The forest no longer seemed as suffocating as before.
The Majus had dispersed after the demonic aura disappeared. The way back was still uneven, but the immediate danger had lessened.
Yuji ran between the trees, carrying Rem in his arms. Ram walked beside him, slower now, catching her breath little by little.
Rem began to stir.
Her fingers lightly tightened on Yuji's clothing.
"...hn..."
Her blue eyes slowly opened.
She blinked twice, trying to understand where she was.
"Yu...ji...?"
He looked down, relieved.
"Hi."
She realized she was being carried.
She tried to sit up a little, but her body didn't respond as she wanted.
"Sister...?"
Ram answered without looking directly.
"Ram is alive."
Rem relaxed a little.
Silence returned.
Only the sound of footsteps on the earth and the wind rustling through the leaves.
Yuji was calm now. The tension had lessened. The plan had worked. They were both alive.
Mission accomplished.
But…
Something was strange.
He looked at Rem again.
Her eyes weren't focused on the forest.
They were downcast.
The expression… wasn't physical pain.
It was something else. Her lips trembled slightly. Her fingers gripped his clothes tighter.
And it was at that moment that Yuji realized.
She was sad. Yuji slowed his pace. Then he stopped completely.
The forest fell silent around them.
"Were you badly hurt?" he asked, looking at Rem intently.
She shook her head slightly.
But her eyes remained downcast.
"It's… my fault."
Her voice came out weak.
"If I hadn't lost control… you wouldn't have gotten hurt."
Ram stood quietly beside him.
Rem continued, her breathing becoming unsteady.
"I did it again… I committed the same sin…"
Her fingers trembled against Yuji's clothes.
"I just… I only know how to hurt… I…"
Her voice broke.
Tears began to fall silently, wetting the fabric of his clothes.
"It's always like this… I hurt those close to me…"
Yuji looked at her for a second.
Just watching.
Then, careful not to unbalance her in his arms, he adjusted her position slightly.
And raised his hand.
No speech.
No explanation.
He extended his little finger and intertwined it with hers.
Rem felt the touch.
His little finger intertwined with hers.
She blinked, surprised, tears still streaming down her face.
Yuji smiled.
Not that teasing smile. Nor the one of someone trying to lighten the mood.
"I think I'll add that to our promise."
Rem stared at him, confused.
"P-promise…?"
"Uh-huh. We promised we'd talk about a lot of things together, remember? So I'll add another clause."
He spoke lightly. Almost innocently.
As if he were talking about something common.
"When you start blaming yourself for everything, I'll be there to remind you that you're not the only one carrying things alone."
Rem's eyes widened slightly.
Yuji didn't know all the details, he didn't know every memory. Every comparison. Every shadow of the past. But he understood the pain.
He understood the weight in the way she spoke.
"It's okay to depend on me a little, you know?" he continued, still smiling. "You do everything all the time. You take care of the mansion, the village, Dona Emilia, your sister, and… even me."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Then let me do something here too! When I arrived here, you were the one who saved me… So I want to save you too."
Rem squeezed his finger lightly.
"I… I'm not that strong."
"So what?"
The answer came immediately.
"And neither am I." (Liar)
He took a deep breath.
"But I want to be someone strong and special to you, just like you are to me."
The wind passed through the trees. Ram watched in silence. Rem trembled, but not from fear. But because something inside her was giving way.
The tears continued to fall.
Only now… they weren't just tears of guilt.
And their little fingers remained intertwined.
A crackling of branches.
Then another.
Yuji turned his face toward the sound.
More Majus.
Not many.
But enough.
He sighed softly.
"Seriously…?"
Without wasting time, he crouched down and carefully transferred Rem to Ram's back. Even weak, Ram managed to steady her body, supporting her sister with surprising stability.
"Can you walk?" Yuji asked.
"I'm not as useless as Yui-j thinks."
"Great."
He looked at Rem one last time.
Her eyes were still moist.
Yuji smiled again.
"I'm so grateful to have met you, you know?"
Rem blinked.
"Huh…?"
"Our first 'encounter' was kind of funny..."
He chuckled softly.
She clearly didn't understand what he was talking about.
But the way he said it... it sounded like a memory of something important.
"But in the end, I think it was worth it."
The sounds of the Majus grew closer.
Yuji turned his back to them.
"Ram, take her away. I'll take care of the rest."
Ram didn't hesitate.
"Understood."
She began to walk away along the side of the forest.
Rem leaned forward slightly on her sister's back.
"Yuji-kun… it's too dangerous to go alone!"
He didn't turn around.
He just raised his hand, waving slightly.
"I can handle this."
More footsteps among the trees, some eyes gleaming, emerging from the darkness.
Yuji adjusted his gauntlet, took a deep breath, and advanced towards the sounds.
Yuji advanced through the trees, firm steps, controlled breathing.
The sound stopped.
Then he saw the little dog.
Small. Sitting in the middle of the clearing. Its head slightly tilted, as if waiting.
Its eyes met his.
For a second… quiet.
Then its body began to writhe.
Its fur bristled. Its bones cracked.
The form grew, muscles swelling grotesquely, paws tearing the ground as its snout lengthened.
In a few seconds, what was a cub became an enormous creature, teeth the size of daggers, saliva dripping.
Nothing to do with any external manipulation.
It was simply a Maju hiding its own form.
Yuji exhaled through his nose.
"So you're the final boss."
On the other side of the forest, Ram continued forward.
Rem, still on her back, gripped the fabric of her sister's dress.
"Please, onee-sama… stop walking!"
Ram slowed her pace.
"Rem—"
"He's going to die!" her voice came out broken. "Onee-sama, please!"
She turned partially, trying to look back between the trees.
"Yuji! Come back! It's too dangerous!"
The voice echoed in the forest. But the distance was already great.
Between dense trees and the uneven terrain, the sound didn't reach.
There in the clearing, the enormous Maju advanced, making the ground tremble.
Yuji was already in position.
The Maju advanced first.
The gigantic paw descended like a hammer, crushing the ground where Yuji had been a second before.
He had already moved out of the line.
He slid across the ground, feeling the wind of the pressure pass over his face.
The monstrous dog spun its body with unexpected speed for its size. Its tail swept like a tree trunk.
Yuji blocked with his forearm protected by his gauntlet.
The impact threw him several meters back, tearing up earth with his feet until he stabilized.
The Maju growled, its jaw opening wide, as if it were going to tear its own face. Dark mana leaked from its fangs.
He lunged again.
This time from the side.
Yuji ran toward the attack, not to escape, but to close the distance.
The bite closed behind him, just barely.
He jumped, stepped on the creature's snout, and used the momentum to spin in the air.
His heel landed on the Maju's nape.
The ground cracked.
But it wasn't enough.
The monster shook violently, throwing Yuji into the air. In the air, the creature opened its mouth and fired a dense mass of compressed energy.
Yuji crossed his arms at the impact.
The explosion threw him against the trees, breaking trunks in its path.
He fell to his knees.
He spat out a little blood.
"Alright… you can handle it."
The Maju lunged to finish it off.
Yuji took a deep breath.
At the exact instant the paw landed.
The world seemed to slow down.
He entered at the perfect timing.
Fist advancing.
Impact.
A different crack echoed.
"Kokusen!"
The black distortion spread through the arm to the Maju's body. The paw exploded in flesh and bone, ripped from the torso.
The monster howled. But it was still standing.
Even mutilated, it advanced, jaw open in pure fury.
Yuji ran too.
Straight.
Without hesitation.
At the last second, he dodged the bite and entered completely into the creature's guard.
The second punch came with surgical precision.
"Kokusen!"
This time straight to the chest.
The impact went right through.
The black energy ripped the torso from the inside out.
The colossal body split in two, flesh being torn apart in deep lines as if ripped by invisible blades.
The howl died in the air.
What remained fell heavily to the ground.
Yuji stood still for a few seconds, his fist still outstretched.
The forest breathed again. He exhaled slowly.
"...Two were enough."
Blood still trickled down his arm, but he seemed more bothered by the stain on his clothes than by the wound.
Yuji was still walking through the destroyed clearing when he felt it.
Unlike the savagery of the Majus.
He raised his eyes.
A figure descended slowly from the sky, floating as if the air itself sustained it.
The colorful robes swayed lightly.
The painted smile.
"Well, well~…" the drawling voice echoed even before his feet touched the ground.
Roswaal L. Mathers landed smoothly in front of him.
His heterochromatic eyes surveyed the clearing. The Maju's broken body. The shattered trees. The impact crater.
He tilted his head slightly.
"What a surprise…"
Yuji scratched the back of his neck.
"I thought you'd take longer."
Roswaal raised a painted eyebrow.
"I also figured I'd have to use Ulgoa~…"
He looked again at the monster's remains.
"But it seems it wasn't necessary."
Yuji shrugged.
"I had already decided."
Roswaal twirled his cane between his fingers.
"I arrived earlier than expected. Emilia-sama asked me to come help eliminate the remaining Majus."
Yuji was silent for a second.
"She was still resting."
"Yes~" his smile remained. "But Emilia-sama cares about her village. And about certain people."
His gaze briefly landed on Yuji.
"I confess I'm impressed. Two impacts… and the core was completely destroyed."
Yuji slowly clenched his fist.
"It was just a big dog."
Roswaal chuckled softly.
"Ah… if only all problems were just 'big dogs'."
The wind passed between the two. The surrounding mana began to dissipate.
"Are Ram and Rem safe now?" Roswaal asked casually.
"They are."
Roswaal nodded.
"Excellent."
He turned slowly.
"Then I believe I can save my energy this time."
Before rising again, he cast one last glance at Yuji.
A curious look.
"You continue to be… an interesting variable."
And then he began to float again, rising above the trees.
The wind stirred the treetops as another presence approached.
Ram emerged from among the trunks, still supporting Rem on her shoulders. Even exhausted, she maintained an upright posture.
"Roswaal-sama…" she said serenely, "we've already resolved a good part of the situation."
Roswaal L. Mathers landed back on the ground with theatrical lightness.
His gaze swept across the destroyed scene… then stopped on Yuji.
A more genuine smile appeared.
"I see so~." I must express my most sincere gratitude.
He tilted his head slightly toward Yuji.
"You saved him a lot of trouble… and maybe something more serious."
Yuji opened his mouth to reply casually.
But before—
Rem stirred.
She practically slipped off Ram's shoulders.
"Rem—"
Too late. She ran without hesitation… Not caring about her still weak body.
And jumped.
Yuji barely had time to react before being knocked to the ground by the impact.
"Ugh—"
The two fell onto the grass.
Rem hugged him tightly.
Too tightly.
Her fingers gripped his clothes as if he were about to disappear.
"Yuji-kun…! Yuji-kun…!"
Her voice was broken.
The tears returned.
"You're alive… you're alive… you're safe…"
She repeated, almost like a mantra.
Her body trembled against his.
Yuji blinked a few times, still lying on the ground, looking at the sky through the leaves.
"Hey… I'm—"
"Yuji-kun…!"
She hugged him tighter. He tried to speak.
"Everything's—"
"Yuji-kun…!"
She wasn't listening. She just needed to confirm he was there.
Yuji thought about how strong her hug was, to the point where he felt his body crack slightly. Yuji finally understood why Nobara and Megumi hated his hugs.
Yuji sighed.
He slowly raised a hand and placed it on her back.
Still lying on the ground.
Rem's crying gradually subsided.
Her sobs became weak.
Her breathing heavy.
The fingers gripping Yuji's clothes began to loosen.
"Yuji…kun…"
The voice was almost inaudible.
Then her body completely relaxed.
She had cried so much that she simply passed out.
Yuji blinked.
"...She fell asleep?"
Ram approached, kneeling beside them.
Yuji let out a soft sigh. "At least she's calm now."
He carefully stood up, picking Rem up again.
"Ram, please... Take Rem back to the mansion."
Roswaal L. Mathers watched the scene with silent interest.
Then he opened his fan slightly.
"You've done enough today. You can rest~." The mana around him began to concentrate. "I'll take care of the rest of the Majus."
Yuji adjusted Rem in his arms and looked at the dark forest.
There were still scattered presences.
He shook his head.
"No."
Roswaal raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"I'll help you kill the rest."
Ram glanced sideways at him.
"Yui-j, you're already injured."
"It's superficial."
He shrugged.
"And the faster we finish this, the less chance they have of returning to the village."
His gaze wasn't exaggeratedly heroic.
Roswaal smiled slightly.
"You're really… inconveniently diligent."
Yuji started walking in the opposite direction from the mansion.
"First we clean up the rest. Then I'll rest."
The wind blew through the trees.
And Roswaal, after a few seconds of silence, began to float beside him.
The forest was quieter now.
But not empty.
Yuji walked beside Roswaal L. Mathers, sensing small pockets of presence scattered like embers that hadn't yet been extinguished.
He stopped.
"I'll go left."
Roswaal tilted his head.
"Then I'll take the right~."
Without another word, the two parted ways. Yuji advanced alone through the trees.
Three smaller Majus, resembling deformed wolves, prowled among the bushes. They hadn't yet noticed his presence.
Yuji didn't slow down. The first one noticed too late. A short advance. Straight fist.
The skull shattered with a dry impact, the body being thrown against a tree.
The second one jumped to the side.
Yuji spun his body, grabbed the creature's snout in mid-air, and hurled it against the ground with enough force to break its spine.
The third tried to flee. He didn't chase after it. He simply reached out. An invisible cut pierced the air.
The Maju's body broke apart before reaching five meters.
Silence again.
Yuji exhaled through his nose.
"There are still more…"
He sensed small presences scattered about. None on the level of that maju.
Only remains.
And he continued walking through the forest, eliminating them one by one with the same ease.
A scream cut through the silence of the forest, sharp and frightened.
Yuji turned his head immediately.
"There's someone over there…"
He darted toward the sound, weaving through the bushes without slowing down.
Upon reaching the small opening between the trees, he saw the scene:
A smaller, but still dangerous, Maju lunging at a woman lying on the ground.
Her clothes were completely out of place in that world.
A relatively modern dress, elegant cut, fabric different from what was seen around there.
But Yuji didn't stop to think about that.
The Maju leaped.
Yuji appeared in front before the fangs reached the victim.
A punch.
The impact was sharp.
The creature's skull deformed instantly, its body spinning in the air before falling inert a few meters away.
Silence.
The woman was still leaning on the ground, her hands flat on the forest floor.
She was breathing rapidly, her eyes wide. Then she blinked. Looking at Yuji.
He instinctively reached out his hand.
"Are you—"
"Are you okay?..."
Before he finished, she dramatically placed her hand on her chest.
"Ah…!"
Her eyes sparkled.
The nervousness vanished almost instantly.
"The Knight-in-Shining-Armor appeared to save me!"
Yuji stood still.
Processing.
He looked at himself. Without armor. Without the gleam.
Just a dirty butler's outfit and an arm with dried blood.
"...Huh?"
She seemed genuinely emotional.
Almost theatrical.
Yuji blinked twice.
Not knowing exactly how to react.
Yuji was still somewhat taken aback by the dramatic comment, but he quickly recovered.
"Are you really okay?"
The woman blinked, as if snapping back to reality. She blushed slightly.
"Y-yes… I'm fine. Thanks to you, my hero~."
She adjusted her dress as she carefully stood up. She still seemed a little shaken, but much more stable now.
"I… had been captured by some soldiers." She frowned slightly, as if the memory was hazy. "And suddenly… everything went white. When I realized it, I was here. In the middle of this strange forest."
Yuji was silent for a second.
Soldiers?
Teleportation?
"What's your name?"
She took a deep breath, regaining her composure.
"You can call me Remi."
Yuji nodded slowly.
"My name is Itadori Yuji. But you can just call me Yuji."
She smiled slightly.
That's when he noticed better.
Her hair.
Dark, long… but gathered in rounded volumes along her back, forming something unusual.
It curved at the end.
Like she had a scorpion's tail instead of a ponytail.
Yuji narrowed his eyes slightly, analyzing.
It didn't look like a common accessory.
Nor a random hairstyle.
There was something… structural there.
He didn't comment immediately.
But he kept the information in mind.
Because in that world, any strange detail was rarely a coincidence.
Yuji stood still for a moment.
"You said soldiers, right…?"
He frowned slightly.
"What kind of military?"
She blinked, as if it were obvious.
"Soldiers, huh?... They seemed to be Americans. I was in Shinjuku when I was captured."
Yuji felt his heart skip a beat.
"American soldiers, Shinjuku..."
He repeated slowly, his mind already racing.
"Do you know where we are?"
She looked around.
The buildings in the distance had nothing modern or urban about them.
"...Some rural area?" she replied uncertainly.
Yuji took a deep breath.
"Have you ever heard of Lugnica?"
She tilted her head.
"Lugn... what?" Her expression was genuinely confused. "Never heard of it."
That's when the pieces fell into place.
She wasn't from that world. She was from his world.
Yuji was silent for a few seconds, absorbing it all.
Then he looked at her again.
She still seemed to believe she was somewhere in her own reality.
She had no idea that...
She wasn't anymore. There.
He exhaled slowly.
"...I understand."
Now the situation had become much more complicated. He took a deep breath.
"Answer me one thing... are you a player in The Culling Game?"
Remi froze.
Her eyes trembled for a moment.
"I... I..."
She looked away.
Her fingers lightly tightened on the fabric of her dress.
"Y-yes..." she admitted, almost in a whisper. "But I don't have the strength to fight you."
She instinctively took a step back.
"I don't want to fight, okay?... I know I wouldn't win against you."
Yuji stared at her, he didn't feel any killing intent. Just fear and confusion.
He scratched the back of his head.
"Relax."
Remi blinked.
"…Ah?"
"I'm not going to fight you."
She didn't seem to believe it.
"You… won't?"
"I won't."
He shrugged.
"This isn't Shinjuku. In fact, we're not even in Japan"
She frowned.
"W-What?"
Yuji looked around the forest, then at the distant buildings.
"You're not in your world anymore."
She was silent. Trying to process.
"Are you serious?"
He sighed.
"I'll explain the situation properly later. But for now… you're not in danger from me."
Remi was still confused.
But the tension in her shoulders eased a little.
And Yuji realized that now he had one more problem to solve.
Yuji realized it before she even admitted it.
The way Remi supported more weight on one leg.
The little falter in my step.
She was trying to maintain her posture… but clearly had difficulty walking.
"Are you hurt?" he asked bluntly.
Remi tried to take another firm step.
She almost tripped.
"I-it's no big deal…"
Yuji crossed his arms.
She sighed dramatically.
He put his hand to his forehead.
"Since you insist…" she said, in a slightly theatrical voice, "I would REALLY like my Knight-in-Shining-Armor's help."
She lightly extended her arms.
Slanted look.
Calculated smile.
Almost as if he was acting out a romantic scene.
Yuji blinked.
"Cool."
Silence.
She froze.
"…Ah?"
"If you're having trouble, I'll help."
The words came out simple.
No malice. No irony. Remi stood still for a second. The "dramatic princess mode" just broke.
"W-wait…?!"
He just walked over unceremoniously. An arm went behind her back. The other under the legs. And he lifted her onto his lap with ease.
Remi let out a small sound of surprise.
Yuji picked her up, her face really blushed this time. Not a performative blush.
"T-T-Thank you K—Knight-in-Shining-Armor..."
Yuji tilted his head.
"I think Butler-in-Shining-Armor would be better"
She opened her mouth to retort. But nothing came out.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.
"Y-you…!"
She tried to maintain her composure.
But it was still red.
Yuji started to walk.
"That's faster."
She turned her face slightly to the side, trying to regain dignity.
But the eyes shone.
And this time, her smile wasn't acting. Remi was silent for a few steps.
Face still red.
But now the look had changed.
Less theatrical.
More vulnerable.
"The last time I tried to ask for help…" she mumbled, without looking at him directly, "I was called trash."
Yuji slowed down slightly.
"…What?"
She let out a weak laugh.
"I was just getting in the way. That I was useless in a fight... I couldn't do anything alone..."
She lightly pressed his clothes with her fingers.
Yuji felt something tighten inside his chest.
"Who was the idiot who said that to her…?" He imagined some arrogant delinquent, some cruel player in the Culling Game. Yuji had no idea who actually said that, it was his best friend Megumi...
And Remi didn't seem willing to say who it was either.
Yuji looked straight ahead, expression more serious now.
"That's a lie."
She blinked.
"Huh?"
"Look, I don't know you yet, but you're not trash."
Simple, direct and without elaborate speech.
"If you were alive until now in The Culling Game, then you managed as you did. That already proves that you are not useless."
Remi was quiet.
He kept walking.
"And even if you didn't know how to fight… that doesn't make you trash, you were probably just an ordinary human before all that shit happened… No one is forced to be strong from one moment to the next."
He adjusted her on his lap carefully.
"Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Believe me..."
The wind passed through the trees.
His voice became lighter.
"As long as I'm here, everything will be fine."
Remi rested her forehead lightly on his shoulder.
The eyes still shone a little.
But not out of shame this time.
"For a muscular butler, you have a way with words..."
Letting someone else carry the weight for her, even if it was just for a few minutes.
The forest was silent.
Just the sound of Yuji's footsteps against the damp earth and the wind crossing the treetops.
Remi was quiet on his lap now.
Slower breathing.
His face was still slightly flushed.
Yuji looked up at the night sky.
The stars in that world were different. Or maybe it was just his impression.
But the feeling was strange.
If she was here...
Did this mean that other Culling Game players could also be being pulled here?
Was this random?
Or was someone doing this on purpose?
Is this Kenjaku's plan?
Were Jujutsu Sorcerers outside the Culling Game or ordinary people also being pulled?
Could it be…
Could your friends be here too?
Megumi.
Maki.
Yuta.
He pursed his lips slightly.
If even Mahito came back, something was certainly going on and it wasn't an incredible coincidence.
Was it possible?
Or was that something completely outside the rules he knew?
Too many questions.
No response.
And probably not even Remi would know how to explain it.
He lowered his gaze.
He noticed that the weight in his arms had shifted slightly.
He looked at her. Remi had slept. Completely blacked out, mouth slightly open, a discreet string of drool running down the corner.
Yuji blinked.
"Ah... Really? Pretty girls sleeping in my arms... Is this some kind of secret Innate Technique of mine?"
He let out a sigh, internally laughing at his own joke.
Then he adjusted her a little better on his lap, so as not to let her fall.
The morning light filtered through the curtains softly.
The room was silent.
Yuji only woke up when he felt something warm holding his hand.
He blinked slowly, still groggy.
When he focused his vision, he saw Rem sitting next to the bed.
Rem was holding his hand with both of hers.
The attentive blue eyes.
A little insecure.
When she realized he had woken up, she straightened her posture.
"Yuji-kun… you're awake."
He blinked once more.
"…Good morning."
She hesitated for a second.
"I… don't know what to do at these times."
"At these times?" Yuji looked at his own hand still being held. "I did this, right?..."
...
"It's okay now."
His voice was calm.
Weightless.
"I was just tired."
He stretched out a little on the bed.
"And all the Majus around the village have already been killed."
Rem blinked.
"All?"
"All."
He smiled slightly.
"Then you can stop worrying."
She was silent for a few seconds.
The grip on his hand eased.
But she didn't let go immediately.
Her gaze was lighter now.
Less fear.
More relief.
"Yuji-kun is really amazing…" she muttered, almost to herself.
He grimaced slightly.
"Don't start."
But this time, there was no tension in the room.
Just a peaceful morning after a long night.
Rem suddenly lowered her gaze.
Fingers still holding Yuji's hand.
But now shaking slightly.
"Yuji-kun…" her voice was low. "I need to apologize."
He leaned his head on the pillow.
"For what?"
She took a deep breath.
"Yesterday… I lost control. I cried, I fainted… I was a burden."
He was going to interrupt, but he realized that this wasn't just about yesterday.
Then he was silent.
He let her continue.
"I'm always like this." her eyes went dull for a moment. "Ram is strong. Confident. Perfect."
The grip on his hand tightened a little.
"I'm just her replacement."
Silence.
She smiled weakly.
"If something happens to Ram, I can take over. But while she's here… I'm just the little sister left behind."
She didn't cry.
But each word carried years of comparison.
"I always try to be helpful. I try to compensate. I try to be needed."
Her eyes finally met his.
"So when you get hurt because of me… when I can't do anything… it feels like I'm failing again."
Yuji continued listening without interrupting, without responding immediately. She needed to get it out.
Rem took a deep breath, as if she had finally said something she had been holding back for a long time.
The room was silent.
And Yuji still held her hand.
Yuji was silent for a few seconds after Rem finished.
His look wasn't one of pity.
It was distant.
As if he had been pulled into old memories.
"I understand that feeling."
Rem blinked slightly.
He continued, voice lower.
"I've also thought... that if I was stronger... faster... smarter... if I had been aware of what was happening around me... I could have prevented my brothers' deaths."
The word came out heavy.
It wasn't something he said easily.
"Sometimes it seems like we feel like we're falling behind. That we should have done more."
Rem squeezed his fingers lightly.
Her eyes were now alert.
He took a deep breath.
"But that doesn't make anyone a replacement."
He turned his face a little more towards her.
"You'll never be Ram's replacement."
Rem stood still.
"Ram is Ram."
...
"And you are you."
He gave a half smile.
"You have qualities that are yours alone."
His voice became firm.
"Her strength is not equal to yours. But that doesn't mean it's less."
He remembered the night before.
The way she held his hand.
Of silent care.
"You care. You cook. You sew. You are very powerful and your butt is much bigger than hers..."
He chuckled lightly as he squeezed her hand back. Rem blushed lightly.
"Jokes aside... Nothing I said here is a lie, Rem. And it hurts me a lot to see you belittling yourself when I can recognize your qualities from afar! Since the first time I saw you... I noticed that, the way you masked your pain with a gentle smile... I know what that is, Rem. I... I know very well..."
Rem's eyes began to twitch.
But this time it wasn't sadness.
It was something different.
As if, for the first time in a long time, someone wasn't comparing.
Yuji closed his eyes again on the pillow, more relaxed.
"So stop putting yourself down. No one can replace you."
A small silence settled in.
And Rem kept holding his hand. But now, the grip was firmer.
"You're not a cog, Rem."
Yuji stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, as if he was organizing his words.
Then he turned to face Rem.
"You know…" he began, lightly scratching his cheek, "if Ram lost her horn… then you might be the horn she doesn't have."
Rem blinked.
Confused.
He continued, a little excited now.
"Like… together you two could be a complete Demon God!"
Her eyes widened slightly.
The image was almost absurd.
But it didn't sound like a comparison.
Rem was silent for a few seconds.
Then he looked away.
"I… I'm afraid of depending on others."
Her voice was low.
Or disappoint.
Or be left behind.
Yuji understood.
He sighed lightly. "It's okay to depend on others from time to time."
She looked at him again.
"I'm only here now because I depended on a lot of people. I never walked my path alone..."
He gave a small smile.
"There were times when I couldn't go on alone."
He thought of the faces that helped him.
In the moments when I would have collapsed.
""If I had tried to carry everything alone... I would have fragmented myself a long time ago."
His voice wasn't dramatic.
It was simple.
Honest.
"Trusting someone doesn't make you weaker."
He squeezed her hand again.
"Sometimes that's what keeps you standing."
Rem was quiet.
The eyes shining slightly.
The idea still scared her.
But it no longer seemed impossible.
And for the first time, depending on someone didn't feel like failure.
It sounded… like choice.
The tears started to fall before Rem even realized it.
First silent.
Then constant.
She tried to hold on.
But he couldn't.
Yuji lifted his torso a little on the bed, still a little tired, but paying attention to her.
"Hey…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Do you want to trust me with your future?"
The question was simple.
No pressure.
He even winked lightly, trying to break the tension.
Rem made a small sound between laughing and crying.
The tears were flowing non-stop now.
"You are…" her voice trailed off, "you are fanatical like a Demon God…"
She laughed, crying.
"You say impossible things as if they were simple..."
Yuji thought for a second.
Then he shrugged.
"Yeah… I guess I have to agree."
She shook her head, still crying.
But this time it was different.
It was relief.
As if something heavy had been ripped from her chest.
Yuji slowly opened his arms.
Without saying anything.
Rem didn't hesitate.
She leaned over and hugged him tightly.
Your face against his chest.
Hands holding his shirt as if confirming he was real.
Yuji wrapped an arm around her.
No grandiose promises. No dramatic oaths. Just presence.
And at that moment, Rem was no replacement.
It wasn't shadow.
It wasn't a second option.
She was just Rem.
And she was being embraced as such.
At dusk...
The halls of the mansion were silent.
Inside one of the rooms at Roswaal L. Mathers, Remi sat in front of a huge mirror, combing her hair with exaggerated care, as if she were preparing for something great.
Yuji leaned against the door.
"I already spoke to Roswaal about you and..."
Remi turned her face away immediately.
"And?!"
"I explained your situation. He said you can stay here for a while."
Her eyes sparkled.
"Really?!"
She jumped up.
"So now I'm going to live in a giant mansion?! Eating fancy food?! Sleeping in a soft bed every day?!"
She brought her hands to her face.
"Finally… the life of a queen recognizing her true worth!"
Yuji scratched his head.
"There's one detail..."
She froze for half a second.
"…Detail?"
"You can only stay if you become a maid."
Silence.
The sparkle in her eyes faded as quickly as it had appeared.
"Maid?"
"Yeah."
The comb slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor.
"As you can see, there aren't many maids in this mansion..."
Remi stood still.
Eyes open.
Without blinking.
The rigid body.
"Maid… means… work?"
"Yes."
"Clean?"
"Yes."
"Cooking?"
"Of course!"
"Wake up early?"
"Absolutely."
She slowly turned her face towards him.
The mechanical movement, like a doll with running out of string.
"…So… I'm not… the special guest?"
"Yes. You're not a special guest."
"Not even the mysterious princess from another world?"
"Neither."
She blinked once.
Then another.
Brain clearly rebooting.
"My… life as a queen…"
She put her hand to her chest.
"It was a five-second illusion."
Yuji shrugged.
"Welcome to the mansion of Miss Emilia and Roswaal L. Mathers..."
She stayed still for a few more seconds.
Then he pointed at him, shaking slightly.
"This is a psychological blow."
"It's not, Remi."
"Yes, it is!"
She took a deep breath.
He closed his eyes.
Straight posture.
As if accepting cruel fate.
"Very well..."
He opened his eyes.
Dramatic determination.
"If it's to work… then I will be the most beautiful maid in this mansion!"
Yuji let out a small laugh.
"That's not exactly the point."
"Yes, it is!"
She picked up the comb from the floor.
"Does it start tomorrow?"
"Early tomorrow."
She got stuck again.
"Early… how early is early?"
Yuji just smiled.
Remi began to reconsider all her life choices. Yuji was almost at the door when he turned his face once again.
"Ah… and it's really early."
Remi, who was still in a dramatic position in front of the mirror, froze.
"Really really early?!?!"
"Before the sun rises."
She remained motionless.
"Before… the… sun… rises…"
Yuji crossed his arms.
"And Ram won't go easy on you."
The name fell like a sentence. She didn't know Miss Ram yet, but from her name there was already a power that scared Remi.
Ram wasn't exactly known for her patience. Remi slowly turned his head.
The empty eyes.
"So it's not just waking up early…"
"Yeah... I've only been working here for four days and... It's not easy."
"It's waking up early… and surviving."
"Basically."
She put her hand to her heart.
"My life really became a spin-off of suffering."
Yuji just gave a small wave and left the room, leaving her to tragically reflect on her choices.
As he walked through the silent halls of Roswaal L. Mathers' mansion, he stretched out his arms and let out a soft sigh.
Outside, the night air was cold.
He barely took three steps outside when he felt a presence standing just ahead.
The night wind lightly swayed Emilia's silver hair as she looked at Yuji with a softer expression.
"That Remi… is she really okay?"
Yuji nodded.
"It is. I just needed a safe place for now."
He looked away for a moment.
"And I thanked Roswaal for letting her stay here. She's… from my homeland."
Emilia tilted her head slightly.
"Your homeland…"
She became thoughtful.
"From the way you talk… it sounds like a pretty violent place."
Yuji let out a short laugh.
"Don't even tell me..."
He remembered the struggles, the losses, the constant weight of surviving.
Emilia crossed her arms again, but this time it wasn't exactly a serious lecture.
It was an "almost".
"Yuji Itadori!"
Yuji felt it.
"Damn, you said my full name! I did something stupid, didn't I?"
Silence.
He blinked.
"I… Said…"
...
"You were supposed to come back sooner, right?"
She took a step forward.
He raised his hands in surrender.
"My bad! Some things happened!"
She narrowed her eyes.
"Some things?"
"Many things."
She stared at him for a few seconds.
Then he turned his face away, making a small "hmph".
"I was worried. When I found out what really happened in the village... I ran to get that gun you use, I even thought about helping you, but Puck insisted so much that I didn't get involved in that..."
The tone was lower than she probably intended.
Yuji scratched the back of his head.
"I'm really sorry."
She was silent for a moment.
Then he took a deep breath.
And the climate changed.
"Well…" she uncrossed her arms "since you helped the village people again…"
She looked at him sideways.
"I guess I owe you one... Again."
He blinked.
"Do you owe me?"
"Of course!"
She pointed lightly at him.
"You disappear, you make me worry, you come back bringing another girl to the mansion…"
She paused dramatically.
"But you helped the people in the village and managed to create a better connection with Roswaal with the owner of the village, that's good for us—I mean… for me who will participate in the royal selection."
Yuji's eyes widened.
"That seems fair to me."
She finally smiled.
A small but mischievous smile.
"I'll reward you, I promise!"
He sighed.
"Okay…"
She turned slightly, satisfied.
"Excellent."
Then he looked over his shoulder.
"But next time… don't break a promise to me, please."
The tone was light.
But sincere.
And Yuji realized that that "lecture" wasn't about mansion rules.
End of chapter 9