A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 6 - Part 37

Rem couldn't forget the morning she met Leandro. Her first impression of him was undoubtedly striking.

"Who is he? He has the witch's stench impregnated on his body."

When she saw the newcomer, Rem felt disgust and anger. The young man's presence reminded her of the worst moment of her life. She had to kill him to prevent any danger.

But then the boy boldly revealed his status as the witch's protégé, risking prosecution for his connection to the world's most infamous entity.

From the beginning, Leandro was honest and straightforward about his identity and intentions. Or so it seemed.

"So he's a survivor, like me. Maybe I'm not alone after all?"

For a moment, Rem thought she'd found someone just like her: someone with a hollow heart and a shattered soul. It would be nice to know she wasn't alone. But that hope didn't last long.

She couldn't resist the temptation to ask him how he felt about the misfortunes that had befallen him, and he responded in an unexpected way. He said he only felt sorry for his enemies. Emotions like hatred and resentment seemed useless to him.

"How is that possible? How can you think like that?"

Rem thought it was impossible to have that mindset, unless one was too powerful or heartless... No, that was denial, and she knew it well.

"The problem is me. I always have been."

Unlike her sister, or Leandro, she was the only person unable to overcome the past. There must be something wrong with her: possibly she was defective. Thinking about it, the signs were always there, even at birth.

In the end, she had to agree with the late oni leader, Setanta. Rem was a mistake, and the only one who should have lived was her sister. She wouldn't have lost the horn, and with its great power, she would have repelled the cult's attack. Without Rem, everything could have been different, and better.

Something happened later that brought Rem out of her depressive bubble. Leandro said the cult had sent an assassin to take his life. She had the opportunity to corroborate this claim during the night, when the cultist appeared nearby.

If Rem had distrusted the story told by the black-haired man, now she had no doubts about its authenticity.

"I have to kill him!"

Rem wanted a rematch with life. She would destroy the witch cult with her own hands, and this would be the first step. She didn't need anyone else, because that was her duty. She would prove to herself that she could do it.

She decided to abandon her position without informing Leandro, believing she could confront the enemy alone without endangering others. But the assassin was faster than her and headed toward the mansion while she followed his trail into the woods.

That mistake could have cost Leandro his life, and not just his, but everyone in the mansion. Fortunately, the boy survived the assassin's attack, and he was taken to a remote location to protect the others.

Rem then had a chance at redemption when she arrived on the battlefield, finding her comrade cornered by the enemy. She used all her power to kill the cultist, forgetting everything except the vengeful desire that consumed her.

"Die, die, die!"

She attacked blindly, without regard for his opponent's abilities, and it cost her dearly.

Rem was defeated in record time. In her mind, she failed Leandro, Ram, Lord Roswaal, and herself. Her strength wasn't enough to protect the things she cared about. Then, upon awakening, she learned that the problem had already been resolved. Normally, Rem would have blamed herself for everything, adding unnecessary weight to the burden already on her heart. But Leandro didn't allow it. That night, he thanked her fervently.