Re:Zero Flaw If

Subaru awoke next to Emilia In the trial room gasping for air. "Did I just die? Who was that?" he thought of the woman who had killed Elsa but had no idea who it could be as he didn't even see her face. "Why couldn't she just heal me..." His eyes snapped open and he looked beside him "Emilia!" Emilia's eyes opened slightly "Subaru?.." her eyes snapped fully open "I swear to you! It wasn't ME!" Subaru consoled her as she once again spiraled out of control.

Time Skip

Back at the cabin, Emilia had woken up to the surprise of Subaru, Last time she had stayed in bed all night. "Sorry about that. I've calmed down now." Ram who was in the room alongside Garfiel, Ryuzu, and Otto, responded "Are you sure you're all right?" Emilia smiled "Mh-hm. I think it's because Subaru was there for me. Anyway, we need to talk about the trial." Subaru had just remembered that Los had been present for this previously but was nowhere to be seen. he cleared his head and said, "Yeah, about that I think I have a pretty good idea what you're gonna say." "Hmm?" Emilia said while tilting her head "You saw your past, right?" Subaru said to everyone's astonishment. "Wait a minute, How the hell do you know what happens in the trial anyway?" a slightly agitated Garfiel asked Subaru didn't pick up on the tone or just didn't care and continued. "You saw the ruins glowing earlier, right? that's cause I'm qualified too. And what's more, I passed it." Garfiel gasped shortly his eyes widening Emilia had a similar reaction and Ryuzu put her head in her palm in thought "Hmm, young Su passed. did he?" Ram looked at Subaru "Quite an achievement if he's not joking. This means we can remove the barrier. Garf, how does it look." Garf shook his head and gruffly replied "No changes so far." Ram looked back to Subaru "How dare you lie to all of us like that." Subaru smiled awkwardly. "Ok, way to jump to conclusions." he looked down to see Garfiel looking at him with a serious expression on his face "Ok what's wrong Garfiel?" Garfiel stared at him blankly for a moment before saying "Are you kidding me? There's not a damn thing wrong." Subaru was confused further by this and then he heard Emilia's voice. "Subaru. If that's really true... Then... What did, you see." Subaru nodded and replied, "Well, It's less about what I saw, than what I Realized. And the thing I've come to understand is, there's more than one of these Sadistic trials." Emilia looked down with a saddened expression "So... Two more?" Subaru looked back at her puzzled. "Emilia. I have a suggestion. I have to warn you you may not like it though."Emilia still looking at him asked "A suggestion?" Subaru nodded "If it's all right, I'm prepared to take on the other trials in your place. and pass them for you." Emilia gasped and Subaru continued "I want to try to be your strength. I have no idea what awful things you saw in your past, but if it made you cry that hard, and put you in so much pain. Then I want to help if I can!" "Hang On!" Subaru looked over to Garfiel who had spoken up "You're spewing all this garbage and expecting us to sit here and listen to it? Well, it's time for you to hear me out now. I don't want anybody but the princess, Emilia to go through the trial, Alright? In fact, you're the last person I wanna see getting rid of the barrier! So you need to stay the hell away from it!" Subaru Recalled Garfiel being the one to suggest this in the first place, during the last loop that is. "Hey, Wait a second!" Garfiel snarled back "What, You're not Actually surprised I have a problem with it, Are you? Man, you're even more of a dumbass than I thought you were." Subaru shook his head and hands "No I-" "Subaru!" Subaru looked over to Emilia who had gritted her teeth and spoken up "So, Are you saying... you don't trust me to do this myself?" Subaru, shocked widened his eyes as Emilia continued "Because you saw me struggling? and felt that I was failing, now you'd rather do it instead?" Subaru spoke again "No because you shouldn't have to face your past if-" "Stop it! If I Don't face it then I'll never pass the trial! No, I can't just avert my eyes from things I don't like leave them all to you and run away, that would only leave me... With nothing." Subaru looked at Emilia who was now clutching her shoulders on the verge of tears. Ram spoke up "Let's change the subject." 

Time Skip

Outside Subaru stopped Garfiel and Ryuzu "Hey, why are you so against what I said in there? And tell me the real reason." Garfiel looked back with a scowl "Because-" "Because it is what young Ros wants us to do." Ryuzu interrupted "And he stands;s rather firm on it." Subaru raised an eyebrow "Seriously? And both of you back him up on that?" Garfiel turned to face him with indignation "Listen I never said that! And I hate that son of a bitch every much as you! Don't you get it?!" Subaru nodded "So I guess.. Even if the barrier vanished and the sanctuary officially became part of the Mathers domain-" "This land is completely overseen by young Ros." Ryuzu interjected, "None of us dare defy him and endanger our position. I apologize to you and the others." Subaru frowned "I see, Man. Trusting Roswaal just keeps getting harder and harder." Garfiel raised a hand "Yeah, Anyway, The princess has to go through the trial. Even if you 'are' qualified, I'm not gonna let you give it a shot. understand?" the two walked away leaving Subaru alone to his thought's "Damn it... Emilia..." 'No come on focus. I need to figure out what Elsa was doing near the mansion, I'll ask Los tomorrow. For now, I need to ask Roswaal.' 

Roswaals Cabin

"Oh, how fascinating. and what is it you'd like me to do aboooout it?" Subaru looked him in the eyes "Get the people of Arlem village back home. And I want You to bring this up to Ryuzu, Garfiel, and all the others. Because this time around, I don't think I'll be able to get them on my side." Roswaal tilted his head "This time around? ooh. and why would that be?" Subaru was looking out the window while speaking now "That Garfiel punk had made it no secret that he hates my guts. He's way to impulsive. I'll never convince him to go along with me. Oh and one more thing, I want to go tell the people who are still in Arlem that their families are safe. but of course, I'm also going to the mansion where Frederica or someone else is. is planning something too." Roswaal had closed his eyes smugly "Indeed. Rams informed me of this. but given what I know about her, Frederica would not be so hasty-" "And What Do you know about her!? Frederica handed over that glowing stone to Emilia. which is all the proof I need she's up to no good." Roswaal had opened his eyes and now closed them again "And if she turns out to be an enemy of yours? what are you going to do? I'm sorry to say this but you stand no chance against her." Subaru looked down annoyed by the truth of the clown's comment "Emilias dealing with the barrier, you are injured Los has to stay here to keep them safe and Otto won't take part in any of this. we're stuck" Roswaal smiled "That is true, except for one person." 

Time Skip

"If I may be blunt. I don't like this." Ram spoke up Subaru shrugged "You're always blunt, and you're still talking like that? Are you serious?" Ram stood still "Then let me spell it out for you. With the current condition that Roswaal is in, it doesn't feel right to leave his side." Subaru looked back "Well yeah, But it isn't like you can do anything for him, Right? I couldn't believe it when I found out Garfiel was the one who put all those bandages on him." "Don't be a fool. What if I had applied them, and then made his injuries even worse than they were." "Oh, Show some guilt!" "Making your triumphant return with a pretty girl on each arm huh? you've really got some nerve, you know that?" Garfiel had come strutting towards them Subaru looked to him "I didn't think you'd have come out so early to see me off. so you heard?" Garfiel nodded "Frankly, It pisses me off that this entire thing was pretty much decided behind my back. But I ain't gonna fight it." Subaru looked relieved at this "Oh yeah? I'm glad to hear you say that. If you'd had tried to stop me I would have had to throw Ram off into the distance as a decoy." Garfiel indignantly stood up "As if that would ever work. Wait would it?" Subaru coughed "How should I know!? you should say something too- Rammm what's wrong?" Ram had been staring at Subaru blankly "This stupid conversation gave me a headache, that's all." She began walking to Patrasche and Subaru turned back to Garfiel "Whelp, I'm out of here, Guess I'll see ya. I should be back tomorrow so look after things until then." Garfiel looked at him confused "Hey, hold on a minute, you're leaving without saying goodbye to the princess?" Subaru and Ram were on Patrasche now "Wooow, I'm surprised you're actually concerned about Emilia. But don't worry it's ok I left her a letter explaining things." Subaru spied the Bluestone on Garfiel's necklace "By the way, Don't you have something you wanna give me?" Garfiel widened his eyes in pure confusion "Uhhhh, What the hell are ya talking about?" Subaru stared back blankly and Ram spoke up "Alright then. How about showing concern for me? The woman you love is leaving to fulfill her duty. Have you no desire to offer your assistance?" Garfiel reached for the necklace "Guess you're only nice to me when you think you'll get something out of it. Aren't ya? Happy now?" He said while removing and throwing the necklace to Subaru who caught it and nodded. "Take care of Emilia. And try to make it clear to her I'm genuinely sorry, ok!" he said while they drove off on the ground dragon leaving Garfiel behind "Why don't you tell her that yourself?! I don't work for ya ya'know?!" 

Subaru and Ram were riding closer to the exit of the barrier now "So Barasu, Will this thing be of some use? she said, referring to the necklace." Subaru turned "I don't know. you've known him longer than I have." Ram shook her head "I'm not sure, but it is part of a matching pair so It's probably something slightly important to him at least." Subaru saw the numb expression on her face "Seems you aren't very happy today." Ram nodded "What you were saying earlier... when you told Garfiel you'd throw me as a decoy... For some reason that bothered me more than I would have expected it to. It's as if... that had been something that you might have done in a different situation." Subaru gasped slightly and thought back, in a previous loop when they had been under attack by Mabeast while separated from Los, he had seriously contemplated throwing Ram as bait, However, Los had arrived before he could do so." 

Time Skip

They were outside the Manor gates nothing had attacked them on the way there to Subaru's surprise. 'Please don't let anything happen.' He thought to himself 'I'm here two days early, so if things still go wrong somehow... I'll have to take off on Patrasche the Minute I wake up from the Graveyard.' With this thought, he remembered another thing which almost made him slap himself. 'I've been so caught up on organizing all this I forgot to tell Los I died. Damn it.' there was no more time to dwell on this as they had arrived at the front door. Subaru hopped off Patrasche and was faced directly by Petra "It's a pleasure to welcome you back, mister Subaru and I must say! you returned here sooner than I expected." He noticed a white brace on her arm that matched the one she had given him "Is that?" She looked down "Uh-huh! it matches the one I gave you." He hugged her "Huh?" she looked up "You're not hurt? are you?" "Nope! Just happy to see you, and glad you're alright." behind him he heard a faint cough "If I may be blunt, I don't like this." "Why does that sound Familiar?" "Because I'm being direct as always. the adorable quality of a Ram who's been forgotten and left at a loss." Petra walked up to her "Uhhh, Hi. I guess you must be ms, Ram right? I was recently hired in service to the lord of the mansion. It's truly a pleasure to meet you!" Ram crossed her arms contently "You seem to know your place. Unlike Barasu. a passing grade. Needless to say, you failed Barasu. You may not cross this mansion threshold." Subaru spun around exaggeratedly "What was the point of even coming back then!?" Petra giggled and Subaru's expression hardened "Oh, Hey, Petra has anything weird happened while we were away? Like with Frederica for example?" Petra looked slightly confused and responded, "I haven't seen anything. She seems pretty normal if you ask me." "Is she inside now?" Petra shook her head "Frederica's outside patrolling the forest barrier. it may be a while before she gets back." Subaru frowned at this, Elsa was out there but Petra continued and he focused on what she was saying. "The other new made and Rem are inside." Subaru raised an eyebrow "New maid? Another one?" Petra nodded "Sekh-sama! She's super nice and cool!" Ram shook her head "This mansion may be overstaffed now." Subaru looked at her "When has too little work been a problem? anyway, I want to see what Frederica is going to do so let's go inside." 

A knock on the door was answered by Rem who smiled up at Subaru "Ah, Welcome back Subaru." she let them in and seeing her sister looked like she was on the verge of tears. Ram walked to her and hugged her before pulling back and looking at her "Let's talk upstairs, we have a lot to catch up on." the maid sisters excused themselves and Subaru waved goodbye but felt a deep Falling sensation in his stomach. "Oh my, seems you forgot to tell Los about Roswaals plans. That is foolish though I don't know how much he could have done given the Situation back at the Sanctuary." Subaru shuddered "Who are you?" Sekhmet smiled "I am the witch of sloth, Sekhmet, you should call me Sekh here to avoid confusion." "Witch? shit... HELP!" he turned to run but smacked his face on something invisible "We can't be heard or seen right now I'm afraid. Didn't want you giving up too much unnecessary information. I'm on your side." Subaru turned back "My side? How you infiltrated the mansion and now you trap me?" Sekhmet shook her head "Infiltrate? ah, allow me to clear up this misunderstanding." Around him a black shroud became visible." Subaru was shocked and saw all around the mansion there was a massive black barrier. he turned to Sekhmet who had countless black hands coming from her back. One of them waved at him before they all became invisible once again. Subaru calmed down at this "How do you hide them, Petelgeuse couldn't hide them from me." Sekhmet laughed "You compare a dragon to a lizard, boy." Subaru shrugged "So you know Los?" Sekhmet nodded "I'll let him tell you about that." Subaru raised an eyebrow "Are you guys lovers or something?" Sekhmet shrugged a look of mirth on her face "Well this I can say, You must get back to the sanctuary soon, I can handle any assassin and you'll need to talk to Beatrice." with this she led him to a door where she gestured and he headed into the forbidden Library.