
Satella: yes
Subaru: I love you Satella-tan
Satella: i love you too
Those words mean more to Subaru than one might think. Being called pride-kun for so long, and being told he was loved warmed his heart. It was the only thing keeping him from shattering in that cell.
Then in from the silence.
Satella: do you ever want to go back?
Subaru: Go back?
Subaru pulls back a little to see Satella’s face.
Satella: see Rem and Reinhard one more time?
Subaru: It's... it's complicated...
Subaru looks away with sadness
Satella: its okay dear
Satella pats his head
Subaru: No it isn't! I... I miss all of them so much…
Subaru has tears in his eyes.
Subaru: Maybe they'll have a better life without me...
Satella's heart hurt hearing this. The man who saved her life, gave her a reason, someone who didn’t see her as the one who caused the death of the elder’s daughter from her birth; hated himself.
Satella: funny you say that
Subaru: Huh?
Satella grins, thinking what she is going to say will make him feel better.
Satella: The Emilia camp has crumbled, Rem joined the Felt camp and after this age lust attacked, Ram, Clind, and Frederica all died.
she continued like it wasn’t a big deal.
Satella: The Felt camp is winning and the other camps have no platform after your final death.
Subaru: What…? What do you mean the camp is crumpled?
Subaru couldn’t believe what he just heard.
Satella: this age lust killed them all, Rem left the camp and joined Felt before that happened
Subaru started to break free from the hug. He had to get back. he had to save them
Subaru: No… no that couldn’t have… no!
Subaru begins to cry
Subaru: They couldn’t have all died! I… I have to save them! Send me back! I-I…
Satella pulls him into a hug that he can't escape: shhhhh, it is over, it's done, just rest
Satella cuddled him, trying to calm him down.
Subaru shaking his head: No it can’t be over! It just can’t! If I had been there… they would have survived!
He tries pushing Satella away
Satella: you were stuck in a death loop
Subaru: Y-yeah… but I would have found a way over!
Subaru squirmed in her grasp, much to his failure due to her eleven strength.
Satella: four months, 100 years, 300 loops...
Satelal whispered the time, how long he had been stuck, with tears in her eyes. How long he suffered, how long she let him suffer.
Subaru: If I… suffered, then they wouldn’t have to suffer
Satella: so time would stall forever
Satella just wanted him to be safe and happy, not to suffer.
Subaru looks away with shame embedded on his face
Satella: its okay dear, you can't always do everything
Subaru calmly pushes satella away.
Subaru: I… I just need some time alone… but I have a question… why did Rem leave the camp…?
Satella: from what i saw, she couldn't stand being around the others who are responsible for your death
Subaru was in shock.
Subaru: Even Ram? Her own sister?
Satella: yes, that was how angry she was, i am surprised she didn't kill them
Subaru: Can… can we see what’s going on with her?
He asked pleading, wanting to see that Rem was safe.
Subaru: If everyone is truly gone… then I just want to make sure that she’s safe
Satella makes the tv show show Rem. Rem is shown sparring with Reinhard, and she is losing.
Reinhard: You’re putting too much anger onto your fighting skills, Rem-san
Reinhard stands in a defensive position with a wooden training sword
Rem: Hah! Hah!
She swings her Morningstar at him somewhat wildly. A sideways strike, that would twist at the end to give to more power.
Rem: Damn it…
Reinhard deflects it, shattering the chain. Causing shrapnel to go everywhere.
Reinhard: Haa… what about defense?
Rem: Huma!
A decently strong barrier surrounds Rem
Reinhard grabs a stick and throws it to Rem’s barrier causing most of it to shatter
Reinhard: That is an extremely weak barrier
Rem jumps back and erects another barrier, prepared to evade should Reinhard throw something again
Rem: Shut up! This is the best I have! Even after all this…
I’m not strong enough. Nowhere near strong enough.
Reinhard worried for Rem: Rem-san? Maybe we should continue this tomorrow…?
Rem: Tsk! I have nothing else to do with my life right now! I need all the training I can get!
Reinhard throws another stick from a side, making it like a boomerang, breaking her barriers by the side
Reinhard: Yes but why? I thought you joined because you wanted to train to be better and after Subaru… and your former camp…
The boomerang goes even further and strikes Rem directly, sending her to the ground: Ack!
Rem: Your power…it’s not even fair
Rem: Yes! I couldn’t protect Subaru-kun! I suffered that humiliating defeat by that loathsome Gluttony! The Witch Cult killed my sister! And that cat…that wretched cat killed Subaru-kun! I have to…I have to… She seethes through her teeth. Her anger and frustration barely being contained within herself.
Reinhard: I’m trying to go easy on you, it’s hard, maybe I should be even more easier…?
Reinhard walks towards Rem and stretches his arm to help her
Rem: It doesn’t matter how easy you go on me. Your divine protections make it to where I can never land a strike on you. It’s not like you can disable it. And even if you did, it would only further show how weak I am
Rem refuses the hand, instead getting up on her own
Felt comes outside seeing the fight: blue sis, big bro would want you to rest some
Rem: …….Yes. Subaru-kun would tell me not to overwork myself. I suppose a small rest wouldn’t hurt. However, I must continue on
Felt: Red, please go easy on her
Reinhard: I could have done something… but I chose not to… because of my slothful nature…
Reinhard looks away with shame about Subaru’s death
Reinhard: Felix-san, I want to forgive him, but I cannot, we lost a hero because of him, but you mustn’t give into your anger to hunt him down, Subaru wouldn’t approve! The gluttony’s it’s a good thing they’re all dead.
Reinhard frowns at Rem
Reinhard: Rem you aren’t weak, most people have a sparring match with me and give up, you haven’t.
Reinhard turns to Rem after trying to correct Rem’s think: Of course Felt-sama, I’m just hoping to help her become even stronger
Then Reinhard turns back Rem.
Reinhard: Just please don’t put pressure on yourself
Rem: I cannot forgive him either. I’ll never forgive him. He’s bad…he’s just as awful and horrific as them…I will find him. One day I will find him
Rem turned away and talked to herself.
Rem: If only I had been given that power of the oni god. If I had…maybe I could push myself even further
Reinhard heard Rem talk to herself: But you shouldn’t give in to your vengeance, Subaru wouldn’t approve of it
Rem: I know, but I still must find him
Reinhard just looks away in disapproval
Rem looks past Reinhard towards Felt: What is for dinner Felt-sama?
Felt: Carol made waffles for dinner!
Reinhard: Waffles? I haven’t had those in a while, I am excited for it
Rem: Do you need assistance?
Felt: blue sis, relax some
Rem: Reinhard-sama, can we duel one more time before dinner is prepared?
Reinhard: Rem are you sure? You can use this time to rest
Reinhard: I’m just curious if it’s something you truly want…
Felt: blue sis, rest please, for big bro
Rem sighs and resigns herself: ...Fine, but I'm resuming right after dinner
Rem heads into the mansion
Reinhard: Felt-sama, I worry for Rem-san, she’s been… full of rage as of recently, it’s justified, it’s… what should we do?
Felt: you remembered how that Gluttony said he still could feel big bro memories, maybe we look into that
Reinhard tilts his head: What do you mean? Are you saying we should find Subaru’s memories?
Felt: the way it sounded was that big bro is still out there, just trapped or something, he went on about wanting the chance to eat them
Reinhard: So you’re saying… he’s alive?
Felt: yeah, you got to have one of those stupid divine protections to find him
Reinhard: I believe so, however, should we check in with the camp and most importantly Rem-san about this?
Felt: no, if we tell her that he is alive, she will probably break down
Reinhard: I agree, and considering how she works too hard and puts herself down too much…
Felt: alright, keep it a surprise, or I will finally land a hit on you, you hear me RED
Reinhard: I will Felt-sama, I just need to check out on where to find Subaru’s memories!
Felt: good
Reinhard: Where should I start to look?
Felt: call me crazy, but you know how big bro had that scent
Reinhard: Perhaps we can either ask Rem if she can detect the miasma or find someone to do it, but it’ll be difficult
Felt: i am saying we go to that sage tower you visited, maybe we can talk to the bitch who destroyed half the world or something
Reinhard: The sage tower? But… I failed to get it in last time… perhaps one last chance wouldn’t work
Felt: i am coming alone and Rem, but we are not telling her the real reason, maybe Gram and Gramps would come?
Felt: we should ask your gramps too if he would like to come along
Reinhard: Of course, it’s just… we haven’t gotten along well anymore since Subaru’s death
Reinhard: More help will come in handy, you’re right.
Felt: ya never gotten along with him, the sooner you two put ya difference besides ya, the better. maybe have one those manly emotional beat the shit out of each fights
Reinhard: You’re… you’re right Felt-sama, you go get the others, I’ll go talk to my grandfather
Felt: after waffles
Reinhard: Yes, after waffles. I’m very excited for them
…
As Rem walked back to her room, a familiar sight appeared in front of her, Subaru.
Subaru: Rem… why didn’t you run away…? Why did you let me die….?
Rem reaches her room and locks the door. She has let no one access this room ever since she moved into Reinhard's mansion. On a wall is a giant chalkbaord. On it lays her grand plans for how to defeat every single member of the Witch Cult and how to encounter and capture Felix.
Rem: No matter what Reinhard-sama and the others say, I can't stop now. I won't rest until Subaru-kun, and to some extent Nee-sama, are fully avenged.
She then notices Subaru and begins to cry: Subaru-kun...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you when that wretched half-cat murdered you in cold blood. I promise...I'll properly avenge you. Please...give me a little more time
Hallucination Subaru: It hurts… I wish you were by my side… when I finally died… but thank you for this…
Then Felix appeared, with fear in his face: Please! Show mercy! I didn’t know!
Rem snaps her head to the side to look at Felix
Rem: Shut up you loathsome half-cat!
Rem returns her gaze back to Subaru
Rem: Subaru-kun...me too. Hah...I know you're fake, but you look so real. I want to reach out and touch you...
She puts her hands out in a zombie-like fashion and tries to hug him, but his image fades when her hands come into contact with him.
Subaru smiles at her as his face vanishes leaving Rem
Rem starts to talk to herself: Right...so today's training hasn't gotten me really anywhere. But my barrier didn't crack quite as badly today, so that is progress. If only I could somehow increase my mana pool, or learn more spells. Then I could stand a better chance against Reinhard-sama. But how? How do I get stronger? Barely anything has changed this past month
Ram appeared next to her.
Ram: You can ask Felt-sama about any mages that are in second place since they’re not better than Roswaal-sama, Rem then maybe you can avenge Barusu, Ram, and then improve!
Rem: That's a good idea Nee-sama. Where did Roswaal even go anyway? I can't imagine him being killed by the Witch Cultists unlike the rest of you, but he hasn't shown his face since Subaru-kun died. Did he run away with his tail between his legs?
Ram: Ram doesn’t know, but wherever he is. Ram knows he’ll be back, perhaps he could be in sanctuary or in his important meetings, and Roswaal-sama wouldn’t run away!
The hallucinations of Ram and felix disappear as a knock is heard from the door.