AN: ARC SIX IS ALMOST HERE FOLKS! "llat-2" reminded me about this chapter and I have to thank him for it!

AN Fun Fact: Gorillaz won the song title for this one. ENJOY.

Special Chapter

Chapter Forty Three: Broken

It is said that every decision made, can make an impact on the world and change the course of history for everyone around them. In this case it is true. For Natsuki Subaru, his decisions spread across time and space. Across what one would call a 'multiverse'...even if it was unknown to him.

During the battle to save the Sanctuary, Subaru was given the chance to make a contract with Echidna.

She gave him the opportunity to utilize his Return by Death to have a favorable outcome to his dire situations.

However, he had learned thanks to the intervention of the other Witches, that Echidna was trying to use him as guinea pig in her own selfish desires and freed him from such a fate.

BUT WHAT IF…?

It was now a year after the Royal Selection had started, and dark clouds had appeared over the Roswaal Mansion.

Subaru had awoken from his sleep as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"47 huh?"

Subaru was recounting the fact that it was now the 47th loop of this very day. He had to make sure he killed himself every 1-2 hours to make sure he didn't find himself in an unwinnable situation.

"Subaru don't forget to practice your smiling now. We need you to look presentable."

"Yeah sure, Echidna."

Subaru spoke to the necklace he had on, the one that housed the spirit of Echidna, the Witch of Greed. The deal made it so that her spirit was bound to his own and would search his mind to find out any time he would loop.

Subaru looked in his mirror and began practicing his emotional expressions. The amount of times he's died were staggering and it truly ate away at him.

Subaru finally got his expressions right and put on a custom suit that Ram made for him. Subaru no longer wore his trademark tracksuit any longer because it reminded him too much of his old self.

So he had it burned….

Subaru was now in the hallways, looking out the window where he saw Reinhard practicing his swordsmanship in the garden. When he stopped, he looked up at Subaru and stared at him...then put a smile on his face.

"Hmmm...he's still putting on a fake smile again."

"Well, I can't blame him...he is the nice guy in all this after all."

Subaru and Echidna knew with a precise clarity, that Reinhard secretly hated Subaru. Months earlier, Subaru tricked Felt into abandoning her Dragon Maiden position and making a run for it.

Subaru could remember all the times Reinhard would find out what he did, and killed him.

25 times, until he finally got it right.

Reinhard was finally convinced to join the Emilia camp...with his strength and pedigree, the Emilia Camp would be seen with a more favorable view. This still never truly ever mended the broken bonds between the two.

Garfiel was there and sneered at Subaru, even going as far as to flip him off and walk away in a huff. Freeing the Sanctuary without his help, Garfiel felt resentful to him and there was no way they would ever get along. That chance was broken.

Subaru kept walking when he suddenly remembered the day Otto left. It was only one day after he single handedly freed the Sanctuary...even if he had to die 132 times to do so.

"I thought we were friends Natsuki Subaru...but it seems you had no desire to ask for help...a truly lonesome fate. Then as your friend...I'll let you keep that fate of yours."

Their friendship had broken, and Otto left to the Capital.

Subaru continued when he finally reached the room where the Forbidden Archive had been...left as nothing but rubble in a fire.

There sat Beatrice, her hair disheveled, clothes dirty and sitting on the burnt floor.

"Hey Beako."

"...shut up."

Subaru knew she had an attachment to a promise she made with Echidna and wouldn't leave no matter what.

….That's why he forced her out.

Giving her no choice in the matter, he took her away from there, even letting her Book burn to a crisp.

Left with nothing..Beatrice simply wasted away.

"Poor daughter of mine. I wonder if there was yet another way of…"

"Like I want to hear that from the person who got her in this situation in the first place!"

Subaru decided to get closer to Beatrice to comfort her, even if he knew how it would probably play out.

"Get...away..."

"I'm sorry Beatrice, but I don't like seeing you like this. Maybe if we just-"

"-NO! You stay away from me! This is all you're doing, I suppose! I have severed my promise with Mother and have lost my home...and it's because of you!"

"No..I was trying-"

"-Save me? Well, thank you, oh great Natsuki Subaru! Thank you for saving me and giving me no purpose to even live!"

"...B-"

"-You are not 'Them'...you are…"

Seeing she was about to shed tears, Subaru ran over and hugged her tightly.

"No. NO! NOOOOO! LET GO OF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Beatrice fought back and began to claw his face, bite his chest and slapped him.

Subaru let go of the girl as she fell to her knees.

"Leave…"

Subaru decided to leave her be. As he left he could clearly hear Beatrice crying.

Left with a broken resolve, that was the one action she would do constantly.

Subaru now made it to Emilia's room.

"Ah! Subaru! It's so good to see you!"

Emilia made it over to him giddily hugging his arm. Subaru put on his fake smile as he nodded.

Emilia was not the same after the Sanctuary. After Puck left her, she was in a fragile state. Sadly, because Subaru had defeated the Trials on his own, her mind was not able to cope with the trauma of her memories returning to her...and her mind shattered.

She was now reliant on Subaru in everything she would do.

Any choice.

Any desire.

Anything.

She would ask Subaru on.

"How pathetic. I wonder how this country will fare with a king who cannot make a decision on their own?"

"Enough. I'll take care of it when the time comes."

"Heh. I'm sure you will."

Emilia looked happily up at Subaru as she began nuzzling next to him.

"Hey Subaru, I finished all my work for today. I studied really hard like you told me to."

"Good girl. Here ya go."

"Yay!"

Subaru began patting her gently on the head as she relaxed and smiled even more.

Subaru could only wince his eyes at her.

She had cut her hair not long ago. When Emilia began noticing Subaru visiting the sleeping Rem's room, she might have gotten jealous, so she decides to cut her hair to look just like Rem's.

"Hey Subaru, why is your face scratched?"

"...Well, I was shaving is all."

"Liar."

The room began to slowly get colder and parts of it began to freeze over.

"Liar. It was Beatrice wasn't it?"

Emilia had a terrifyingly enraged look on her face as she began heading for the door, most likely to confront Beatrice.

"Hey hey. Easy Emilia-tan. There there. It was just a little fight. There there, everything is alright."

Subaru held onto Emilia as he embraced her, speaking sweet things to her.

Emilia relaxed and seemed to relish it.

"Okay. But let me heal you silly."

"Thanks."

After being healed by her, he left her to read up on some books. He looked back one last time at the smiling girl. A girl he loved and cherished.

Now unrecognizable to her.

Her eyes were simply devoid of the splendor from the first time they met, now they only reflected his image.

Subaru never knew it, but Emilia was scared of Rem...scared that she could possibly take Subaru away from her. Leaving her all alone.

So she had thoughts.

Thoughts of freezing Rem.

Thoughts of keeping Subaru to herself.

Thoughts from a broken mind.

Subaru had now gone to see Rem and met with Ram and Roswaal.

Roswaal simply nodded and smiled deviously at him.

Ram bowed respectfully at him.

"Subaru-sama It is good to see you well."

"Yeah. Nice to see you Ram."

Ram was much more respectful to him now that Roswaal let her know if all the things he done for her lost sister. Mostly due to the fact he was using him and wanted things to go more smoothly.

Subaru was still uncomfortable with it.

But if it were to bring Rem back, he would do anything.

He decided to join Roswaal in his plan to kill the Dragon, to get a hold of it's blood and bring her back.

Subaru left Rem's room as he began walking down the hallways...there he saw a shadow emerge.

"Good to see you up to your usual tricks."

"And how many times have you seen me do this?"

"Enough to know when and where it happens."

Batman slowly walked to the young man. The first time in 7 months.

When Subaru accepted the Contract he did not know that Batman was floating in the space of a dimension near the Hills in Echidna's dream.

And he heard everything.

He learned about Return by Death.

And for some reason, the Witch let him keep this knowledge.

After a few months, Subaru and Batman would have public arguments with each other.

No one knew what they were fighting about.

Then, Batman had enough.

He left.

Seemingly disgusted in Subaru's actions.

Batman glared down at Subaru.

"Well, not going to say hello? Or has dying so many times made you forget manners?"

"...Sometimes I kind of forget what to do in a loop you know?"

"How sad."

Batman said this of course in a mocking manner.

"Subaru, I came to see how everyone is doing. But as I expected it's just as bad as ever- no. It's worse than I thought."

"It's not that bad. At least...they're still alive."

"Still alive?"

Batman's eyes widened as heard the monotone voice escape Subaru's mouth.

"You call this still being alive?!"

"...!"

"Look around you! Everything is wrong. Emilia is sick. Beatrice is close to killing herself. Garfiel and Reinhard hate you. Roswaal is using you. And you're just lying to everyone. They don't even know what you've been doing with Return by Death!"

"And that's for the best. As long as I'm the only one dying, suffering and in true pain, then as long as everyone lives, then I can accept it!"

Unbeknownst to the two, everyone was hearing the commotion and began walking to the hall where they were…

"After all of this and you still stand there and say that to me? Goddamn It! How many times have you died today alone?!"

"...47."

"...Subaru...this needs to stop."

"No. Not until we succeed and bring Rem back. Not until-"

"-Do you think that girl would be proud of the things you've done to save her?! Her hero? Doing such vile underhanded-"

"-YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT REM YOU FUCK!"

Now everyone was present so see the two arguing. Most of them were already used to seeing the two fighting.

But they were surprised to see Batman had returned after so long.

Petra was trembling as she held onto Frederica as she feared it would get physical, just like the last time they fought.

"Fuck off! You haven't done a thing to help Rem at all!"

"That's what I've been doing this whole time! Searching for the Witch's Cult and trying to find anything on the Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. Not just spending my time abusing my gifts."

"SCREW YOU! I've been doing this for the sake of everyone. In the end, I'll be able to save everyone!"

"Stupid little fool. Is that you or her talking?!"

"...Get out."

"Not this time. I'm putting a stop to this."

Batman grabbed Subaru by the collar and began dragging him away.

Everyone was shocked to see this.

"I'm going to lock you away until I can find a way to save Rem."

"How dumb...I can always bite my tongue."

"..."

Batman stopped as he heard this. Turning his head he looked down at the blank expression on his face.

"Or even hold my breath until I run out of oxygen...I've done it before."

The hall became quiet as Batman slowly raised Subaru higher...and then punched him in the face. He stumbled back till he hit his head on a window, which shattered from the impact.

Petra shrieked at the sight as Batman ran over and shook Subaru violently.

"Do you hear yourself?! Talking about your life as if it's expendable! Thinking you know what's best, when you know….YOU KNOW IT'S THE WRONG PATH!"

"I will do anything...anything to save them...no matter what."

Batman put on a disgusted expression as he shoved Subaru away from him.

He looked around and saw the many reaction from everyone around him.

Reinhard had a worried expression on his face.

Garfiel looked unamused.

Ram seemed to be sad.

Roswaal had a small smirk on his face.

Petra was crying.

Frederica looked downcast at Batman.

Emilia had an angry look with ice beginning to form around her.

Batman looked down on the floor, the glass that was broken covering the carpet.

"I'm sorry."

Batman made his way down the hall past Frederica and Petra. Frederica tried to reach out to him...but she was unable to.

Batman stopped for a moment…

"Natsuki Subaru. It wasn't long but I enjoyed the times we had...as friends."

"..."

"But now it's over. There isn't anything left for me here."

Batman then dropped a the throwing stars he had made for Subaru long ago and began walking away.

"Goodbye everyone. You will never see me again. Take care."

Batman then lowered his eyes and he raised his palm.

"Al Ermac."

A tear in space emerged as they could clearly see the Batwing near Irlham Village.

Batman walked through the tear and looked back one last time...then the tear closed.

Batman would never return to the Emilia Camp.

The bonds he shared for that time, lost in another world, had been broken and could not be saved.

Later that night, Subaru met with the three assassin he was able to hire after foiling their plans.

Mieli was hired to control the Ma-beast in the forest and use them as an army to protect them.

Elsa was hired to find Gluttony or Greed, but so far had no luck.

Deathstroke was hired to find whoever hired them besides Roswaal...and kill them.

Subaru was ready to loop again, so he asked Elsa to cut off his head. She did so...and Subaru's 47th loop of this day came to an end.

Batman was now in the Batwing as it flew through the dark clouds.

Then, his Comm Link got a signal.

"Batman-dono."

"Otto."

"How did it go?"

"...Bad. Subaru is gone. There's no helping him anymore."

"I see...okay. I'll see you later."

"Right."

Batman ended the transmission as he began heading to Otto's new merchant job in the Capital. A steady well paying job that Batman helped get him.

Batman looked out the window and remembered the time Subaru and him first met.

A faint memory.

The Batwing flew away...as the clouds around it began to shine from lightning that was striking the ground below.

Echidna watched Subaru continue his 48th Loop with a faint smile on her face. Knowing full well that he would continue this path of horrid pain and sacrifice..and all for...

"-Ahh, why must love fade?"

The Roswaal Mansion stood tall as dark clouds casted over it, Natsuki Subaru's and Batman's comradery had broken, much like everything around them.