"Nee, Lia. Don't you think it's strange?" asked the Great Spirit Puck telepathically to his "daughter".
"What kind of strange, Puck?" Emilia tilted her in confusion, unsure what her contracted spirit meant by his words.
"Think about it, don't you have the slightest bit of suspicion about that man, Pleiades? He claims that he isn't Subaru, but I can't shrug off this feeling that he is Subaru."
"I know what you feel, Puck. But if he is Subaru, then how was he able to stop Rem's attack and inflict her with such pain? The Subaru that we know don't have that kind of power. Even if he does, then why didn't he use those powers against those demon beasts two weeks ago? Then Rem wouldn't have gone berserk in trying to kill those demon beasts for Subaru's sake."
"Uwah~ It's been a while since I heard a lengthy explanation from you, Lia" The cat commented, "I guess you're right, maybe he isn't Subaru. But don't let your guard, if there's something fishy going on call me as fast as you can."
Emilia gave a slight nod at Puck's warning as she gave a side glance to the man who calls himself "Pleiades".
But in her heart, she wished that the Subaru look-alike was Subaru. Then she wondered, How did he become like that?
Meanwhile, another conversation took place at the same time with Emilia and Puck.
"Nee-sama, I hate him."
"I know."
"Nee-sama, I hate how he looks exactly like Subaru-kun."
"I know."
"Nee-sama, I hate how he smells exactly like him. And at the same time, it's more pungent and denser than before."
Ram did not reply. She knew her little sister has a much more keen sense of smell than her since they were kids. A trait that Rem has over her.
But Ram herself was much more observant than her little sister. She knew there was more to the man who calls himself "Pleiades" than meets the eye.
What intrigued her was the actions he made when he "harmed" Rem.
She noticed the way he closed his eyes was something reminiscent of an instinctive action of avoiding a heart-wrenching scene of a loved one. One that only someone who cared about that person would only do.
If he was a heartless enough person, then why did he avoid looking at Rem when he inflicted her "pain"? Why did he go as far as to "remove" Rem's pain and inflicted it on himself?
This doesn't add up Ram thought, If he is an actual stranger, then why would he close his eyes like that?
There were several possibilities. But only one was the likeliest out of all.
Ram slightly shook her head, No, I don't think it's part of Roswaal-sama's plans. I think I should wait and see.
With the turmoil surrounding four of the five occupants as they waited for the viewing to begin. Pleiades -or rather- Natsuki Subaru merely closed his eyes as if in deep in thought.
But in reality, he was activating one of three Authorities he had acquired since the death of Sloth to the current Archbishop of Gluttony who had recently been annihilated.
They don't believe me. Subaru thought, Well that was expected, after all, who doesn't trust a guy who looks like the same person they knew but as a different person entirely... Acting like this is hard but necessary.
The reason why Subaru knew about their inner thoughts was that he was activating one of Greed's Authority, "Cor Leonis".
It was that particular Authority that he can sense the emotions of those connected with the Authority to deduce their location and their current feeling. It was the same ability he had acquired during the events of the tower that eventually lead to the death of Gluttony.
He knew they will know the truth sooner than he would expect. He hopefully prayed that they will realize what the viewing was not something that they seem.
But for now, the viewing shall begin.
The viewing began with a familiar-sounding voice heavily breathing in the dark background.
"This is bad... Very bad..." he uttered in a strained voice
"Subaru...?" Emilia whispered, being the first to recognize that voice. Her concern growing steadily.
"Subaru-kun." uttered the blue Oni, with her concern growing as well.
"Subaru?" called out a female voice, "What's wrong?"
"Emilia-sama, was that you?" Ram asked.
Emilia turned to Ram having a shocked expression plastered on her face, "I don't know..."
"Lia..." said the spirit.
"I don't know..." she repeated.
The scene changed in the next instant, showing a grocery store.
Inside that store there we see a boy in his late teens, wearing a tracksuit, reading a book.
"Subaru!" the half-elf called out in recognition.
"What is the meaning of this!?" roared Rem, demanding to know why Subaru in the viewing was suddenly relevant in this "viewing"
Subaru did not answer, or rather, he doesn't want to.
The boy was reading a manga written in kanji with a bored look as he turned to the next page.
"Ah, I see. This is where they suck you in," he said with a bored tone.
"...What does he mean by that?" asked the half-elf.
He shrugged, although knowing that before his transfer, he knew it was a typical cliche Isekai manga he read back then.
Then the next instant, the same voice called out with a strained voice.
"No... Run! Hurry!"
"There it is again!"
And the next instant, the boy looked up from the manga he was reading and noticed a couple talking to each other as they walked side-by-side at the street.
Subaru watched them walk as his eyes never letting them off as they went out of his peripheral vision.
He sighed, and put the manga back at the display shelf and walked away.
"Why does this viewing keep changing scenes?" murmured Ram, who was getting irritated at the constant scene change.
Another scene change showed the owner of the voice limply fell, showing her left hand at the small illuminating ray of moonlight.
"Lia was that..." Puck did not dare finish. Having sensed the inner turmoil Emilia was facing.
"I don't know..." was all her reply. The two sisters were perturbed by this as well.
The next scene change showed two instant cups "Noodle Tonkotsu" and "Miso Natto".
Subaru picked Miso Natto first before he decided to put it back.
"Nah, not natto," he said as he picked Noodle Tonkotsu instead.
He took "CORNPOTAGE" with his left hand.
"Hey, wasn't that one of the items he had when you first brought him to the mansion, Lia?"
Emilia nodded wordlessly, still feeling perturbed by the earlier scenes.
Why are they seeing this?
Another scene change showed with a hand, straining to reach the woman's hand in the dark.
"Wait there..."
The next instant, it showed Subaru and a cashier at the desk.
"That'll be 363 yen." said the cashier as Subaru pulled his wallet from his left pocket while the cashier himself was putting Subaru's bought contents inside a plastic bag.
"What was that?" Puck asked, trying to light up the mood for Emilia's sake.
"...It's the currency where, your friend, Subaru, came from"
"Where he came from?" Rem asked, now noticing that the building, the products, and even the streets itself were completely different from the commonly seen in Lugunica.
As Subaru was looking at the money inside his wallet, he pulled out an old coin that he recognized immediately.
Oh, a grooved-edge ten.
As of now, the viewing didn't just reveal events but was showing the thoughts of the person's perspective as well.
Everyone except Pleiades (Subaru) did not expect this to happen. While the cloak-wearing man had expected this as much.
Somehow, this is like watching an anime. Subaru internally commented. Having seen this kind of trope before.
After recognizing the grooved-edge coin, Subaru put it back inside his wallet and after a moment, he pulled out the exact change and put it in a small basket.
Subaru was then shown to have left the grocery store and began making his way back home with the same bored look on his face. While on the street, a car passed by him while looking at both the left and right side of the road.
"What was that?" Puck asked, again, for the sake of lightening the mood for Emilia's sake.
"A car." was the only answer that came from Pleiades' mouth.
Another scene change showed with the hand trying to reach towards the woman.
"I'm..."
The next instant, Subaru watched his side after the passed by.
Then the next instant, the identity of the strained voice was suddenly revealed with blood pouring out of his mouth.
"Subaru!" both Emilia and Rem immediately yelled at this "Subaru's" state with concern.
Ram widened her eyes in shock at the instant recognition of a familiar face.
The Great Spirit dropped his jaw slightly.
The Lolimancer remained impassive this being the second time seeing this. The first being at the tower.
"Going to..."
An instant scene change showed Subaru staring at the direction where the car passed by having an impassive look.
Suddenly, a dark mist was contracting and then suddenly expanded in a white void as a hand made seemingly in darkness stretched out.
"Save you..."
He narrowed his eyes in recognition of that dark hand. There were only two people he knew who had that hand, and he knew exactly the owner of it.
While the rest of the audience wasn't taking this well.
"What is that!?" demanded the red Oni. Fully perturbed of what she was suddenly seeing.
Emilia was trembling, so too was Puck, but not in the same way Emilia does.
Rem was seething in anger and wanted to gain answers from the person who was called Pleiades. But, the man looked at her, and shook his head as if to say "All shall be revealed,"
This does not bode well with the younger twin.
After seeing the car disappearing the distance, Subaru made his to the road while a distortion in space was happening from all sides.
The instant it appeared, it disappeared at the same time.
Subaru further narrowed his eyes in anticipation.
The others were, quite frankly, too perturbed to be commenting at this.
Subaru looked either of his sides, wondering what was that.
Only to reveal that nothing had happened. It was almost as if he was hallucinating a bit.
After a short moment, Subaru commented:
"I guess anyone's eyes would be tired after holing up in their room, gaming all day," he said as he rubbed his right eye.
After doing so, he opened his eyes, suddenly revealing a bright light enveloping his line of sight.
Before long, after his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he then heard voices of people and passersby. The streets instantly lively and saw he was in a place he did not recognize.
Blinking once, Subaru found himself in a busy town square noticing anthropomorphic animals walking up-straight as he widens his eyes and frozen place.
"...Hah?..." the older twin was the first to react.
After breaking from his shock, he saw buildings and establishments that weren't supposed to be there.
With a flock of white doves descending from the sky, flapping their wings in descent. People of different races went around as Subaru was taking this in shock.
What's going on? He thought in shock and disbelief.
A dragon carriage passed by him, picking up clouds of dust as the land dragon sped.
This stuff isn't fake. Which means...
His eyes once had dead look now gave off a lively expression as he realized-
So does this mean...
The former butler knew what he was going to say. And unexpectedly, the rest of the audience exclaimed in sync with Subaru in the viewing. Breaking their shock
"I've/He's been summoned into a/our parallel/own world!?"
"So it has begun. Heh, I've expected as much, Natsuki Subaru."
The voice was deep, filled with much wisdom and authority, and much experience.
He stood in a white void wearing matching white clothes with golden trimmings. It looked quite expensive.
However, he wasn't human.
He was a skeletal being. Not just any skeletal being. But a superior being that ruled an entire realm, and was called the leader of seven others.
He was called simply as the Lord of Helheim, the Ruler of the Land of the Dead. But that simple title was filled with great worth and power.
As he stood, there a distortion of space inside of this seemingly empty white void was opened. There, a black mist arose, and behind that was a being that was greatly feared by those of the living who had devoured half of the world.
He knew who she was. It was hard to forget after the reputation she was given.
"Now then," The Lord of Helheim began, "Let's have a chat, shall we, Satella?"