Chained like an animal. It reminded Subaru Natsuki of the one time his parents had allowed him to visit the Tokyo Zoo. The animals, a variety of fish, mammals, and reptiles were all locked behind ten centimetre thick bulletproof glass. He remembered looking through that same glass, his hands touching the window as he stared in child-like amazement.

Petelguese had sat before him, quiet, but insane, biting his fingers hard enough to draw blood. His cult, or at least his section of the Witch Cult stood behind him. Whether Archbishop or loyal minion, they watched, as silent as death. He was the animal, the young man realised this now.

They were strong, far too strong for him to fight alone, or maybe Subaru was just that weak. It was probably the latter. Subaru had always been weak, both in mind, body, and more recently, gate.

His body was not suited for fighting, neither was it talented in swordsmanship or hand-to-hand combat nor was he able to have a complex thought. His gate was too small to be useful, only being able to withstand one cast of the basic yin spell.

Thrust into this world where every random person could possess enough power to blow apart a small village, Subaru had come to the unfortunate realisation that he was too weak to survive in this climate. It was actually kind of ironic. In a horrifying sense, of course.

"Hah," a bitter laugh left his parched lips, Petelguese, the insane man seemed slightly confused. As if he couldn't comprehend why he was laughing in such a dire situation. He would be right, no normal person would laugh when chained to the stone of the cave where an insane Archbishop of the Witch Cult laid before them. They would be either silent or screaming their heads off.

Subaru Natsuki was not a normal person.

While he may be weak in body and magical ability, he wasn't lacking in resolve. No one could understand. No one can comprehend what he could do. In a world where everyone expects Subaru to achieve nothing, he could accomplish anything. Death was an obstacle that could be overcome- it didn't hold him back. For Subaru Natsuki had died many a time. Death would allow him to escape, despite the pain and trauma it would cause him. Death was a release, a way to fix everything that went wrong.

The young man looked towards his feet for the first time in thirty minutes, a pool- a flower that blossomed bright red. A young woman, petite and cute laid within her own life force, the blood dry and flaking on the stone. Deceased, dead, lifeless were just a few words that entered his mind. Rem, the girl he could never save, no matter how hard he tried.

He felt nothing.

He had long since been desensitised to the sight death. The smell of decomposing corpses and then screams of loved ones. He had bared witness to a village full of corpses, a mansion drenched with blood and a world freezing over by a spirit he had once considered a dear friend. Subaru had accepted it all like a bitter pill. He had realised that death was unavoidable, a necessary evil that he had to live with to move past the constant loops.

Although once ago, in a life long forgotten, he wasn't always like that.

He had once prayed, he had once begged, he had once pleaded and mourned the death of those he cared for in previous loops, but no one listened. No one cared. Not a god from the heavens, nor a woman with green hair that could do so much.

No one expected anything from him. That was the truth.

Not a half-elf whom he loved so much that he would suffer through an eternal hell. Not the village he had saved a month ago with a curse afflicting his health. Not even Reinhardt, a friend he had made so long ago. No one seemed to care, all they saw was a fool. All they saw was a naive boy who tried to talk big.

They only saw a child, but Subaru was anything but.

While others had walked through paths of rose and daisy's, the young man was struggling through a path full of broken glass.

He was no longer a boy full of youth.

His eyelids were heavy. His mid was fatigued and his body was sore. He was tired. So tired! He hadn't sleep in what felt like weeks. He constantly thought through his limited options, he constantly pondered those same options that all led to a cared one's demise. He thought outside the box, but nothing seemed to work.

No one listened, no one helped, no one cared.

Resting against the rock of the cave that he had been taken too, Subaru closed his eyes.

It was time to rest.

Seek Subaru Natsuki.

Slam!

"Shit, where could he be?" A young woman walked through the forest that was located near Arlam. Her clothes were shabby and a black cloak covered her, hiding her desired feminine curves. If one looked close enough, they would see a cylindrical bulge at her waist. Any traveler having explored the world would instantly tell that it was a sword.

Her hair was a deep black, reminding anyone who saw it of a black opal that nobles seek to flaunt their wealth with. Her eyes, slightly curved to hold big black eyes that were the colour of refined coal. She was beautiful and was considered beyond any mortal man's league.

Although, in her hands was a gospel, her gospel. It's cover tatter and worn, but the paper inside was intact. It only had one sentence written in black ink, but that was enough. She had only one goal now. She only had a name- a full name, but it was only just a name. No descriptions hidden within the gospel to led her closer to her leader, to the person she was destined to serve.

Yua Ichika was slightly annoyed at this. Subaru Natsuki, the name that belonged to the Archbishop of Pride. The man who would be her everything and the man who she would give her all to. Despite her feelings of loyalty, she had been unsuccessful in her search so far, but she knew was close, she could feel it. It was a trait that was a connection of sorts for minions to be led towards their masters. Only in the Witch Cult possessed this in trait.

"So, you're here too," her black eyes spied seven minions, dressed in black robes that were similar to her tattered own. Unlike her own, they had cloth masks that covered their faces with small holes for their eyes. The 'fingers' of Sloth, or that was what he were called. She didn't even have to look at them to tell that they were Witch Cultist, she could smell Satella's stench. "Where's my lord?"

They didn't answer, an eerie silence echoed throughout the forest. Her black eyes narrowed, a fire within as she held a hand to her sword. They would be no match for her, Yua was sure of it. Her swordsmanship was both refined and skilled, her Divine Protection of the War God made sure of that. A finger summoned a ball of fire, a Goa spell.

Smirking, the beauty drew her sword and sliced the mages head clean off within a second

Her cloak waving in the wind to show the tight-fitted black jeans and the white shirt beneath. Blood sprayed from the finger's neck, but not a speck touched her clothes. She turned to the six others, her eyes cold like a cold chill.

"Who's next."

She held a smile of a predator that promised death.

Subaru woke up to the sound of Petelguese screaming, his yells of indignation echoed off the cave walls. The young man groggily looked towards the entrance of the cave, the five fingers of sloth that had remained in the cave were dead, missing several limbs and a head. All rested in a pool of bright red, limp, and deceased. He could see the person who had committed such retribution, sending a thrill through his ironclad heart.

She wore a tattered black cloak that waved as she dodged and cut at the invisible hands that had claimed Rem. Underneath her cloak was a tight-fitted white shirt that hugged her ample chest and a pair of tight-fitted black jeans. She was beautiful, Subaru could tell as he watched her fight with a grace that he had only seen from Reinhardt Van Astrea.

But she couldn't defeat Petelguese, for he was an 'archbishop'. Someone who had an authority that could be used infinitely. A mere mortal couldn't defeat a man who was possessed such strength. This woman wasn't Reinhardt Van Astrea- she was no sword saint.

"Stay right there, my lord!" She called, her voice smooth like velvet and would have made any man warm, but Subaru ignored her beautiful pitch completely. How am I you lord? But he didn't ask, for he cared not. He knew that this woman would die soon.

A new loop would begin, even if she lived.

Subaru couldn't care less if that happened, he was just tired. He had no reason to live anymore, for Rem was dead. Closing his eyes, he waited as he ignored the pain on his wrists. With his pitiful strength, he would try again to save everyone he cared for. He couldn't fail to save anyone, Although, after several minutes, Petelguese had yet to kill the woman. Now at each passing second, the advantage was slowly being given to the woman.

"Hah," a soft, hopeful laugh left his parched lips. He had been faced with so much despair that he had accepted that defeating the Archbishop of Sloth was impossible. Although, as he saw the woman fight, he was hopeful. Maybe, just maybe he could save everyone.

"Why?! Can you see my hands?!" His screams, but the woman didn't respond. His yells of frustration made Subaru shiver with satisfaction, this was only furthered as the woman ducked under an unseen hand while slicing through the arm, continuing her charge. The unseen hand that could only be seen by both Petelguese and Subaru was rendered null, before another hand burst from the insane man's back.

Petelguese could only summon seven at a time- that was his absolute limit. The young man knew this extremely well, having gained sight of his hands during his third loop in this series of events. The woman was so close, close enough that Subaru had begun praying for the insane man's death.

She propelled herself forward with her right leg, her sword aimed for his next in a horizontal slice. Her sword met flesh and the Archbishop of Sloth's head came clean off. He wasn't able to parry with his unseen hands, blood spraying the cave. "Hahahahahahahahah!" Tears left his eyes in relief, his parched lips ached with pain as he laughed a chuckle that was insane. His prayers had been answered!

Petelguese Romanee-Conti, Archbishop of Sloth, was finally dead!

The woman walked towards him, flicking the insane man's blood off the her blade. She carefully stepped of Rem's corpses before she flung the sword at him.

Ca-chunk!

Subaru didn't close his eyes, he didn't sense any killing intent from the woman. It was an aura he had become acquainted with during his hundreds of death. The iron chains that had restrained him to the cave wall were cut, as easily as a hot knife through butter. The woman undid the cuffs at his wrist to reveal blisters and rashes before she gentle gripped his hand and pulled him up.

Up close, she was a beauty that could rival Emilia.

He felt a sincere sense of gratitude.

"Thank you," his words were quiet but were sincere, but the woman smiled sweetly nonetheless. Her eyes burning with a fire of accomplishment, her cheeks flushing and she bowed low enough for her hair to cover her face. "It feels my heart with great warmth to be praised by you," Subaru was left somewhat confused by this, a feeling he felt every so often when something unexpected occurred.

"Why are you treating me with such respect?" He was worthless, everyone but Rem thought so. Everyone but the blue-haired demon expects nothing from the young man. The woman, still bowing, tilted her beautiful face towards him, her eyes wide. "How can I not respect my Archbishop?" His confusion turned to anger, but he restrained any outbursts. This woman had saved him and had thus saved Emilia in this loop.

He would still have to restart. He still had to save Rem.

"What's your name?" The woman had stopped bowing and was suddenly standing straight, her ample breasts to jiggle due to such a fast movement, her cheeks flushing. She had been clam and calculative during the battle with the Archbishop of Sloth but yet Subaru speaking a few words installed such a reaction. It made him smile for the first time in a while. "Yua. Yua Ichika." She uttered, brushing a lock of her black hair behind her left ear.

"Thanks Yua, you helped me a lot." She nodded shyly as if receiving his praise was the only thing that mattered. "I'll see you in the next loop." Before Yua could utter a response to her initial confusion, Subaru suddenly grabbed her hand and stabbed himself in the heart with her sword.

"Nooooo!" It was faded as if the young man was underwater.

Then his world went black.