[Subaru: Rem…! Rem, open your eyess!]

Subaru yelled these words, having a face pale as if the blood had dissipated from it, while lifting the weight of an exhausted girl within his arms. Soon after, a very worried earth dragon nearby comes close and rubs her black nose tip against the girl, but even with the deeply caring gesture of the earth dragon, Subaru was still filled with an immense amount of uneasiness. The plan of using Subaru’s miasma to cause the white whale to pursue him underneath the Flugel tree and take position there to fight it was a plan that worked out splendidly.

Originally he thought that people would be against the plan because of the possibility of the historical tree being cut down, but the soldiers held back on blaming, Crusch claiming that if it is a necessary measure then it will have to be a measure they will have to take. As a result, Subaru’s risky plan that he would be responsible for was put into motion, and you could say that the results regarding casualties were as good as they could be but, for the compensation to be this…it’s way too much.

[Subaru: This is no good…Rem…I need you…]

There was no reaction within her eyes that Rem would normally exhibit whenever Subaru called her name. There was no power left within her legs or arms. Subaru’s wailed with his tearful voice, his wails passing through her eardrums in vain, only to echo throughout the empty sky.

In the event where Subaru experienced a violent impact, when he could not recognize what was below and what was above him, he could only remember the fact that he was being wrapped up by a warm feeling, being protected. The moment he became aware of this, a tremendously loud shock roared and Subaru had hit the ground.

After having a hazy conscience for a bit, he had noticed that he had collapsed into the ground and shook his head. And when he lifted his head, he had noticed that he was embracing someone within his arms-it was the girl who had embraced him from the beginning until the end.

[Rem: Suba…ru…ku]

[Subaru: Rem-!?]

Rem twitched her eyes, the bottom of them indicating that there was no sign of radiance within them, yet Subaru’s image was projected within them. The image of Subaru reflected in her eyes was extremely frail. Whilst her consciousness was seemingly fading away, it seemed as if the reality before her was trying to reach out to her.

[Subaru: Thank Goo… ahhh…It’s me. Do you recognize me? It’s Subaru. Rem, your body…]

[Rem: Subaru-kun…I’m glad you’re safe…]

With her blocked throat, with her tearful voice, without even saying anything concerning her own injured body, she looked at Subaru and smiled as if she was filled with relief. She was simply happy after confirming Subaru’s safety, while neglecting her own body’s current condition.

[Rem: The evil beast…what happened to it…]

[Subaru: It fell. It’s been defeated. It went well. Everything went well! I’m even uninjured! Everything…it’s all thanks to you.

[Rem: Is that so…I guess Emilia and Roswaal will be fine too…]

[Subaru: It’ll all go well. Leave it to me. So Rem, please don’t say anything and just rest…wait, your eyes…please don’t close them…aahhh, shit, what should I do…]

Subaru didn’t want to force Rem to continue talking. Yet, if she were to cease speaking, his uneasiness would not disappear. Subaru felt uneasy about the possibility of the compelling force of a helpless fate taking away Rem’s life. What should he do, Subaru didn’t know. What could he give, he didn’t know.

Because he didn’t know what he should do, he did only what he could do. He held onto her hands, and embraced her with all his strength.

[Rem: That hurts, Subaru-kun…]

[Subaru: I apologize. I’m sorry. But, if I don’t do this, you might go somewhere…]

[Rem: I won’t go anywhere…I will…Always by…Subaru’s side…]

Rem smiled with a smile of an affectionate mother at Subaru, who seemed to be throwing a tantrum as if he was a cry baby.

The feeling of becoming warm within her arms made Subaru’s throat freeze with fear. He heard the life dissipating from her, it seemed as if everything was leaving.

[Subaru: Rem…? Rem! Please, Rem…open your eyes…]

[Rem: It seems like I’m kind of sleepy…Sorry. I’ll sleep a little, but when I open my eyes…again…for Subaru I’ll…]

[Subaru: That doesn’t matter to me! You don’t have to do anything. It’s fine if you’re just by my side…so please, Rem…]

Even when she was within Subaru’s arms, it seemed as if she was beginning to leave towards a distant place, so he frantically pushed his voice closer to her. Yet, soon after that voice would not reach the girl in front of him.

[Rem: Is it okay…if I ask for a selfish favor…?]

[Subaru: …! Say it, say anything. I’ll listen to anything because I’ll do it…]

[Rem: Say “I love you”…]

Rem spilled these words out with a faint, frail voice while looking up at Subaru.

In her vision which had become blurred by the swell of tears that gushed up, she saw Subaru shake his head. After that, Subaru brought his face close to her and said,

[Subaru: I love you(suki da)]

[———–]

[Subaru: I love you(daisuki da). Isn’t that obvious…If you aren’t with me, I can’t live on…]

It was his true feelings. If you were to say that this was when he spilled everything out, that wouldn’t be an exaggeration and would be an accurate statement. If it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t come this far. If she were to disappear, he would not be able to live on.

[Rem: Ahhh…I’m happy…]

Accepting Subaru’s confession, Rem felt a tear alongside her closed eyes. Taking in Subaru’s words happily, her face quickly blushed. Soon after, it now really did seem that all power within her body had departed.

[Subaru: Wait…]

[Rem: I love you(aishiteimasu), Subaru-kun]

[Subaru:Don’t fuck with me, stay by my side. You’re going to leave me with regrets again!?]

Subaru could not bear to live in a near future where Rem would cease to exist. Along with knowing this fact since long ago, her existence still has become sooo much more important to him, compared to long ago. So,

[Subaru: In the future where I talk while smiling, I need you…I don’t want this]

[Rem: In that future, is it okay if I stay by your side?]

[Subaru: ….Isn’t the answer obvious? I won’t let you go to anyone else’s side.]

Wiping off her tears that were suspended on her eyelids, Subaru looked straight at Rem and said:

[Subaru: You are mine. I won’t let anyone have you.]

[Rem: Proposal accepted!]

[Subaru: Heh?]

Subaru let’s his voice out a moment after Rem responded in a frightfully quick and intellectual manner. After, Rem slowly opened her eyes, which previously seemed as if they had no power left within them, and within Subaru’s arms she raised her body. And in front of a dumbfounded Subaru, who still had not grasped the situation in front of him, she tilted her head, wearing a smile.

[Rem: Subaru’s side is reserved for me. ….You can’t take it back, okay?]

As if her apparent condition of reaching death had went off somewhere else, Rem talked with a playful tone, closing one of her eyes and gently put her finger on Subaru’s lips.

[Subaru: You…You, you…YOuuuuu]

[Rem: Yes, this is Subaru’s Rem. In the flesh.]

Hearing Rem’s shameless and matter-of-the-fact reply, Subaru could not return any words. However, the first thing that came to his head was the fact that the girl in front of him was safe. Even though it would be normal to become angry at the situation, Subaru was extremely happy.

[Subaru: We really told our true feelings to each other, you made me say a bit too much…]

[Rem: Being able to express love honestly is one of a girl’s strong points, Subaru-kun.] Subaru was confused as Rem had no intention of hiding her feelings in the first place. Feeling embarrassed, face turning red, Subaru let out a small sigh.

[Subaru: If you died, I would have died as well.]

[Rem: Wa. For you to think that much of me, Rem is a lucky girl isn’t she.]

[Subaru: I’m not kidding either.]

In reaction to Rem’s light smile, Subaru said a statement full of truth. If Subaru were to lose her, he would definitely try to redo everything again. Even if the opportunity were to not be given to him, he definitely would still try and take the challenge. Rem now had this place in Subaru’s heart that comprised an amount to this degree.

[Rem: Well, I guess I really shouldn’t go off and die now huh.]

[Subaru: That’s obvious. Even if you were to die, I wouldn’t let you.]

Putting their faces together, foreheads pushed onto each other they gazed at each other. Looking at Subaru’s treatments with love, their proximity being so close that their breathing could be felt by each other making Subaru uneasy. Naturally, Subaru became pulled towards her pink colored lips and he felt his heartbeat speeding up.

[Ferris: You two, isn’t that about enyough?]

From a far distance, Ferris who had been watching from afar, interrupted the scene of these two flirting. It truly was such a big intrusion that it had to be a crime.

[Ferris: Calling out so desperately like that, Subaru-kyun you cute thing. “I need you, I can’t live without you…!”]

[Subaru: Quiet, shut up! Reflect on your own sinful actions, staring at us like you were back there!]

[Ferris: Anyways, if you were to calm down and think rationally you’d understand wouldn’t you. You’d realize that the fact me, who had been healing the wounded around, not coming around immediately meant that Rem’s injuries were not ones that indicated a life or death situation.]

[Subaru: How can I stay composed in a situation like that! That beloved…! The person I fell…! A girl important to me…! That girl got injured and lost consciousness, it’s a given that I would lose control!]

[Ferris: Not being able to say certain things in situations is one of the pure points of boys isn’t it~]

Ferris, not being phased one bit by Subaru’s continuous shouting, holding a blue radiance within the palm of his hand continued to face Rem with a frivolous smile.

Although irritation was still conspicuous within a temper throwing Subaru’s face, he could not hide the fact that his expression was slowly calming down, being relieved by looking at Rem’s facial expression.