A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 2 - Part 5

I haven't been very truthful since I arrived at the mansion. In fact, I think I've lied more times in this world than I did in my entire life before being transported here.

However, that phrase was the absolute truth. Knowing what's going to happen, or what might happen, makes me feel responsible, because I know I'm capable of changing history.

I want a good result. Not the best; I'll settle for a good one.

"Tsk. You're too stubborn."

She ran to catch up with me. I smiled inwardly and quickened my pace.

We made our way through the witchbeast-infested forest. Rem ended up using her Morning Star and demonic horn when they surrounded us, but after an intense search, we found Meili in a clearing in the forest.

"You took too long, Mister!" She was sitting on a large rock, swinging her legs in the air in boredom. She gave me an adorably angry face when she saw me.

Rem didn't see the warning grimace I gave Meili. Despite my gesture, the girl just tilted her head in confusion, unable to understand my signal.

Then I realized that Rem wasn't visible from Meili's perspective, as the trees were obscuring her.

"Meili! Are you okay?!"

I went to her pretending to be worried, but secretly whispered to her:

"You're an innocent little girl, remember? There's someone else here."

"Oh... Mister, you cheated by bringing a date."

"You didn't say anything about what I could or couldn't do to find you. Next time, be more specific about the rules of the 'game'."

I scoffed, she had been very naive to give such a superficial and vague explanation about the conditions for this proposal of hers.

"Hmm... Okay, you win this time." Meili pouted but reluctantly agreed. "I'm so scared! Help me, Mister! I want to go back to Petra and the others!"

She started acting like she's supposed to. I nodded and took her hand protectively to lead her back.

"Let's-"

"Leandro, stay away from her."

Rem's voice sounded unexpectedly deep, authoritative and menacing. She had stopped right in front of us, gripping the chains of her Morning Star tightly.

"What's wrong, Rem? Is something wrong?"

"It's the girl. There's no way she's in the heart of the forest without being bitten by the mabeasts. Besides, it doesn't make sense for her to have traveled so far on her own from the same starting point as us. I suspect this is a trap or a diversion."

I immediately wanted to smack myself in the forehead for not thinking about the obviousness of Meili's oversight. In canon, she would appear unconscious, and Subaru would protect her without suspecting anything about her.

The difference was that in that case, Meili had almost everything planned out and prepared for an alibi, but in this case, the context was very different: we were playing a game, and no outsider was supposed to show up. Rem was no idiot, and she quickly realized something was wrong.

"It's... I..."

I tried to find an excuse, a justification to save the day, but I was speechless. Besides, if I persisted in defending Meili, it would make it very obvious that I was involved, and I could already imagine being tortured alongside Meili.

"Ah."

Suddenly, between one blink of an eye and the next, I saw an arrow appear in Rem's chest. Blood slowly oozed from her pierced flesh, and her expression changed to one of surprise, then fear, and finally indifference. Her lifeless body fell to the ground.