AN: Thanks for the help JDUBZYT, I send him a lot of chapters, but he always helping when he can!

ARC Four: Battle From Zero

Chapter Thirty: Promises

Rem was sitting in the dragon carriage a long time after the Battle against the White Whale. She was looking to the sky thinking of Subaru worryingly.

"Rem, are you still thinking about him?"

"Crusch-sama...yes, Rem does still worry about him."

"Try not to Rem, he has Wilhelm, Ferris and Ricardo's mercenaries with him. Not to mention Batman is staying with him."

Rem pulled out her pinky and smiled while looking at it.

"Yes, you're right.."

Rem though of Subaru, his face gave her happiness and joy, but also longing and worry. Subaru was the only person who could make her feel such strong emotion.

She glanced over to the rows of carriages ahead of her...in the distance, she saw the leading carriage simply "disintegrate" and the sounds of rain fell on top of their carriage. It was obviously blood.

Crusch bellowed out her orders.

"-ENEMY ATTACK!"

She then pointed her sword at the unknown figure with her sword.

"Run him over!"

A dragon carriage charged out at the assailant, only for it to be completely destroyed by some unseen force. Rem grabbed Crusch and they exited out of the carriage. They then heard a relaxed voice get closer to them.

"Ah really? I haven't done anything, and yet someone tries to run me over? Really, that isn't what people should be doing, right?"

Stepping forward was a white haired slender man with white clothes that followed his feet. His yellow eyes stared at them, his face so ordinary, one would forget him after meeting him.

He then glanced over at Crusch.

"I believe I recognize you as one of those, who wishes to wear the crown of this country, you are quite the topic of conversation. Even I, so out of touch in this world could feel the burden that comes with it."

"Enough of your idle talk!"

"How extreme. But in order to rule a country as king one would have to display those qualities right? Sadly, I cannot understand why anyone would want to be bogged down such responsibilities...still, I am not so selfish that I will not disagree with you, even if I do not understand, unlike you…"

Crusch released her Hundred Man Sword Strike at him….but nothing happened. He merely stood there, not a single cut, not a bruise or even dirt on his clothing. As if nothing even occurred.

"You know…attacking someone out of the blue, where are your manners?"

He now showed a tone of displeasure at what she had attempted to do.

"I was talking. Wasn't I talking just now?! And then you interrupted me. Isn't that a bit impolite? Don't you think that was wrong? I have a right to speak… even though I don't really want to have to point this out, but to not interrupt people when they're speaking… isn't that common social decency? You're free to listen or not listen I won't bother you about that, but just what are you trying to do by not letting me talk?!"

He kicked the ground, and clenched his hands into fists before looking back at the two and pointing at them. His actions sending shivers down Rem and Crusch's spines.

"And now you're quiet, what is this?! You're listening? You were listening, right?! Wasn't I asking you something? Then give me some kind of reply, it should be like that, right? You won't even do that, don't even want to. Ah, ah, freedom. That's your freedom. You see me ranting and you want to kill me, then when I ask you a question, you ignore me like I'm the wind. So it's like that, is it? You're disregarding my Right–one of my only few possessions, right?!"

He then slashed the air with his arm. The air and ground in front of him parted in two. And with it, Crusch's arm, still holding the sword in her hand, toppled to the ground. She screamed out in pain as she fell down to the ground. Rem used what mana was left and began healing Crusch.

That's when Rem noticed no one was around to help them, she quickly turned around.

"Ah really... We eat and we eat, it's still not enough! It's because of that, we keep on living! Eating, chewing, biting, ripping, crunching, munching, sucking! GLUTTONOUS DRINKING! GLUTTONOUS EATING! AH...I'M DONE!"

There standing before them were many empty carriages and a young man covered in blood. A short boy with long dark brown hair, green devilish eyes, a long black cloak covered his thin frame as he smiled intensely at them. His teeth sharp as a wild animal. Underneath his bare feet were the corpses of many fallen knights.

Rem trembled before them…

"Who are you…?"

The two assailants then looked at each other and simply nodded.

"Member of the Witch's Cult, Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas."

"Member of the Witch's Cult, Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, Ley Batenkaitos!"

Rem now realized that the situation was hopeless. Not one, but two Sin Archbishops had appeared before them.

"After we sensed our pet being killed, we came to take a look. BUT AH! THE FEAST THAT STOOD BEFORE US WAS TOO MUCH! We came to see who after 400 years finally defeated our pet and look what we found! Love! Chivalry! Hatred! Obsession! Accomplishment! Gathered together brought to a boil and swallowed whole! THE GRATIFICATION! Is there anything in the world more DELICIOUS? Nononononononononono there isn't, there isn't! THERE ISN'T! GLUTTONOUS DRINKING! GLUTTONOUS EATING! And so! My Heart! My Stomach! My JOY and GRATIFICATION are TREEEEEEMBLING!"

Regulus shrugged his shoulders and spread his arms wide across while looking down at Rem.

"Unfortunately, unlike him… I'm here purely, by accident. Not my intention at all. Of course, do I have hunger and desires like his? To hold such selfish, meaningless desires… Unlike his unsatisfied stomach torturing him, I, on the other hand, am completely, utterly, content with myself!"

Rem had enough of their insane ramblings and laid Crusch down on the ground. She grabbed her trusty Morningstar and stared at them.

"Enough Witch Cultists! Sooner or later, a hero will appear. How much pain and suffering your self-indulgence and conceit has caused in the world, will be known to that hero. Rem's deeply beloved, one and only, hero."

Ley clapped happily at the news.

"Hey, a hero. We'll be looking forward to that guy! If you believe in him so much, that guy must be DELICIOUS!"

Rem thought for a second before summoning her Oni Horn and proclaimed loudly.

"Right now, I am only someone who is beloved by the person she loves. Companion of the Hero, the one I love the most in all the world, no matter what. Natsuki Subaru's companion, Rem!"

Then the very ground began to shake, confusing everyone there. From the ground, large vines erupted from the world. Alongside them was an orange haired woman, covered in a tight black suit with vines covering her body.

"That damn wolf, next time I see him he's fertilizer!"

Poison Ivy had arrived on the battlefield.

Ivy had escaped Kararagi after a botched battle against some unknown swordsman named Halibel. Her forehead was bleeding and her shoulder was ripped open so much, that her arm could have easily fallen off. It had been days since she had seen land and she was now on the surface.

She then looked around at the scene in front of her.

"And this is..?"

Ivy readied her vines, Regulus narrowed his eyes, Rem clenched her teeth and Ley opened his mouth wide.

"How wonderful! Such love, passion, anger! LET'S EAT!"

The four parties charged at each other. With Rem letting out one last thought…

"I hope when he realizes I am gone...it would cause a ripple in his heart."

It was now hours later, Subaru was now sitting by Rem who was in a nightgown, slumbering away. Even when he touched her cheeks or brushed her hair, she did not awake. Batman who had returned to his usual batsuit, looked over him and stared at her.

"She really does look like Ram…"

"...Of course, she's her sister."

Batman sat next to Subaru, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't say something comforting like everything will be alright or I understand how you feel."

"..."

"You ruffled her hair a bit, let me-"

"-DON'T TOUCH REM."

"...!"

Subaru realized what he said and stopped, he knew that Batman and Rem were good friends and he just wanted to help.

Crusch had come in, with her memory wiped away, she was like a different person.

"I was sent to look after you two."

"Crusch-san."

Batman nodded and proceeded to fix Rem's hair, then accidentally touched her forehead.

"UGH!"

Batman felt an electric current flow through his body, in his mind he saw sparks and flashes of moments he could not understand.

Ram was walking alongside someone.

Subaru was saying goodbye to someone.

Subaru was covered in mayonnaise yelling at someone.

Subaru was training with him, while someone was sitting near a tree watching them.

"BATMAN-SAN!"

"BATMAN-SAMA!"

Subaru grabbed Batman's wrist and removed him from Rem. Batman shook his head and whipped blood from his mouth. He realized his nose was bleeding. He looked up at Subaru…

"What's wrong?"

He saw strange black vines surrounding Subaru, then looked over at Crusch to see a single black vine wrapped around her. He looked back at Rem and saw her entire body covered in black vines. Then he shut his eyes and opened them again, only to see all the black vines were gone.

He rubbed his eyes and wiped away more blood from his nose.

"Subaru…?"

"Yeah?"

"That girl worked at the mansion didn't she?"

"-YOU?! You remember Rem?!"

"No, but I saw images...I think they were her. Maybe if I try again."

"No."

"NO?"

"You didn't see it, your veins were trying to pop out, you were bleeding from the nose and your whole body shook. We...we'll try again some other time okay?"

Batman noticed Subaru shaking and his hands clenched tight.

"Alright, we'll leave it at that."

He secretly tried it again by patting Crusch on the shoulder...but nothing happened. That made him assume that Rem was the only one he could do it with.

They left the room, with Subaru turning back one last time.

"Oh, there you all are."

Batman cringed at hearing the voice. When he turned the corner, he saw Poison Ivy standing there in a green nightgown with an innocent look on her face.

Batman recalled when they reached the capital and saw all the injured and dead, among them was Poison Ivy he walked over and stared down at her.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Huh? I…"

"I don't know, can you tell me?"

Batman was shocked to realize that Poison Ivy now had her memories taken much like Crusch. Proving the frightening power of the Sin Archbishops.

A meeting was held to figure out what to do next. In attendance was Crusch, Wilhelm, Ferris, Batman, Subaru, Emilia and Posion Ivy who now went by her real name Pamela Isley.

"So that's my real name, huh? I like it, better sounding than Poison Ivy."

"..."

"You don't talk much do you? Um...Batman, was it?"

"We've had a complicated relationship in the past, Ms. Isley."

"Sooooo...we had a thing?"

"NO. We didn't."

"Ahahahaha. Well with that attitude, I'm not sure."

The meeting continued as Batman had to explain to Isley her powers, she practiced on a flower pot that was nearby which amazed everyone, the flower had sprouted vines that brought her a glass of water.

"Amazing! But how does Batman-san known about this?"

"Wait. Batman-san?"

"Yeah, that's what the cute guy over there calls you."

She then pointed at Subaru who looked away with a small blush on his face. Batman let out a sigh as he realized even without her memories, she still had the knack for seducing men.

Ferris intended to end the alliance between the two groups, only for Batman to point something out.

"It's too late for that now."

"Huh?"

"The Witch's Cult already knows that Crusch is a part of this alliance. Even if you sever ties with Emilia, they already known, and knowing criminals as best as I do, they would attack at the moment of weakness and isolation."

"But-!"

"-Is it better to have us with you to fight them? Or would rather face them alone? Either way, you'll end up going against them regardless of what you choose."

The meeting ended with three decisions made:

1.) The alliance between the Emilia and Crusch camps would not continue until all participants were available to decide.

2.) Crusch's memory wipe would remain a secret between everyone present.

3.) Pamela Isley would stay in the Crusch Estate, everyone hoping that some time with them would make her more comfortable with her current situation.

Pamela went to her room as she walked over to a vase and picked out a blue flower.

"Um, Subaru was it?"

"Yeah?"

"Here. For that girl in there."

"This flower?"

"It matches her hair, right?"

"Yeah...and her eyes."

When Subaru grabbed it, his hands shook and Pamela noticed this.

"Sorry...I guess I'm not too good at cheering people up huh?"

"No, it helps. Thanks Iv-I mean, Pamela-san."

"Well, that's good to hear."

She patted Subaru on the head and left to retire to her living quarters.

Subaru entered Rem's room and sat next to her, placing the blue flower in her head. He then pulled out a kitchen knife he had earlier took on the way to their room.

"Rem, don't worry. This time, I'll save you."

He pulled the knife to his neck and was prepared to slice his windpipe open...

"SUBARU!"

Batman rushed through the door and tried to wrestle the knife away from him.

"GIVE ME THE KNIFE!"

"STOP! I HAVE TO-!"

"-DROP IT!"

Subaru eventually let go of the knife and Batman picked it up.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

"It's the only way...THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE REM!"

"How is killing yourself going to-?!"

Batman stopped to look at the knife and back at Subaru.

"That's it, isn't it...?"

"No…!"

"That's how you're looping...ISN'T IT?!"

"I don't care anymore...YES! OKAY THAT'S HOW I DO IT!"

"You-You loop time by dying?! Are you-?!"

Suddenly the world around them turned dark, Batman was now frozen and Subaru watched helplessly as dark shadowy hands emerged behind Batman. Two more hands caressed Subaru's face.

"-NOT YET."

The voice whispered...then Batman's heart was crushed by the dark hand, as Subaru wept openly.

When the world went back to normal, Batman fell to the floor dead. Subaru kept weeping as he grabbed the knife from his hand and sat back to his seat next to Rem.

"I'll save...both of you."

He slit his throat and laid his head on the bed as he bled out. Darkness enveloping his vision.

Emilia ran to the room as she heard the screaming.

"Subaru? Batman-san? I though-"

When she looked at the scene before she slowly slid down to the floor and screamed.

"No...NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NNNNNOOOOOOO!"

Emilia's screams echoed through the halls of the now silent Estate.

Subaru awoke using his Return By Death.

Only to see he was sitting next to Rem's bed, with the blue flower still in his hand. Subaru then heard Batman enter the room…

"You okay Subaru?"

"Yeah I'm fine…"

"...I'll leave you alone with Rem then."

"Okay…"

Batman left but stood out in the hallway as Emilia entered the room.

"Subaru are you okay?"

"Fine, but…"

Subaru placed the flower in Rem's hair and brushed it softly.

"Could you get behind me...I think, I'm about to cry."

"...Okay."

She put her arms around him him in a tender hug, he grasped her arms as tears fell from his face.

"I promise...I PROMISE...I'm going to save you Rem."

Batman moved away from the tender moment as he looked out the window at the starry night sky. He clenched his fists with great force.

"Rem, I don't know who you are...but…"

He then unclenched his fist and clenched it back again, only this time leaving his pinky finger out.

"...We'll bring you back, and Crusch, Isley and everyone else! That's a promise!"

Respective vows were pledged that night, under the all seeing moon, as a new day would arrive...