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IRZ: ALTTC Chapter 4
🕑 Added 2025-04-02 11:51:17 +0000 UTCChapter 4. Death's Return.
【【】】
"I will definitely save you."
In the next instant, he—Natsuki Subaru, died.
[[]]
Boom!
Strangely quiet, time seemed to stop at this moment.
Everyone was stunned into place.
"Subaru... Subaru?"
Emilia reached out from the screen, the hand Subaru held before his death, staring blankly.
"This... this!"
Both Rem were completely stunned, tears streaming down their faces.
Emilia, seeing her knight unable to protect himself, Rem, seeing her lover pass away, Julius and the others, seeing themselves powerless to protect their friend, Wilhelm and the others, seeing their benefactor die, and Ferris and the others, unable to save the life that was lost, all felt heartbroken.
"Is that it?"
Only Priscilla, the scarlet bride, showed a bored expression.
"This... this is impossible!"
Beatrice's big eyes were wet, her mind in chaos.
"If Subaru leaves, then Betty... Betty..."
Beatrice trembled her lips, helplessly touching her cheeks with her small hands.
"I see, so that's how it is, so that's the condition, teacher."
"Huh?"
Beatrice was instantly stunned by Roswaal's words. She lowered her hands, raised her head, and looked at Roswaal sitting on the left:
"Co... could it be..."
Beatrice questioned Roswaal.
Roswaal did not respond, but his crazed smile seemed to confirm Beatrice's guess.
But Beatrice was still not too sure.
What if he really...
No, even if there's only a sliver of hope.
She looked at the screen again...
【【】】
"...What's wrong, kid? Suddenly spacing out? Want some Appas?"
Subaru put his hand to his ear:
"Huh?"
"Appas! You want to eat them, right? You came over here to ask, but suddenly you're all spaced out, scared me half to death... are you buying or not?"
"Not buying, I told you; I'm a penniless devil who never dies."
After that, Subaru was chased away by the Appas store owner.
Subaru poked his head back and forth, and said with everyone outside the screen:
[[]]
"—What's going on?"
"Hey."
Garfiel, showing his two rows of sharp teeth, asked the stunned Otto beside him.
"Ah, what's wrong?"
"The boss just died... right?"
"Natsuki-san should have died... right?"
Garfiel and Otto stared at each other with wide eyes.
The situation was similar for the others, except for a very few who were stunned.
"Subaru-kun didn't die?! Then what was that just now..."
"Thank... thankfully that's the case. Subaru..."
"This is really, this is really, just as I guessed—Natsuki Subaru."
"Such a performance is what pleases me."
"Huh? You too, brother?"
Thinking there was no need to hide it, Roswaal stood up and announced to everyone:
"Natsuki Subaru is a man who can make everything start over. His ability... his authority is perhaps called 'Return by Death'."
With Roswaal's statement, the room fell silent again.
"Huh? So... so that's how it is?"
After the silence,
Some, like Otto, were first confused, but then suddenly understood, but there were also some—
"Hmm... just as I thought."
"Yes, Anastasia-sama, I had a feeling as well."
There were also some who had already guessed, like Anastasia and Julius.
"Barusu always manages to seize the opportunity inexplicably..."
Ram recalled what she had said in the Sanctuary before.
'Could it be... could it be... no...'
You can't think too much about this, once you do...
"Ah... ah... ah! Is this... is this true!?"
Rem barely steadied herself, but Rem directly softened and knelt on the ground.
Emilia's eyes also flicker with tears, and she shakes her head.
Beatrice and some others who were closely connected to Subaru also showed expressions of grief.
If, if this is true.
Then, Subaru's seemingly lucky grasp of the winning opportunity every time makes sense.
His seemingly lucky grasp of the winning opportunity every time is actually...
...bought with the stacking of his deaths...
"If that's the case... then... then why didn't Subaru tell me and everyone else?"
Does he think he can't rely on me? Or is it for some other reason?
Emilia thought sadly.
Why, after so many years, hasn't my husband told me a single word? Rem was thinking the same thing.
"Unless..."
Beatrice said tremblingly,
"it's because of some kind of restriction that he can't say..."
"It seems that should be the case, Lia."
After everyone gradually came to their senses, they suddenly remembered that Subaru and Emilia had just been killed by Elsa.
Emilia looked at Elsa.
"Then. Elsa-san, can you explain?"
Elsa heard this, looked at the client Roswaal, and was about to say something, but Roswaal preempted her.
"That's right, Elsa was commissioned by me."
"Huh?"
Emilia, Rem, and others are shocked.
Emilia pressed her beautiful eyebrows and said with a voice tinged with anger:
"Roswaal, why are you doing this?"
Roswaal shrugged and said:
"Anyway, you'll see it sooner or later—there will be an explanation after the screen—"
Seeing Roswaal refusing to talk, everyone didn't want to waste time on this.
Everyone refocused their attention on the screen.
Looking further down meant having to see how Subaru died.
In the midst of this, we don't know how many times we hurt him.
But they had no choice, this was almost the only thing they could do here.
It was as if...
"Some existence wants us to see these, we... have no choice."
Otto said this.
... ...
"Ah, it's this scene again."
Otto casually complained.
【【】】
On the screen, Subaru ran into those three thugs again, Rachins, Gaston, and Camberley.
"Yo, kid. Come and play with us."
Subaru stared blankly at them.
"Hey, what's with you, looking like a moron?"
"He must not understand the situation. Just tell him."
The three let out twisted laughter, mocking the dizzy Subaru.
[[]]
"Tch, three idiots."
The poisonous-tongued, pink-haired maid Ram looked at the three thugs with disgust, saying this.
"Here, I need to apologize."
Reinhardt lowered his head:
"Our Royal Capital Knights have failed to completely clear out these kinds of people in the Royal Capital, it is a dereliction of duty."
"When we get back, we will strengthen patrols in this area."
Julius echoed.
【【】】
"Forget it, kid. Anyway, leave all the stuff on you. Then we'll let you go."
"Oh, oh, okay, okay. Everything is right. I'm in a hurry, that's the best, come and get it."
Seeing Subaru so obedient, the three said:
"Then get on all fours and bark like a dog! Bark a few times to beg us to spare your life."
[[]]
"Too rude."
Julius narrowed his eyes, suppressing his voice as he looked at the three thugs.
"Hey, what's in the heads of those three guys, Rachins, Gaston, and Camberley."
Even Felt couldn't help but complain.
After a while, the scene came to dusk, and Subaru went to the loot warehouse in the slums and found Old Man Rom.
Garfiel, while staring at the screen, said:
"The boss hasn't realized his ability yet."
Anastasia:
"Although he doesn't know the situation, Natsuki still knows to go to the slums to investigate, but..."
"Too reckless, is that what you mean?"
Al scratched his helmet with his fingers in response.
"Even if your personal strength isn't good, you can still win with numbers. Barusu is really..."
"Hey, don't talk about the boss from God's perspective. Speaking of which, is it time to meet that Gut Hunter?"
"Not that fast yet,"
Julius said.
On the other side, Emilia and the others just wanted Subaru to leave here quickly, the Gut Hunter was not someone he could deal with, but they couldn't interfere.
They showed worried expressions because of their powerlessness.
"Speaking of which, what about Natsuki's trading skills... but I'm very interested in this magic tool of his."
Anastasia showed a merchant's gaze, sizing up the "magic tool" that Subaru took out to trade with Old Man Rom in the picture.
And only Al in the room knew that this was actually a mobile phone.
"This... I have an impression that Subaru-sama used this to find out the time of the White Whale's appearance."
Wilhelm's memory was still fresh, or rather, he would never forget that scene in his life, the scene where Subaru announced that he knew the location of the White Whale.
【【】】
"It feels like there are a lot of irrelevant people here." Elsa appeared in Subaru's current loop.
[[]]
"This loop is still not the world in our memories, which means Subaru this time..."
Reinhardt pondered.
"he will still... die."
Otto added.
【【】】
In the picture, Elsa stood up, finished her milk, and looked at Subaru:
"Speaking of which, kid, what do you want to do with that badge?"
Subaru blurted out:
"The badge? Oh, oh, I want to find the original owner and return it to its rightful owner."
The scene was instantly silent.
[[]]
"Ah, Barusu is so stupid."
Ram clicked her tongue.
【【】】
"...What, so you're a related person. Then there's no choice."
The strong killing intent Elsa showed made even the slow-witted Subaru realize that he had said the wrong thing.
Then, a flash of blade light quickly appeared...
At the critical moment, Felt hurriedly hugged Subaru's waist and took him away.
"Oh, you dodged it."
Elsa said, staring at them.
[[]]
"Thank goodness Felt-san saved him."
Although Emilia was still very nervous, she also thanked Felt for saving his life.
"Ah, well. You still have to save people's lives when you see them."
Felt was a little shy about her heroic act, scratching her head, and then turned her attention back to the screen.
【【】】
In the picture, Old Man Rom and Elsa fought.
"Oh oh oh oh oh ah ah!!"
He picked up a big stick and swung it at Elsa.
[[]]
"Old Man Rom..."
Felt watched the battle with great concern, she knew that her Old Man Rom couldn't beat her...
【【】】
"Crap..."
Subaru said subconsciously.
"It's okay. Old Man Rom can't lose! Since I was old enough to understand things, I've never seen Old Man Rom lose!"
[[]]
"Uh..."
Looking at herself on the screen, who was extremely confident in Old Man Rom, Felt was a little embarrassed, but she was more concerned about Old Man Rom.
At least I hope that in this loop, Old Man Rom can escape death...
【【】】
"Right, I forgot to say—milk. Thank you for the treat."
[[]]
"Old Man Rom!"
At this moment, Old Man Rom fell.
I thought I had made enough mental preparations, but I still couldn't accept it.
Felt, who had walked to Old Man Rom's side before, couldn't help but get closer, as if repeatedly confirming his life and death.
"Isn't this old man living well?"
Old Man Rom said in as dashing a tone as possible, and rubbed Felt's head, hoping to reduce her anxiety, but in fact he was also a little uneasy, because Felt might also be next...
【【】】
"...I'm really sorry, kid, for dragging you into this."
In the picture, after saying this, Felt rushed towards Elsa...
If she also fell, then it would mean that only Subaru was left.
