Subaru and Rem—after his heart had been battered by endless loops and his hopes ground into dust—finally reached the day that broke him.
The day of the proposal.
No royal selection, no more battles, no more carrying the weight of the world on shoulders that had already buckled countless times. This time, she didn't tell him to keep going. She didn't tell him to be strong for everyone.
She chose him.
Instead of the world, Rem chose Subaru.
So they ran.
Under the silver veil of moonlight, their figures slipped away from Kararagi like shadows melting into the wilderness. There were no trumpets, no vows shouted to the heavens—just the quiet rustle of leaves, the crunch of earth underfoot, and two hands clasped tightly together.
No matter how far they went, Subaru didn't dare look back.
"I'm not present in this reality… or the one you showed me before, right?" Tanaka asked, his voice low.
"That's right," Odglass replied softly. "This is the first time your existence was ever present in this world."
Subaru's decision had been simple. In fact, Tanaka thought, it wasn't just reasonable—it was the only sane choice.
The White Whale.
The Witch Cult.
And the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, Betelgeuse Romani Conte.
An ordinary boy, even with stubborn resolve, could never cross those threats without dying hundreds—no, thousands—of times. And each death would chip away at his mind until there was nothing left but a hollow shell… or something worse.
The Purge King.
But then came the question that settled in Tanaka's chest like ice.
"What about Beatrice? Emilia? Everyone else?"
Odglass's voice didn't waver. "They are all going to die."
Tanaka said nothing, but his jaw clenched.
"With no one to oppose the Witch Cult," she continued, "the village will be wiped out. Emilia will be killed. Puck will act according to his contract, and in doing so, will freeze the world into oblivion. Beatrice… will die in the forbidden library, choosing to wait for someone who never comes."
Her tone dipped, almost as if she were reluctant to go on. "The Sword Saint will eventually arrive and kill the Beast of the End, but by then, everyone in the territory will already be gone."
Tanaka exhaled slowly, but Odglass wasn't finished.
"And I forgot to mention—Crusch Karsten's camp will proceed with the White Whale's subjugation in this reality, just as in the one I showed you before. The result will be the same: they will be erased from existence."
Tanaka gave a short, humorless laugh. "Great. The stakes were already high, and now they're in orbit. But fine—you've basically told me how this plays out."
His thoughts turned grim. Just as he had once stopped Rem from dying to the curse, he'd have to stop this reality from crossing its point of no return. But unlike before—when it had taken two years and thousands of loops for things to collapse—this world was doomed from the moment Subaru chose to run.
"This is the turning point," Tanaka muttered. "Then I need to stop him. Find a way to save everyone."
His mind was already racing. They had to get back to the mansion before the Witch Cult struck. But the only path there was the road haunted by the looming shadow of the White Whale.
Before he could spiral further into planning, Odglass's calm, almost chiding voice broke through. "There's still more you need to see."
Tanaka frowned, but after a moment's hesitation, he gave a short nod. "Fine. Show me."
Even as he complied, his thoughts kept moving—counting possibilities, rehearsing moves in his head. The vision might not be over, but his list of things to do had already begun.
*********************************************************************************************************
Months slipped by like pages turning in a book that neither Tanaka nor Odglass could put down.
Subaru and Rem had fled far—beyond the borders of Lugunica, beyond the life they had left behind—until they reached the far western region. There, under a quiet sky and among strangers who asked no questions, they built a life.
They were married now.
Their home was small but warm—wooden floors that creaked in the cold, sunlight that pooled on the kitchen table each morning.
Rem had found work as a tutor at a small elementary school. Subaru, well, Subaru's role was harder to pin down. He was trying to find a job. Currently, he was the one who kept the house running, who cooked, fixed, fetched, and—most importantly—waited for her at the door every evening.
Tanaka and Odglass observed from the periphery, unseen and unheard.
Tanaka had already made his decision about this reality, but he wasn't rushing to act. Not yet. "I'll watch until the end," he murmured, as much to himself as to Odglass.
The bear-like spirit glanced at him with an unreadable smile. "Spending months idly hasn't dulled you much, has it?"
Tanaka gave a short, dry chuckle. "Please. This is nothing compared to last time."
And it was true. A few quiet months were nothing compared to centuries trapped inside another's body, each moment stretching into eternity.
"That reminds me," he said, narrowing his eyes, "I'm not experiencing this from Subaru's perspective this time."
"That's because I insisted," Odglass replied simply. "I thought you'd be more comfortable as a spirit this time around."
Tanaka tilted his head. "And why are you so… nice to me?"
For the first time, Odglass seemed caught off guard. "I love all humans! All of them are my children."
Tanaka arched a brow. "You killed Subaru before I passed out so I wouldn't die."
"You," Odglass said without hesitation, "are my favorite child."
"Why?"
"No reason!" the bear blurted, his voice a touch too quick. "All spirits love you! Just… be happy about it!"
Tanaka eyed the creature for a moment, noting how deliberately he dodged the question, but let it go with a sigh. "Well, I am grateful. This form is a lot more comfortable."
Their conversation was cut short by a muffled sound from the small house ahead. It was the unmistakable creak of a bedframe, followed by hushed laughter and a voice he didn't care to hear in such… circumstances.
Tanaka cleared his throat loudly. "Let's move. The walls are too thin."
He was profoundly thankful for his current state. Seeing Subaru and Rem's romantic exchanges from the outside was already embarrassing—being trapped inside Subaru's own body for them would have been unbearable.
From the frequency of the noises alone, Tanaka could tell one thing: whatever else had changed in this reality, the pair was very active. At least five times a week, by his count.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The past four months had been a kind of peace Subaru never thought he'd earn.No loops. No deaths. No blood pooling at his feet. Just quiet mornings, occasional rain against the window, and evenings when the only trouble was deciding what to eat for dinner.
Finding work had been a struggle—he was no master craftsman, no soldier, and no merchant with silver tongue—but somehow, he'd managed to survive without dying even once. That alone was a personal record.
Somewhere in that time, he had crossed paths with Halibel—this time under healthy circumstances. No bloody favors. Just the easy acquaintance of two men sharing drinks at a street stall.
A figure descended upon them, an inhumanly beautiful woman with white skin. She has milky-white shaggy hair with a lime strand, white eyebrows, and sharp almond-shaped eyes with a bright yellow color.. Rem stepped forward, she held Subaru and kept dodging her attacks, that lasted until her knees hit the dirt, Subaru's breath caught.
"That's—"
"Yes," Odglass murmured beside Tanaka. "Zarestia. One of the Four Great Spirits. She has lived as long as I have. You've seen her before."
It was an event that was occurred in the previous reality, where Subaru was searching from away to gain power, One of the four spirits, Zarestia was reeking havoc in Kararagi. Subaru resolved the situation by getting rid of her and in return, he saved countless lives in the city which made Halibel indebted to him.
"Could you remind me again why she is going berserk."
She paused, the crack of wind and the clash of wind and steel between Zarestia and Halibel echoing faintly through the vision.
"During the ancient days, the world called her the Great Beast. Her head stirred the wind, her hands summoned fire, her tail drew up the waters, and her feet awakened the soil. She played with the elements the way others breathe. She was untouchable… and she loved it."
Tanaka didn't speak—his brow furrowed, but his eyes stayed on Zarestia.
"Back then, all admired her. They came to her not as a ruler, but as something they adored. They would ask for her help—clear the clouds for harvest, bring rain to the fields, light the fires in the deep of winter—and when she felt like it, she would oblige. When she didn't… she'd ignore them, vanish into the wind. And yet… they brought her gifts. Trinkets, food, jewels… she cared for none of it, but she cherished their joy when she granted their requests."
Odglass's small ears drooped slightly, her voice growing quieter.
"But over time, the requests became… different. More specific. More demanding. And though she valued her freedom, she began to enjoy the praise… the way they pampered her. She started to obey without question, until one day—they asked for something out of the ordinary."
"Out of the ordinary?"
"They wanted only fire. No rain. No soil. Not even wind. Fire… and nothing else."
"She refused. Said that to give fire without wind was to kill the heart of her freedom. So… they left her. Every single one of them."
Her tone hardened.
"She tried to enjoy her solitude, but the truth is… she found it hollow. She missed their voices. So, she went to them… agreed to give them fire. But she couldn't resist adding the wind—just a little. Because wind was hers. The proof she was free."
"When she returned, they welcomed her with smiles. Held a feast in her honor. Gave her a new gift: alcohol. She drank for the first time. She laughed with them. And she slept—away from her nest—for the first time."
"While she slept… they took her limbs."
Tanaka's head snapped toward her.
"…What?"
A drastic turn of event.
"They tore away her hands, her tail, her feet—stripping her of fire, water, and earth. Only her head, and her wind, remained. When she awoke… she asked why. And they told her… the wind had spread her fire. The fire she gave them had burned their villages. Their homes."
"They doused her in alcohol. And then… they set her alight." She continued, "As she burned… she saw the joy in their faces. They were happy to watch her suffer. And in that moment… she stopped caring for them. Stopped caring for anyone."
Odglass's small claws flexed slightly as her voice dropped to a whisper. "She still had her head. She still had her wind. She killed them all. Every last one. They called her Shinigami as they died—just as they had once called her beautiful."
"Human are cruel..."
He knew this truth well. The kindness of people was often only a currency for convenience. When the wind changed, so did their loyalty. He was no exception. He had acted selfishly before—prioritizing his own desires over others.
But spirits… spirits like Beatrice were different. Pure. Uncomplicated. Loyal by their very nature. That purity was what terrified him. He feared that one day, circumstances would turn, and he would fail them—not because he changed, but because the limits of his convenience would be reached.
Because, at the end of the day… he was human.
____
______
________
When the fight was over, Halibel stood victorious—forcing Zarestia to retreat. He wasted no time fetching a physician for Rem.
Subaru paced, frantic, his mind spiraling into curses and death, thinking she might be dying.
The physician returned with a calm smile. "I have good news… and better news."
Subaru froze. "…Go on."
"The good news: your wife is fine. She merely exhausted herself. With rest, she'll recover completely."
Subaru let out a long, shaky sigh—relief flooding his chest.
The doctor continued. "The better news… congratulations. Your wife is three months pregnant."
"…Huh?"
From his place as a silent observer, Tanaka mirrored him. "…Huh?"