The scene changed to show the squadron in front of the drill sergeant, as this one stood before the doors of what looked like a maze, or rather, a course. With targets showing enemies and civilians, along with directions to take.
"Soldiers! Welcome to the pit!" He shouted, walking in front of them, "this right there, will show me what you got!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"A new trial?" Felix asked as he twitched his ears in curiosity.
"This one seems to hold more importance…" Reinhard noticed at the sergeant's words, "the pit?"
"If you want my guess, it sounds a lot like a passage ritual, ya know." Ricardo mused.
"Now that you say it…" Anastasia rubbed her scarf, "well…I do hope this is nothing dangerous…It would be rather counterproductive to threaten the lives of new recruits."
"Behind me, stands a table with equipment, rifles, pistols, grenades, tactical. I want you all to make your choice, and hop into the course! The goal is simple, you run in and you take down all of the targets as fast as possible!"
"Sounds a bit too simple, Capn' would win too easily." Garfiel shrugged.
"I'm sure there's more to it," Frederica thought out loud, "we have already seen them doing shooting practice…This would be too similar."
The whole squadron stood listening.
"However, you all should hold your horses before thinking it's that easy! There's civilians targets in there, and a proper path to take! If you hit a civilian, you're fucking out! I will not tolerate this kind of mistake in my platoon! If you have to take more time thinking, then think! But no bullets out of your guns shall touch a civilian, you got me?!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Good! Remember the keywords here gentlemen! You strike fast, and you strike good! Precision, swiftness, and speed!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"So they do care about civilians in the end?" Felt snorted before the irony, "the same guys who 'nuked' civilians?"
"Maybe they have learned of their own mistakes and decided to not treat human lives so lightly…" Reinhard replied to his lady, noticing the irony behind these words.
"I doubt it, they are initially trained to only attack the enemy pal," Al explained, "but once they're on the battlefield, rules don't apply anymore. It's a "me or them" kind of situation, and they would rather shoot 5 civilians to kill 1 enemy rather than shooting no one and getting killed."
"This is a lost cowardly behavior!" Julius replied as he punched his handle, "what kind of soldier disregards an innocent life this way?!"
"There are no rules in war contrary of what you believe bright knight," Al replied in an uncaring tone, "I told you. No one's a good guy here. They're all scum."
"And big bro is in the middle of it…" not hiding her disgust, Felt mused, "They all act all mighty while killing innocents without any care…And they are allowed to do so?!"
"Most of the time it's watered down as collateral casualties, " Al explained once more, "blame the US kid. Not me."
"Truly a bunch of cowards no matter the side." Shaking her head in disappointment, and in worry for Subaru's position, Crusch raised her eyes to the screen," I hope you do not fall into the same habits…Please don't…"
"If he's my Subaru…" Emilia whispered in response to the Duchess, nodding her head, "he won't. Not now…Not ever."
Several members of the squadron went forward and began to enter the course one by one. In the meanwhile, the drill sergeant went toward Subaru.
"Now we're going to see how much you inherited of Ken," he laughed as he gazed towards the course, "in the old days, he was the one to beat the record in the course."
"..." Julius just kept watching as he slowed clenched his fist.
Not far from him, Crusch glanced at the purple-haired knight and the boy before him, keeping her eyes on his, and noticing how they changed everytime his father was mentioned.
"It is because of him..." She realized, whispering more to herself than anyone.
Subaru's eyes widened as he heard the sergeant.
"My father made this course…?" He repeated in a hushed tone, "What was his time?"
"His father is really everywhere," Anastasia commented in boredom, "who is he in the end? A god?"
"He's constantly compared to his father, constantly reminded of his greatness…" Julius whispered with wide eyes, "he is only known as his son…"
"Julius?" Emilia inquired as she heard his whisper, "what do you mean?"
"I…Think that you will understand as you watch this, Emilia-sama…" Julius shook his head, "but I believe the day in the royal capital has more meaning than just a rude child insulting knighthood."
"This is not funny anymore, you know…" Emilia told him with saddened eyes.
"I apologize, Emilia-sama," Julius avoided her gaze," but I believe you should see this for yourself…"
Hearing the conversation, Crusch only nodded her head in acknowledgment of the spirit knight's words.
"O..kay? This is curious," Otto commented, surprised by Subaru's reaction, "he seems pretty interested in his father's score…"
"He didn't know it before coming?" Garfiel questioned," uh, weird."
"Maybe his father didn't tell him for a reason?" Petra replied with another question, trying to think of a reason.
"Uh?"
"The record. How long did he take to complete the course?" He inquired to the sergeant.
"…He took 19 seconds to make a flawless run." Feeling a bit pressured by Subaru's tone, the sergeant cleared his throat with a questionable gaze towards the young man.
"19 seconds…" He whispered, narrowing his eyes to the guns on the table.
The scene showed Griggs glancing at Subaru from the side.
"Uh, he's not happy is he?"
"He really isn't! What the hell is happening?!" Ricardo began to lose patience before all of this confusion, "come on man!"
"If you could shut your mouth and watch, perhaps he would be able to think?" Priscilla voiced loud from her seat, having enough of the dogman's complaints.
"Tch, yeah yeah." Ricardo turned around, not wanting to start any fight with this woman.
"What is happening to you, Barsusu," Ram wondered, looking at the sleeping boy, "what is it that gives you such an urge to fight?"
"Subaru-kun…" positioning herself to watch better, Rem took a confident expression, "Rem will cheer for you…You can do it!"
"I get it…!" Felt exclaimed, "He wants to beat the record!"
All eyes turned towards the little blonde.
"19 seconds! He wants to beat that!" Felt pointed it," the reason he's so focused is that he's aiming for this!"
"But…What would that bring?" Emilia questioned, a hand on her chest."
"I believe this is what we are about to find out, Emilia-sama," Crusch replied, ready to see how Subaru was about to perform.
After several men passed the selections, it was Subaru's turn to go forward and make the course. Carefully taking his weapons, which was an M4A1 with a 20 rounds mag. He put the selector on semi-automatic, took a standard-issue 1911, and presented himself to the gates.
"Why didn't he take a 30 round mag? He's handicapping himself…" One of the marines whispered, "there are 28 targets!"
"That guy's dumb." Allen scoffed.
"Oh, you motherfucker better shut it!" Felt punched her chair handle, "why do you exist?! Argggh!"
"I'm betting all of Otto's purse that Capn' will fuck up this guy's score by a large margin!"
"Yes! Natsuki-san wi- WHAT?!" Otto exclaimed in shock to the tiger boy.
"You ain't taking it back!" Mimi shouted from across the room.
"Oh my…" Frederica giggled before Otto's worried face, pale as piece of paper.
"N-Natsuki-san! You better win this! Go! Gooooo!" He shouted in cheer, for his friend, and for his purse.
"As he'd lose," Petra shook her head, "this is why you're easily bullied, Otto-sama."
The scene changed to show a man up the course, watching from above the young black-haired boy take place.
The camera didn't go up enough to show his face.
"Who's that?" Garfiel narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know, but the fact that he cannot see his face certainly means that he holds a certain importance," Crusch voiced her thoughts, grasping the way these viewing worked bit by bit.
Several people agreed with her theory and came back to focusing on Subaru.
"Marine, get ready!" The man at the interphone yelled, "Natsuki Subaru, section Delta, Batallion 7!"
The scene came back to Subaru as he slowly pulled the charging handle to check the bullet, as the red light turned orange.
The camera focused on his eyes, as he narrowed them slowly, observing what he saw behind the gates.
Everyone leaned a bit forward to see the course from up close, eyes staring at Subaru
And green.
"GO! GO! GO!"
In a split of a second, Subaru entered the course and aimed his rifle, taking down the 5 first targets one after the other who appeared behind the sandbags situated in line at the front of the gates with a bullet each, his eyes immediately following to the next sector he had to reach.
"Sector clear! Enter the building!"
"What the…" A marine outside watched slack jaw, as several people stood confused in what they just saw.
"Go damn Natsuki…" Griggs whispered.
"W-wha…" Felix squinted his eyes, looking at Julius, "what just happened?!"
Julius just kept staring at the screen, unable to close his mouth to the sheer speed with which Subaru took down the targets.
"Guess he's as shocked as us…" Felt commented with an impressed expression.
"So this test consists of seeing one's ability to react," Crusch mused as she leaned a bit forward, "reflexes, eyesight, speed…Mh…"
"This is really a passage ritual eh," Ricardo chuckled, "and lil' boss is rocking!"
The screen changed to show Subaru entering the house, as several targets lifted up, a total of 7, 3 being civilians.
Taking a single glance to analyze the room, Subaru continued to advance as he shot the enemies once more with terrific precision, his hands moving his rifle as if he already did the run multiple times before like he knew each enemy's position.
"This is unreal!" Al yelled," he can see 1 second in the future, what's the damn deal?!"
"Such accuracy is indeed fearsome…" Wilhelm mused, "but I believe that Subaru-dono already made us used to much more fearsome and impressive abilities."
"Tight sector, switch to handgun!" The man yelled.
Approaching the stairs, Subaru switched for his pistol and knife positioned under his right wrist, going up with warry steps, until a target suddenly erupted from the side, only for Subaru to stab it right on sight.
Immediately as the target fell, he stepped on the open balcony and shot each one of the 6 targets as they went up from the ground, avoiding the civilians that showed up in between, before running to the edge as he switched back to his rifle.
"O..k no use into being impressed anymore Natsuki-san, just beat it! Come on!" Otto shouted to the Subaru on screen.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Felt cheered as well!"
"Sector clear! Down the under level!"
"What the hell is this?! He's cheating?!" Allen yelled, eyes wide to Subaru's performance.
The drill sergeant looked back and forth with a slack jaw to the images of Subaru running the course and the time code on the side, showing 13 seconds.
"He's gonna do it…!" He grunted, breathing heavily, as he looked up to the man watching the field from above.
"Of course he is, imbecile, in fact," Beatrice haughtily exclaimed, "you saw Betty's contractor greatness up close and you still doubt him?"
"They're all as much impressed as we are…" Crusch smiled in confidence, "it says a lot about Natsuki Subaru's feats…"
Said man slightly leaned forward, his face couldn't be seen but it was obvious that he was focused on Subaru.
Back to the young man, Subaru jumped from the balcony and landed in another one as 4 enemies showed up in the corners. When he noticed the first one lifting up in one of the corners, he immediately understood where the others would appear, and managed to be in a position even before the target lifted up the ground.
"Always check your corners…" the man on top whispered with a laugh.
"Wait…This voice!" Ricardo widened his eyes, along with Felix.
"I heard this one too!" Mimi pointed out, "this is the mustache guy!"
"That was some pre-shot bullshit…" A marine shook his head.
"What's a pre-shot?" Petra asked, turning to Aldebaran who just shrugged in response.
"Sector clear! Go to the rope!"
Running to the rope in front of him, Subaru slid down the last sector, as a total of 7 targets lifted up immediately, several with enemies having civilians in hostage.
"This is becoming tricky...!" Otto cleared his throat in worry.
"They are holding the civilians as shields…?" Emilia whispered in dread, even if this was nothing but a simulation, the thought still scared her.
"It seems like they are really preparing for anything." Wilhelm narrowed his eyes, waiting to see how Subaru was about to deal with this.
First taking down the easy targets as he ran forward, Subaru noticed that the last target, which was moving from left to right, wouldn't be proper shooting sight when he would be of reach.
Thinking quick, Subaru immediately shot down all of the 6 targets around before his rifle ran out.
He immediately put the rifle up to his back and began a sprint to the end gate, the timer showing 16 seconds.
"16 seconds!" Felt shouted, "come on big bro!"
"But there's still one?! There's still one!" Tivey pointed out with his finger.
"What is he doing…?" Crusch wondered, "he certainly has a plan…"
"I hope he does…! Please!" Otto whimpered.
"He's going for the exit?! But he forgot one!" One of the men exclaimed.
"Did he…?" Griggs uttered, eyes wide to the images of the camera.
And just before reaching the end line, Subaru crouched down and scraped the ground with his boots as he slid, taking his pistol out of his holster and pointing on his side where the thin line of the target remained…
"Wha…"
"Is he…"
"No fucking way…"
"Sector clear!"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"'
"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!"
All the marines yelled in shock and maybe fear, eyes wide and slack-jawed to the last shot that Natsuki Subaru managed to pull before reaching the end line.
Several even lost motivation to even try to run the pit with someone like Subaru around. When they looked up at the clock.
The end timer stopped and resulted…To 17,4 seconds.
"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Garfiel roared in all of the theatres, as everyone just tried to process what they just saw.
"What was that?! How did he…?!" Ricardo stared in disbelief, "that ain't true!"
"Subaru-kun is the best!" Rem exclaimed in joy as she hugged the sleeping boy.
"That was beyond just impressive…" Crusch fell back on her seat, her heart beating in excitement, "well done, Subaru…Well done…"
"I can't believe that guy!" Al laughed out loud, "that's just ain't human no more!"
"He did pretty good," her fan hiding the wide, satisfied smile she held on her face at the boy's performance, Priscilla leaned back in her seat with a mind at ease, waiting for the last thing that would only make this victory of his better.
"He did it…" Julius uttered as he grabbed his shirt over his heart," he won…"
Emilia looked at the purple-haired knight and to the screen again, feeling that she was about to have the answers to her questions.
"May I be damned…" The drill sergeant uttered, looking at Subaru coming back to the table to put his weapons down as he stopped in front of the timer.
Looking at the timer being 17,4 Subaru clenched his fists, looking back to the drill sergeant.
"You can add a new record now." He said out loud, walking back to the side of those who already completed the course, under the shocked faces of all the marines before him…A smile forming on his lips.
"Ah…That's it…" Priscilla smiled as she kept her eyes on the boy, "this smile…This is a beautiful smile. A smile of triumph."
Priscilla felt like nothing could go against her good mood at the moment. This viewing satisfied her so much that even Aldebaran's stupid habits or the half-elf's voice couldn't break hinder her. She felt marvelously well and at ease, more than she usually was.
"He…Wanted to beat his father…?" Emilia widened her eyes, turning back to Julius, "his goal was to beat him?"
"Subaru was always referred as his father's son, Emilia-sama," Julius explained as he looked down with a grimace, "he was living in the shadow of someone instead of being himself."
"So this is why…"Crusch whispered in revelation, feeling stupid for now realizing this sooner, "this does explain a lot…But he made it…"
"And this is his way of showing that he exists…" Emilia uttered in relief, "good job…Good job, my Subaru…"
Both Crusch and Emilia began to laugh, happy for the boy who accomplished his goal and relieved to see him so proud of himself.
"That's just too badass!" Felt laughed in satisfaction, "he really just walked in there and beat his father's records like it was nothing.
"…It was because he didn't need more…" The marine uttered near Allen, who turned to him with a confused expression.
"20 rifle rounds, 6 pistol rounds, one knife, and the last bullet…28 targets…" He uttered, "he took just enough to finish the course because he knew he wouldn't need more…"
"Man, he knew he wouldn't miss a single shot?" Mimi exclaimed in awe, "this is so cool!"
"It is more that he wouldn't have allowed himself of missing one," Wilhelm corrected the little demi-human, "Subaru-dono was determined to win. There was no room for defeat, and this was a way for himself to know that there couldn't be any errors here."
"Still too cool!" Mimi replied to him, only for the old man to chuckle.
Hearing this, Allen widened his eyes as his teeth gritted in fury, before the show that Subaru put in front of everyone to see.
After a while, it was his turn to the course.
"I'm gonna show you…Just wait for it you fucking samurai dipshit…" He growled, before running inside of the course.
Later when he got out…A time of 28,7 seconds showed to the screen.
"pfff…"
"That's not going to end well…"
"Wait for it…"
Eyes wide in disgust and anger, he slowly turned around with the hope to not see what he feared to see…
Until he saw Subaru looking at the time code, and then back to him.
"What's up pussy? That's all you got?"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT A LOSER!" Felt laughed while pointing her finger towards Allen as she wiped the tears off her eyes.
"This is really pathetic." Crusch couldn't help but laugh.
"Well…" Al chuckled," Still a flawless foreseeing princess!"
"My, what did you think?" Priscilla questioned in a happy, fond voice, closing her fan as she rested her head on her hand, looking at the boy in the front row.
Now, she was truly satisfied, and in a very good mood.
"You ripped what you sowed," Reinhard shook his head, "you are unfortunately the only one to blame."
"He ain't living this one down!" Ricardo laughed to Subaru's comment, "that's what I call a comeback!"
"IN YOUR DAMN FACE FUCKER!" Garfiel exclaimed as jumped off his seat.
"Garfiel!" Frederica tried to stop her brother, in vain. He was too excited.
"Good, good, you deserved this one," Otto sighed in satisfaction, patting his purse at his belt," I really worried for nothing."
The scene changed to show Subaru who was lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head, closing his eyes as he seemed to remember something.
"What is happening now?" Anastasia wondered, "what are we going to see this time?" "
The screen slowly changed to show a memory of him, in his house with his parents.
"Are they…?" Emilia widened her eyes, putting both of her hands before her mouth.
"I think they are…" Crusch whispered in awe."
"Mh…This is ought to be interesting." Priscilla acknowledged as she leaned a bit forward.
"So this is Subaru's mother and father…" Emilia whispered, her gaze fixated on Naoko's face, and eyes "his mother is soooo pretty…"
"He also looks a lot like his father now that I see him," Anastasia pointed out in surprise, "he really holds a lot from him, even the haircut seems to be the same."
"Indeed…" Julius nodded his head, understanding more and more what it was all about.
Subaru is seen eating some food as his appearance changed drastically. He had the beginning of a beard on his face and rather long hair.
"Eeeewww!" Felt let out with disgust, "what the hell big bro?!"
"T-This is unacceptable, in fact!" Beatrice pointed in anger, "what is this?!"
"No no no no no! Shave that! Shave that right now!" Emilia pouted, not liking this sight at all.
"It's decided," Crusch spoke in a stern tone, "you shall never grow a bear as long as I shall breathe, Natsuki Subaru."
"Hey, it's not that bad! I think the hair is what's ruins it!" Al tried to argue, "what do you think princess?"
He was met with a clear look of disgust on Priscilla's face, grimacing as if she saw an unacceptable sin.
"The first thing we will do is to forever burn your facial hair," She decided, fanning herself, "you will not be allowed to come near me with such a face."
"You all are being too harsh!" Rem reprimanded," Subaru-kun is still good-looking!"
"I agree, capn' looks cool no matter!"
"Garf…" Both Frederica and Otto shook their heads.
"No he's not." Petra immediately shot back, deadpanned.
"Then don't claim that you love him!"
"No, I love him. But I hate his beard." She answered, still with the same tone.
"…"
"There is no use arguing, Rem," the pink-haired Oni spoke as she held her hands and fingers on Subaru's face," this is not a sight that should be allowed to exist."
"W-What are you doing?!" Rem yelled to her sister as she saw how Ram was touching Subaru's face.
"Checking if he is allowed to exist."
"Nee-sama!"
"Subaru…" his mother sighed as she touched her son's cheek, "Just when are you going to get rid of that?"
"Me having a beard bothers you this much?"
"It's making me really upset! Why should I tolerate my cute son's face to be tarnished by such a monstrosity?!" She pouted in outrage, "Let me shave it!"
"Monstrosity…? Isn't it a bit excessive?" Subaru said uneasily.
"It's really isn't, get that off!" losing her patience, Crusch voiced aloud in frustration.
"You seem really adamant on that nya…" Felix worriedly pointed out.
"It's making me upset, I wish I could shave it myself…!" Crusch whispered with a frown over what she was seeing, truly disliking such a sight.
"It really isn't! A beard does not fit a Natsuki, period. Have you ever seen your father with a beard?!" Naoko continued.
"I…Don't have one because you force me to shave it every time…" Kenichi intervened with a confused voice.
"Because it would be too ugly to be acceptable on a social level," she explained, "and I hate unfairness, my son shall remain as good looking as he is, without this."
"It seems like Barusu's mother gets it." Ram nodded her head. She already liked that woman.
"She seems fun!" Felt exclaimed, smiling at her, "I wish I could meet her!"
"Me too." Crusch nodded, imagining a scenario where she could face the matriarch of the Natsuki family.
"Mineself as well." Priscilla nodded with a smile, feeling like she would get along with that woman.
Kenichi glanced back at his son with pensive eyes, before sighing uneasily as he remembered the reason his son began to even grow a beard.
"Subaru," Kenichi told him, "didn't you…Let yourself too loose for too long?"
Both Subaru and Naoko looked at him in surprise.
"I mean, I finished school as you asked me to…"
"And now what?" Kenichi continued, "You didn't talk to me or your mother even once about your superior studies."
"…"
"Superior studies? Like, even more studies than school?" Felt mused with scared eyes.
"In Subaru's world, there is a lot of studies to achieve in order to be able to work properly, in fact," Beatrice explained.
"Oh well Nah," Mimi shivered just at the thought.
"This sounds like hell!" Tivey exclaimed.
"Do not refer to knowledge as hell, Tivey," Anastasia sighed at the child's antics, "you don't know what you're talking about!"
"I know I couldn't bear it!" Mimi sighed.
"It's true, Subaru…" seeing the opportunity, Naoko intervened, "It's been a year already since you finished school…Perhaps it is time for you to choose a university?"
"I…"
"Is it because of the money?" Kenichi continued, "you know this is not an issue right? We have prepared all the savings for you since you're born!"
"It's true, we are more than ready to support your studies!" Naoko added, waiting for her son's response.
"It really seems like a good family…" using a hushed tone to speak, Emilia mused at the sight of Naoko and Kenichi…
The parents that got robbed of their son.
"…"
"I don't know…" Subaru said in a low voice, keeping his gaze away, "I…Don't think this is what I want."
"Subaru…If there's anything you know you can tell us, right?" Kenichi pleaded, seeing the look in his son's eyes to be of pain, "you…You have been acting strange you came back to school and finished…"
"Strange?" Subaru replied, seeking answers.
"If I had to put it into words, I would say depressed…" Naoko told him, her eyes showing the worry of a mother.
"Why would he be depressed?!" putting a hand in front of her mouth, Rem expressed her worries, "Did something happen to him too?"
"It is a memory…So this point still has him in the shadow of his father like you said," turning to Julius Emilia told him, "do you believe it is a reason for his…"
"It might be, Emilia-sama…But from what I'm hearing, it doesn't seem like Subaru's father is the type of man to pressure his child..." Julius mused as he frowned at the screen, "maybe there is something more."
"…I don't…Really know what to say…" Subaru uttered, holding his forehead, "I just…Really don't feel like it…I don't know. I don't feel like doing it…Not now at least."
"What happened to you, I suppose…" Beatrice murmured, leaning in her contractor's embrace.
"Subaru-kun…" Petra whimpered, heartbroken at the sight of her hero like this.
"This is becoming really concerning," Frederica spoke in a serious tone.
"Yeah but…This reality or this Subaru is maybe not the same as ours…So I don't know what it could be or have an idea about it…"
Seeing his answers about the university, Kenichi and Naoko threw a glance at each other, their eyes mixed with worry, fear, and sadness.
Looking at his son again, Kenichi nodded his head and came to a conclusion.
"Alright," he started, cleared his throat to take a brighter voice, "if this is what you want, we will not contest it. You are our son, and we respect your decisions, though I might have one more proposition for you if you are willing to hear."
"Here is the reason we are seeing this," Priscilla mused, her interest picked, "let us see what is your proposition."
Making both his wife and his son curious as to what he would propose, Kenichi, smiled.
"Try and make your service," he said as he looked right into his son's eyes, "if you don't know what to do, then try this."
"…"
"Hold on…"
Subaru's father is the reason why he joined the army…?" Reinhard tried to understand.
"Dear…?" Naoko said with wide eyes, looking back and forth between her husband and her son.
Subaru just kept staring at his father.
"It's alright if you don't know what to do with your life, it can happen with anyone here and no one in this household will blame you for it," he explained, "but I at least want you to try something. As a parent, this is the only request I have for you. So, just try to go to the army while you think about your future, for having done my own service in Okinawa I can guarantee you that it helps when it comes to put your ideas back into place. "
The expression on Subaru's face showed that he didn't dislike the idea this much. Not that he acknowledged it, but he didn't refuse it yet either. His decision took shape when he looked at his mother who, even though uneasy, smiled at her son with a supportive look in her eyes.
"While I'm not thrilled to the idea of you holding a weapon…I will always support your decision, Subaru." She told him.
"Oh, immediately the gun talk!" Kenichi laughed, "it's alright the only thing he'll do is to learn discipline as he patrols here and there! It's not like he'll be sent in a battlefront!"
"You never know what can happen, dear…" Naoko sighed.
"For now, Japan doesn't have any major conflict that can result to such an outcome," Kenichi waved off, "plus we don't have enough resources for that. The JSDF is here for defense mostly, and if anything we have the support of the Americans."
"Didn't you say that you disliked them a lot during your service?" Naoko reminded, questioning her husband.
"Oh I hated their guts," Kenichi nearly grunted in distaste, "but your old man over here showed them who was the boss!"
Subaru looked down for a moment as he seriously thought about what his father just proposed to him.
"Just try," Kenichi said in a low and warm voice, "if you don't like it you can always come back home. I just ask you to try, alright?"
Hearing this much Subaru raised his head, meeting with both his parents' eyes and smiles.
He then took a deep breath.
"Where's the shaving kit?"
"This is a joke, right?" Ricardo remained slack-jawed in disbelief, "his father is the one who made him go to the army?"
"So he…Disliked the idea because the army is just someplace he joined to please his parents, without being what he wanted?" Felt voiced her thoughts, hoping for anyone to follow her up, or to explain the situation.
"Maybe? This is hard to tell…" truly intrigued, Otto reminded what he saw, "I mean he's really, really good at being a soldier…"
"He's 19 years old here, and he was being registered at 20…Perhaps he trained himself beforehand?" Crusch began to think," it would explain how he is so skilled compared to others."
"And knowing his father was the best there, maybe he was the one to supervise him?" Ricardo thought out loud," it wouldn't surprise me honestly."
"Yeah but if that happened…Wouldn't he see that his son is against it? He seems rather perceptive." Rubbing her scarf in frustration at this confusing situation, Anastasia tried to find an explanation for this as well.
"Maybe this is not about joining the army…" Wilhelm widened his eyes as he realized something, "perhaps…It is animosity towards life itself?"
"Life…?" Emilia repeated in worry, "why would he…"
"We don't really know what happened to him before that memory played…Perhaps something in his past is responsible?" The old man tried to continue, "his parents mentioned how Subaru-dono seemed to hold dark thoughts for a while."
"Mh…That is true…" Felix followed Wilhelm, "Subaru-kyun might just be this way because of past events that…Made him like that."
"We would need better insight," Ram sighed, seeing how all of these theories didn't lead anywhere, "from what we know, Barusu is very good at hiding his true intentions, after all..."
Suddenly, Subaru reopened his eyes, standing up from his bed as he held a hand over his eyes, touching his chin with a chuckle, seeing if there was any facial hair growing.
He then stood up and went outside, before sitting against a wall with his phone, looking at a picture of him and his parents.
"Can't wait to tell you that I beat your ass old man…" Subaru smiled, the moon shining upon him.
"He seems very happy about that fact," Emilia sighed with a smile, "this can't be helped…"
"I'm sure his father would be proud." Crusch confidently answered with a smile of her own.
"Mh…Well, can't really sleep for now…" Subaru stretched his arms, "let's see if there's an update."
"Whatcha looking at?" Griggs asked as he scouted closer to see his screen.
"Wa!" Mimi hissed in fear as she jumped from her seat, as Ricardo and Anastasia began to laugh at her reaction.
"Well, this was startling…" Felix sighed in frustration.
"What the?!" Subaru jumped back, turning around to see the man behind him laughing, "Jesus Griggs!"
"Ain't my fault if you have your head in your ass and can't hear me coming up!" He laughed as he sat down near him, "you wish-supersoldier."
"Wish?" Felt raised an eyebrow, wondering what it meant.
"Perhaps some sort of insult in their world, Felt-sama?" Reinhard replied, not really knowing what to say either.
Subaru grunted as he took his phone again, and Griggs scouted closer once more.
"Do you have to-Ugh…" Subaru grunted as he showed his phone to him, with was a manga.
"Oh, true! You guys love this kind of thing! I read some myself in my youth!" Griggs laughed in nostalgia," though the new ones are just too weird for me, what's this one about?"
"Oooooh! What is this?!" Anastasia exclaimed with a bright voice, "some sort of storybook?"
"It looks like it…" Felt whispered, oddly interested by it, "but it's really small…"
"Usually these are books that you hold in your hands," Al explained as he recognized what kind of book this was, "but here it seems that bro is having another version of it…"
"And what is it that he holds? Another type of Metia?" Crusch asked, curious to know.
"Well uh…I have no idea." Al shrugged, still not introduced to this kind of technology, "I guess it is?"
"It's interesting to see that Aldebaran-san isn't aware of most of the things that are happening here," Otto mused with a smile.
"Hey, I told you that I didn't have all my head from that time you know? But even then…" Al began to think for a moment, "that stuff looks like a miniature TV that you can get in your pocket I guess. This is for sure an advanced tech."
"Miniature TV?" Garfiel struggled to say, "I ain't even goin' to ask."
"B-But if it's advanced technology…" Anastasia narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "then it means…"
"It's about…An empire and a republic at war with each other." Subaru explained, "the heroine is commanding a group of soldiers against the empire, a squadron that is known to be a horrible one, for all of these soldiers become mad or kill themselves."
"Talk about a depressive story!" Ricardo exclaimed with a horrified face, "what are these tastes lil' boss?!"
Several people agreed with Ricardo on that.
"At some point, she tries to help them, as she understands their misery…And she learns the truth about the gruesome war against the empire that lasts for 9 years." Subaru explained, looking back at Griggs who was nodding his head.
"Perhaps there is more to it than all of this darkness?" Seeing a light at this final explanation, Julius picked up on the last words, "it also sounds interesting, in a way…"
"9 years of war?" the duchess breathed out as if relieved to not have to be in the heroine's place, "along with soldiers seemingly doomed to a certain fate…"
"Disheartening," Wilhelm grunted, his own memories flashing before his eyes.
"This the girl?" He said as he pointed the finger to a silver-haired girl in uniform.
"This is the heroine."
"A blue-haired girl's the heroine?"
"What blue hair? Those are silver hair."
"Wha…" Otto began to smile at the comedic sight this was taking, along with the sight of the heroine on screen, "silver hair?"
Several eyes turned towards Emilia, widening her eyes with a hand on her heart at the sight of the scene playing before her.
"Man, you blind? This is clear blue!"
"You fell on your head as a kid that you're over here with colorblindness?" Subaru squinted his eyes in incomprehension," this is silver!"
"It seems like a very important debate," Frederica giggled with a hand in front of her mouth, "for Subaru-sama at least."
"It's about something way too important for him!" Garfiel laughed out loud, "of course he's takin' it seriously!"
Emilia remained silent, watching this discussion unfold with her heart beating faster and faster.
Just like Rem.
Just like Beatrice.
Just like Petra.
Just like Ram.
"Yeah yeah, I'm going to leave it to the great 'connoisseur' of silver hair then," He waved off as he came back to his plate, "even though it's blue."
"Tch."
"And the uniform? That's a fetish of yours?"
"Oh, you're about to diss girls in uniform now?"
It was now towards the Duchess Crusch Karsten that the eyes were upon, her attention taken by the tone of outrage Subaru had when he mentioned an animosity of some sort towards women in uniform.
She also felt a weight on her heart, but it was more about what Subaru was about to answer.
"Subaru likes girls in uniform?" Otto whispered Garfiel at his side, "he never told us this…"
"Nah he did say he had a thing for maid uniforms brotto," Garfiel thought out loud, making Otto's face red in shame, "he had somethin' for uniforms since the start."
Ram, Frederica, Petra, and Rem all felt like laughing warmly at the remembrance of it. It was easy to forget about this, but Subaru did state several times that maid uniforms were a personification of elegance in his mind.
"I always knew it," Petra chuckled as she rested against his shoulder," this is why I am here, after all."
All the while the Duchess couldn't help but smile uncontrollably, smiling like a child as she held a hand on her warming heart. It was such a trivial matter…But it still managed to make her smile this much.
"Struck a nerve?" Griggs began to laugh, "it's okay we all have our kinks. Mine is white girls."
"…"
"Hey to each their own! Though I don't really think you'll find anyone with silver or blue hai- Wait no, there's California," Griggs took a more disgusted tone," fucking California."
"Oh…"Al began to laugh, earning a glance from his mistress who seriously began to be frustrated by all of these mentions and references she couldn't understand.
"California?" Ricardo scoffed, "even the name sounds weird."
"You'd love it," Al continued to laugh, "trust me you'd love it."
"I wish silver hair and blue-haired girls would exist in this world…" Subaru sighed, taking some sort of nostalgic smile, looking at the heroine on his phone, "Ah…Green hair is not bad too."
"Green ha- what the fuck is wrong with you...?" Griggs looked back at him with a disgusted face.
"…You have no fucking right to open your mouth and much less say those words!" Subaru retorqued as he put his phone back on the table, "fucking hippie."
Silence.
What filled the theatre at this precise moment in the theatre.
No one felt like laughing anymore. No one felt like saying a single word.
Everyone…Just remained to stare at the screen with eyes wide in shock. Some were paralyzed, others tried to process the information they just heard…It felt so surreal, so horrible…Painful.
While the moment was short, it still felt like an eternity for most of the people, as those seated in the front row began to whimper, especially a certain blue-haired maid. Others could only listen, as fear began to fill their minds, hands trembling and shaking, throats choking over the tears flowing of all the people who finally understood the pain of most of the Emilia camp.
Emilia…Began to cry. Just cry.
She couldn't stop herself, with both of her hands wrapped around her waist as if she felt a shivering cold wrapping around her, she cried. Her voice becoming hoarse, painful, unbearable…Coupled with the wet floor of the theatre, swelled by the never-ending flow tears of the elven-princess.
The reality she tried to discard, the truth she didn't want to hear. Her future that she dreamed of and cherished, the one she wanted to see and have…
All of it crumbled down in that precise instant before her very eyes. Before everyone's eyes.
"Don't…" Beatrice cried, her head buried in her contractor's chest, "D-Don't go…"
"Don't leave…!" clenching his arm as if he would disappear, Rem whimpered in pain, "Subaru-kun…Please…"
"I love you…" She whispered to his ear, "I love you so much…"
Petra did much the same as her colleague, not being able to speak a single word as her throat seemed unable to work anymore, barely breathing…The idea of Subaru leaving this world crushing her soul.
The duchess was doing her best to not show any sign of weakness…
Holding a straight face, her eyes down.
Her fists trembling, her legs quivering.
Teeth gritted…
She didn't have the chance to spend as much time with him as most of the people in this room, yet she still felt an equivalent amount of pain rising in her chest.
She cursed the world, she cursed fate for this…And in a corner of her mind, she even cursed herself for falling in love.
She felt as if the pain she couldn't escape wouldn't be if it wasn't the case. Those things could be easier.
But it was not. She was already trapped in the merciless strings of love. She was feeling all of the suffering ones could feel with the knowledge of so little time she could spend with a loved one.
For her, and for everyone, these few words were the truth they all feared, but for the Duchess herself, it was also an answer to her feelings, as she believed his last wish to be directed towards her.
"Subaru…I-"
"He can't go!" Felt shouted at the top of her lungs, holding her chair handles in frustration and pain, "He can't leave! He can't!"
"Felt-sama…" Reinhard called in a hoarse voice, trying to raise his hand towards her in an attempt of comfort...But Felt already jumped in his arms to cry.
"Why…Why?!" She whaled in agony, clenching the Sword Saint's coat," why should this happen?!"
"I.." Reinhard wanted to apologize.
He wanted to apologize to his lady, he wished he could. He wished he could take the blame for this…He wished in a way people would take their anger on him and ease a bit of their suffering.
A wish only some sort of madman could have, but one that Reinhard held nonetheless. He didn't want them to suffer from this, he didn't want them to feel so much pain…
A pain he felt as well.
It wasn't something that could be ignored or discarded by Reinhard from here on out that he wished for Subaru and him to be closer. He wished to be someone he could rely on as much as Otto or Garfiel…And after the few promises he made with his lady, this was something he was ready to do, something he expected to do…!
He was so excited! To the idea of Subaru coming by his side, to the idea of living adventures with him, laughing with him, and having a future where they could tap each other's shoulder like brothers in the confidence of overcoming any obstacles that could stand in their way!
He already had so many things he wanted to do and try in his mind! Like a child that was imagining a thousand scenarios over a future that he was told would come, Reinhard felt like a new life was just ahead of him, at the end of a tunnel that was once filled in darkness until the fateful day he heard someone calling for help in an alley of the capital.
And all of a sudden this light, much like his past and everything he ever lived, was shut down in a wave of darkness striking him with a force he never felt before.
Even as the Sword Saint, even as the strongest being in this world and age, this was the greatest pain he ever felt.
A pain that created an urge to cry. To shout, to scream, to let it all out, to fall to his knees and punch the ground until it was nothing but crumbles to let out his anger…
And a feeling of wanting to grab any god or bearer of fate that he could reach by the collar and ask the most hurtful of the questions to it.
"Why?" He whispered, bringing his lady closer to his embrace…
"Natsuki-san…Will…" Otto breathed in and out, grabbing his shirt where his heart was, "No…I don't want it…"
"Otto-sama…" Frederica held her tears in, the sight of the green-clothed merchant's agonizing face awakening an instinct in her to find a way to comfort him…
Alongside her dear brother who didn't say a single word since the beginning.
Garfiel…Was quiet. His arms crossed and his head down so that none could see his face and eyes, he stood in this position with the dim light of the screen over his head showing nothing but his lips trembling.
Had it been someone else than her sister, perhaps he could have fooled him. Perhaps he could have held this position and make them believe that he was holding it in.
If only, that is.
Frederica only held a hand to her own heart, her tears cutting her loud breathing filled with sorrow…Unable to do anything.
"Big boss bro…Will go?" Mimi began to whimper, looking at Ricardo in hope that he would answer something else, along with her brother.
"R-Ricardo…We're getting mislead, right…? This is all but a misunderstanding…Right?" Tivey asked, tugging his arm in hope of a favorable answer.
Ricardo heaved a long sigh of frustration, grunting as he didn't wish to answer while patting the twins' heads.
"Sometimes life isn't easy." He uttered for them to hear in a gentle, father-like voice, "sometimes there is no choice but to face those hardships…And move on."
Both twins only sniffled and cried more, burying their faces into his embrace.
"I wonder if this is really what it meant…" Anastasia looked down, in deep thoughts, "Perhaps we are being misled…"
She turned her face to her knight, hoping that she wouldn't be the only one drowning in the depths of the revelation all came to…But Julius was himself leaned down his chair, eyes closed, and hand over his face.
It didn't seem like he was in a mood to talk at all.
"Maybe…It's for the best nya?" Felix wondered, shaking his head in sadness, "this world only brought him pain, after all…"
"Felix-dono…" Wilhelm replied with wide eyes, showing an outrage to his words.
"Am I wrong, old man Wil?" the healer continued, eyes still focused on the screen, "tell me..Is it really bad that Subaru came back to where he belonged?"
"Even if you hold the truth in your words, Felix-dono, I would rather this question be avoided," Wilhelm calmly reprimanded, closing his eyes in pain.
"What good will happen by avoiding the truth?" Felix narrowed his eyes, "Subaru-kyun deserves some peace…And if he'll find it by changing words-"
"Because you saw any peace in his return?!" The old man growled in frustration, his eyes glowing in anger to the catboy, "Tell me, Felix-dono…Where did you see peace?!"
"…"
Breathing heavily, Wilhelm slowly turned his back away from the boy, letting his face fall in his white-gloved hands.
"In the end, there is really nothing I was truly able to do for you…" The old man lamented, "I wish that in the short time that we will have left…"
"Is this...How things are supposed to end?" Roswaal mused in his corner.
While he remained silent for most of this viewing it was mainly because he didn't feel like he had anything to say or comment. The life that Natsuki Subaru lead before...Away from the misery that he had to inflict him, or the battlefield, seemed too peaceful to be tainted by his words.
And now, this information came out. The fact that what he was seeing, reflected an event he would eventually have to face. Roswaal didn't know what to think about it.
What about his goal? Was it fulfilled? Was he able to see his teacher once more? Was he punished?
Or did Subaru leave to come back where he belongs to leave him in the despair he always deserved?
"How ironic it would be...Right?" He whispered as one single tear fell from his eye.
"I...Who can only rely on you for my salvation..." He whispered as he felt his eye hurt, "you leaving me would be the greatest punishment I could ever go through..."
Which is why, even Roswaal had no other choice, no matter what...
To fear what he was seeing.
"So this is how it will end…" Aldebaran breathed out in frustration.
As rare as it was, he felt the need to take off his helmet and breathe freely, looking at his hand.
"So you are also grieving, Al?" Surprised by his sudden, unusual behavior, Priscilla closed her fan and observed his reaction.
"…In 18 years I was in this world, I always felt like I was mad for ever believing that I spent a part of my life somewhere else," the one-armed man explained, "bro was the only one who managed to give me hope about all of this…To be real."
"You grew to him this much?" Priscilla couldn't help but laugh, something that Al didn't share, nor appreciate.
"We share way more than you think." He sighed in a saddened tone," so…Yeah, I guess."
"Quit making such a pathetic face," the crimson princess threatened, losing all the previous cheer she seemed to have," members of mine camp shan't bear such an expression over something so trivial."
"Yeah, trivial," Al scoffed, "how ironic coming from the girl who insisted to bring him along to spend a night together. This is how little worth you give to those you care for?"
"What did you say…?" She repeated in a dangerous, wrathful tone. One which could send shivers down the spine of anyone.
"Oh please," Al snorted without any will to act as usual, "kick me or punch me if you want. I ain't in a mood to argue for nothing."
While it is true that most of the time, Priscilla wouldn't have bothered to show such a disobedient dog who held the title of master, this time, she decided to simply take a deep breath to ease her violent urges, before clicking her tongue in disgust.
"Who would have thought you were this pathetic as well, Aldebaran." She spat mercilessly, her ruby irises focused on the boy of the front row, "what you saw is nothing that you should take into account. You decided to follow the general feeling of such mongrels, believing a hoax out of the blue without any legitimacy."
"I think it's pretty clear that he referred to those in the room right now princess," Aldebaran replied in a suspicious tone, "Or…Did I miss something?"
"No name was spoken, no base was given, no memories were told," She mused with a strict voice, "the boy is expressive by nature. If he wanted to refer to the half-wit, the maid or the Duchess, he would have not hesitated to speak their names, to remind of his past."
"…But he is 20 years old over here…" Al continued.
Priscilla snorted haughtily, crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest.
"You believe this to be enough of evidence to believe these viewings to be a future of his?" Priscilla inquired to her jester.
"Well if it's not I really wonder what's the damn point of watching this"
"And what would a future in which we take no part and hold no relevance would bring us then?" She demanded again, not bothering to turn her head towards him, "open your eyes and see, you damned fool."
"…"
"I have decided that the boy shall be by mine side." She proudly stated with a head held high, "whatever is the truth that lies behind this viewing, the boy's fate is now in my hands."
Al only widened his eyes to her, slack-jawed.
"And him leaving mine side is something that I shall not allow