Higashino Makoto still had his knife and fork, the steak on his plate, and the black tea in his cup.
But he sensed an unusual fluctuation. It was a fluctuation of time.
It's like a river suddenly changing direction, flowing from the sea back to its source.
His body didn't move, but in that instant, his consciousness sensed something indescribable.
"Bell--"
He opened his mouth, intending to say Reisen.
But he discovered that his voice did not travel.
It wasn't that something blocked it; rather, the sound itself was erased during the reversal of time.
Then, everything returned to normal.
Higashino Makoto returned to the carriage, his hand resting on Reisen's ear.
Reisen's ears were still standing straight up, and her crimson eyes were filled with tears.
"Master--Have you finished touching me?"
Looking at the sun hanging outside the carriage, he touched a ring on his finger.
"Time travel...?"
He released Reisen's ear and whispered.
Reisen was sitting opposite him, and when she heard his voice, she looked up.
"Master, what did you say?"
"Nothing."
Higashino Makoto looked at the coachman and the animals outside the window.
They acted as if nothing had happened, showing no signs of anything amiss.
Because they genuinely didn't feel anything.
Reisen.
"Exist."
Did you feel anything just now?
Reisen thought for a moment.
"No."
"Nothing at all?"
There's nothing there.
Higashino Makoto remained silent for a moment, then quietly changed one of his races to "Time-Eroding Insect".
He then took out another "Time Resistance Strategy Ring" from his backpack and handed it to Reisen.
"Put it on."
"Yes."
Reisen lowered her head, put the ring on her finger, and blushed.
Higashino Makoto looked out the window, his golden eyes reflecting the sunlight.
"Time can be reversed."
He said in a low voice.
"Interesting."
His fingers tapped lightly on the table.
In my mind, magical knowledge about time surged.
He Time Stop, speed up time, and slow down time—he knows a little bit of all of those.
But if time were to reverse, this would be the first time I'd encountered this.
"How large is the scope? The entire city? The entire country? The entire world?"
He closed his eyes and extended his senses in all directions.
There was nothing unusual, no enemies, and nothing that could threaten him.
Reisen.
"Exist."
"Let's go and gather some information."
"Yes."
Higashino Makoto walked down the street, his golden eyes scanning the shops on both sides.
Reisen followed half a step behind him, holding a notebook in her hands, her crimson eyes scanning every corner of their surroundings warily.
Its rabbit ears stood straight up, capturing every sound in the air.
"Master, there's a bookstore up ahead."
"Let's go take a look."
The two entered the bookstore.
The store wasn't big, but the bookshelves were filled with all sorts of books: history, geography, magic, biographies.
Higashino Makoto walked to the history section, randomly picked up a book, and opened it.
A Brief History of the Lugnica Kingdom.
His gaze swept over the writing, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"Lucnika... the Dragon Kingdom..."
He continued scrolling down.
"The Witch of Envy... Satella..."
His fingers paused for a moment.
"Satella, the Witch of Envy..."
He closed the book, a glint of light flashing in his golden eyes.
"Re: Zero -Starting Life in New World- ".
Reisen stood beside him, her crimson eyes fixed on him.
"Master, do you know about this world?"
"Know."
Higashino Makoto put the book back on the shelf and turned around.
I've seen it, but I've forgotten most of it.
Reisen's brows furrowed slightly.
Is this world dangerous?
"Have."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
But the danger is not in the open.
He stepped out of the bookstore, with Reisen following behind him.
"Master, where do we go next?"
"There's a high probability that someone who can reverse time is in the Royal Capital of the Lugnica Kingdom."
Higashino Makoto sighed, his eyes showing some weariness.
"That's Authority called 'Return by Death'."
I don't quite understand Reisen's part. If we take it literally, it means that she will return after death.
If time itself returns, wouldn't that put us in an invincible position?
"Return by Death?"
"Yes, after death, time rewinds, returning you to a save point, and then you start over."
Higashino Makoto stopped and turned around to look at her.
"The time reversal just now must have been caused by him."
Reisen's lips trembled slightly.
"Master, should we eliminate this dangerous individual?"
"No need, that guy is basically harmless."
He glanced at the map, then stretched out his hand and made a light sweeping motion in the air.
A pitch-black spatial rift appeared silently before the two of them.
Through the other side of the crevice, one could see the setting sun, towering city walls, and the distant, faintly visible palace towers.
Let's go.
Higashino Makoto stepped into the crevice.
Reisen took a deep breath and followed.
In a small alley in the Royal Capital of the Lugnica Kingdom.
Subaru Natsuki tried his best to stand up, but his arms, which were supporting him on the ground, were trembling, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift himself up.
Not only that, but he couldn't even support his upper body.
"Ah, they've started..."
Hearing the anxious voice, Subaru turned around and found himself lying on the ground with a knife stuck in his lower back.
"Cough... Gah..."
The instant I became aware of it, an unbearable, intense pain choked my throat. It was an extremely pure and primal urge to suffer.
I was stabbed!
Stabbed, stabbed, stabbed, stabbed, stabbed, stabbed, stabbed.
Chin, carrying a knife, acted first.
Unaware that Chin had already drawn her weapon, Subaru was stabbed when he was about to forcefully push her away.
I experienced this kind of excruciating pain several times in just a few hours.
But no matter how many times you experience it, you will never get used to this pain in the future.
"Hey! You really went in with it?"
"There's no other way! Otherwise, he might escape to the main road, and that would be troublesome."
"Stop it, you idiot! Ah, this guy's done for. If his internal organs are pierced, he's doomed. Hey!"
The giant Ton moved Subaru's body, turning him over, which resulted in the knife piercing deeper.
"--Ooh-ooh!"
In addition to excruciating pain, other forms of suffering were added, and even the screams before death were forcibly suppressed.
Nothing was left; they had lost the strength to cry for help or shout angrily.
His breathing became hoarse and disordered, his throat feeling as if it were being drowned, soaked in surging blood.
The sensation in my hands and feet is becoming increasingly distant, and even now, my thoughts are flickering and faintly interrupted.
My vision was plunged into darkness once more. Just like last time, this time it was all over.
No one will come to save him.
"Please consider this the 'arrogance if' timeline, which is the timeline before the Sword Saint appeared."