Re: Life In The Original World From Zero [A Re:Zero Fiction]

Chapter 30: Modern Day Life Lesson Twenty Nine

"Emilia Roswaal," He started, and Emilia's eyes sharpened as well. "I, well, I require something from you." He said, running his hands through his hair, his eyes still fixed on them. "Become mine. Give everything you have, to me. Come over to me." He said quietly, but to Subaru, it was loud enough to make his ears ring. "Come over to me, walk over to me, leave that pathetic guy, and come over to me, pledge your loyalty to me. Give everything you have, to me." He said again in that voice that made Subaru's ears ring in pain. Veins were pulsing at Subaru's temples, and there was a sickening feeling inside him, squirming in his guts. He looked sideways to Emilia, who had her eyes fixed on Hihara as well, and to Subaru's horror, she took a step forward.

"Emilia--" His words got cut off by Emilia's outreached arm. "Don't worry, Subaru. I'm alright." Emilia said firmly, and seconds later, Hihara's eyes widened in obvious shock. However, he quickly pulled himself together and smirked again. "Perhaps I didn't state it loudly enough. Emilia Roswaal, come over to me and become mine." He said again. "No need to repeat it, I've heard it clearly enough. I refuse." She said in a firm voice, and this time, Hihara finally lost it. "FUCK!!! WHY DIDN'T IT WORK??? WHY DID IT NOT WORK??? WHY????" He shouted, his eyes bloodshot, glaring dead at Emilia.

"Your tricks won't work on me anymore, Hihara Yuuto. They won't work. Don't waste your strength." Emilia said simply. Just as Puck said earlier, the moment when Emilia and Subaru met Hihara in front of the door to the school building, she felt a small yet noticeable disturbance of mana, and it only grew stronger as they started their conversation. And when Hihara stated his commands, she distinctly felt the mana surging right at her, however, that little bit of mana, compared to her own which was like a deep and boundless sea, was just like a few raindrops. Emilia deflected Hihara's mana with her own and further broke free of the magic he casted on her before. As she broke free, all the senses as well as all the memories of him and herself came back to her.

Feeling that everything seemed to be coming together in her mind, her hand flew up to her head, frowning deeply. All the time she was there, forced to be with him and think that he wasn't really a bad guy, a manipulating bully, a selfish maniac. But now, the magic was lift, and a strong sense of guilt burst in his heart. "All this time... I was hurting you... Subaru... I am... so so so sorry... so sorry..." Emilia muttered, her eyes shut tight and her hands clutched at her chest. Subaru was staring at her, looking extremely worried and scared as well, and as he saw tears were rolling down her face, he was even more scared. "E-Emilia-tan...?" He called and reached out a trembling hand, but Emilia took hold of it first, turning to him. "Emilia... tan...?" Subaru repeated the words, his voice cracking slightly, but Emilia shook her head.

"Don't worry, Subaru." She said, strengthening the grip around his hand. "I am, so sorry for what I did to you." She said with a sad expression, tears still falling down her face, but then her expression changed, changed to a determined and strong look. "It all started because of me, and now, I am going to end it here once and for all." She said, looking back to Hihara. Seeing the determined look on her face, Hihara's eyes widened, unable to believe what was happening. He was quivering under the fierce emotions Emilia's eyes were projecting, unable to stand them, unable to bear them, unable to even look at them.

Emilia took another step forward, and it was Hihara's turn to take a step back. Wide-eyed, shocked, and trembling, he finally found his voice and shouted again. "WHY DIDN'T IT WORK ON YOU????? IT'S ALWAYS WORKED!!! ON MY FOLLOWERS!!! ON NATSUKI!!! EVEN WORKED ON YOU LAST TIME!!!! WHY DID IT NOT WORK THIS TIME????" He roared with a mixture of fear, frustration, and anger, spit flying out his mouth and veins bouncing on his forehead. He had completely lost his calm and good looks, and what replaced was the expression of a man who, for the first time, met some being way higher than himself. "I shall return what you said to me before. 'The first time encountering a being higher than yourself must be terrifying, so terrifying that the fear is able to paralyze you'. That was what you told me, and now, I return this right back to you." Emilia said, her voice out-of-characteristically strong and harsh.