Subaru's eyes fluttered open.
The crushing cold of death still lingered in his chest, that suffocating sensation clawing at his lungs before Return by Death snapped him back—again. He stared upward, vision clearing to reveal the ceiling above: thick vines, lush ivy swaying slightly, soft green light filtering through the chamber.
The Green Room.
He was seated cross-legged, spirits already curling around him in wisps of soft light, knitting his wounds together. They didn't heal him instantly, but compared to letting nature take its course, this place was vastly superior.
"…So that means…" he muttered, pressing a hand to his bruised ribs. "This has to be right after another loss against Reid Astrea. Guess I got plastered harder than I remember."
His voice trailed into a sigh as he looked down at his palms.
"…Probably a day or two before the Archbishop shows up, if I had to guess. Hopefully, atleast, surely my save point isn't further than that right?"
The thought tightened his gut. Losing that much progress wouldn't exactly be the worst outcome considering how he'd already been through worse in the painful cycle against Reinhard. Well, he was close to insanity back then, so maybe a repeat of that wouldn't be the best for him.
He pinched his chin, thinking hard.
Reid can leave the trial room. The centaurs swarmed one of the lower floors—the one leading underground. That has to be connected to Shaula's death. She must've been keeping them in check all this time.
His jaw tightened, anger simmering beneath the surface as his fists curled against his pants. The breath he released came out shaky, slow.
"…Most importantly… Lye Batenkaitos. Gluttony. There were two of them before… one now, after Gojo-sensei did this thig. Maybe he came here out of revenge, some twisted brotherly instinct. But how the hell did he even get inside? It took Gojo practically breaking space to stumble into this place if what he said was the truth…"
Subaru's gaze dropped. His voice grew quieter, rougher.
"…So he must've snuck up on Shaula. If it were a fair fight… my odds of beating her are basically zero. But Lye, he wasn't impossible…"
His words died as his mind flashed back. Blood. Screams. The ringing of steel. His own laughter—raw, manic, ecstatic.
That grin plastered across his own face.
The way he wanted Lye's blades inside him, just for the chance to hit back.
"…The hell was that…?" Subaru whispered. He clenched his jaw, shaking his head. "One second I was ready to accept dying, the next—I was grinning like a lunatic. Taking hits, laughing as if… as if it felt good... and I even did that 'black flash' attack again."
His breath hitched. He shut his eyes, trying to force the thought away.
"Thinking about it… it was almost like when Go—"
"Yo!"
Subaru nearly screamed as Gojo's face suddenly leaned into his vision, grinning like a fox.
"URK—!?" His whole body jolted, twisting as he clutched at his side. Pain shot through him, and he groaned, glaring up at the white-haired man.
"Ahhh, right—injuries. My bad, my bad~" Gojo tilted his head, unrepentant. "You'll forgive me, won't you, dear student?"
Subaru dragged in heavy breaths, teeth gritted, before his glare sharpened into a scowl.
"…Damn you. That makes, what, the fifth time you've scared the hell out of me like this? Is this a tradition now or something?"
Gojo tapped his chin, as if seriously considering it.
"Hmm… tradition? I like the sound of that. Yeah, let's make it official. Great idea!"
"Sometimes I question whether or not I actually like you." Subaru muttered with a scowl.
Gojo only tilted his head, that infuriating smile never shifting as he smoothly lowered himself to sit cross-legged opposite Subaru.
"Now now, Subaru, no need for rudeness! I was just about to drop some life-changing wisdom on you. Wisdom that might even help with that little problem of yours named Reid Astrea."
Subaru opened his mouth, clearly ready to fire back with some sarcastic jab, but stopped halfway. He sighed instead, rubbing at his temple.
"…Uh-huh. Go on."
Gojo cupped his ear dramatically."Manners? C'mon, c'mon…"
Subaru shot him a glare, then relented with the deadpan tone of a man signing away his dignity.
"…Please, Gojo-sensei."
That made him grin wide, satisfied.
"Right, right! So. Here's the deal. I can see way more than pretty much anyone else alive. So much, in fact, that if I don't keep these bandages on—" He tapped at his sunglasses, then gestured toward his head. "—or a pair of sunglasses... have to get around to mending those somehow, I actually risk frying my own brain. Not very stylish right?"
"Boo-hoo." Subaru deadpanned.
"Ah-ah, patience! Thanks to Reverse Cursed Technique, I can fix all that pesky brain damage whenever it crops up. Like magic! Except, you know, better. Because it's me."
Subaru's brow twitched.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh. Gojo-sensei is the greatest, the strongest, the handsomest. Information we aaaall know already. Now maybe get to the part that actually helps me?"
Gojo's smile sharpened.
"Fine, fine. Basically—" He suddenly threw his arms in a huge O-shape. "—you, Natsuki Subaru, have ZERO talent for Reverse Cursed Technique!"
His voice echoed against the flora-covered walls, and he wiggled his fingers like he was spelling out Subaru's weakness.
Subaru felt a vein in his forehead bulge.
"…Uh-huh."
He looked away, jaw tightening.
Zero talent, huh…? Or is it just because I cant really care if I die? Everyone else fights like hell to avoid death—terrified of it, carved by that fear into getting stronger. Me? I can always come back. Reset. I've already thrown away that instinct after dying countless times. So maybe it's not that I can't heal myself… maybe it's that I just don't have the drive to.
In other words... it's probably impossible for me to attain it. At least any time soon.
His gaze dimmed.
Gojo unlocked RCT because he's… Gojo. But also because, for once, he was cornered. Facing something actually stronger than him. He looked death in the face and it made him break through. But me…? What does death even mean to me anymore?
"…However!" Gojo cut back in, his voice suddenly losing its playfulness. "While you were getting your ass kicked by Reid—who, by the way, still isn't trying in the slightest—"
Subaru muttered under his breath, "Was that really necessary…?"
"—I noticed something." Gojo's eyes sharpened, his head tilting slightly as if he were peering through Subaru. "When Reid strikes, when he goes to strike… primarily, when he's exactly mid-attack—" His gaze trailed down Subaru's body, almost dissecting him. "…That strange, unidentifiable dark part inside you… it reacts to that."
His hidden gaze trailed off to the side.
"Ooooor so I theorize. I could be wrong."
Then he stood up, dusting the flora and muck off of his knees before he turned away toward the door.
"Anyway, im off~ do with that info what you will my student!"
"... Right." Subaru muttered, averting his gaze as he heard the familiar sound of the door slamming shut.
That 'dark part' he's talking about... it could be any one of my abilities. Return by Death, Pride's Authority... one or the other...
"Ah-- I forgot to talk to him..."
Gojo stepped out of the Green Room and made his way back toward what Shaula insisted on calling her "quarters" By now, he'd probably spent more time in that space than she has been.
Not that he minded too much. It was cozy enough, and the balcony gave a surprisingly decent view of the endless desert and the shimmering sea of sand below.
Dropping the last bead of water from his cup onto his tongue, Gojo felt a frown tug at his face. Sugary foods were already scarce in this world compared to Japan, but at least he usually had access to a steady stream of them thanks to his position as the Fifth Candidate. Here? Nothing but lukewarm water and meat so questionable he couldn't tell if it came from a beast or a sewage pipe.
For a man with a sweet tooth as vicious as his, it was torture.
But what could he do? The tower warped space itself, keeping him locked in. Sure, he could walk out the front doors, but then Subaru would be stuck alone dealing with Shaula whenever she decided to flip into "psycho-killer" mode.
Could he take her down? Of course. Did he want to? Not really.
For now, he'd sit tight… and resist the very real temptation of bailing just to grab some candy back in Lugunica—or hell, even to see something that wasn't just sand.
"Hmmm…" Gojo tapped his chin. "I wonder, wonder, wonder… would Reid's book be tucked away in that Library? Could be hiding some juicy weakness that'll actually help Subaru."
He plopped himself down, filling another cup from the water bucket and sipping without enthusiasm.
"Though, odds of finding it have to be like… one in a billion. I mean, just imagine how many people have croaked in the last four hundred years."
With a lazy shrug, he leaned back and let the glass dangle between his fingers.
"Guess I'll bring it up with Subaru and Shaula later."
Gojo had already sensed the presence behind him, but he wasn't bothered enough to turn his head.
"Wait—Gojo-sensei, what was that about a book?"
Glancing back at Subaru, Gojo exhaled lazily.
"Just me thinking out loud. Probably not worth chasing. Imagine how many books are piled up in that Library."
Subaru tilted his head, raising a fist like he was rallying himself.
"Yeah, but… it could be worth it, right? If we get lucky enough."
Before Gojo could reply, a blur shot across the room and nearly toppled Subaru. Shaula's arms coiled around his bicep, pulling him flush into her chest.
"Massteeer~! You're finally up! I can't waaait for you to punch that smug look off the scary guy's face!" she said with a cheeky grin.
For a split second, Subaru's face shifted—something somber flashing across his features.
".. What would Emilia think if she saw me now, I wonder?" he muttered.
Gojo raised a brow at that, but stayed quiet.
"She'd probably be pissed..." Subaru continued, frowning. "She obviously doesn't know much about uhhh, that department, but… I can see her being mad just 'cause. Especially with how hard she's working right now. Believe they call it, 'A womans intuition' as Shoko put it."
His eyes dropped, memories of earlier loops clawing at him. Back when Pride had first reared its head. Back when he wasn't sure if he'd ever crawl back from the insanity.
"I should probably apologize when I see her next, huh."
Shaula yanked him suddenly, her grip strong enough to drag his whole body without effort.
"Masteeer?! Master, master?! Who's this 'Emilia'? Are you… cheating on me?!"
Subaru growled.
"See? She'd definitely get the wrong idea if she saw this!"
"You are cheating!?" Shaula gasped in fake surprise.
"You think you're funny, huh!?"
Gojo just watched the chaos in silence, sipping his water.
"Oi, Subaruuuu…"
They both froze. Subaru was gripping Shaula's face in an attempt to peel her off, lifting her whole frame into the air—but she clung tighter like a stubborn cat.
"Yeah?"
"That thing I said earlier. Did it click, or was I just spouting nonsense?"
"Oh—" Subaru let Shaula go, though she clearly pouted at the loss.
"Yeah. I think it did." he muttered, staring down at his palm.
I don't know what to even call that state… that time I went crazy fighting Gluttony. Maybe… 'The Flow'? That sounds right. I was focused—no, obsessed.
"Hey, Gojo-sensei. Have you ever had a fight where you were so concentrated, like… nothing else in the world mattered?"
Gojo raised a brow, considering, before letting out a chuckle.
"Yeah, just once. Against Regulus. Sure, his hand-to-hand sucked ass, but the bastard was invincible and kept hurling those unstoppable attacks at me. Couldn't afford a single slip."
He leaned back, smirking faintly.
"I was hyper-fixated, nothing else mattered. Maybe went a little insane too. But that was probably because I'd nearly died at that village before that."
Subaru nodded, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
"Mmm… alright. Thanks."
Gojo grinned wide.
"Yeah, yeah. Your teacher's pretty damn badass."
"...But more seriously, should we head off to the Library to look for Reid's book?"
Subaru said with a grin, trying to inject some confidence into his voice.
"Well, I guess so... it's something to do at least..."
Gojo muttered, stretching his arms behind his head like this was a casual stroll rather than a monumental task.
The trio made their way into the Library. The moment the towering doors groaned open, Gojo's familiar whistle filled the air, bouncing through the endless expanse. It was almost eerie—one high, carefree note swirling around shelves that spiraled on without end, like echoes trapped in infinity.
Subaru slowed his steps, gaze sweeping across the shelves. No fiction, no fantasy—only lives. The books contained the entire existence of people long forgotten, and even those who had died mere moments ago. An absurdity so overwhelming that even now, after seeing it more than once, it still made his skin crawl. Knowledge that he shouldn't be able to experience, yet here he was.
"Alright then, we should split up, right?" Subaru called out, cupping his fist against his palm with mock-heroic vigor. "Remember, we're looking for Reid Astrea! Reid Astrea!"
Gojo chuckled, while Shaula simply tilted her head.
"Weeeell~ I don't reaaaally wanna be away from Master for too long~" she whined, twirling her finger through her brown locks. "But if you're taking charge so boldly, I can't just say no~"
"Must you be so provocative?!" Subaru barked, cheeks twitching. He glanced toward where Gojo had been standing—only to find nothing but a sudden gust of wind and a few loose pages flapping. "...Ah. He's already off."
Subaru sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Good luck, Shaula..."
"Yes, Masteeer~!"
She chirped, flashing a grin wide enough to rival Gojo's.
—————————————————————
They split off, each heading down aisles that looked like the throat of some great beast—rows upon rows of bookshelves rising what seemed like endlessly. Shaula, of course, moved like a blur. In one bounding stride she had crossed a hundred feet, sliding neatly into a new row. Her gaze scanned shelf after shelf with something closer to a child's glee than genuine focus.
Meanwhile, Subaru trudged at a much slower pace. Every now and then, his hand brushed near to each book, he found a chill creep down his arm. He wasn't ready to see anyone's life—not again. He remembered how badly it shook him before. Best to keep his eyes forward, and not give in to temptation.
Minutes passed. The Library was so unnervingly silent that Subaru found himself muttering random things aloud just to keep sane.
"Reid Astrea… sword freak… a literal walking disaster…" His voice echoed weakly through the shelves. "Could it not just… glow or something? Make this easy for us for once?"
Time stretched, but oddly, not for long. In fact, not even a full hour had passed before a shrill voice suddenly pierced the still air:
"Ah—ahhh! Scary name! Scary name! Wait a sec—I found it!" Shaula's yell thundered through the Library.
Subaru blinked, eyes widening as he found himself rushing at top speed towards Shaula, twisting and rushing through aisle after aisle before sliding to a halt before the brown-haired woman.
"Already...?"
He said with a raised brow, just as Gojo stepped beside him, the usual smirk tugging at his lips.
"Well, good thing we brought her along huh... got better luck than us." Gojo commented.
"Oi, don't rub it in—"
Subaru groaned, but his feet were already carrying him toward Shaula's voice.
Gojo let out a low whistle as his gaze landed on the tome tucked into the shelf. It was thicker than the others by far, though otherwise unremarkable—plain cover, dark spine, no gilded markings to hint at its weight.
"Well, I guess we got lucky. Though seriously, couldn't they put the 'legendary heroes' in a separate aisle? Talk about poor management." Gojo groaned.
Shaula tilted her head with exaggerated innocence.
"Ahhh, master, master~ he's mocking youuu..."
Subaru gave her a flat look, deadpan.
"... Uh-huh. Anyway, it should be obvious who's checking this book, right?"
Gojo nodded, unbothered.
"As much as I'd love to peek into the sword-freak's diary, you're the one who needs answers the most. So yeah, you."
"Right..." Subaru muttered, stepping closer. His gaze lingered on the tome, unease prickling at the back of his neck. It sat there like it had been waiting all this time—waiting for him. "Okay, you guys better keep an eye out. Just in case someone decides to ambush us."
"An attack, huh?" Gojo shrugged. "Well, at least that'd be exciting."
Subaru reached out. His fingers brushed the spine, then closed around it. The moment he pulled the tome free, the world tilted. That familiar heaviness crashed into him—like someone had pressed his off-switch. His knees buckled, and Gojo caught him with casual ease, lowering him to the ground.
—————————————————————
White.
Blinding, endless white.
Subaru blinked, staggering upright. No shelves. No books. No flashing images of someone's life. Just infinite emptiness stretching in every direction.
"This... isn't right..." he muttered. The trial with Reid had been bizarre, sure, but this? This was wrong. "Where are the memories? Where's Reid? Why am I... still me?"
His voice echoed, thin and eerie in the void. He shouldn't be able to speak. He shouldn't even be here, wherever, whatever here was.
And yet—he was.
"... What... is this?"
Then—
"Well, well, well... so you are back, hm? Interesting black-haired big brother, truly? Of course it is true, truly yes..."
The childish voice rang out, sharp enough to freeze Subaru in place. He whipped around, eyes wide.
Standing there was a girl he had never seen before—or at least, not like this.
Draped in white so pale it seemed woven from the void itself, her golden hair poured down her back and across the floor in a tidal wave that stretched endlessly. Her skin had a sickly pallor, and her grin split wide with jagged, shark-like teeth that glistened as she spoke.
"Ahhh... you, you—you are very calm, aren't you? Considering this strange situation, hello, yes hello. Of course, how else should I put it...?"
The casual, almost playful rhythm of her voice sent a chill racing down Subaru's spine. He'd heard someone talk like this before. Too fast. Too repetitive. Too delighted by everything and nothing.
"Answer me." Subaru said, forcing his tone steady. His fists clenched. "And answer this too, what is this place?"
The girl's golden eyes widened, then narrowed into crescents. She swayed slightly, both hands cupped behind her back, almost like a child playing at being coy.
"Ahhh... yes, of course. Sorry, sorry~ This lonely, lonesome... yes, very lonely white place is the final destination of the soul itself~ The Cradle of Od Lagna. The Hall of Memories."
The words meant nothing to him, but her tone made his blood run cold.
"Almost forgot, yes yes yes~"
She leaned forward, her grin stretching impossibly wide, malice dripping from every syllable.
And Subaru suddenly remembered where he'd seen teeth like that before. His heart lurched.
"—You..."
"—We are, a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult... representing Gluttony." Her voice rang out, childlike and cruel all at once. She spread her arms wide, golden hair rippling like a flood across the void.
"Louis Arneb~"
Subaru felt anger surge through him. Gluttony? Another one? This made three now. Unlike the others, though, he couldn't sense that Louis Arneb was particularly strong, not in the way Lye had been. Still… something about her unsettled him, gnawed at the edge of his instincts.
Louis's head tilted to the side, her smile unwavering.
"Mmmm~ what's this… anger? Is this anger? Ahhh… you must be angry. Why? Why why why? I want to know… I want to see… to taste why you are angry, tsu~"
"Tsck—" Subaru scowled, instantly shifting into a defensive stance, eyes narrowing.
"Oh… my, my, my bad, big brother~ that was bad, wasn't it? Looking at me like that… it— it it it really hurts, you know? Because even we—we get hurt. Our hearts are frail, very very frail, and need to be satiated, mhm."
She didn't move a step closer, yet her voice made it feel as if the air itself leaned in. Her head swayed slightly.
"Now, now… yes, now, definitely now… it should be now? Your turn, yes, your turn~"
Subaru frowned.
"… My turn?"
"Mhm, yes, exactly! We call it 'common courtesy' mhm~ your name… that is… surely sweet, delectable~ tsu~"
He clenched his jaw. No way was he giving a monster like this—no matter how small, harmless, or childlike she appeared—his name. Wolf in sheep's clothing, the saying ran through his mind.
"… Ah—ah… we find that saddening, disappointing, in fact~ we have been isolated here for so so sooo long, but we have better manners than big brother?" Louis continued, her tone sing-song yet undeniably threatening.
"Why are you calling me that?" Subaru growled. "Last I checked, I was an only son…"
"Oh~ oh… we can't really help it~ so just ignore it, yep~ mhm."
Subaru shook his head, keeping his guard raised, arms ready.
"Why am I here? What do you want?"
"Ahh… so… so so so many questions. But that is expected, obviously~" Louis draped an arm across her chest, a grin widening unnaturally on her face. "We~ wish to know you… to understand you~ We believe that can help… satiate us~"
Subaru's brows furrowed. The words were eerily familiar, a mirrored madness from the Gluttony twin he'd fought before. The theme was clear. But what their power actually did? That remained a mystery. Lye hadn't shown anything resembling what it might be, so Subaru had nothing to go off of.
"You want to understand me? Why me? There are a lot more interesting people around."
"Mnhh~ we… we—we, we, we… would have to disagree with that one~ we find… yes, find… truly find… you, really find you interesting~ that's all~"
Subaru's fists clenched tighter, stepping forward despite the pit of unease twisting in his stomach.
"Yeah, bullshit. You and your entire cult are a bunch of sickos and weirdos. I'm not getting involve into whatever insane shit you're planning, so get me out of this place already."
Louis tilted her head, one hand raising to her chin, grinning wider.
"Ahh… so sorry, big brother~ Not yet. We… we might not be able to talk to you for a whiiiiiile otherwise~ mhm…"
Subaru just scowled, clicking his tongue.
"Subaru. That's my name."
Louis Arneb tilted her head, eyes widening with a manic glint. A heartbeat later, she licked her lips, her voice dripping with twisted amusement.
"Ahhhhh… truly…? Is it true? Yes, yes… it must be true, of course, of course~ Subaru… thank you for the meal~"
Subaru raised a brow, feeling a strange scratching sensation along his skull, fleeting but disorienting.
"…?"
His guard snapped back up as soon as Louis began to move, her hands tucked behind her back, circling him like a predator.
"Mn… you are an only child, as you said~ we wondered what it was like, yes we did~ now we know, yes we know, indeed we know… it is very lonely, quite lonely, certainly lonely—yes~ it is like this white void. We can understand your curiosity, as someone who has a sibling, mhm."
"…What are you—"
Subaru's brows furrowed, unease prickling through him.
"With the time that has passed since you came here… it is possible that you have a little brother or sister in the making, though~" Louis said, grinning, her golden hair trailing behind her as she circled around him, each step deliberate.
"…What did you just say…?"
Nervousness shot through Subaru, chills crawling down his spine. His body tensed.
"Kenichi~" she muttered softly.
Subaru's eyes widened.
"Naoko~" she continued, each syllable deliberate, reverberating like a ghostly echo.
Those were his parents' names. How did she—
"You—!!" he stammered, piecing it together. "You got that from my name…?" The headache, the momentary daze, the lapse in focus—it all made sense now.
"Mhm~ big brother must have a lot of happy memories, happy—a big family. You still remember~? This hasn't happened before… truly, this is unprecedented—tsu~"
She licked her lips again, eyes glinting with something unreadable.
"We knew you were interesting, Subaru, yes—yes, yes, yes—but this… this, maybe this, possibly this, certainly, definitely this! A happy family~ It must be so delightful, tsu~"
She paused, glancing at Subaru's trembling fist before smirking and continuing her slow stride, golden hair flowing behind her like liquid sunlight.
"You are really apologetic about your family, yes~? You must miss them, not even a word, a last goodbye before you came here~ sad, very sad, truly sad~"
"Though we still lack sufficient memory of Subaru, it should be right… no—it is, yes, yes—it is right to say we know you the best now~" Louis nodded, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous curiosity.
Subaru's breath caught, fists tightening until his knuckles whitened. Every word Louis spoke burrowed into his chest, like tiny daggers slicing through his memory and sanity. He wanted to move, to strike, to shove her away—but the words rooted him in place.
"Ohhh~ you think you can handle it, big brother, but we wonder, wonder, wonder… how long can one heart bear the weight of loneliness?" Louis cooed, circling him like a predator, her golden hair brushing the air around him. "You cannot see them again, can you? Not even a single word, a single look… gone, gone, gone~"
Subaru swallowed hard, a trembling pulse running through his jaw. "I-I… that's… that's not true…" he muttered, voice barely audible.
"Ahhh~ oh, but it is true, isn't it?" Louis tilted her head, voice dripping with mock innocence. "Your Kenichi, your Naoko… oh, they never knew you'd be trapped here. Never. And even if they had… oh, would it have mattered? Not a single touch, a single laugh, shared together… all of it lost. Gone, Subaru~ gone~"
Her pace slowed, stepping closer. "Do you feel it, hm? That cold, heavy weight pressing down in your chest? That tiny, bitter taste of being forever alone? Mmm~ such a fascinating, tasty emotion…"
Subaru's head spun, heart hammering. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but her words dug deeper than any blade. The ache of separation, of missed goodbyes, clawed at him from within.
"You see… we've watched you, thought about you, dreamed about you… and yet, here you are, trapped in this white, empty nothing, facing us instead. Can you feel it? The emptiness? Oh yes, it must tastes divine, it should, it could, it certainly could!"
He staggered back instinctively, chest heaving, the white void around them feeling tighter, smaller, suffocating.
"And yet…" Louis crouched slightly, eyes gleaming with unnatural curiosity, "You try, don't you? Try to hold onto the warmth, the love, the memories… but how long will it last, Subaru? How long before despair seeps in, and your soul—your precious soul—accepts that it is… alone?"
Subaru's voice cracked, raw with fear and frustration, but fury pushed him forward. In a heartbeat, he lunged at Louis, one hand clamping around her small neck, pinning her frail body against the cold, endless white of the void.
She felt no heavier than a child, fragile, breakable. And yet… Subaru found himself unable to crush her. Unable to end her. Why? What was it about her, about this tiny, predatory form, that made it impossible to strike with lethal intent?
"Ahkk~ tsu~ amazing, it's amazing… isn't it amazing, so very amazing, yes, it's amazing~" Louis cooed, voice lilting, childlike. "We—want to taste big brother so badly… yes, mhm~ all of those precious memories… they must be so sweet, yes, sweet~ fulfilling, appetizing, delectable, delightful~"
"…Shut up—shut the hell up, damn it! What is it about my memories, huh? Is it the same with every person you eat or what!?" Subaru snarled, teeth gritted. His grip held, steady, yet it never tightened. It shouldn't be this difficult.
Now he understood at least part of her power. That strange, invasive itch in his head after giving her his name… she had already stolen a portion of his memories. He couldn't help but shudder at the thought: if he had given his full name… would he be a hollow shell now? His identity, his past, devoured in one stroke.
"Ahhh… no, no, no, no… it is not that, we find you… delectable… appetizing… special~ yes, very special, super special, incredibly special, so very very special!" Louis's grin widened, impossibly sharp, glinting in the void. Her words were sugar and venom intertwined, each syllable designed to twist him inside out.
"Urk…" Subaru's chest heaved. His pulse pounded like a drum in his skull, his mind screaming at him to strike, to end this… but every instinct, every ounce of reason, recoiled.
"The strength in your arm has faded, big brother~ so you can't? You can't do it? Why can't you do it?" Louis tilted her head, her voice soft, teasing, pressing into him like an invasive thought, her golden hair pooling across the endless white floor below.
Subaru's eyes flitted across her face, looking for some tell, some weakness—but there was none. Only that grin, that predatory playfulness that cut deeper than any blade. Every word, every motion was designed to fracture his focus, to lure him into complacency. To make him give up himself, piece by piece.
"I—why…?!" he growled, mind spiraling, heart hammering. "Why are you doing this?! What do you want from me?!"
Louis's laughter bubbled up, high-pitched, almost childish, but it carried a weight that made the void itself tremble.
"Mhm~ what do we want, you ask? We want it all, big brother~ yes, all of you! Every fear, every secret, every cherished memory, every hidden thought~ everything that makes you… you! Tsu~"
Her words were like claws scraping at his mind. He could feel them burrowing, digging past defenses he didn't even know he had, teasing him with glimpses of his family, his friends, his failures. Each fragment pulled him closer to the edge.
Subaru's grip faltered for just a heartbeat—and Louis's grin widened, sharp teeth gleaming like shards of glass.
"Ohhh~ that hesitation~ delicious hesitation~ don't worry, big brother… it only makes the meal even more satisfying~ yes~"
Subaru's chest heaved, his mind a storm of panic, anger, and the remnants of stolen memories. For a heartbeat, he felt the void closing in, Louis's words burrowing like claws, scraping at his identity. He felt hollow, shaken, as if the world itself wanted to swallow him whole.
And then—something inside snapped. Not in fear, not in despair, but in sheer defiance.
No. I am not… that easy to be swayed.
The thought surged like lightning through his chest. Memories, fears, past regrets—they were pieces of him, yes, but Louis could not claim them. Not if he refused. Not if he fought.
Subaru's fingers tightened around the small child's neck—not to crush, but to stabilize himself. His gaze sharpened. Every flicker of doubt, every invasive thought Louis had planted, he rooted out, one by one. He inhaled, slow, steady, feeling the adrenaline recalibrate into clarity.
"Listen… you're not taking any more of me, understand?" he said, voice low, firm. Not angry. Not pleading. Commanding. "Every memory, every thought you try to take? Mine. Mine! And I will not let you… or anyone… have it!"
Louis blinked, her grin faltering—just long enough for Subaru to notice. That pause was all he needed.
"What...? How? You? This isn't right… no, this definitely isn't right, certainly not right, not right at all. We were so close~ you breaking, it was an arm's reach away."
Subaru scoffed, eyes narrowing.
"If I was that easy, I would've given up way sooner. But here I still stand!"
He bellowed, the roar echoing through the void—through every nightmare he had survived. If he were fragile, he'd have folded against Elsa, against Reinhard's relentless assaults, against Reid Astrea. Yet here he stood, scarred, bruised, and bloody—but unbroken. His power was not flawless yet, but his mind… his mind was steel, infallible.
The void around him shivered, twisting violently. Darkness erupted, swallowing the expanse just as abruptly as when he had first arrived. Whispers, voices, clawing at his consciousness.
Don't think this is over, Subaru!
You won't escape—your memories, your life… you belong to us, tsu~
Big brother will come for you~
—————————————————————
Subaru's eyes snapped open, chest heaving, mind racing—but he was back. The Library. The rows of endless books stretching above him. Shaula and Gojo leaned over his prone form, expressions caught between worry and amusement.
"You're awake!" Shaula exclaimed, grinning.
"…Yes." Subaru rasped, neck stiff, muscles aching. He rubbed at it, glancing sharply at Gojo.
"You couldn't have given me something to rest on, huh?" he growled, voice laced with exhaustion.
"Pff—no way! Can't have my clothes getting muddied like that you know." Gojo replied with a smirk.
"Wha—" Subaru began, but Gojo waved him off.
"Anyway, how'd it go? You get what you want? Reid's memories? A weakness?"
Subaru hesitated, trying to put the whirlwind of the void and Louis's manipulations into words.
"…Uhh…"
Subaru tilted his head, before leaning further upright.
"Well… this is gonna be hard to explain."