Night of Requiem

Like a puppy, Rem buried her face in the crook of Subaru's shoulder and nuzzled him. A few strands of her hair brushed his chin, tickling him so much that he couldn't help drawing back his neck.

Subaru's hand hovered in midair, unsure where to put it. He felt a little awkward. But, truth be told, he was enjoying it a little.

After all, who wouldn't like having something cute snuggle up to them so openly?

"All right, all right, Rem, you're a little too close." Subaru finally reached out, gently pressed her shoulders, and moved her a little away from his chest.

Rem took the opportunity to lift her head, evidently wanting to nuzzle his cheek as well. Subaru held her shoulders firmly with both hands, keeping her at a safe distance.

"No, no. If Ram sees us like this, I feel like she'll bury me alive in that oil swamp."

"Big sister isn't that scary. She'll definitely support Rem and Subaru, because she's the person in the world who loves Rem most. As long as it's something Rem truly likes, she'll accept it."

The warning didn't deter Rem in the least, and she stubbornly brought her face close again.

"Yes. But perhaps not right now."

The third voice, which had suddenly appeared in the room, made Rem and Subaru both jump.

Rem raised her head and looked toward the voice. Outside the window, a pink-haired head rested quietly on the sill.

Ram stared coldly at her little sister, who was clinging affectionately to Subaru. Then, without a change of expression, she opened the window, braced one hand on the sill, and nimbly climbed inside.

"So Ram has been standing here all this time, and her idiot sister still refuses to let go?"

Ram glanced at Rem's hands, which were still wrapped tightly around Subaru's arm.

"What's wrong? Nothing to say, Rem? And you-still-won't-let-go?"

Ram waited a few seconds, but received no answer. She strode forward, grabbed Rem by the wrist, and pulled her up and away from Subaru.

Rem did stand up, but her gaze remained fixed on Subaru on the sofa the whole time. Seeing how distracted her sister was, Ram quickly took a deep breath and only just managed to steady herself.

"Ram is borrowing this for now. Human, you don't mind, do you?"

"Well... I suppose I don't mind..."

"What's this? Rem is Ram's sister, isn't she? Why should Ram have to ask a human's permission to take her own sister away?"

Ram's brows knitted together.

"...Maybe because Rem likes sticking close to me more?" Subaru didn't know what had gotten into him, but he actually said those suicidal words aloud.

Sure enough, Ram's face darkened. What made her grit her teeth even harder was that Rem showed no intention of denying it.

Not only did she not deny it, she shyly lowered her head.

"Now you know how to act shy in front of Ram? Who was that idiot Ram saw through the window just now, so eager she could hardly wait to wrap herself up and give herself away?"

"...Big sister."

Rem raised her watery blue eyes and looked pitifully up at Ram, trying to charm her way out of it.

"Ram is taking Rem away for today. Ram has something to say to her. As for you, go do whatever you're supposed to."

With that, Ram dragged Rem away. Rem looked thoroughly reluctant, glancing back every few steps.

Subaru awkwardly rubbed his nose. It seemed Ram really did have a sister complex, and perhaps Rem had one too. But judging by what had just happened, he seemed to have already become a higher priority than her sister... Subaru felt a secret thrill at the thought, then decided he really was awful.

He stood up and rolled his stiff shoulders, deciding to think about his plans from here on.

He walked to the door and watched Ram dragging Rem away until they were in the distance.

The sunshine was lovely, and so was the breeze. It was an ordinary, unremarkable morning.

But Subaru still noticed something.

Why wasn't there a single Oni villager on the roads today? The farmers who carried hoes to work and the other workers had all disappeared.

"Big sister! Subaru really is a very good, very gentle, very wonderful person! Please get to know Subaru better! Once you do, you'll definitely understand how Rem feels!"

Ram dragged Rem home by the arm, but Rem didn't stop talking for a moment.

"We can talk about those things later. But Rem, do you know what state you're in right now?"

Ram opened the door to their home and made Rem sit on the living room tatami, looking down at her sister, who had "Subaru" written all over her face.

"...Rem's state?"

Rem blinked, not expecting the subject to suddenly shift from Subaru to herself.

"That's right. Ram is happy that Rem is countless times happier than before. Ram is truly relieved. But!"

Ram extended a finger and pointed it at Rem's forehead.

"There's something very wrong with Rem right now! Wrong enough that she needs proper treatment!"

"...Rem has indeed neglected you a little because she's been sticking close to Subaru. Rem understands. Rem will make it up to you properly. But, big sister, could you please not make things difficult for Subaru?"

Rem obediently nodded, her tone earnest.

"Is it so hard for Rem to speak without mentioning that human's name?" A vein throbbed slightly at Ram's temple.

"...I'm sorry, big sister. But Rem really does like Subaru."

"Ram doesn't object to that."

"...Huh? You don't object, big sister?"

"That's right. But! It has to be an ordinary sort of liking! Even the sort of liking where you want to become lovers someday is fine! But!"

"Rem is very abnormal right now."

Rem put on a bewildered expression. Anyone looking at her would have thought she was an adorable little loli who was well-behaved and sensible.

"You think those little tricks of yours could escape Ram's notice?! Let's see what idiot Rem has been collecting over the past half month!"

Ram strode to a corner of the sisters' bedroom, bent down, and dragged a wooden chest out of an extremely well-hidden spot.

The chest was hidden deep away, but there wasn't a speck of dust on its surface.

Rem's expression changed instantly from bewilderment to panic. She lunged forward to stop her sister, but Ram easily held her back with one hand on her head and opened the chest with the other.

"A doll in the human's likeness, sewn by Rem herself."

Ram pulled a palm-sized cloth doll from the chest. Its stitches were a little crooked, it had black yarn for hair and buttons sewn on for eyes, and its tracksuit was pieced together from fabric-anyone could tell who the doll was modeled after.

"A portrait of the human."

Ram casually tossed the doll aside. Rem let out a mournful cry and dove after it, catching it securely in her arms before it hit the floor. Then she hurriedly retreated to a corner and wiped it over and over with her sleeve.

Ignoring her sister's reaction, Ram pulled a sheet of paper from the chest and unfolded it. It was a portrait of Subaru.

The drawing was a little rough, and beside it, in tiny, crooked letters, were the words "Subaru's smile."

Ram began her "show" of one item after another. With each remark, she pulled something out of the chest and threw it onto the tatami. The pile of objects between them grew higher and higher.

"A wardrobe for the human doll, five different outfits. Rem, are you planning to open a fashion boutique for him?"

"A finger puppet of the human. Ram doesn't want to know what Rem does with it every night."

"A handkerchief embroidered with the name 'Subaru.'"

"An amulet in the human's likeness. When did Rem become religious?"

"A black scarf."

"A picture of Rem and the human holding hands. How come Ram has never seen the house in the background?"

"A picture of the human sleeping. Ram doesn't even want to know when Rem drew it."

"A color oil painting of the human and the Lesser Spirits."

"'Subaru observation diary.'"

"'Quotes from Subaru.'"

"'A record of Subaru's recipes.'"

"'A list of Subaru's likes and dislikes.'"

"'Plans for a future with Subaru.'"

"A lighter. There's a note attached: 'The first gift Subaru gave Rem.'"

"Strange clothes, exactly like the ones the human wears."

"A miniature model of the magic gun."

"A commemorative box for the first promise."

"A soil sample."

"A hand-drawn picture of the new home."

"A wedding banquet menu."

"A list of names for a future pet Ground Dragon."

"An old axe handle the human wore out. It's been sawn down into a pen holder. That human himself probably doesn't even know this thing could be reused."

"...Huff, huff... Ram is exhausted!"

"Tell Ram, Rem-which one of these things has absolutely nothing to do with that human?!"

"...Big sister, when did you find this chest...?"

Rem didn't dare look her sister in the eye.

"Ram didn't want to find it! But thank goodness Ram did! Today, Rem is staying home with Ram! You're not going anywhere! Do you hear me?!"

And so the day passed. From early morning until dusk, Subaru waited, but Rem never came back to see him.

It seemed Ram really was furious. She had probably kept Rem at home for a whole day of ideological education. Knowing he was in the wrong, Subaru didn't dare risk Ram's wrath and decided to leave it until tomorrow.

There was plenty of time ahead of them anyway, and he still looked like a child. He could take his time.

That night, Subaru lay in the bedroom Rem had cleaned until it was spotless, his head on a pillow fluffed by the sun and a neatly folded blanket over him. He soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Subaru drowsily muttered something.

"...What's going on? Did the air conditioner break down?"

Then his eyes snapped open as he remembered there was no such thing as an air conditioner here.

"Officer! I didn't do anything! I'm a child too!"

Subaru sprang out of bed by reflex, waving both hands wildly in front of him, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Then he saw what was in front of him: an empty bedroom and a silent ceiling.

"What's going on? Why did it suddenly get so hot? Doesn't this world's summer give you any relief at all?"

Drenched in sweat, Subaru got up and walked to the window, pushing it open to let in some air.

Then red filled his entire field of vision.

"What... happened?! Is there a fire?!"

Outside, every house was burning.

The wooden houses where people greeted him as he passed each day, the tavern that had been packed with people when he sold lighters, the old woman's stall where she had given him bread, the clearing where he practiced magic with the little kids-all of it was burning.

Orange-red flames gnawed at every roof beam like hungry beasts, and thick smoke billowed upward, staining the starry sky a dark red.

Some familiar faces lay quietly on the ground, no longer breathing. The air was filled with the pungent smell of burning and a rusty scent that made Subaru's stomach churn violently.

And in the middle of this burning hell, figures in strange black robes swung their blades, carrying out more slaughter amid the flames and thick smoke.