Re:Zero Flaw If

With this declaration from Crusch Karstein, Subaru, Rem, and Los were left speechless. Subaru looked at Rem, his state of false insanity wearing off now that the Witch Cult had been stopped.

Los threw the head of the Witch Cultist into the sky and obliterated it with a slash of negation.

"So where is the whale?" Los asked.

Crusch nodded and said, "We have reports that the highway and surrounding area have been covered in the fog created by the Whale. We will deploy at once to see it slain."

Subaru spoke for the first time. "I-uh... We can help. Please, just allow us to accompany you."

Rem gasped and grabbed his hand. "Subaru!"

Subaru looked down at her and said, "Hey, Rem..."

Crusch's face hardened, and she asked, "If you help me, it would seem as if my camp needed your help to do this."

"You could take all the credit. How would anyone know that we helped?" Subaru asked. "We'll even dress as members of your camp."

Crusch nodded. "I sense you speak the truth, so I will allow this. Get some food, and we leave tonight."

Los and Subaru did just that. Wilhelm went over a summary of the plans. They would travel in three groups: Wilhelm would lead the one to the left, Felix and Rem would lead the one on the right, and Crusch would be with them in the middle. If any of them encountered the Whale, they would signal with magic, and all other groups would converge on the position. This way, they could clear more ground.

Time Skip

Later, they exited onto the highway, and Subaru checked their location on the map. "So we will reach this Flugel tree in about half an hour?"

Crusch nodded. "That is correct."

Twenty minutes later, a bored Subaru thought aloud. "I wonder how Felix and Rem are doing. The area they are checking is a lot harder riding than here."

Crusch looked down, puzzled, and asked, "Just who is Felix and Rem?"

Subaru looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for the joking type, Crusch-san."

This made Crusch even more confused. "I am dead serious, Natsuki Subaru. Who are you talking about?"

Subaru's expression changed to fear, and he asked Los, "You remember them, right?"

Los placed a hand on his shoulder, and memories flashed before his eyes. He nodded, and Subaru turned back to Crusch. "Felix was your right-hand man, and Rem is the blue-haired maid."

Still, no recognition was visible on Crusch's face. Subaru had an idea. "Here, I'll show you—I took a picture with them."

Just then, he heard a low moan above him. "The hell?"

He turned on his flip phone flashlight and shined it above him. A pale white surface was there, and it opened to reveal a massive eye.

Los reacted quickly, grabbing Subaru and Crusch and jumping out of the carriage as it was destroyed by a tail sweep from the creature.

"THE WHALE!" Crusch yelled above the sound of the roaring wind.

Los raised a hand and fired a ball of black and red energy into the sky. It exploded and parted the fog, revealing the Whale, which was headed in the direction of the Flugel Tree.

Los prepared to chase after it, but behind him, Subaru grabbed his arm. Los turned, and Subaru said, "No, not without Rem."

Los's eyes widened. He knew what this meant. Subaru produced a dagger and slit his own throat.

Time Skip

They were back at the planning table with Wilhelm. Subaru gasped and clutched his chest. Seeing his expression, Los grabbed his shoulder and rewatched Subaru's memories. He let go and turned to face Wilhelm.

"We won't be able to split apart. We have to stay together, or the White Whale will pick us off in groups."

Wilhelm thought for a moment and said, "That would seem wise. I will go relay this to Crusch-sama and the troops."

Subaru went and sat down in a chair, his head in his hands. "Even with you there, Los..."

Los sat across from him. "We know what went wrong. This loop, we can fix it."

Subaru nodded, reassured. The rest of the day's events proceeded normally, except Reinhard arrived at the gate to try and get Subaru to talk to Julius. Subaru told him he was over that but needed help to slay the White Whale.

Reinhard frowned. "Please slow down. I am pleased there is no grudge held for Julius, but I still believe you need to talk to him. Now, please continue about the White Whale."

"Tonight, at the Flugel Tree, the whale will be there. We are helping Crusch Karstein, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind help from the Sword Saint."

"I would love to help more than you know, but I'm afraid tonight will simply not be possible. I have several things to attend to, and I would need permission from Lady Felt before I assist any other candidates or members of their camps."

Subaru looked angry at this. "What?! Aren't you a knight? Aren't you supposed to help everybody, not just those your litt—"

Los grabbed his shoulder. "That's enough. Apologies, Reinhard."

Glaring at Subaru, who folded and reluctantly said, "I'm sorry, Reinhard. I shouldn't have insulted you or Felt. I'm just stressed right now and really need an extra overpowered helper."

Reinhard seemed to reconsider at this showing of desperation. "I will need a good reason to cancel my appointments, but if you come to speak with Julius, I can call Felt on the way and ask if I can assist you."

Subaru's face lit up like a kid in a candy store before he realized he'd have to speak to Julius. He would do practically anything to have Reinhard at his side, so he said, "Okay, I can talk to him."

Time Skip

Subaru, Rem, and Los sat in the back of the dragon carriage as Reinhard drove and talked to Felt via the Conversing Mirror. Subaru muttered something about calling and driving before the three sat in silence, listening to what Felt was saying.

"Why do I care about that political crap? Just go help her!"

Subaru pumped his fist in the air and smiled. Reinhard raised his voice so they could hear.

"In case the three of you did not hear that, Felt-sama just approved me defeating the White Whale with you. As you talk with Julius, I will cancel my prior appointment."

"Thank you, Reinhard-sama!" Rem exclaimed.

Subaru also thanked him.

"It is no problem. It is my honor to help you," Reinhard responded.

Soon afterward, they arrived at the Hoshin mansion. Julius walked outside to greet Subaru, who had walked up to meet him.

"Hello, Subaru. What are you doing here?" he politely asked.

Subaru pointed back at Reinhard, who said, "Hello, Julius. If you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you two would have a civil discussion and get over your conflicts."

Julius looked at Subaru, who nodded. "I'm not as angry at you as I was, so I'm willing to talk."

This surprised Julius, who gestured at an open field where he led Subaru.

Los turned to Reinhard and asked, "What should we do while they settle their differences?"

Reinhard thought for a moment and replied, "We should not spar again. I'm sure we are already sharp enough for the upcoming battle. Do you have anything in mind?"

Los thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, a game I played with Subaru recently. It's a game of luck and wit."

Reinhard looked intrigued as Los paused for dramatic effect. "Rock-paper-scissors minus one."

"I've never heard of this game. How is it played?"

"So, we each play one of these three hand symbols on both hands. Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock," Los said, showing the symbols.

Reinhard nodded and asked, "Strange... how can rock beat scissors but lose to paper?"

"The same way a knight might lose to a knight who lost to someone they beat," Los replied enthusiastically.

"Anyway," together they put both hands up. "Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

Reinhard put down scissors and a paper, and Los put down a rock and a scissor.

Los smiled and they said, "Minus one."

Los left his scissor, and so did Reinhard. Los smiled, and they were getting ready to play again when they heard Rem say, "Subaru-kun seems to have finished his conversation. He should be back soon."

Looking over, Los could see Julius and Subaru making their way back over.

Time Skip

The four arrived back at Crusch's mansion just in time for everybody to leave. She greeted them and took notice of Reinhard.

"And what would he be doing here?" she said, turning from him to Subaru and Los.

"He will help us hunt the whale if necessary," Los responded.

"I guess that's acceptable. Just stay far back; you will drain my mage mana if you get close," she said to Reinhard, who nodded and replied, "The kingdom only allows me to engage when absolutely necessary anyway."

Once again, Subaru and Los rode in the armored dragon carriage with Crusch. This time, however, Felix and Wilhelm rode close by, and they headed straight for the Flugel Tree.

Twenty minutes in, the fog enveloped them, but this time, they were ready. Los blasted the signal into the sky, and they converged. The fog was parted by the signal, revealing the White Whale high above.

The beast roared and began making its way to the Flugel Tree. Los chased it and fired a blast that seared its left flank, causing it to writhe and turn to face the threat. Los swiftly dodged a blast of the fog and drew his blade. At the sight of the sword, Subaru gasped. Los swung the blade, and the whale was immediately dealt a near-fatal wound.

"Tch," Los grunted in disappointment. He had missed the opportunity to cut it cleanly in two.

He readied to swing once again, but the screaming beast suddenly disappeared. Down below, he heard shouting, so he returned to the ground and saw what the commotion was about. Two White Whales—both of them unscathed—were heading toward the caravan.

Subaru and Rem rode fast on Patrasche to escape one of the clones, luring it away from the caravan. The other flew toward the caravan and was hit with a wind slash by Crusch. It gashed the beast, which let out a roar, but it continued to fly forward. Los flew and stabbed the side of the beast with his sword. The weight of the weapon sent the beast flying, and Los ripped clean through its entire body.

The whale writhed and thrashed, knocking Los back. Its horn began glowing, but Los crackled with black and white energy before removing the space where its horn had once been. A fountain of blood shot from its forehead, and it began flying up. Los grimaced and swung his sword. The arc it traced cut the beast in half lengthwise, but as it fell, it disintegrated.

Los frowned and fell to the ground beside Crusch. "That one and the other are fakes, it seems. Where is the real one?"

"Above!" a soldier shouted.

A silhouette blocked the sun for a moment. Los outstretched a hand and began crackling with red and black energy. A mass of pure energy shot out from his hand. It flew up, making no noise at first, until it hit the whale and produced a ridiculously large explosion. The shockwave knocked some men off their feet.

The whale fell from the sky, smoldering, its fins and skin burnt off. The double still chased Subaru, so Los switched his attention. Crackling with black and white energy, he shot an instantaneous slash that removed the head from its body right before it could devour Subaru whole.

Finally, the charred whale hit the ground in a massive dust explosion. Wilhelm screamed with rage and ran forward. Los prepared to follow him, but Crusch put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"Wilhelm's wife, Theresa, was killed by this beast. Please allow him to avenge her now."

Los nodded and watched on...

The dust settled to reveal the thrashing body of the charred whale. Wilhelm ran up to it, sword drawn, and shouted, "I've been waiting for this moment for the last fourteen years! Now die like the filthy beast that you are!"

With that, he stabbed his blade into the defenseless creature and ran alongside its massive body. Blood gushed from the deep wounds, and the beast cried out in agony. Wilhelm arrived at its head, pulling his sword free before plunging it directly into the beast's eye. As the creature thrashed, he leaped away just before it rolled over. Without hesitation, he resumed his attack, striking along its back as the monster's screams filled the air. Returning to its head, he jumped and drove his sword into the remaining eye.

Suddenly, with the last of its strength, the whale bucked Wilhelm off and began ascending straight into the sky. Wilhelm lunged after it but narrowly missed.

"CURSES!" he shouted.

Los prepared to unleash another attack to finish the beast, but at that moment, Reinhard Van Astrea arrived.

"Come, Grandfather," he said calmly.

Wilhelm looked at him, baffled, but nodded. Reinhard extended a hand, lifting Wilhelm before throwing him straight up onto the beast's back. With expert precision, Wilhelm plunged his sword into the monster once more. The whale thrashed, but he held on.

Reinhard leaped after him, landing on the middle of the beast's back. He drew the legendary Dragon Sword Reid and prepared to cleave the creature in two. Wilhelm placed a hand on the blade, and together they roared:

"RAAAAAAAH!"

The blade shone blue as they drove it downward. In an instant, the monster that had terrorized the world for centuries was cleaved in half and fell back to the earth.

As Wilhelm and Reinhard landed, a deafening cheer erupted. Los, Crusch, Rem, and Subaru—who had watched the battle unfold—smiled as they were hoisted into the air. The soldiers paraded them around before setting them down, and soon discussions began on what to do with the whale's remains.

After the Battle

Wilhelm left after speaking briefly with Reinhard. Los noticed tears in the old man's eyes—tears of long-awaited vengeance.

Approaching Crusch, Los was met with a warm smile and an extended hand.

"Los, that was amazing! Congratulations! Without you and Natsuki-kun, this would have been impossible!"

Los was taken aback but smiled and accepted the handshake.

"Now, what do you plan on doing with the whale carcass?"

"Oh, well, I plan on transporting it to the capital using several dragon carriages along the highway."

Los nodded. "I'd like to come with you to ensure its safe transit. I know Rem is coming, and Wilhelm will be traveling with Reinhard and Subaru to check on Mathers' domain."

Crusch thought for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. After seeing your prowess today, I know you will be a strong ally. I'll be glad to have you with us."

Los bowed, said his goodbyes, and went to inform Subaru.

Time Skip

The next day, Los, Crusch, Rem, and several soldiers departed for the capital along the highway. Meanwhile, Subaru, Reinhard, Wilhelm, and Felix headed to Mathers' territory to eliminate any remaining cultists and relocate the villagers to safety.

Before parting, Subaru made Los promise:

"Rem is really important to me, so you better keep her safe!"

Los nodded. "Don't worry, If something happens. I'll win."

Otto had arrived after the battle with his carriages, which Subaru planned to use for the evacuation.

Now, back to the present—Crusch and Rem waited inside a carriage, and Los joined them.

Time Skip

By noon, the journey was progressing smoothly. According to Crusch, only three casualties had occurred—believable, since Los had ensured that no one was swallowed by the existence-erasing fog.

Feeling the weight of the day, Los settled in for a nap but was soon stirred by Rem's voice, expressing concern for Subaru.

"I executed all of the cultists in the area. If new ones appeared, Reinhard and Wilhelm could handle them easily. Just trust Subaru and the others, Rem," Los reassured her.

Rem smiled softly. "It's just like Natsuki-san said… you look best when you smile."

She blushed, lowering her head. "Honestly, Subaru-kun is such a troublemaker..."

Lifting her gaze to Crusch, she added, "I'm sure you would look quite different with a smile as well. You always carry yourself with such dignity, but I think you would look lovely if you smiled."

Crusch seemed saddened by this. "Well… I am not very good at smiling, I'm afraid. It is still something I regret, even now."

Los spoke up. "When you smiled earlier, it looked good on you, Crusch-sama."

Crusch blushed and quickly changed the subject. "That sword of yours—it's as strong as Reinhard's blade. The way it cut through the whale… the fight could have been over with the first strike. What is it?"

Los shrugged. "I didn't name it, but I created it. It has infinite mass, so technically, it should be better than Reinhard's sword. But he's so overpowered that the sword doesn't even matter to him."

Crusch was about to ask a follow-up question when—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion shattered the calm.

Los bolted upright, racing to the front of the carriage. In the distance, people and debris flew into the air.

"ENEMY ATTACK!" Crusch yelled.

One by one, the carriages were destroyed until only theirs remained. As the dust settled, Los saw two ominous figures standing in the middle of the road…