(A/N: Congrats, I am uploading this single chap for this month)
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{3rd Pov}
Two full years had gone by since Rigel's coming-of-age ceremony, and during that time he had long since gotten over his first love.
In the beginning, things were admittedly awkward between him and Zarestia.
There was a tension in the air, a leftover discomfort from the rejection and the misunderstanding that had shaken their bond.
However, as time passed, the two gradually settled back into their usual rhythm. Zarestia, though, changed her approach.
She was no longer as overly proactive in teasing him as before; she consciously avoided pushing too far or crossing any dangerous lines.
The playfulness remained, but it was restrained, as if she finally understood her own limits when it came to Rigel.
Rigel, on the other hand, eventually found himself falling in love once more—this time with a different woman.
The shocking part was that unlike his previous heartbreak, this new woman actually confessed her love to him first.
Subaru could still vividly remember the day Rigel brought her home for the very first time.
Rigel was nervous, anxious even, clearly wanting his family's approval.
Yet instead of focusing on him, the young woman's attention locked completely onto Subaru.
She fangirled shamelessly, gushing over him and practically ignoring Rigel who stood awkwardly at her side.
That day, Subaru nearly lost it.
Alarms went off in his head so loudly that he could hardly think straight.
The situation was dangerous—so dangerous that Subaru secretly dispatched Halibel to keep watch on her in secret.
For two whole months Halibel spied on the woman's every move, while Subaru kept his concerns hidden from both Rigel and the girl herself.
The thought alone chilled him: if she had only approached Rigel because of a crush on Subaru, or worse, if she intended to use Rigel to get closer to him, then the fallout would have been catastrophic.
Subaru knew that if such a thing had ever been revealed, not only would he have ended up crying in shame, but Rigel himself would probably have beaten his own father half to death.
Thankfully, after careful observation, Halibel confirmed that the girl's love for Rigel was genuine.
She wasn't after Subaru, she wasn't scheming, and she truly cared for Rigel.
With that assurance, Subaru finally allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief.
Ahem.
Anyway, time moved forward as it always does, and before long Rigel and the girl married.
Not long after, Spica's own coming-of-age ceremony approached, and just as Subaru had promised years earlier, he held it in Riften's place.
Unlike Rigel's smaller gathering, this time Subaru went all out, inviting guests from across the entire city of Banan.
It became a massive celebration, one that truly marked Spica's step into adulthood.
Years continued to pass, and three years later Rigel and his wife welcomed their first child into the world—a baby daughter.
To everyone's surprise and delight, the child was revealed to be a quarter Oni, and the proof of her heritage was clear when she sprouted a single horn.
The moment was emotional, with both parents and grandparents overcome by joy, for the legacy of the Oni bloodline was continuing into yet another generation.
Meanwhile, Spica herself fell in love with a man.
Compared to Rigel's situation, however, her family's reaction was far stricter—much stricter.
Subaru, Rem, and even her siblings weren't going to take any risks when it came to protecting Spica's heart.
First came the most irritating part: the young man was a complete fanboy of Subaru.
By this point, Subaru's reputation had grown so large that he was practically considered a living legend throughout Banan, and the man couldn't help but gush about it.
Subaru groaned every time it happened.
But the strictness didn't stop there.
Just as he had done with Rigel's wife, Subaru launched a covert investigation to ensure Spica's lover wasn't a threat.
This time, however, Halibel wasn't the only one tasked with keeping watch.
Even Zarestia and Rigel himself joined in on the spying effort.
Rigel, despite complaining loudly about how Halibel had secretly stalked his own wife years earlier when he found out his parents did a secret check on her, shamelessly volunteered to stalk his sister's boyfriend.
Halibel teased him relentlessly about being a hypocrite, but Rigel ignored it and dove into the "operation."
This operation lasted a whole six months.
Of course, Zarestia being Zarestia, she took things to another level.
She outright attempted to seduce the poor man just to test his loyalty.
The result was shocking—not because he faltered, but because he didn't. Instead, the man stood his ground with the resolve of steel, staring Zarestia straight in the eyes as he proclaimed his love for Spica.
And then, in the most unexpected twist, he boldly declared, "My father-in-law has given me wisdom! And at such a moment, there is only one thing I must say: Begone, thot!"
The declaration left the entire room in chaos.
Zarestia froze on the spot, stunned into silence and disbelief, while Halibel and Rigel—who were secretly watching the scene unfold from the shadows—burst out laughing so loudly they exposed themselves.
Their laughter only fueled Zarestia's rage, and in the aftermath, both of them had to scramble to calm her down before she lost her temper and murdered the young man right then and there.
In the end, Spica too eventually got married, following in her brother's footsteps.
Like Rigel, she found happiness, and before long she and her husband had children of their own.
Though they had moved to another house within the same city due to their careers, their familial bond remained strong.
Time, however, never stops moving, and it crept forward quietly, steadily, until one day Rigel himself was already well into his mid-thirties.
And it was around then that a tragedy struck—one that shook their entire family to its core.
Rem passed away.
It was something that none of them had expected to happen so soon.
As an Oni, her natural lifespan should have been long—much longer than Subaru's, in fact.
She should have lived to see her grandchildren grow, perhaps even her great-grandchildren.
But fate was cruel.
Rem was never a complete Oni.
She had always been considered "defective," born with only a single horn instead of two.
And years ago, during Rigel's birth, that lone horn had been broken and lost forever.
The aftermath of that loss had taken its toll on her body.
Without her horn, her strength had faded.
Her mana flow weakened drastically, and eventually, she could no longer use her magic at all.
She grew frailer with each year, her once strong and steady presence slowly dimming.
By the time she reached her later years, the signs of her condition became painfully obvious.
Subaru had done everything in his power to save her—he had traveled across nations, hired magicians from every corner of the world, and sought every possible treatment.
None of it worked.
Even Zarestia, with all of her strange talents and dangerous methods, tried desperately to find a way.
Yet in the end, no matter how hard they all fought against it, nothing could stop the inevitable.
The only small mercy was that her passing was not a painful one.
When the day finally came, she was lying in her bed, surrounded by her family—her children, her grandchildren, and her husband.
Her breathing was weak and shallow, but her eyes still shone with the same gentle warmth they always had.
She looked at Subaru, a faint smile curling on her lips, and softly whispered, "Subaru…"
"Rem… Please don't speak. Just relax." Subaru's voice cracked, his throat tightening as he struggled to speak through his grief. "I promise—I'll heal you somehow. I'll save you. I… I won't let this happen."
His words shook, and even uttering them seemed painful for him, his heart tearing itself apart with fear and denial.
But Rem, as always, was calm. She smiled faintly, her voice gentle yet firm. "Did you not already save me, Subaru?"
Subaru froze, trembling as she continued.
"Back then… on that day… I always regretted it. I regretted that I ran away… that I abandoned my sister." Her eyes grew distant, filled with both sorrow and acceptance.
The room grew silent. Nobody dared to speak. Subaru sat by her side, gently caressing her palm, holding onto her as if by sheer will he could keep her alive.
By this point, Subaru himself was showing signs of age—his once dark hair had streaks of gray, his face lined by the weight of decades of struggle.
He was nearly fifty now, no longer the young man who had once stumbled into this world.
Rem's eyes drifted to the rest of her family, to her children and her grandchildren gathered around.
Rigel stood with a stoic expression, trying to remain composed, though his trembling shoulders betrayed him.
He was barely holding his tears back.
Spica, on the other hand, was openly weeping, unable to stop herself.
"But… now that I see you… all of you…" Rem whispered, her weak hand brushing against Subaru's. "I am happy. I am so happy… that I made that decision back then." She turned her gaze back to Subaru, her smile growing faint but resolute. "I am happy… that I loved you, Subaru."
"Rem…" Subaru's voice broke again, his tears threatening to spill.
"If we are given another chance… another life… I will choose you again. I will always choose to be with you. For every one of my lives, Subaru, I will choose you."
Her hand tightened weakly around his, her grip frail yet determined.
She pulled his palm closer to her chest, her breathing shallow. "Please… kiss me… like you always do."
Subaru's lips trembled, but he nodded.
Leaning forward, he kissed her deeply, tenderly, their lips meeting for what they both knew would be the last time.
He held the kiss for several seconds, unwilling to let go, before finally separating. Rem's eyes softened, and she turned her gaze toward her children.
"Rigel…" she whispered.
The moment she called his name, Rigel broke.
His stoic mask shattered, tears bursting forth as he collapsed beside her bed.
He grabbed her palm with both hands and sobbed loudly. "I'm here, Mom! I'm here! I'm right here!"
Rem smiled faintly, lifting her other hand, trembling and weak, and stretched it out toward her daughter.
Spica rushed forward instantly, grabbing her mother's hand and pressing it against her cheek, rubbing against it as she wept uncontrollably.
"I love you both. Always remember this." Rem's voice trembled, but her smile never faded. "Now you are a father and a mother yourselves… so give your children the same love and care that we gave to you. Pass it on. That is all I ask of you."
Her words broke whatever strength Rigel had left.
He clenched her hand tightly, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face as he shouted, "Damn it! Old hag! Please! Don't say that! Don't leave me, Mom! Don't leave me!" His voice cracked and broke with every word, desperation pouring out of him.
"Mom! Please stay with us! Please don't go!" Spica sobbed, pressing her mother's hand harder against her face, refusing to let go.
Her entire body trembled, her tears soaking Rem's frail hand.
Rem only smiled softly, her chest rising and falling with weakening breaths.
She could feel her vitality slipping away, but she still managed to look at her children with pride and warmth.
Zarestia, however, couldn't stand it anymore.
She grit her teeth, her face twisted with frustration, and then clicked her tongue sharply.
"Damn it! I've had enough of this!" she shouted, her own eyes glistening with tears.
Without hesitation, she summoned her light orb, a bright glow bursting into existence above her hand.
Her body shook, but she pushed the orb forward, placing it directly in front of Rem.
"This… this is my light orb! Rem, please—absorb it! If you do, your life will extend! You'll have more time, so please just take it!" Zarestia cried, her voice cracking with desperation.
Everyone turned toward Rem in shock, their eyes wide, hope flickering inside them at the possibility.
But Rem, even in her weakened state, reached out her trembling hand and touched Zarestia's cheek gently.
She shook her head, her expression calm yet firm. "I cannot…"
Zarestia's eyes widened. "Why?! Why not?! Tell me why!" she demanded, her voice breaking.
Rem's hand slid down Zarestia's face as she whispered, "Because… if I were to take your vitality to live longer… then what would happen to my husband in the future? To my children? To all of you? You cannot steal someone else's life just to extend your own. That would only bring suffering later."
"I don't care!" Zarestia shouted, tears finally rolling down her face.
"I don't care about that! All I care about is that I love you! I don't want to lose you! I just want you to live!"
Her hands trembled as she pressed the orb closer, as if trying to force it on her.
But Rem didn't argue anymore.
She only smiled sadly and shifted her gaze to Subaru.
Her lips quivered as she spoke, her words weak but filled with love.
"Perhaps… this is the last time I will ever say it. But as long as I have breath, as long as I live… I want to keep telling you—I love you, Subaru. I love you more than anything."
Her eyes wavered, then softened further.
"I feel a little guilty, saying this at the very end, right here in front of our children… but even now, even after all these years… you are, and will always be, the number one in my heart."
Subaru's entire body shook as his tears fell endlessly.
He grabbed her hand with both of his and nodded furiously.
"Yes! Yes, Rem! I love you too! I love you the most! I always have and I always will!"
His words came out almost as cries, his voice breaking with grief, yet his tone never wavered in sincerity.
Rem's eyes fluttered slightly, her voice now a mere whisper. "…Can you… sing the lullaby?"
Everyone froze.
They all knew what lullaby she meant.
It was Tia's lullaby.
The very same tune that had been born from Zarestia's strange, haunting humming—a song that carried the weight of death, yet brought with it an overwhelming calm and peace.
It was a song of endings, but also of comfort.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Subaru nodded, his voice cracking as he began.
Zarestia's lips trembled, but she joined in too.
Rigel, though barely able to form words through his sobs, forced himself to sing along.
Spica's voice shook, broken by tears, but she followed.
Even Halibel, standing silently in the corner, lowered his head and began to sing.
Their voices blended together in that dimly lit room, the lullaby filling the air with sorrow and love.
Rem listened quietly, her eyes closing as the melody wrapped around her.
She smiled one last time, her breathing almost gone.
With what little strength she had left, she whispered, "Zarestia… please take care of my husband for me. He will be so very sad, even if he tries to hide it. But I love him… and I know… I know that you love him as well."
Zarestia's tears finally broke into sobs, her orb dimming out as her body shook violently.
Rem never took the light orb.
She never wavered, never gave in to the temptation of extending her life.
Those were Rem's last words.
Surrounded by her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and her friends, she passed away peacefully, leaving behind both sorrow and love in equal measure.
...
Time moved forward as it always did.
Two full years passed after Rem's death, and life slowly shifted for everyone.
Rigel and Spica eventually left their childhood home behind, moving to a different city to pursue their own paths and strengthen their futures.
Rigel, much to everyone's surprise, chose to become a merchant.
Despite possessing formidable shinobi skills and the talent to carve out a dangerous reputation as a warrior, he instead turned his attention to trade.
With his natural cunning, discipline, and connections, he quickly began to establish himself as a formidable presence in the business world, building an influence that was impossible to ignore.
Spica, meanwhile, spent her days by the side of her husband.
He started out as a low-level government official but, through persistence and a sharp mind, steadily climbed the ranks until eventually becoming the head of a city.
Together, they lived a life of responsibility and prominence, while still keeping strong ties to their family.
Back in the old home, however, Subaru remained.
The house felt emptier, lonelier.
If not for Zarestia permanently moving in and staying by his side, Subaru might have given up entirely.
Her presence, her company, and her strange yet steady way of being there for him became the only thing that kept him tethered to life after losing Rem.
And then, one night, everything changed.
They were drinking together, the alcohol loosening their tongues and lowering the walls they usually kept up.
Subaru sat on the floor with his back against the wall, while Zarestia, flushed from the drink, leaned against him.
At some point, she ended up sprawled half across his body, her head resting against his chest.
"Tia… we cannot do this," Subaru muttered, his voice heavy and conflicted as he looked down at her.
His words were slurred slightly from the alcohol, but the pain in them was clear.
"Why?" Zarestia whispered, her voice carrying a vulnerability she almost never revealed. "Why can't we? I love you." Her tone was not playful, not teasing as she often was.
It was filled with genuine affection—the raw affection of a woman who had loved a man for far too long in silence.
Subaru clenched his teeth. "I cannot betray Rem." His voice cracked at her name.
"I know," Zarestia replied, her lips trembling.
"That's why, even though I loved you… even though I wanted nothing more than to be with you… I never forced myself into your lives. I stayed away. I stayed back because I love Rem too… and I love you. Both of you."
Her words shook, her throat tight as she tried to hold herself together.
Then, suddenly, she broke.
Her eyes watered as her voice rose, almost crying out.
"But Rem… why? Why didn't she take the light orb?! If she had, she could still be here with us! She could be living happily with us, spending her days surrounded by her family, laughing with us! Why did she throw that chance away?!"
Before Subaru could answer, she pressed her lips against his aged ones.
"This is wrong," Subaru said immediately, trying to push her off.
His hands gripped her shoulders, but her arms tightened around him, her strength as unyielding as always.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn't free himself from her embrace.
She panted, pulling back just enough to look him in the face.
His old, worn, wrinkling face.
Her golden eyes glistened with tears.
Subaru's own eyes flickered over her features—her face, still untouched by time, as youthful as the day he first saw her.
White hair with that distinctive lime strand falling over her shoulder.
Those sharp golden eyes, wet with tears.
Her lips full and trembling.
Her body, mature and beautiful, highlighted by the way her kimono clung to her curves.
Compared to her, Subaru felt ancient.
His skin had grown wrinkled, his once black hair now streaked heavily with grey, his lips dry and cracked.
Looking at her was like staring at a cruel reminder of time's imbalance—her body frozen in beauty while his slowly decayed.
"I love you, Subaru…" Zarestia whispered, her tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
"I love you the most. More than anyone. And I know this is wrong, I know what I am doing is unforgivable, but I cannot stop myself. Because that day, when Rem was dying… the way she looked at me… I knew she already understood. She knew everything. And in her eyes, I saw permission. That's why… after she passed, even when I was broken inside, I held onto that hope. The hope that maybe she wanted this for us."
Subaru froze. His mind snapped back to Rem's final moments, her final words.
He recalled how she looked at Zarestia before the end, the way her eyes softened, almost knowingly.
And in that instant, he realized—Rem had understood.
She had left something unspoken behind.
Zarestia bit her lip, staring at him.
"If you hate me… if you don't want me… then tell me. Say the word and I will leave. I'll walk away, and I'll never bring this up again. I promise."
Subaru closed his eyes.
His heart twisted painfully as memories of Rem flooded him—her smile, her voice, her laugh, every single moment they had shared.
When he finally opened his eyes, they were filled with tears, but his expression was firm.
"I love Rem. And I will always love her," Subaru said, his voice hoarse but unwavering.
"No matter what, she will always be the number one woman in my heart."
Zarestia lowered her head and whispered softly, "I know."
"If I had to choose between her and you," Subaru continued, his tone turning sharper, more resolute, "I would choose Rem. Every single time. Without hesitation."
She nodded slowly, accepting his words, her heart aching yet unsurprised.
With trembling hands, she began to push herself up, intending to leave.
To accept this as rejection and quietly walk away.
But before she could, Subaru's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.
His grip was firm, desperate.
"Wait," he said. And before she could react, he pulled her down into his arms and hugged her tightly.
Her chest pressed against his, her soft breasts squashed against Subaru's solid chest, her nipples hard and poking through the thin fabric of her clothes.
Every little bit of her body was pressing against him as though she wanted to fuse with him.
"I love you… and I want you," she whispered, her breath warm, filled with need.
Nothing more needed to be said.
Words were useless now. Soon, clothing was discarded, fabric thrown carelessly across the room, and both of them were naked.
The room quickly filled with moans, heavy gasps, the sound of skin colliding against skin, the creaking of the old bed frame.
They clung to each other with desperation, as if trying to erase the loneliness of the years they had lived apart.
Hours passed.
Three whole hours of unrestrained intimacy later, Subaru was lying naked on the bed, his body drenched in sweat, chest rising and falling heavily as exhaustion consumed him.
Zarestia lay pressed against him, her long white hair spilling across his chest like a sheet, one smooth leg draped across his torso.
Her breasts pressed against his ribs while her fingers traced slow circles on his chest.
She raised her head slightly, looking at his aged but gentle face, and kissed him softly on the cheek.
"I love you, Subaru," she whispered, the words trembling with honesty.
Subaru slid his hand slowly across her bare back, feeling the smoothness of her skin beneath his wrinkled palm.
He pulled the blanket over their tangled bodies, smiling faintly despite his fatigue. "I love you too," he replied, voice rough but sincere.
From that moment onward, their lives changed.
For months on end, the two became inseparable.
Every day, without fail, they would share their bodies, seeking comfort and intimacy in each other.
They were reckless, passionate, and sometimes shameless, making love wherever and whenever the chance arose.
It was as though both were trying to fill an unhealable wound with raw affection and physical closeness.
But time never stopped delivering pain.
One day, without warning, Halibel passed away.
His death was a massive shock, shaking their family to its core.
The loss crushed Zarestia, and in her grief, she clung to Subaru even more than before.
She practically became attached to him like glue, refusing to let go of him even for a moment.
If not for Subaru's weak gate preventing him from sustaining such a bond, she would have immediately formed a spirit contract with him, binding their souls together permanently.
Life continued in this strange, fragile balance.
And then, one day, Rigel came to visit.
He arrived alone, his expression heavy and clouded by something unspoken.
There was a sadness in his eyes.
But when Rigel entered the house and stumbled upon the sight before him, his sadness instantly transformed into something far worse.
His eyes went wide with shock and disgust as he saw Zarestia on top of Subaru in their bedroom.
Subaru lay beneath her, naked, while Zarestia, though partially covered by her kimono, straddled his body, her hips pressed down over his groin.
It was obvious what they had been doing.
The smell of sweat and sex lingered heavily in the air.
Rigel's body trembled, his teeth clenched in rage, his fists balled.
Then he snapped.
"YOU FUCKING CHEATING BASTARD!" Rigel roared, his voice cracking with fury.
He charged into the room with blinding speed.
Before either Subaru or Zarestia could react, Rigel was on them.
His fist connected with Subaru's face with a sickening crack, blood flying from Subaru's mouth. Then another blow, and another.
Rigel struck with such raw force, without holding anything back, that Subaru's ribs cracked audibly.
His arm twisted at an unnatural angle, teeth scattered across the floor as his head snapped to the side.
One violent strike sent him crashing into the wooden wall, splintering it apart.
Subaru's back slammed hard, leaving him writhing in agony on the floor.
Zarestia immediately tried to restrain him, shouting his name, but Rigel's fury blinded him.
He struck her as well, shoving her aside violently before returning to pound Subaru again and again.
Subaru's body was broken, battered, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, his breathing shallow and uneven.
Rigel did not care.
He had lost all sense of restraint.
Zarestia finally snapped.
Seeing Subaru's body mangled and his life hanging by a thread, something inside her broke. She unleashed her power.
Wind burst violently around her as she struck Rigel back with a fierce gale, sending him crashing across the room.
Her golden eyes burned with fury as she looked at Rigel lying on the ground.
Unlike Subaru, Rigel was not broken, though his body was bruised and bleeding from scratches and cuts.
He still had strength in him.
But none of that mattered.
Zarestia's rage boiled over.
Her killing intent flooded the house, suffocating the air, making it feel as though death itself had descended upon them.
Her magic surged uncontrollably, the skies outside darkening as her power gathered.
She glared at Rigel with pure hatred, her voice shaking as she screamed, "I will kill you! How dare you hurt him?! How dare you lay a hand on the one I love! How dare you harm my Subaru!"
The thought repeated endlessly in her mind, like a broken chant that drowned out everything else.
'Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.'
She raised her hand, her magic condensing into a devastating spell.
She bound Rigel with wind, locking him in place, preparing to strike him down without hesitation.
Her body trembled with rage, her lips curled with fury, her golden eyes narrowed with murderous intent.
But then—
"Z… Zarestia…" Subaru's voice rasped.
He coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth, his voice so weak it was barely audible.
Yet, despite its faintness, it reached her ears and pierced her madness like a blade.
She looked down and froze when she realized Subaru had somehow dragged his battered, broken body across the floor.
At some point, without her noticing in her fury, he had reached her and grabbed hold of her ankle with his trembling, bloodstained hand.
His body was shaking, his skin pale, yet his grip—though weak—was desperate.
"D-Don't… hurt him…" Subaru forced out, his voice hoarse, each word costing him pain.
Zarestia clenched her teeth so tightly it hurt.
Her golden eyes shifted from Subaru to Rigel.
She looked at the boy on the other side of the barrier—the boy she had once loved as if he were her own younger brother. The same boy who, long ago, had once confessed his feelings to her, and whom she had gently rejected. The boy she had played with, laughed with, and guided through his childhood.
But then her eyes fell back on Subaru. His body was wrecked—ribs shattered, arm twisted unnaturally, blood dripping from his lips. He was barely breathing. The realization hit her with crushing force.
He was going to die.
'No… no, no, no! He's going to die!'
Panic overpowered her rage.
She immediately dropped to her knees and began pouring healing magic into him.
Her hands glowed, her face tense with desperation as she worked frantically.
Minute after minute dragged by, her mana flowing endlessly into Subaru's body.
She pushed herself until sweat rolled down her forehead, until her breath grew ragged.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Subaru's breathing steadied.
His life was no longer in immediate danger.
His injuries remained severe, and he was unconscious, but he would live.
Only then did Zarestia allow herself to breathe.
Relief washed over her in a crushing wave.
She pulled Subaru's limp body into her arms, pressing his bloodied head tightly against her chest.
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she listened carefully to his slow but steady breaths.
That sound—his life—was all she needed.
Rigel, meanwhile, stood frozen where he was.
The reality of what he had done slammed into him.
His legs trembled as guilt and regret surged through him.
He had nearly killed his father.
The same man who had raised him.
The man who had cared for him, fed him, protected him, taught him what it meant to live.
The man who had stood by him through everything, who had always been there even after losing the love of his life.
And Rigel… in his rage, he had almost beaten that man to death.
Regret weighed so heavily on him that he could barely stand.
Slowly, shakily, he stepped forward, wanting to say something—anything.
To apologize.
To beg forgiveness.
But as he neared, a sharp gust of wind erupted in front of him, forming a solid barrier.
Zarestia's killing intent returned as she glared at him, her body trembling with fury. "Don't you dare come near him!" she shouted, her voice breaking with anger and raw emotion.
Rigel stopped dead. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He wanted to speak. He wanted to apologize.
But how could he? How could he possibly say sorry after nearly killing his own father?
No words could erase what he had done.
And then the truth dug into his chest like knives.
He and Spica had abandoned Subaru.
Both of them had gone to other cities, chasing their ambitions, leaving their father alone after Rem's death.
They hadn't visited, hadn't even been there when he needed them most.
Rigel hadn't come home until now—and the only reason he had returned was because of a serious matter, the same reason his anger had boiled over in the first place.
He had let his emotions consume him, and in his rage, he nearly murdered the man who gave him everything.
Zarestia's voice shook with fury, her eyes brimming with tears of rage. "I hate you… I hate you, Rigel. Never come in front of me again. If you do… I swear, I will kill you."
Rigel staggered backward.
Her words tore into him more painfully than any wound.
With weak, unsteady steps, he turned and left, his heart heavy with guilt and shame.
Later, Zarestia called for doctors, demanding the best healers available.
They worked tirelessly to stabilize Subaru, patching up his broken body.
When the healers assured her that Subaru would live—perhaps even for many years if he rested carefully—Zarestia broke down.
She hugged Subaru tightly, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest, her tears wetting his bandages.
For the first time since that day, she allowed herself to cry without holding back.
Days passed slowly. Subaru eventually regained consciousness, weak but alive.
Zarestia never left his side, tending to him constantly, feeding him, caring for him, and ensuring he could recover as much as possible.
When Subaru asked about Rigel, Zarestia hesitated.
She wanted to hide it, to shield him, but in the end, she couldn't lie to him.
With a heavy heart, she told him everything—about Rigel's outburst, about the beating, about the rage and the guilt.
Her voice trembled with both sadness and anger as she finished recounting it all.
Then, with tears brimming in her eyes, she asked him, "Why? Why did you forgive him?! Why aren't you furious?! Why aren't you lashing out at him?! He nearly killed you, Subaru! I saw it with my own eyes. He could have ended your life that day! And it wasn't even reasoned anger—it was reckless, blind rage! He must have been grieving, or angry about something else entirely, and he took it out on you!"
Yes, Zarestia, being a Great Spirit of Wind, had long since mastered the ability to sense and understand the emotions of others.
That was why she had been so furious with Rigel.
She could clearly feel it. His anger that day wasn't truly directed at Subaru, not at its core.
Rigel had carried another storm inside him, rage and grief that had nothing to do with Subaru, and when he saw them together, their affair became the trigger.
All of that suppressed frustration, all of that heartache, he had released in the worst way possible—by taking it out on his own father.
Subaru, however, did not share the same anger as her.
He was calm, his voice soft and weak from his wounds, but firm in conviction when he answered.
"Even if he kills me… I will accept it. After all, even if he has become a middle-aged, stubborn, and grumpy man, he is still my son. And what kind of father raises his hand to hurt his own child? I would never do that. I would never curse him. If this is the burden I must carry, then I will carry it."
Those words stunned Zarestia.
They pierced straight through her, silencing her rage for the moment.
She stared at Subaru, unable to look away.
It was in that moment that she remembered with absolute clarity why she had fallen in love with this man in the first place.
His kindness, his selflessness, his willingness to forgive even when wronged—qualities that made him frustratingly human and yet so strong.
He was flawed, but he loved with everything he had, and that love reached everyone around him.
That was why she had chosen him over countless others, why she had remained by his side even over his own son.
Weeks passed after the incident.
Subaru's body slowly recovered under Zarestia's constant care.
One day, Spica came to visit.
She carried with her news, the real truth behind why Rigel had gone berserk that day.
"It was because of his wife…" Spica began with a grave expression.
Subaru tilted his head, frowning deeply. "His wife? What about her?"
"She was cheating on him," Spica said at last.
The words hit Subaru like a hammer.
His heart clenched, and even Zarestia, who had braced herself, widened her eyes in disbelief.
But Spica quickly shook her head, clarifying. "It wasn't intentional… not in the way you're thinking. Her tolerance for alcohol is very weak, and sometimes she loses herself completely when drunk. A magician with a Divine Protection that can discern truth was brought in to investigate. With his testimony, it was revealed that she had been unfaithful nearly eight to nine times since their marriage. But—" Spica's tone grew firmer.
"Despite that, their children were confirmed to be Rigel's. Every single one. The paternity was checked with magic."
Subaru sank back in his seat, overwhelmed.
"Eight… or nine times…" he muttered, heartbroken at the thought of his son going through that pain.
Spica continued, explaining the situation further. "It turns out Rigel actually caught her in the act one night. That was the breaking point for him. His wife was horrified and apologized, but the damage was already done. She nearly killed the man who was with her, beating him in her drunken frenzy, and later it was discovered that this man had deliberately taken advantage of her state. He had done it three times before. He knew her weakness, and he exploited it."
Zarestia's face twisted in shock, her expression hardening into cold fury.
Spica sighed, looking exhausted just recounting it. "Rigel was devastated. He couldn't process it. He slapped her, then ran away in pain. We didn't know he had gone to your house. We had no idea. When he saw you and Aunt Zarestia together… when he saw your intimacy… it must have brought all that trauma crashing down on him. It triggered everything, and he lost control."
Subaru's lips trembled, his voice quiet and uncertain. "W-What happened to her? Did… did they separate? Did he leave her?"
For the first time in her explanation, Spica's expression softened into something resembling relief. A small smile appeared on her lips.
"No. In the end, they did not break apart. His wife begged him for forgiveness. After Rigel locked himself inside his room, shutting himself away from the world, she knelt in front of his door in dogeza. She stayed there for five days straight, without eating, without drinking, refusing to move. By the time Rigel opened the door, she was already showing clear signs of dehydration and malnutrition. She had been willing to let herself die if that was what it took for him to believe her regret. When Rigel saw her like that, his anger broke. He forgave her in the end. But—"
Spica raised her finger, as if to emphasize the point. "To prove the depth of her apology, she went even further. She had a magician craft a special contract. A binding one. This contract prevents her from ever being intimate with any man except Rigel, and if she tries… it won't just stop her. It will hurt her very soul. She put her own life and existence on the line to prove her sincerity."
Subaru finally breathed out in relief, though his chest still ached.
He was angry—furious—that his son's wife had been unfaithful.
But realizing the truth, that it had not been done out of malice, but rather weakness and exploitation, lessened the rage inside him.
The pain remained, but there was room for forgiveness.
Zarestia, however, was far less forgiving.
Her voice was cold, her eyes sharp as she asked the one question burning in her heart.
"And what about those men?" she demanded.
"The ones who took advantage of her while she was drunk. What happened to them?"
"They were arrested," Spica answered firmly, her tone carrying both authority and disgust.
"Eventually, after questioning and proper investigation, it was proven without doubt that they had taken advantage of her during her drunken state. They preyed on her weakness, they knew exactly what they were doing, and they repeated it several times. It wasn't some mistake—it was deliberate."
Her expression hardened, eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. "I personally had my husband deal with them… and he gave them a punishment that was… suitable."
The way Spica said it, the way her eyes grew colder and her voice dropped, made it clear. That punishment wasn't simply imprisonment.
It wasn't a clean execution either.
No, what awaited those men was something far worse than death.
Something slow, painful, and unforgettable.
A fate that stripped away any shred of dignity they might have clung to.
Subaru didn't even want to imagine the details.
He swallowed and looked away for a moment, first glancing at Zarestia, then back at Spica.
There was hesitation in his eyes, hesitation to bring up the matter of what she might have seen, of what she might have realized.
But before he could gather his words, Spica smiled softly, her blue hair swaying lightly as she shook her head.
"You don't need to say anything, Father," she said gently, her voice carrying no judgment, only acceptance.
"Not about what happened between you and Aunt Zarestia. I already know. In fact…" She paused for a moment, her eyes softening.
"…Mother told me herself before she passed away. She said she understood you, that she knew Rigel would probably never be able to accept or understand it, but she also said she didn't want me to resent you. So she told me everything in secret."
Subaru's breath caught.
His eyes widened slightly, and for a moment he felt his chest ache—not from pain, but from emotions rushing inside him.
He was speechless.
But then, slowly, a faint smile formed on his lips.
He didn't say it out loud, but in his heart, he thanked his wife.
'Rem… truly knew me better than anyone. Even after death, you still guide me. That's my Rem. My one and only.'
When he looked back at Spica, his expression softened.
His eyes carried warmth, the purest form of fatherly love and pride.
He knew his daughter was strong, mature, and kind.
She had carried herself with such grace through so many hardships.
He couldn't have asked for a better daughter.
At the same time, though, he couldn't ignore the truth. Rigel—his son—was drowning in guilt.
Subaru knew him too well.
He knew Rigel wouldn't have the courage to stand before him again, not after what had happened.
Perhaps Rigel would never come back, not until Subaru's own life had ended.
And so, with that bitter but calm understanding, Subaru made a decision.
He would spend the remainder of his life quietly, far away from the noise of the city, from the heavy memories of the house he had once shared with Rem, Halibel, Rigel, and Spica.
The thought of leaving that house hurt him. Every wall, every corner carried memories—Rem's laughter, Halibel's wisdom, Rigel's youthful voice, Spica's cheerful presence.
But time had moved on.
Those days were gone.
Clinging to the house would not bring them back.
At Zarestia's strong and heartfelt request, Subaru finally agreed.
He left the home behind and moved with her to her nest.
The following years passed quietly.
For the next fifteen years, Subaru lived in Zarestia's domain.
Spica remained in contact with him—she visited whenever she could, and even when distance separated them, she sent him letters filled with warmth and updates about her life.
Once, she even brought him a letter from Rigel.
In that letter, Rigel had apologized.
He had admitted to everything—his anger, his mistake, his shame.
He confessed he could not face Subaru again, not after nearly killing him, not after betraying him as a son.
Reading those words, Subaru sighed in exasperation.
He knew his son's personality far too well.
Rigel would follow through with those words.
He meant them.
He truly would not come back.
Subaru accepted that truth with a heavy heart, but when he heard that Rigel was at least living a stable and happy life, some of his burdens lightened.
His son was alive.
His son had a family.
That was enough.
In the beginning, during the first three or four years in the nest, Subaru and Zarestia continued to be intimate.
They made love when they could, their bond deepened by both passion and comfort.
But soon, Subaru's body began to fail him. His "little Subaru," as he sometimes called it jokingly, could no longer stand up to the task. Age and exhaustion caught up to him.
Zarestia, however, didn't care in the slightest.
She didn't love him for that alone.
She loved him for who he was, for the man he had always been.
She was more than satisfied simply being beside him, spending every day with him.
To her, he was already her partner, her companion, her husband in everything but name.
She didn't need children from him.
She didn't need passion every night.
She only needed him.
And so she served him with devotion, caring for him in every way possible.
But as time passed and Subaru reached his mid-sixties, his body began to decline rapidly.
No amount of healing magic could stop it.
No technique, no spell, no doctor could reverse what was happening.
This wasn't an injury.
This wasn't an illness.
It was simply age, the slow but inevitable failure of the body.
And then came the day.
Zarestia, unwilling to lose him, unwilling to watch his body fade and die, made her decision.
Just like before, she revealed her life orb.
But this time, it wasn't offered to a contract, or for protection, or to save him temporarily.
This time, she presented it directly to Subaru—willing to share her powers, her immortality, her very existence itself.
She wanted to bind herself to him forever.
She was ready to give up everything, to change everything, just to stay with him.
However, just like Rem all those years ago, Subaru shook his head and denied her plea.
His voice was weak, but the resolve behind his words was unmistakable.
Zarestia's eyes widened, tears already forming as her chest tightened in pain.
She couldn't hold it in anymore—she cried openly, her voice breaking as she begged him over and over to take her life orb.
"Please! Take it, Subaru! Take it and live on! Take it and outlive your children if you have to! I don't care anymore, I just want you to stay with me!" Zarestia's hands trembled as she pressed the glowing orb toward him, her tears streaming down uncontrollably.
Subaru smiled faintly, his aged hand lifting with visible effort to caress her cheek.
His skin was wrinkled, his touch weaker than before, but it still carried warmth. "Take it and outlive my children?" he repeated softly, almost like a whisper. "Zarestia… no parent ever wants to outlive their children."
His words stabbed deeper into her heart than any blade could.
Zarestia sobbed, her face twisting in anguish.
"Don't you love me?! Then why?! Why are you leaving me just like Rem did?!"
She clutched his frail hand tightly, rubbing it against her cheek as though trying to brand his touch into her very skin, desperate to hold onto every second she had left with him.
Subaru's gaze softened even more.
His eyes were tired, his breaths shallow, yet his expression carried sincerity.
"I do love you… I really do. And even if you end up hating me for the rest of your life because of this… remember what I told you the first time we became intimate?"
Zarestia froze, her tears slowing for a moment as her mind pulled back to that memory. And then she remembered.
That night, long ago, when they first crossed that line, Subaru had told her plainly—without hesitation—that no matter what happened, he would always love Rem more than anyone else.
It was the truth, and she knew it.
Subaru coughed violently, his body convulsing weakly as his chest heaved.
Each breath grew weaker than the last, his voice breaking into painful rasps. "My… time to rejoin my wife… it's finally come…" He tried to smile through the pain, his lips trembling.
"I love you, Zarestia. I really do. And even if one day you… take another man's hand… I would be ne—"
Before he could finish, she quickly pressed her hand against his lips, silencing him with desperation.
Her tears streamed harder now, but her voice came out firm, unwavering. "No! Don't say it. I will never love another man like I love you, Subaru. I swear it. I promise on my soul. My body, my heart, my soul—till the very end of time—will belong only to you. No one else."
For a moment Subaru paused, gazing at her.
Then a small smile appeared on his face, one that carried both happiness and sorrow.
"What a pity," he whispered with faint humor, though his voice was frail. "Now you'll be stuck… stuck living only in our memories."
Zarestia shook her head violently, yet she smiled back at him through her tears, a smile both broken and genuine. "Then let me be stuck. I want to be stuck with those memories. The memories of you… of Rem… of Rigel, Spica, and even that damn wolf. I'll hold them all forever. That's enough for me."
Hearing that, Subaru's body finally relaxed.
His lips curved into the faintest of smiles, one of peace and contentment.
His eyes grew blurry, his vision dimming rapidly, but before the darkness took him completely, he forced his eyes open one last time to look at her.
"I… can see them," Subaru whispered weakly.
His chest rose and fell slowly, almost struggling with every breath.
"Rem… Halibel…" His voice cracked as he spoke, his expression softening.
His eyes, though clouded, lit up faintly as he looked past Zarestia.
In his fading vision, silhouettes appeared.
A silver-haired half-elf stood there, smiling gently at him.
Beside her, a small grey cat spirit hovered, its eyes kind and welcoming.
Behind them, a red-haired woman who resembled Rem stood with her arms crossed and a familiar snarl on her face, as though scolding him even in death.
And then… there were two more.
Two blurry figures, ones Subaru had not seen in decades, figures he had nearly forgotten.
"Mama? Papa?"
The faint voices of his parents echoed in his ears.
Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes and slowly fell down his wrinkled cheeks.
He let out one final breath, one final sigh filled with both regret and relief, as he closed his eyes.
Subaru Natsuki breathed his last.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Zarestia froze for a moment, waiting, praying for another breath, for another sign of life. But none came.
The pulse that once beat faintly beneath her fingers had completely faded. Her body trembled as realization set in.
And then, with a sharp gasp, she broke.
Her cries filled the room, her voice echoing in despair as tears fell uncontrollably onto his still body.
She clutched him desperately, refusing to let go, her sobs shaking the very walls around them.
Normally… this should have been the end of the story.
Even if there were people who had been abandoned along the way, even if there were dreams that had shattered, and even if there were hopes that slipped through one's fingers never to return, the truth was that memories could never be erased.
They would always linger, gnawing at the heart, impossible to truly forget no matter how much time passed.
This moment—this death—should have been just another one of those many endings.
One of countless conclusions for the boy who had once been dragged into another world and abandoned to fate.
But unfortunately… a certain woman would never allow that ending to stand.
She would never let it be final.
"I love you," the words slipped from her lips, heavy and unrelenting, a whisper that carried the weight of fifty long years.
"I love you." It wasn't just a confession anymore. It wasn't just desire. It wasn't even devotion. It had become something else entirely—an obsession, an unshakable fixation that consumed her being.
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you…"
Her voice repeated those words endlessly, like a curse, like a broken rhyme that refused to stop, echoing over and over until it became unbearable. The intensity twisted the very air around her, until—
The world itself shattered.
Time cracked apart like fragile glass, and then it all vanished in an instant.
Everything was pulled backward, rewound violently against its will.
The present crumbled away, and reality was torn down to nothing but fragments.
And then, as if mocking fate, everything was reset.
The clock rolled back.
Not just days, but weeks.
Not just weeks, but half a century.
The flow of time itself was forced to retreat until it reached that very day… that very moment.
The point when he had made the choice that led to everything.
The decision that carved this path of sorrow, suffering, and regret.
And once more, it all began again.
"No…! No…! No!" Subaru's voice cracked as his consciousness surged back.
His eyes opened wide in terror as his body shifted, growing younger, reversing the wear of age.
His hands trembled violently, and his cries were filled with horror.
He recognized it.
He knew what this was.
He knew what had been awakened again, the cursed ability that he had long forgotten, buried deep in the corner of his memories.
Return by Death.
Natsuki Subaru was returning by death-
Suddenly he become unconscious before he could comprehend the madness that was unfolding, another voice cut through the air like a blade.
"What do you think you're doing, bitch?"
The sharp words froze her completely.
Envy stopped in her tracks and turned, her expression stunned.
Standing before her was a man—no, something more terrifying than that.
His face… his face was the same as Subaru's.
Exactly the same.
But his expression was twisted, and the aura around him was suffocating.
Tear trails stained his cheeks, proof that even he had shed emotions he could not suppress.
His golden eyes burned with fury as they locked onto her own purple amethyst eyes, filled with obsession. He was holding an inconspicuous object in his hand, a white orb.
And with that, everything clicked together with horrifying clarity.
Natsuki Subaru had returned by Death… but this time, he wasn't the only one.
To be continued...
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