On the screen, Natsuki Subaru had Shaula hide the body in the woods, then turned his gaze toward the village.
"How many people in that village know 'Natsuki Subaru'?"
Natsuki Subaru murmured to himself.
But to everyone outside the screen, it seemed to nail down the conjecture none of them had dared voice just moments ago.
[Otto: So...]
[Otto: Was that really why he asked Reikin about the village?]
No one answered. They all tacitly accepted that answer.
On the screen, Natsuki Subaru and Shaula headed toward Reikin's village.
As he walked, Natsuki Subaru felt increasingly unsettled.
Even if it was something I hated, running away wouldn't get me back on the right path, would it?
It was a heartless choice, but there was no other way. It was all right. As long as I could recover everything that was 'Natsuki Subaru,' all of this could be undone, couldn't it?
To that end, Natsuki Subaru set off down the path leading to 'the hero Natsuki Subaru.'
Before long, the village came into view. Its people were still busy.
Someone passed in front of a house carrying things, someone bent over to sort goods, and someone looked up at the sound of footsteps, turning toward the strangers at the village entrance.
Natsuki Subaru slowly stopped and looked at Shaula. "Shaula, I'll leave it to you."
Shaula gave her puffed-out chest a firm pat. "Leave it to me, Master. Hehe."
Looking at Shaula's ample bosom, Natsuki Subaru turned his head away and sat down to one side to wait for her.
At any other time, he probably would have made a quip or two.
He would have said she had no sense of personal space and asked whether she was doing it on purpose, only for her to cling to him with a grin until all he could do was look at her helplessly.
But now, he said nothing.
He simply sat there, waiting for Shaula.
Outside the screen, saying Otto looked pale no longer came close to describing his expression.
He had still been telling himself over and over that there might be another possibility. Perhaps Mr. Natsuki only wanted to find out whether anyone in that village could help. Perhaps he only wanted somewhere to rest. Perhaps Reikin's death was already the worst outcome.
But when Natsuki Subaru on the screen said, "I'll leave it to you," the last shred of hope in Otto's heart was snuffed out.
Natsuki Subaru on the screen did not even spare the village another glance. He simply sat down and waited for the result.
[Otto: Is he... really going to do this?]
No one knew how they could possibly answer.
Emilia tightened her grip on Natsuki Subaru's hand. She could feel his hand growing cold.
Subaru was right beside her now, and he had done nothing, yet the person on the screen was Subaru too.
The same face, the same voice. Apart from his somewhat graying hair, he was practically identical.
Even when Natsuki Subaru looked at Shaula, he still showed a hint of helplessness at her antics.
That was what made it hurt the most.
If Natsuki Subaru on the screen had completely turned into an unfamiliar 'monster,' perhaps it would not have been so frightening.
But he had not.
He still felt helpless, still averted his gaze, still showed a moment of unease at Shaula's overly intimate gestures.
Then he sent Shaula into the village.
Betty's fingers clenched around the hem of Natsuki Subaru's clothes.
"Idiot..."
She muttered the insult under her breath.
But this time, even she did not know whether she was cursing Subaru on the screen or the Subaru here who knew nothing.
Natsuki Subaru said nothing.
He watched himself sitting at the village entrance on the screen. That man's expression was too calm, as though he were waiting for something unpleasant but necessary to be finished.
It made Natsuki Subaru feel sick, because he could actually recognize something faintly familiar in that face.
That expression that said, "Since I've already decided, I can only keep going."
He did not want to admit it, but he felt that this was his future self.
[Ram: Barusu had Shaula kill them all...]
Those words sent a slight chill through everyone.
Julius fell silent for a moment.
[Julius: He's already gone mad.]
But knowing was one thing; seeing it with their own eyes was another.
After seeing Natsuki Subaru on the screen have Shaula kill the people of an entire village, none of them clung to any illusions.
The screen showed neither the sounds nor the sights within the village.
It simply lingered silently on Natsuki Subaru, on the man sitting at the village entrance, waiting for Shaula to return.
And precisely because they could not see, everyone understood something all the more clearly.
Reikin was not the last.
On the screen, Natsuki Subaru saw Shaula slowly approaching and stood up as well.
"Then let's head back now. This is something I have to do."
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's words, Shaula raced toward him and hugged him.
Natsuki Subaru reached out to support Shaula's waist, and then she scooped him up in a princess carry and leaped off in one direction.
"No matter how many times we do this, it still feels a little strange." The corner of Natsuki Subaru's mouth twitched slightly.
"Are you still thinking about what happened earlier, Master?" Shaula held him tighter. "I'll always stay by your side."
Natsuki Subaru shook his head. "No, it's just... never mind. Focus on getting us there."
Outside the screen, everyone's initial surprise and confusion had now given way to a measure of anger.
"Those were the lives of an entire village! How... how did he end up like this? Is this really the person named Natsuki Subaru, and not someone who's stolen his body?"
Julius grew angry. He truly could not imagine why Natsuki Subaru would sink to this point. As he was now, he was already as evil as a Sin Archbishop.
[Julius: Although I think there's something very wrong with this Natsuki Subaru, having Shaula slaughter an entire village makes him seem like a completely different person, doesn't it?]
[Ram: Perhaps Barusu has simply let his true nature loose. No one knows what exactly happened at that time.]
[Betty: Don't insult Subaru like that. His ability is Return by Death. Even if he does this, there are still extenuating circumstances. Even like this, he actually wants us to help him.]
[Emilia: I don't think this is Natsuki Subaru's true nature either. He must have suffered very serious psychological problems to become like this in the future. We just need to keep believing in him and stop relying on him for everything. I believe in Subaru, just as he believed in me before.]
Emilia brushed back her silver hair and looked at the somewhat stiff Natsuki Subaru. "Please try to believe in us a little more too, Subaru. I won't let you become like this in the future."
Betty held out her hand to Natsuki Subaru. "Neither will Betty. So, stupid Subaru, don't keep everything to yourself and then think you can solve every problem alone."
Sunlight shone on the two of them. For the first time, Natsuki Subaru's cold, rigid body felt warmth, unconditional support and trust.
The Natsuki Subaru of the past would still have wondered whether he deserved it, whether he was merely someone standing on the shoulders of "Natsuki Subaru."
But ever since learning that he had always been himself, the panic Natsuki Subaru had felt upon first arriving in another world had been soothed little by little, replaced by the conviction to protect all of this.
"Giving up doesn't suit me. No, giving up doesn't suit us." Natsuki Subaru took their hands. "So, let's start everything from zero."