The capital of Lugunica had never been quiet.
Not truly.
Even at night the city breathed endlessly.
Merchants argued.
Drunks yelled.
Knights patrolled.
Nobles schemed.
Life moved constantly.
But tonight—
Something else spread through the streets faster than fire.
Rumors.
"A black-haired swordsman fought Reinhard."
"No, Reinhard admitted he was stronger."
"I heard he split the sky."
"They said Elsa the Bowel Hunter got destroyed."
"The Sword Saint smiled during the battle."
"Impossible."
"No, my cousin saw it!"
Inside taverns…
Guild halls…
Knight barracks…
Everywhere—
People talked about the same thing.
A monster named Subaru.
…
…
Meanwhile—
I sat peacefully on the roof of a random building eating bread I stole from a nearby bakery.
Not because I needed food.
Honestly, I could probably survive without it now.
But old habits died hard.
"…Too soft."
I took another bite anyway.
Below me, the capital buzzed with panic and excitement.
Honestly?
Things escalated faster than expected.
Though Reinhard acknowledging me publicly accelerated everything massively.
That man's reputation in Lugunica was ridiculous.
If Reinhard treated somebody seriously—
The kingdom listened.
I leaned back slightly while staring at the night sky.
"…Re:Zero really does have nice scenery."
A cold breeze passed through the city.
Then—
"You're surprisingly relaxed."
I didn't bother turning around.
"Hello, spirit."
Puck floated nearby cautiously.
Not aggressively this time.
Interesting.
So curiosity finally beat fear.
"You know," Puck said slowly, "most people can't sense me from that far away."
"Most people aren't me."
"…Fair."
Silence settled briefly.
Puck studied me carefully.
Honestly, the little cat spirit looked exhausted.
Probably because his instincts kept screaming at him nonstop near me.
"Who exactly are you?" he finally asked.
"Subaru."
"That answer is getting old."
"And your questions are repetitive."
Puck sighed.
"…You aren't human."
"I am."
"No human feels like this."
I looked at him calmly.
"And what exactly do I feel like?"
Puck froze briefly.
Then answered honestly.
"…The end."
Interesting.
Not fear.
Not evil.
The end.
Actually pretty accurate for Anos powers.
Destruction itself naturally clung to my existence now.
Makes sense a Great Spirit noticed it.
"I'm not planning to destroy the world if that's what you're worried about."
"…That somehow doesn't reassure me."
Fair enough.
Puck floated beside me quietly afterward.
"You know Lia trusts you already."
"That's concerning."
"She sees the good in people."
"That's more concerning."
Puck snorted slightly.
For the first time since meeting him, his guard lowered a little.
Then suddenly—
"You're stronger than Reinhard."
Not a question.
A statement.
"…Probably."
"Probably?"
"I haven't measured."
Puck stared at me blankly.
"…Measured?"
I shrugged casually.
"He's strong."
"That's the understatement of the century."
"Still weaker than me."
Puck went silent again.
Honestly, hearing someone casually say that about Reinhard probably felt surreal.
The Sword Saint was basically a living legend.
An unbeatable existence.
Except now—
Another monster appeared.
One even Reinhard himself acknowledged.
"How dangerous are you?" Puck suddenly asked quietly.
I thought about it honestly.
Then answered.
"Very."
"…That honest?"
"You asked."
The wind blew softly across the rooftop.
Below us, distant conversations about me still spread throughout the capital.
The Black Swordsman.
The Monster Rivaling Reinhard.
The Demon Called Subaru.
Nicknames were already forming.
Fast.
Very fast.
Honestly?
Humans loved myths.
And fear accelerated legends quicker than anything else.
Suddenly—
"You're smiling."
"Hm?"
"You've been smiling ever since arriving here."
Had I?
Interesting.
Maybe I was just enjoying myself.
For the first time in a long time—
Things felt entertaining.
No job.
No pointless routine.
No empty life.
Just freedom.
Power.
And an entirely new world reacting to my existence.
"…This place is interesting."
Puck looked at me carefully.
"…You really aren't afraid."
"Should I be?"
"Yes."
Immediate answer.
Funny.
Before I could respond—
A massive wave of mana erupted somewhere in the capital.
Puck instantly turned serious.
"…Lia."
I sensed it too.
Emilia.
Specifically—
Someone approaching her.
A familiar clown.
Roswaal.
Interesting.
Looks like the timeline was moving again.
Puck floated upward immediately.
"I need to go."
"Have fun."
Puck hesitated briefly before leaving.
Then right before disappearing—
"…Subaru."
"Hm?"
"…Don't hurt Lia."
Silence.
Then I answered simply.
"I wasn't planning to."
Puck studied my face carefully.
Trying to determine if I lied.
Eventually—
He vanished.
Leaving me alone beneath the night sky once more.
I rested Yamato across my lap quietly afterward.
The sword hummed softly.
Almost like it was alive.
Honestly?
It practically was at this point.
I looked down toward the capital below.
Then toward the royal castle in the distance.
Toward Reinhard.
Toward Roswaal.
Toward the Witch Cult hidden across this world.
Toward fate itself.
And slowly—
I smiled.
Because they still didn't understand yet.
Reinhard thought he met a rival.
Roswaal probably thought I was an anomaly he could manipulate somehow.
Satella likely believed I was still bound to her game.
But they were all wrong.
Completely wrong.
Because this wasn't a new player entering the board.
This was someone strong enough to flip the board entirely.
And somewhere deep within the kingdom—
A certain clown suddenly stopped smiling for the first time in years.
Because his Gospel…
Had just stopped working.