Re: Zero - Hidden by The Stars - Part 2

All Subaru could manage to do was give a heavy gasp. His eyes grew wide and darted around in a crazed pattern, not being able to focus on a single thing, perhaps in rejection of the unbelievable reality placed before him. The moment that Subaru was sent to another world, he was certain that he would never be able to return to Japan. Yet, here he was, the same spot where everything started. 

Was all of it even real? No, it had to have been. Even the minds in the darkest of places would never have been able to create the suffering and pain that Subaru had experienced. And the lessons given by the people he cared for most wasn't something that he could learn on his own in a split second. Especially with the kind of person he was before he was summoned to another world. However ――, 

Whether or not it was real, there was no way of going back. Subaru had fought so hard for the life that was constantly being taken away from him, but this wasn't something that he could fight. There wasn't an enemy, there wasn't an ally, and there wasn't any hope. Every single obstacle Subaru faced involved these things, but now they were all gone. Never mind using Return by Death. This time, he knew deep in his bones, he new even if he offered his life, he could never get it back. 

And in a most ironic fashion, Subaru went to complete the convenience store run that he never got to finish, while leaving everything else behind. 

While he began walking to his house, he wondered if his parents were looking for him, or if time continued to move at all after he was summoned. How would he explain it all? No, it's impossible to explain the impossible after all. 

His thoughts snapped as a white blur consumed the left side of his peripheral vision in an instant. Bright yellow lights had struck Subaru's eyes and after understanding the danger he was in, he instinctively attempted jumped across the street for his very life. But it was too late. Before he knew it, Subaru woke up facing the night sky. 

He then heard the door from the truck open and someone begun to walk up to him in strangely normal manner. All he saw was a shadow hovered over him blurred from the blood in his eyes, the figure of an adult man. He didn't move at all as he stared endlessly at Subaru, like some kind of statue. Subaru was glacially frozen by his own weakness, unable to move anything in his body by a single inch. Forced to look at the person who killed him, all he could laugh and think about similar this death was to his first one in the world he was summoned to. 

Subaru: [ Heh. It all comes back to this. Can't say I missed it much. ]

He was normally never able to accept the suffering that death brought, no matter how many times he died, but Subaru's way of thinking now was anything but normal. Perhaps this was an attempt to protect his own sanity, by denying it all. However, no matter how much he desired to lie to himself, the truth still stood. Natsuki Subaru was going to die. 

???: [ Sorry Subaru, I know you might hate me for this, but I want to save you too. You haven't forgotten our promise have you? Please come back... ]

Subaru: [ S-Satella? ]

Although the voice spoken was different, the calmness and ease that it brought was still present. 

Subaru: [ But ――how are you―― here? ]

With a voice so weak that it would be difficult to consider it a whisper, and the sentence was broken into pieces by coughs of blood. That's when the realization came to Subaru's mind. Satella was the one that summoned him to another world. If this was the case, then ――,

Satella, no, the Witch of Envy had come to Subaru's world to kill him. 

Each blink seemed to last longer, and it was difficult to keep his eyes open. The cold that stung his back was suddenly erased with a desired warm. Subaru touched the source, and slowly looked to see the palm of his bloodied hand. Then, his eyes closed for a final time. 

The blinking returned, gradually faster until――,

Subaru was back, in the parking lot of the convivence store. 

It was something that he subconsciously knew was going to happen, but he was afraid to test Return by Death's limits and die for real by his own hand. However, this confirmed absolute fact. There was no way of going back to the world which he was summoned to. The friends he had treasured, the lands where he travelled and the girl that he loved... It was like pictures in the drawing of his life had been erased, and he lost the ability to draw them again. The gravity of this realization pushed Subaru down to his knees, as he vomited uncontrollably. 

After his stomach had emptied, all he could let out were groans of pure agony. His hands pressed on the asphalt and tears welling down. After the despair, came silence. 

Subaru was never able recover from his struggles by himself. 

Rem was his reason to keep struggling. 

Otto was his friend that he could rely on. 

Emilia was the person who taught Subaru to love, including himself.

But just like the stars, even if he couldn't see them, he always knew they were there.

That's why Subaru had to keep moving forward――

For them.