In an adrenaline-fueled dash, Subaru pushed his limits, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. The acrid scent of charred remnants and the echoes of despair lingered in the air as he tore himself away from the scorched ruins of Astrea's Manor, only to find Rem's dead body on the main gate, being feasted by several witchbeasts.
He can't save her due to the huge strengths difference between witchbeasts and himself. All hopes of rescuing her flickered and died, leaving only a profound sense of helplessness in their wake.
In the end, the only one he can do is leave, along with Reinhard's mother on his back.
He needs to leave this territory. If he can't, at least he needs to reach the nearby village or somewhere else, anything to elude the creeping shadow of the witchbeasts behind him.
STAB!!
"ARCKK---!!!"
A visceral scream tore from Subaru's throat, the sound mingling with the silence of devastation that surrounded him. The blood spluttered out from his mouth as his gaze moved to his bleeding chest. He felt the searing pain rip through his body as he stumbled forward, his legs betraying him, collapsing under the weight of his exhaustion and injury.
In the chaos of his fall, Reinhard's mother slipped from his grasp, her body tumbling away along the ground. Despite all the fall damage, Reinhard's mother is still unconscious—with an empty shell.
Subaru screwed up.
The attack comes from behind, which means Reinhard's mother——A crimson blood flowing out, painting on the ground helpless until it becomes of puddle of blood from her chest. Reinhard's mother... She...
Louanna Astrea is dead.
"Fuck.... Are you kidding me?"
In the silence, a group of Witch Cultists standing behind exhausted, dying for another time, Subaru. They watched him coldly, watching their victim find the death, without emotions after causing chaos in this world.
"I will kill. I will make sure you all die. " Subaru looked at them, hatred mixed with rage, in his eyes. His voice was weaker, and hoarse after losing too much blood, yet he used all of his strength for his wrath.
Unfortunately, he needs to revenge on another time loop, where he could prevent this accident. As he loses the light in his eyes, he keeps swearing to eliminate all those monsters for his loved ones.
Subaru is dead.
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"What a headache...." Reinhard muttered to himself inside the carriage. He slowly massaged his forehead, lifting all the burden that sent many, many, many problems on his brain.
"Not every day you grumble about your work, Reinhard." Julius, who takes a seat beside Ferris, commented as he crossed his arms.
Ferris let out light laughter, "Of course, none wouldn't nya have headaches after dealing with Countess Diane. She keeps pestering Reinhard like a bug and never lets him go, nya."
"Her perfume is too much for me... It's hurt to breathe." Reinhard sighed as he led against the soft seat.
He doesn't even want to remember the memories of when Countess Diane forced him to sit beside her, hugging his arm as they were tasked to escort her back to her residence. If it's not for Ferris's desperate request, he and Julius would have left already, letting that poor Demi-Human deal with troublesome women like Countess Diane.
"Even the Sword Saint himself said like that; I can't deny what I was been told. Countess Diane already set her eyes on you, so good luck in the escape."
"That's not helped me, Julius... Seriously, Countess's Diane perfume is really attached to my clothes. Kyoko must be angry if she smells it."
Ferris was surprised, "What the heck? Nya your mistress a dog or something?"
Reinhard sighed for another one, "You could definitely say it that way. That day, she instantly recognized that I had met someone—the noblewoman—for work, simply by the scent of my clothes. Her sense of smell is an impressive and formidable ability."
"Wow, The Sword Saint is scared by his mistress—"
Without warning, the carriage came to a decisive stop, accompanied by the thunderous scream of the ground dragon. The trio of Royal knights instantly leave the carriage through the door to find the cause of this disruption.
They witnessed the most horrified and distributed scene. The horror and terror were born in their eyes frightened by how horrible the situation they witnessed, especially Reinhard.
"Subaru-kyun!!?" Ferris shouted, his voice echoing through the stillness of the scene as he sprinted toward the motionless figure sprawled on the ground, his companion Julius hot on his heels. The urgency in his voice carried a weight of fear and disbelief, each step reverberating with the harsh reality unfolding before them.
On the opposite side, Reinhard abruptly halted, his breath caught in his throat as he beheld a sight that shattered his world. The lifeless body of a woman lay before him, a stark contrast against the backdrop of the quiet surroundings. A chilling silence enveloped him, only amplifying the horrific realization that washed over him in waves.
The familiar features etched into her face were unmistakable, and in that instant, a profound clarity gripped Reinhard. He recognized the grave error he had made in his choices—the decision to leave the safety of the manor today had proven catastrophic.
His heart sank as a tumult of emotions swirled within him, a bitter concoction of regret and despair. "I shouldn't leave the manor today," he thought, the words reverberating in his mind like a haunting refrain.
"Reinhard… that…" Julius's voice trailed off as he caught sight of his friend's paralyzing shock. His gaze shifted to the body at Reinhard's feet, recognizing instantly who lay there. The heart-wrenching truth was unavoidable.
Louanna Astrea—Reinhard's mother.
The reality of her lifeless form blanketed him with an icy dread. Reinhard, known far and wide as The Sword Saint, found himself at that moment stripped of all his heroic bravado. The enormity of the loss gripped him, delivering a blow that felt almost physical. His eyes widened with terror, pupils trembling like leaves in a tempest, as shock threatened to unravel his very being.
"M-Mother…?" He whispered the word slipping from his lips with unfathomable pain as if merely uttering it could bring her back to him.
"Reinhard!! Julius!!! Look!!"
Ferris's scream brings both Julius and Reinhard's focus to his index finger, where Ferris pointed at the fire smoke not far from there. The location directly pointed to Reinhard's house, Astrea's manor.
At that moment, everything seemed to swirl—reality twisted around fear and desperation as the implications of that smoke settled heavily on their shoulders. A harrowing urgency surged through Reinhard as he absorbed the gravity of the situation: something far worse may be unfolding at his family's estate.
"Julius, Ferris!! Bring my mother and Subaru to a safe place!!!" Reinhard shouted, instantly leaving his friends behind as he used his divine protection to speed up his race.
His voice was filled with fear, his body trembling with fear, and his mind was conquered by fear.
Fear.
Something that Sword Saint shouldn't feel until their death reaches them.
But, not today. He needs to make sure something—someone—is still alive. No, he needs to make her alive.
Please, please, please...
Be alive... You must be alive.
Don't die, don't die....
Astrea's manor was burned. Countless lifeless body parts were on the ground, being pulled from its body and feasted by an enormous amount of witchbeasts brutally.
Such horrific moments.
However, the Sword Saint's attention was focused on the beautiful mansion engulfed in flames. He immediately ran towards it, entering through the main entrance to search for someone whom he prayed would be alive again and again.
Yet,
The person who he wishes to be alive,
Someone who keeps cheering him,
Someone who showers him with affection,
And someone who truly loves him despite her misinterpreting the meaning of love.
Natsuki Kyoko.
Why it's must it be you who facing this fate?
The woman who has the brightest smile than himself, Natsuki Kyoko, ends her life.
She meets her death on the floor in a burning manner, with ice slowly freezing her body right from her chest. The ice icicle forms in her chest, growing and growing until it becomes a beautiful scene as if her death is a blessing. Her eyes widen, yet only leave an emptiness inside, without any soul left.
There are two women who are important to the current Sword Saint.
First, there's his mother—the person he's longed to connect with since childhood. Their conversations are a treasure he has always yearned for, filled with unspoken emotions and memories waiting to be shared.
Second, there is his master, someone who continually gives him the love that he feels he doesn't deserve. She doesn't see him as a monster but as a human being, someone who is equal to her.
The final threads of his humanity began to unravel.
No.
If his mother died,
Reinhard, holding her lifeless body, clung to it as if he could bring her back.
If his master died,
Tears streamed down through his cheeks. For the first time, the Sword Saint cried after a long time, with sorrow and not joyous.
So, who's going to shower him with love?
"Kyoko.... Please...." He hugged her tightly, his tears soaked into her shoulder, a silent testament to the weight of his sorrow. Hoping for her to wake up, to wake up him from this nightmare.
"Don't leave me alone...."
The Twelve Loop comes to a thrilling conclusion.
The end.
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