" I swear…
I will…
defeat you."
As his eyes closed... darkness overtook him.
Subaru finally died.
"What the hell was that?!" Felt shouted in horror as her eyes were full of tears at the sight she had seen.
"Why would he… kill himself..?!" Felix asked as he kept staring at the darkened screen with a traumatized expression. Unable to handle any of the events shown. From the gore, the horror, the disbelief, the fear and absurdity of Subaru's actions.
Otto slowly trembled as his eyes fell towards the floor of the theater, his heart beating heavily and his tears spelling for the crushing sight he had witnessed.
What they all watched was so shocking their cores were almost misplaced.
"Subaru, why…" The silver-haired lady stopped her muttering and swiftly took her chance to engulf the sleeping form of the boy in a tight hug. Her compassion and love showing for him as she held cried while smothering her face into his jacket. Feeling nothing but his warmth and his constant heartbeats. Feeling his life as she touched him.
He was alive.
He was nowhere near that illusion. That fake dream. That nothing.
It was nothing to worry about. Her Subaru was right here, safe and sound.
A voice sounded across the theater from the giant window above the cast.
The voice of a man, speaking clearly and smoothly so that all could hear him.
This story you're going to see...
Is the story of the one who has fought hell itself to save you.
Everyone managed to obscure their shock for a moment as they mulled over the stranger's words.
Confusion. Anger. Bewilderment. Puzzlement. Pure sadness. Despair.
"Watch… his story?" Emilia cleared her eyes of tears and kept her arms wrapped around her knight as she faced the darkened screen with confusion.
"Why is it making us see this, I suppose?" Beatrice sobbed and kept hugging her contractor's arm with all of her might. Not wanting to see him hurt or worse see him reach death once again.
The sight of the boy killing himself so easily and willingly never could've left both girls less heartbroken as it did at this moment.
Other than those completely left distraught for the boy's vision, there were some skeptics.
With a snort, Anastasia calmed her nerves by rubbing her scarf. Moving her thoughts away from the sentiments and towards the necessary questions.
"How could someone save us if he will die anyway? I couldn't help but notice the small pinch in the boy's plan… the fact that he killed himself! " Many flinched at Anastasia's snarky tone as if almost challenging the events and words coming from the screen. Her anger slightly showing as she aimed her spite at Subaru's weakness.
"I don't see how he will save us as you say. Didn't he kill himself?" The merchant urged smoothly and a little more diplomatically towards the screen as she remembered who she was talking to.
"Hmph! What a farce this is! I want to return to mine carriage this instant." A fiery-headed lady demanded in disgust, seeing this entire charade useless and petty for the likes of her divinity.
But others didn't share her sentiment at all. They were all left in shock at the scenes and visions played on the window. They couldn't help but let curiosity overwhelm them. What was so special about this boy? Why was he called sage? Was he related to the legend? The monster? The entire event? The bodies? Subaru's suicide and his strange belief that he got a jump on the beast via his death?
Everyone was confused, some were angry, a few heartbroken. But, they all agreed that this place was not going to let them leave before showing them something important.
A stern tainted voice spoke out as Priscilla moved to attack a wall with her power.
"Your body was among those around Natsuki-sama. I'd advise that you watch this apparition and learn from it.
Priscilla laughed and looked down at the noble-looking Crusch with a look of pure disdain.
"Calling him 'sama' now? You've been charmed by a mere common fool that brought nothing but shame and humiliation on his own master. A filthy dog that killed himself because he didn't want to face a monster."
Priscilla leaned down to growl dangerously at the silent and calm Crusch.
"I would rather be dead than be saved by such a weakling." Priscilla sat down and smirked at all the glares she got.
Crusch simply met the nasty taunts from her contender with a small snort as her face fell into a beautiful knowing smirk.
"Natsuki-sama has a habit of surprising those who doubt him." The duchess spoke confidently and even a little fondly.
"Oh? you believe he had a plan when fighting that monster?"
Crusch turned to the curious Anastasia with apprehensiveness.
"Didn't you see how confident he looked? He wouldn't swear to stop that demon just to kill himself afterward." As the duchess defended she couldn't believe one of her own coming to argue with her on this first.
"But the wound looked real, Crusch-sama." Felix gave his expert opinion. He appeared to be angry for some reason.
Those in the Camp closer to the boy had their heads low as they thought about all the memories they had shared with him. They saw their innermost member die. Illusion or not, the thought alone was hard to swallow.
They were having none of these talks. Not one of them wanted to acknowledge anything less they might fall into tears once more.
Otto was so angry that his best friend was facing something like that on his own. After all, Subaru should know by now that he can rely on others. He wanted to get up and punch him square in the jaw to knock him back to his senses.
Garfiel was so scared and shaken by the death he saw on screen. His inability to instantly jump into action and save his captain. The idea of failing as Subaru's shield tormented him.
Beatrice simply held on to her contractor's arm and tried to forget the entire scene from her head. She simply didn't want to have his death as part of her memories with him.
The Oni maid simply kept her head down and her hands gripped her skirt as she didn't want her tears to be seen.
The heartbroken Emilia looked up from Subaru's chest and found the window above her changing once again.
The screen moved through shapes and uncountable colors breezing as if playing a flashback…
It was finally loading again.
"This is your story, isn't it Subaru-kun?" Roswaal looked on with an unreadable expression. His tone filled with excitement and complete pleasure.
"Who would've known… Your power's way of activation is truly cruel…" The clown mused with his lips falling into a deeply satisfied smirk. As if he found out about a secret so valuable it might have taken a life to obtain it. His life.
"Now if this is truly the way you go about doing the loop… What would it take to finally break your frustrating will?" The clown let his smirk grow wider as he finally found a chance of doing things his own way without the gospels presence or his servitude towards a useless half-elf being demanded from a soul-binding contract.
As everyone had their eyes on the ever loading screen, the stranger's voice filled the room once more.
"It's time for the beginning of this arrogant weakling child's story to be displayed before those for whom he suffered the most."
The silence in the big room was overwhelming as all listened and looked on at the ever-changing window.
"Natsuki Subaru, the self-proclaimed knight."
Anastasia and Priscilla snorted at the title shown on the screen as they remembered the royal humiliation he was subjugated to.
Julius looked down a bit, an action noticed by his red-haired friend.
Those in the Emilia camp were confused as to why people were laughing at the title. They saw Emilia looking downtrodden, filled with guilt. It began to set in that this was no mere illusion.
" First arc. Begin."
The multiple Camps competing in the royal selection watched the supposed story of the self-proclaimed knight. Some with bewilderment, some with excitement, and some with fear of what they will see.
Others found it either amusing, boring, or possibly insightful to see what was so special about this boy.
And to each and every single one of them…
Only horror and despair awaited.
Episode One... Arc 1's...Intro.