"Pregnant? What? Like—a baby? How?"
Odglass puffed up her tiny chest, her fluffy ears twitching with a hint of smugness.
"Well, as your mother, it is my responsibility to educate you on this matter. You see, when a husband and a wife love each other very much, they—"
"Hey! Hey! Stop right there!" Tanaka flailed his hands, face heating up. "I already know how children are made, thank you very much!"
He wasn't some ignorant child. He was nineteen, an adult by every right but he still found talking about the topic of human reproduction embarrassing.
Rather, If he didn't understand basic human reproduction, that would've been concerning.
Regardless, the words Rem is pregnant left him shaken.
He should have seen it coming. It wasn't strange, not in the slightest. They were married. They were intimate. They were… doing it. Of course a child could be born. There was no magic there, no twist of fate.
But still—
"…I didn't see it coming," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
His eyes remained fixed on Subaru and Rem, clinging to each other in stunned, trembling joy. He waited for the shadow to fall, for the inevitable cruelty of this world to bare its fangs. He braced himself for a curse, for blood, for some grotesque misfortune to twist this tender moment into despair.
That was what he had been conditioned to expect. That was what he needed—a reason to reject this reality with resolve.
But nothing came. No doom. No death. Only the gentle trembling of a couple holding each other tighter than ever, tears glistening as their hearts overflowed with hope.
Odglass, watching the scene with soft eyes, broke the silence.
"The birth of a child… a new life. That is not tragedy, Tanaka. It is something to be rejoiced."
Tanaka's throat tightened. His sharp retort never came. For once, he had nothing to say.
"…Yeah," he whispered, the fight draining from his voice. "That's true."
He could not deny it—not when he saw Subaru's trembling hands cradling Rem's face, not when he saw Rem's cheeks wet with tears, her smile radiant even in exhaustion.
*********************************************************************************************************
A few days later, on his way back from work, Subaru's path crossed with a figure he least wanted to see again—Zarestia.
His body tensed before his mind even caught up. The memory of last night's pressure, the suffocating weight of her killing intent, still lingered in his bones like a phantom bruise.
"You're going the same way…" Subaru's voice cracked with incredulous laughter that was more nerves than amusement. His eyes narrowed as realization dawned. "No way… don't tell me, you bastard."
Zarestia, with her ever-lazy slit eyes, tilted her head and smirked like a predator toying with prey.
"The home you and your woman live in. Some mutt's taking care of her right now, right? That's why you're rushing back. If the owner's around, though…" Her lips curved into a smile sharp enough to cut. "…wouldn't you feel safer if he had a collar?"
Subaru's blood boiled.
"Don't be ridiculous! Why the hell would I let—like I'd let someone as dangerous as you anywhere near Rem!"
Her tone sharpened in response, grumbling out two words that slashed through the air like steel. Subaru's throat tightened as if an invisible knife pressed against it. His heart thumped painfully against his ribs. For a fleeting second, he thought his knees might buckle under the phantom weight of her hostility.
That pressure—it was the same from last night. The suffocating aura that could crush a man into submission without a single touch.
Still, Subaru gritted his teeth.
"…Like hell anyone would let you see Rem."
For the first time, Zarestia's eyes widened slightly, genuine amusement flickering in their depths.
"Wow. I'm kind of impressed. I thought you'd just freeze up like the coward you are."
Her mocking words bit into Subaru, but he refused to look away, even as his lips quivered and his face flushed with anger and agitation.
Then, with a casual flick of her hand, she pointed at him. Her smirk deepened.
"Still, you've got it all wrong."
Subaru's breath caught. "…What do you mean?"
"I'm not here to kill you." Her voice was soft, almost casual. She shrugged her shoulders, opening the palm she had pointed at him, then waved it lazily. "Not right now, at least."
The calmness in her words was the same as last night. That terrifying serenity, the nonchalance of someone fully aware they could beat him to death and smile through the whole act.
Subaru swallowed hard. "…How can I believe you?"
Zarestia's slit eyes glinted with something cold and absolute.
"Because if I wanted you dead, you'd already be a corpse. When I thought of killing you yesterday, I had more than enough time to do it. Yet here you are. Alive."
It was terrible logic. A flimsy excuse at best. And yet—it carried undeniable weight. Her tone wasn't boastful. It was factual. Self-evident. A predator simply explaining why it hadn't chosen to strike.
_____
_______
_________
From the sidelines, Tanaka blinked. "Huh?"
Odglass glanced up at him with her tilted bear-like head. "What's wrong?"
Tanaka shook his head. "It's nothing. I just… thought I heard something familiar."
The woman's humming—messy, tuneless, without any real melody—somehow stirred something nostalgic inside him. But it was vague, fleeting. He dismissed it quickly.
"Regardless," Tanaka muttered, brows furrowing, "there's something that bothers me. This Zarestia… she isn't the same person who attacked Subaru and Rem a few days ago."
Odglass nodded sagely. "Correct. The one who attacked them was someone who stole Zarestia's light sphere."
Tanaka arched an eyebrow. "Light sphere?"
"Yes. The gem that anchors her existence and fuels her power. Without it, she is but a fragment of herself—less than half. Her lust for killing fades, replaced by something closer to… petulance."
"…So the one who attacked Rem and Subaru was an impostor. Someone wielding her power."
"Exactly. Whoever holds that gem not only gains access to her abilities, but also her form—and her obsession with killing."
Later, after Zarestia reluctantly accompanied Subaru back to his apartment, she demanded the return of her light sphere.
Her conviction was absolute—she believed Rem had stolen it. Subaru tried desperately to reason with her, but Zarestia, childish and temperamental, refused to listen. Despite her apparent age, she spoke with the arrogance and foul mouth of a spoiled child, hurling accusations like tantrums.
Tanaka couldn't help but chuckle. Something about her sharp words and puffed-up attitude struck a chord of familiarity.
Odglass tilted her little head again, ears twitching. "What is it?"
"Ah, nothing important," Tanaka replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "She just reminds me of Beatrice."
His chest ached faintly at the thought. Four months had passed since he last saw her, yet to him—someone untethered from the flow of time—it felt like an instant. For Beatrice, though, centuries of solitude weighed upon her. He missed that stubborn little girl—not because of her trauma or loneliness, but because of who she was.
Prideful. Mischievous. Stubborn. Yet beneath it all, quietly kind.
Odglass hummed thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, yes. That child's personality is similar to this one."
Her words caught Tanaka off guard. His expression sharpened. "Wait. I never asked you before—but what's your relationship with Beatrice? She seemed to recognize you back then."
Odglass crossed her small arms. "We don't know each other directly. But as great spirits, we are all aware of each other's existence. I do, however, know her mother—Echidna, the Witch of Greed. Our relationship… was not the best."
Tanaka's heart quickened. "Then—about Beatrice. You know her contract, right? Watching over the forbidden library until 'that person' comes to her."
"Yes. I'm aware."
Tanaka clenched his fists. "Please, Odglass… Do you know who that person is?"
He remembered the promise he had made. The vow to give Beatrice answers once he met Odglass. And now, here he was.
Odglass's reply was simple. "Yes. I know who that person is."
Tanaka's breath caught. His heart pounded. After four centuries of waiting, the key to Beatrice's freedom was finally within reach.
"Then—tell me—"
"But I can't tell you."
The words slammed into him like a hammer. His chest hollowed, hope shattering in an instant.
"Please! I… I promised her—"
"But," Odglass interrupted gently, "I will tell Beatrice herself."
Tanaka froze.
"Bring her out of that library, and come to me. I will answer all of her questions as well."
"…Bring her where? She won't leave just because I told her to. She won't believe me either."
Odglass's tone softened, a knowing smile playing at her lips. "She will. If it's you… that child will listen."
Her words carried a strange certainty, as if they were not mere speculation.
"And as for where…" Odglass's little paws folded together, her tone shifting into something heavier, deliberate. "Ideally, I would maintain this body and meet her beside you. But that's too far-fetched. My true vessel lies elsewhere—at Sacred Mountain Parochial."
The name hung in the air like a bell toll, heavy and distant.
"And as to where we shall meet, it would be ideal if I can maintain this body and meet her with you. But that's too far fetched. My real vessel is residing at Sacred Mountain Parochial."
___
____
______
"I'll help clean up, so Tia-Sama, you can use this room. Halibel-Sama, please let Subaru-Kun and I use another available room and…"
"Yeah, that's fine. You know the tenement house is full of free rooms. Pick whichever you want and move over."
"Thank you very much."
*********************************************************************************************************
Six months slipped by in a steady rhythm.
Life was smooth, almost deceptively so. Rem and Subaru had grown accustomed to their work, their days falling into a natural pattern. Stability had taken root, fragile but real, like a flower pushing up through cracks in stone.
Zarestia had been living with them for the past three months. She had thrown herself into the life of a bounty hunter—perhaps out of necessity, perhaps for the thrill—using her income to cover her share of expenses… and to pay for the damage her reckless habits caused. Her reputation grew quickly, as did the quiet relief of the townsfolk: thanks to her dangerous occupation, the streets of Kararagi had become noticeably safer.
The Natsuki household found itself wrapped in a fragile but comforting peace.
That was, until a certain evening meal shattered it.
It had been an ordinary dinner, filled with laughter and the clatter of dishes, when Zarestia's hand brushed against a cup of alcohol. She hadn't meant to drink, but the taste of liquor passed her lips—and something inside her broke.
Her body stiffened, the cup clattering to the floor. A tremor ran down her arms as her pupils widened, glassy and unfocused. She muttered in fragments, her voice shaking like a child caught in a nightmare.
"My arms… my legs… my… body… where is it? Where did it go…?"
Her steps turned erratic, her eyes distant, lost somewhere far from the room. Yet the danger radiating from her was immediate, suffocating. The air felt sharp, as if one wrong move would tear it open.
And so, a shinobi moved in the only way a shinobi could—swiftly, decisively.
The clash ended in chaos. Rem was sent flying across the room, her small body slamming against the wall with terrifying force. Her lips pressed into a pained gasp before she collapsed.
She was rushed to a physician, fear clawing at Subaru's chest until the diagnosis revealed no lasting injuries—just bruising, though painful.
But the damage was done.
After that night, Zarestia vanished. She never returned to the tenant house, as though shame or fear of herself had driven her into exile.
The others tried to move forward, but an unease lingered, like the silence after a storm.
And Tanaka… Tanaka could not shake the gnawing inside him.
He was still waiting. Waiting for the peace to fracture. Waiting for the inevitable tragedy.
And in the hollow of that expectation, he felt like the lowest kind of scum.
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The cries of a woman in labor filled the room. Sweat drenched Rem's face as she clutched the sheets, her body wracked with waves of pain and determination. Subaru's voice trembled as he whispered encouragements, his hand clasped tightly around hers, refusing to let go.
New life was on the verge of breaking into the world.
But elsewhere in that same instant—light began to stir.
Tia lifted her palm, and a sphere of faint radiance drifted into existence. It glowed with an otherworldly shimmer, pulsing as though it were alive. The light split open, and from it stepped a figure cloaked in an aura of suffocating bloodlust.
The great spirit—Zarestia—had returned.
Her very presence seemed to curdle the air. The walls shivered with an invisible pressure, and even the shadows seemed to recoil.
Rem's eyes widened, and through her exhaustion, she managed to whisper:
"You got yourself back…"
"…Yeah, I did. It's all thanks to Su and Hal's hard work. I want to kill."
She said it without hesitation, almost shyly, playing with strands of her pale hair as though confessing to something embarrassing.
Rem looked at her—her friend, her companion—and her chest tightened. A tear slipped down her cheek before she even realized it.
"Tia-Sama, I'm going to be a mom."
"I know that."
"Tia-Sama, I…love Subaru-Kun."
"…Yeah, I know that too."
"Tia-Sama…I…love you too."
"So, I can't…live with you."
The words broke something in her heart even as she said them. She loved her—truly, she did. But that love could not outweigh the one that bound her to Subaru, nor could it overcome the wall that stood between Tia and the rest of the world. For Rem, her choice was already made.
Only then did she notice the weight in Tia's arms. The white dress she wore shimmered faintly under the lantern light, and cradled against her body was the limp form of a girl. A corpse—cold, breathless. Recognition struck like a blade. She knew who it was, even without being told.
"I will bring her with me. I killed her. My other half… the fake me wanted to become one with me, wanted to love me, so I killed her."
The words were delivered simply, with no malice or regret—just fact. The scene was hopeless. Any sane person would have broken down, begged for their life, cursed the unfairness of it all.
But Rem did none of that. She stood her ground, heart trembling but steady. The days she had spent with Tia would not allow her to see this as the end.
"…Tia-Sama, did you…come to kill me?"
Tia's lips trembled. Her snowy-white hair swayed as she lowered her gaze, then lifted it again, her eyes clear and soft. And then, slowly, she smiled.
"…I…love you guys…so I won't kill you."
The bloodlust faded, but the silence afterward was suffocating. Nothing happened.
And somewhere in that emptiness, Tanaka muttered under his breath.
"…What's the point of all this?"
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Years slipped by, gentle as the passing seasons, and the Natsuki household blossomed. Their small family grew larger when they were blessed with another baby girl—Spica. She inherited her father's black hair and her mother's delicate features, a soft blend that made her resemble a doll come to life.
Rigel, now twelve, had grown into a boy with short, untidy blue hair and sharp sanpakugan eyes that mirrored his father's. He was diligent and stubborn like his mother, yet brash and foul-mouthed like his father—a sassy brat through and through. More than anything, he bore the unmistakable mark of a Siscon, always hovering around his little sister as though the world revolved around her.
On the eve of the town's great festival, the family gathered around the hotpot, steam rising in fragrant curls that fogged the windows. Chopsticks clattered, broth bubbled, and laughter filled the cozy room.
"I can barely even eat my meat!"
Zarestia wailed in dismay as her bowl overflowed with vegetables. She glared at the leafy mound as though betrayed by fate itself. Yet, she never once put anything back into the pot, a reluctant sign that someone had been teaching her manners properly.
Rigel sat cross-legged, his expression dead serious as he ladled the next bowl, then another, serving each person in turn with a precision that rivaled any seasoned host.
"Man, it really helps that we have someone taking charge," Subaru said, reclining with a satisfied grin. "Just watching him makes us happy~, and the hotpot running smoothly makes him happy. It's a win-win situation."
"Stop being ridiculous," Rigel snapped, scowling. "I want some hotpot too. Don't make me do everything…!"
Rem's gentle laugh cut through his protest. "I feel bad, so… here, open wide, Rigel."
Her chopsticks hovered in front of him. Rigel froze for a moment, cheeks flushing, but he didn't turn away. Embarrassment meant little when surrounded by family, so he leaned forward and let his mother feed him with a small, satisfied smile.
"Hey, hey, what the hell are you making my Rem do?" Subaru barked, puffing out his cheeks in mock outrage. "All right, I'll feed you too!"
Halibel chuckled as he reached for his own chopsticks. "Oh? Rigel, you haven't been eating at all. I'll feed you too."
Not to be left behind, Zarestia leaned over the steaming pot, eyes sparkling with mischievous energy. "Oh, okay then, I'll do it too! Here, eat this! Hey, c'mon, eat it!"
Rigel's mouth was stuffed before he could protest, his muffled voice spilling out between bites. "Nom nom! I can't eat all that!"
The table erupted in laughter, a chorus of warmth and noise that made the small room feel larger than life.
And at the edge of it all, Tanaka sat in silence. Each cheer, each laugh, each ridiculous exchange piled onto him like invisible weights. With every passing moment, his patience thinned, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. His heart ticked with irritation.
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"What happened to you, Dad? Has the father within you finally awoken?"
"You say that as if the father within me hasn't been awake until now," Subaru replied smugly. "The father within me has been in bloom for a good two years now."
"Two years… but that's when Spica was born!"
Subaru flashed his teeth, striking a ridiculous pose with a thumbs-up that glistened in the lamplight. Rigel, quick on the uptake, delivered his comeback with a perfect deadpan.
The whole table erupted once more. It was rare—so rare—that Rigel actually agreed with his father about something, especially something as lighthearted as the festival. For once, father and son stood on the same side.
And yet, at the fringes of their joy, Tanaka's silence lingered.
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"Tonight, I get to sleep with Spica. You jealous?"
"Rigel: Yeah, I am. Who cares about the Setsubun festival."
"Tia: That was such a fast reply. You really are scary…"
Tia narrowed her eyes at Rigel, who tilted his head innocently, though his blunt reply betrayed his childish obsession. The others laughed it off, but Tanaka could no longer bear the sound of it.
"...Okay. This is enough."
His voice cut through the laughter, sharp and cold.
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The "Setsubun Ghost" contest soon followed, the event brimming with festival cheer. Customs were judged, costumes paraded, and joy spilled into the night like a flood of light.
The Natsuki family stood proudly on the victory stand, captured forever in a photographic "Metia." The image glowed faintly in the dreamlike air:
—a little boy with a bothered look.—a bewitching woman, her beauty warm and commanding.—a stunning figure dressed as a gallant man, smile playful and bold.—beside them, a towering wolf-man whose presence radiated strength.—and a smiling mother, cradling a baby in her arms
It was a perfect picture of happiness. A life whole and unbroken.
"I said this is enough!!"
Tanaka's voice thundered now, shattering the illusion, his words desperate to reach Odglass.
"I don't get it… Why! Why are you showing me this!?"
"..."
"Don't play dumb with me! You know exactly what I mean!"
His hands shook. His chest burned. The images before him were beautiful, but beauty had never felt so cruel.
What was the point? Why force him to watch? Why carve this alternate reality into his eyes?
Here, Subaru and Rem had found peace.Here, they were blessed with children.Here, Return by Death was no longer needed.
But the cost… the cost was too much.
If Subaru and Rem fled to Kararagi, everyone else would die. Emilia. Beatrice. Ram. The villagers. Hundreds more—snuffed out like candles in the wind.
Tanaka's resolve had been clear when he entered this vision: he wanted to save them all, no matter what. But this… this cruel choice tore his resolve to pieces.
If he stopped them from running away, this reality—this family—would vanish. Rigel and Spica would never even be born.
"Why me?" Tanaka's voice cracked, his throat dry. "What am I supposed to do?"
If Odglass had never shown him this, perhaps things would have unfolded naturally, without his interference. Perhaps he would not have to bear this weight.
"You make choice here," Odglass's voice echoed, calm yet absolute. "Whatever you think is right."
"I don't want to make a choice!" Tanaka's voice broke, his fists clenching until his knuckles turned white. "I don't want this burden!"
He was scared. He had always been scared of moments like this. His specialty was failure, and the thought of making the wrong decision, of damning lives either way, tore him apart.
Should he rip Subaru and Rem from their happiness, deny their children's existence, all in a desperate attempt to save lives that may still slip through his fingers?
Or should he let this dream play out, allow this peaceful family to flourish, while Emilia and the others met their deaths in another place, another time?
"...I'm sorry."
Odglass's form began to glow, her outline blurring like a candle melting away in the dark. She reached out, her hand wrapping gently around his trembling fingers.
"I'm sorry for putting you in a tight spot. I really have no choice."
Her touch was warm, even as her body shimmered and the space around them warped, fragments of the vision twisting and breaking apart.
"But please remember this…" Her voice was soft, almost maternal, as her fading light surrounded him. "No matter what happens, no matter what choice you make, no matter the consequences that follow—I will always support you. I will always cherish you. I will always be by your side."
Tanaka's lips trembled, his eyes wavering with tears. The words tore out of him like a plea, fragile and broken.
"...Why…?"
Odglass's bear figure dissolved into motes of light, her final words scattered like whispers in the wind. Only fragments reached him, faint but eternal—
"…my dearest child…"
And then, silence.