AN: Okay guys, here it is...time to end things once and for all. Hope you all enjoyed it.

ARC Eight: Sins of the Past

Chapter Sixty Nine: Light That Embraces All

The palace of Gusteko was ablaze, like a fiery beacon of the end. Inside, it's grand halls were splatter in gore and eviscerated corpses. The windows were smashed letting the cold winds burst in heavily. Snow was now covering the corpses.

The cloudy day sky matched the bleak situation happening inside. The Crazed Prince of Gusteko, Dimitri was actually panting and heaving, blood dripped down his face. Above him ice spears appeared and blasted at him, he was able to use his saber to slice them away...but a small object rolled behind him. His Divine Protection of Judgement warned him that getting close to it was dangerous, but as he quickly dashed to his side something grabbed him from the air and slammed him into the ground, then small glaciers on the ground stabbed him into the arm. As he broke free, the small grenade released a kind of gravitational force that pulled him to it. Once he landed on it, the thing exploded and he was sent flying up into the air, then he was kicked down through the floor.

Now at the last floor, he slowly got up...only to find a cloaked woman with milk white hair behind him, as he turned she charged at him.

They could hear noises come from the hole ahead of them...and then Dimitri was sent flying up...and then smashed by something, before being shot with more ice spears...even when he put up an ice shield, he was shot behind by a heat beam from some form of gun. The blast shot through his shoulder and he fell forward looking up at his enemies, the ones who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked the palace killing most of the nobility here...even looking down from the palace one could see the plumes of smoke rise up from the nearby capital.

Four people who were simply glaring down at him.

"Well he hasn't shown any fear or panic yet...that's disappointing."

Scarecrow stepped forward in his purple cloak with Unseen Hands forming spider arms and sprouting out of his back.

"Well, he is supposed to be a really strong person in this country, so he wouldn't be too scared, I guess."

Emilia, wearing a dark purple cloak, over a rather cute white robe adorned in roses emerged with Puck floating around her.

"The fate of his country should be the least of his worries, all things considering."

Owlman came up behind and crossed his arms staring down at the enraged swordsman.

"All we need….to do...is wait…"

Floating out of the hole on the floor was Reese, whose eyes, devoid of any light reflected his visage.

"That is correct Reese, we need to just distract this world...until it can fulfill its purpose."

The five of them leered down at the Prince, as if he was just a simple pebble to be kicked away.

In Kararagi, most of the capital of Kuroda was burning away. Halibel was doing his best as he was trading blows with his sword against an unknown swordsman.

"The hell do you people want?!"

"Nothing in particular yet, just want you to entertain me is all!"

Halibel knocked him away and kicked a blade at him...but the assailant caught it and tossed it at a samurai that was charging behind him.

As he landed...his single eye stared back at him. His half black and half white armor accentuated the Witch Cultist symbol with a Witch Cult symbol on his left chest made it well and clear who he was.

"Who the hell are you then? At least tell me that!"

The assailant pointed his sword at the Admirer himself.

"The name is Deathstroke. Member of the Witch's Cult, I am the Sin Archbishop of Pride."

"Witch's Cult! You all up to some ugly actions as-"

"-Nah, this time it has nothing to do with that…"

From behind Halibel a building smashed away and Halibel was looking straight at the Justice Buster and Justice Armor charging at him. Halibel jumped back, but was kicked by whoever was wearing the Justice Armor...only for it to be a log.

The Justice Buster focused a bit then shot something into the air, it exploded and Halibel was shown being hit, the Justice Armor flew up and kicked him to a nearby building. As Halibel got up from the debris, he watched as samurai were fighting each other, citizens froze in place as the fire swept over their bodies and others were on the floor catatonic.

"The fuck is going on?!"

He looked and through the madness, he saw someone wearing an elegant blue dress with cotton shoulder and a light blue scarf...then through the disheveled long hair and cat ears he saw the persons face.

"But you're-"

"-Ah, do I...knyow you? Hehehe?"

"FELIX ARGYLE?!"

Felix with bags under his eyes and scars on his lovely face smiled with an aura of vileness to him...as if it was fake.

"Why are you attacking us?! Did you join these psychos?!"

"Don't call my nyew friends that...it upsets me to nyo end…"

He put on a crazed smile, his lips widening to an uncomfortable point. Then he twirled around happily and pointed behind the Admirer…

"Look out nyow."

"Oh shit!"

Above him, a hooded figure with a katana sword was swooping down at him, he blocked it but soon felt something wrong...he felt the cut transferred inside him. The hooded figure then kicked him away and fired several wind blasts at him. The figure jumped back and landed next to Deathstroke.

Halibel came out of the cloud of dirt with multiple copies of himself, all glaring at them. Felix clapped happily and pointed at the Halibels.

"Everyone! Play with him!"

A massive amount of crazed citizens and samurai charged at Halibel, all of their faces expressing pain and fear.

"You bastard!"

Now he was dealing with the mind controlled citizens, while the others were waiting for their moment.

The Justice Buster leaned over to speak with the Justice Armor User.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama, I believe that this man is the one we've been looking for."

"Rem, Rem, in our world he is, but not here."

"Yes, Rem understands now."

Rem and Ram kept watching as Halibel kept trying to avoid killing his attackers. Felix happily clapped along and laughed joyfully, seeing such a spectacle excited him.

Deathstroke looked at the blue hooded figure, he saw underneath he was wearing some form of japanese style armor all colored blue and black.

"That was mighty impressive of you."

"...I guess."

"I think the moment is coming get ready."

"Yup."

As they were preparing to charge forward...Deathstroke glanced over...he was curious, so he had to ask.

"I never got your name, what was it?"

"Me...well-"

He peeked at him, revealing his sky blue eyes and scar running down his nose, past his lips. His eyes looked tired, angry and devoid of anything of joy.

Because he hardly had any…

"-The names' Rigel."

Seeing their opportunity they charged through the crowd and straight towards Halibel. Felix staying behind, laughing giddly at the fun as he was having.

In Vollachia, the entire throne room was locked in and an orange gas was spreading all around. Vincent was killing everyone with his sword, chopping away at guards, nobles and even his own wives.

Once he was covered in blood and tearing away at his flesh he made it to the doors, he opened them up with a look akin to absolute delusions. Once he opened the door, something stabbed in the top of his head, his eyes bulged out a bit, before someone ran up next to him and stabbed him the throat. His body slumped over and he gagged on his own blood, his neck muscles unable to move as the steel got between them, sending stinging pain throughout his head. Then a boot came down and broke his neck.

The wrist blade came out of his skull and the Master Thief sighed as he looked out to the completely destroyed capital.

"Maaan, there wasn't much for us to do here."

He scratched his half gas and fixed his orange cloak. He then fixed his vests that he was given to by Scarecrow many years ago, all of the pouches had jars and vases filled with Fear Toxin. He then checked his curved blade and sighed again.

"Haaaahhhhh, I really wanted to use this today too."

"Don't fret Subaru-san, the day is still not over yet."

"Sure, but this'll be the last normal day anyways."

"Yeahhhh, nothing has been normal today at all."

Ferris wearing a dark uniform walking alongside Natsuki Subaru who was rubbing the back of his head, there one would see a large scar that left a spot where hair was unable to grow. He recalled how Halibel gave it to him after he stole some schematics from a large company he was guarding for.

In the distance, a woman wearing a white and purple outfit, one that looked exactly like the one Fortuna once wore, walked over to them. She had a white helmet on, one with spiked ears and a purple bat symbol visor to let her see. She tilted her head as she saw the two walking towards her.

"Has everything been done?"

"Yup, the entirety of the Vollachia Royalists are dead. Well unless some ran away before we got here, but in that case...it doesn't matter does it?"

"No I assume it isn't."

She then was surprised by a quick hug from Felix, who motioned her out of the hallway so they could meet with the others...Subaru blinked a bit...before he looked at his hands and narrowed his eyes.

"So it's really happening huh?"

Back with the Anti-Monitor he was nearly completing the tower when he heard a voice.

"How much longer Anti-Monitor-san?"

"Have no fear, the tower is nearly there, we shall meet the deadline today...rest assured."

"I am excited to see what is to occur of this completion of things then...I trust you on this."

"And so you should...Omega."

Omega, the Echidna possessed Lewes Meyer stood below Anti-Monitor and smiled, around her neck was a white fox scarf that smiling earnestly, now together, they were ready for what was coming next.

Garfiel charged at the dark suited figure, but his fist collided with his, causing a massive shockwave. Batman tossed some batarangs at the Warlock Batman, but his batarangs fell to the ground when they got too close. Subaru then did something he could only think of…

"INVISIBLE PROVIDENCE!"

His Unseen Hand shot out and went through the gravity field, striking him in the head. Giving Batman, Rem, Priscilla, Crusch and even Ram to fire their respective long range attacks at him...but he glared at them.

"Plasma Shield."

He ducked down and activated his shield, which sent the attacks flying in different directions. He then charged forward, before two Royal Knights did as well...he simply used his Speedforce Mode and sliced both their heads off with his own hands. The electrical currents coursing around him matched the intense bloodlust leaking out of his eyes.

He was ready to kill them all.

Subaru and Beatrice got in front of him, even as Emilia and Rem called out to him.

"SUBARU!"

"SUBARU-KUN!"

Subaru waited...until he was obviously going to attack him with rapid punches. He grabbed Beatrice's hand.

"E.M.M.!"

Warlock Batman struck him several times, but nothing happened to him.

"You little shit! This is-"

"-Die imposter!"

Julius leaped at him while swinging his sword downard. So Warlock Batman activated Willpower Mode and made a sword from his will power. The two swords clashed loudly, some wind flying out.

He focused on Julius's forehead...waiting to-

"Let's go everyone!"

Ricardo and the other Fangs of Iron mercenaries charged, so he instead combined his Heat Vision Mode with his Yang Magic.

"This is beyond ridiculous...I killed most of you already!"

He fired his eye beams, while Ricardo, Mimi and her brothers were able to jump out of the way, the other mercenaries were not so fortunate. They were sliced down the middle.

As their decapitated bodies fell to the ground, Warlock Batman activated his jet boots and flew over to them, but Wilhelm and Al charged forward, only for him to use his Authority and crush them with his gravity field.

"Stay down."

Just then a Morningstar came at him so dodged it effortlessly.

"Well if it isn't Rem, how are you not dead in this world?"

"Enough of your mad talk impostor! Rem will deal punishment upon you for your assault on us!"

"That won't do you any good, Rem."

But as he had every intention of killing her, just as he allowed her to die in his world, he noticed a beam falling down on him...by the Batman of this world.

"Shit."

"AL JIWALD!

The gigantic beam shot down, but at the end of it, through the smoke...he was floating, even with a huge hole behind him.

He glared at everyone.

"I will not lose to a world so weak such as this one! Filled with chaos and disorder. I will be glad to watch this world suffer someday!"

Garfiel was having trouble battling the tall armored being. Every hit was blocked. He even noticed that his hits that did land had almost no effect on him. Garfiel kicked him in the side, but the figure then kicked off a nearby wall and landed a massive punch to his gut. Even as Garfiel spat out blood, while in the air, he was kneed in the head, then head-butted and finally stomped to the ground.

The impact caused a crater to form. When the dark figure walked away...his sights on the Sage Council. Garfiel tossed a piece of rubble at his his back, the dark armored figure looked back at Garfiel as he wiped blood off his face.

"Heh, why not just finish this."

"What a waste-"

A sonic scream shot the dark figure at the top of his body.

Running next to Garfiel was Mimi, who glared viciously at him.

"DON'T TOUCH GARF! MIMI WILL KILL YOU!"

"M-Mimi?"

"Garf, are you okay?"

Garfiel just laughed a bit and patted his own shoulder.

"Do I look that bad to you?"

"...Nope, now let's kick his ass!"

"Yeah!"

As they watched the figure walk forward they saw his helmet damaged and fall to the ground.

"God, you are all such uninteresting trash. So how is it then…?"

"Wait...nah, way...it jus' can't be."

Mimi also had her eyes waver as she trembled at what she was looking at.

"How is it I ended up being so weak in this world?"

A slightly older Garfiel, with a buzzcut was staring back at them.

He did not have his usual scar, but instead two scars that ran down his eyes and went down past his lips.

"Okay, if you're not going to fight or anything, then just stay there and keep quiet."

Garfiel and Mimi snapped out of it and prepared to face him...making the other Garfiel snarl at them.

Subaru walked calmly towards them with his robe fluttering, he ripped it open, revealing his trademark tracksuit underneath, now it was like he had a rather large cape on himself.

He then raised his brows as many of Crusch's people charged at him, screaming that he was an impostor and fiend. This only made him chuckle.

"Nah, I'm the real Natsuki Subaru...the one over there…"

He looked at the Subaru who was holding hands with Beatrice, defending all the candidates from Warlock Batman.

He grimaced at the sight.

"That one there is the fake…"

He allowed them to get closer and laughed insanely.

"Let's hope Omega and Echidna did good by me then…"

He raised his palm out and out came a ball of fire then it floated to the ground and began to take shape.

"Come out Iris."

A young looking girl in a short yellow and black yukata dress, emerged out of the fire, her yellow eyes stared back at the soldiers charging forwards, her orange yellow hair flowed behind her. She then aimed her palms at them and they were completely incinerated in a blast of fire. All of the other candidates and their warrior barely dodged it, as the fire shot out of the castle.

Subaru laughed happily as he grabbed the young girl who was half his size and spun her around and around happily.

"You are soooo amazing Iris! I love ya so much!"

She blushed and happily hugged him back. He gently put her down and smiled while pointing at the others.

"See there! We're gonna get rid of them next, okay Iris?"

She nodded happily and they both walked over to meet against them...but Emilia and Puck got in their way.

"Emilia...please move."

"No...No! I hate you!"

"...Really?"

"Pretending to be Subaru and attacking all these people! How dare you!?"

Subaru glared at Emilia and clenched his fist, but kept his calm look. Even as Iris glared at the half-elf...this made Puck release mana, but so did Iris.

Subaru sighed as showed his palm to her.

"HOW FUCKING DARE I?!"

"Ah."

"WHO ARE TO SAY THESE THINGS?! I'VE DIED SO MANY TIMES FOR YOU! I'VE KILLED SO MANY PEOPLE TO GET YOU ON TOP! AND NOW I LEARNED THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER?! THAT HERE YOU GOT TO LOVE HIM! THAT FAKE OVER THERE?! HE HASN'T KNOWN THE AMOUNT SUFFERING I'VE HAD TO GO THROUGH! THAT FUCKING PIECE OF WEAK FILTH! ASSHOLE! CUNT! TRASH! I HATE HIM AND….And...I hate…"

"...Subaru…"

Subaru was crying at this point, his spirit Iris was hugging his side, this made him cry, but with an angry expression.

"I hate myself...because I didn't get this...I wanted to love you...I REALLY DID."

"Subaru, tell me something."

"WHAT?"

"Do you regret the evil things you did?"

Subaru took a few seconds to think about it...but as he wiped away his tears, he brought back his calm demeanor, with a small smile forming on his lips.

"Let me say this...I killed mothers with their babies. I've killed the good, the evil, the intelligent, the weak and the beautiful...never once have I shown mercy, Emilia."

Emilia's eyes watered as tears fell from her eyes, behind her Rem who was listening in on the conversation...felt like throwing up, like screaming and just going numb.

"And so, now you know I am the real-"

"-ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES!"

Subaru and Emilia now saw Rem staring at him with a vicious gaze.

"You are not Rem's beloved Natsuki Subaru!...YOU ARE A MONSTER WHO HAS TAKEN HIS FORM AND DONE UNSPEAKABLE ACTS UPON OTHERS! Subaru-kun...Subaru-kun...HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!"

"...I can say for certain he would...given the opportunity."

Rem slammed down her Morningstar next to her.

"SILENCE. Your words are poison, just like the Witches scent leaking out of you...so concentrated and vile...Rem has never smelt so much death and filth coming out of one person!"

"That's my claim to fame."

Subaru snickered at the two of them, Iris soon formed fireballs all around him.

Subaru was watching as Batman was trying everything he could against Warlock Batman, Deathstroke got behind him, but he used a gravity enforced fist to block his sword strike. Deathstroke was then flipped in the air kicked away. Batman used yang infused fists to try and attack him, and landed a lucky punch, but it was short lived as the Warlock twisted his body and struck his face. Batman countered with a knee to the side.

"Get away from me!"

He quickly jumped up and stomped him down. Luckily, Batman used his forearms to block it...but then noticed

Warlock Batman then noticed Julius coming around with his spirits floating around him, Warlock floated up and stared down at Julius...the knight charged at him.

"Even if you are Batman, you are a corrupted form! Not meant to exist!"

"No I am the real Batman…"

Warlock Batman got next to Julius and, floated over his sword strike. Then he flipped again and kicked him to the ground, before activating his Authority and smashing him and his spirits to the ground. He then deactivated it and stomped him in the back.

"And you...You are all fodder."

Batman somehow teleported behind him and sliced down at him, embuding his sword with yang magic, slicing into him, then balanced himself on the hilt and kicked him directly in the face. Sending him flying before jumping through another tear in space firing a large yang beam at him. He was able to escape...but Julius fired Al Clarista behind him. Batman brought out his plasma shield, but noticed too late the tear in space next to him inside his shield...Priscilla stuck her fan inside and fired a beam at him, this sent him back a bit...but he was still unharmed.

Everyone was now ready to strike at him again...making Warlock Batman narrow his eyes under his helmet.

In the city below, Reinhard was battling the Bat Knight as he struck again and again. Reinhard dashed at him, trying to kick him, but he blocked it...making the entire block around them cave in. The Bat Knight, then traded punches with Reinhard...to the fleeing citizens it was inhuman display of speed and strength.

"Give up Sword Saint, you cannot defeat us! We are better than you in every way!"

"Us? What do you mean by that?!"

"It means our Apocatastasis Society...and the one who bears this armor and power."

The Bat Knight suddenly got next to Reinhard and punched him away through countless buildings.

Reinhard kicked off the side of a building, then saw the Bat Knight kicking the air once again to jump around.

Reinhard then gripped his sword...and for the first time in years...not since Regulus, Cecilus or Thearesia has he been allowed to pull out his sword. It could only be taken out by those who were worthy of the challenge.

This man charging towards him was worthy.

Reinhard unsheathed Reid in the air and attempted to slice him in half, but this Bat Knight saw this and kicked in front of himself, sending his body back to the ground. Reinhard twirled in the air and aimed his sword down, ready to cleave this man in half.

"What good will that do you?"

He opened a tear in space next to him and was pulling something out-

"Face the wrath of the lineage of the Astrea Household!"

Reinhard swung down his sword, the impact caused everything in a gigantic radius around them blasted away...like an atomic bomb fell down on this city.

Reinhard kept his eyes fixed down on his enemy.

"No…"

Then for the first time in the entirety of Reinhard's life, he felt emotions he thought he couldn't express fully.

Fear.

Doubt.

Disbelief.

Anger.

"How is this possible?"

"Nothing is impossible...for BATMAN."

Reinhard was looking at the Dragon Sword Reid, in the clutches of his enemy.

Reinhard's very own sword was stopped by this other one...his mind fluttered, trying to figure out what was going on.

This distraction was all he needed to slam the Sword Saint into the ground. Reinhard coughed out blood even as this Batman looked down at him, as if looking a pathetic worm crawling beneath his foot.

"How many times?"

"Ugh…"

Bat Knight kicked him up and then slammed him with the flat side of the sword towards some buildings. He sheathed the sword before jumping to the air. He then jumped from building to building, before he saw Reinhard on top of a building, the two of them clashed their swords again in the air, this sliced several building in half around them.

"Just how many times must I kill you?! REINHARD?!"

They traded strikes against each other, until Bat Knight got a lucky hit and slammed him away, back to the castle.

Reinhard went through the broken windows and it the ceiling, bouncing down to the floor. As he quickly got up, everyone quickly panicked when they saw the condition he was in. Just then, Bat Knight landed there as well, further inflicting them with despair when they saw the Dragon Sword resting on his shoulder.

His red eyes narrowed as he looked straight at him. Everyone was doing their best trying to fight their opponent…

K

R

A

K

O

O

M

!

A large thunderous sound was heard by everyone and their enemies seemed to be excited by this.

The caped Subaru raised his fists into the air.

"Yes! It's time!"

Garfiel kicked away his two opponents, before Marcos activated his Rock Armor ability to try and strike down at Garfiel. He simply concentrated breathed in heavily and he kicked the armor away in one hit. Marcos charged at him, but this Garfiel grabbed his blade and swung him over at Warlock Batman...he ran to him and using the momentum and strength he had on his side…

...he completely ripped the Royal Guard leader in half, the man's blood and organs covering his body.

Garfiel then leaped over to stand next to the Bat Knight.

"Batman-sama, are you well?"

"Of course, and now it is certain that our plans have come into fruition."

"Yes...and these enemies of ours?"

The Bat Knight glanced around him and just shrugged his shoulders.

"Leave them. They are no longer any threat to us."

"Yes, I understand."

Subaru quickly held hands with Iris and they used jet propulsion to fly over next to them. Warlock Batman simply flew over next to them.

Subaru was giddy holding onto to Iris and then laughed happily as the normal one would do.

"Man, so it's really come to this?! I can't wait to see what comes next then!"

Several of the knights and Subaru charged at the Society members...but a tear in space opened up behind them. Reinhard tried to charge, but Bat Knight stomped the ground in front of him, sending such a powerful pressure blast it slowed them all down.

"See ya...losers."

The tear closed on them and they disappeared.

All the other members around the world opened portals and left behind the death and destruction they left behind. Once they went through they found themselves all gathered in front of the Cosmic Tuning Tower. All of them gathered, even with members who stayed behind to protect the tower and maybe even stay out of the fighting.

Rigel looked up at the tower...until a young girl with short black hair, in a beautiful pink kimono came up next to him and held his hand. Even when she had red bandages covering her eyes.

"Spica, I hope you weren't bored or anything…"

"No, Omega-san and the others kept me entertained."

"Sounds good…"

She held his hand tighter as she smiled.

"Will we finally get a real home?"

"Yes."

"Even...when we have to kill all the fakes?"

"YES."

Anti-Monitor held out his hands and began to revel in excitement with what was occur. The tower began to glow white, it started to hum slightly and then-

"HERE WE START THE TRUE BEGINNING! THE BEGINNING OF THE PERFECT UNIVERSE!"

When the Anti-Monitor yelled this, a large white dome of light shot out of the tower. Anti-Monitor laughed maniacally...as he was consumed by the light.

All the other members cheered or nodded in agreement as the light enveloped them too.

In Vollachia all of the citizens ran for the lives as they saw the dome of light quickly engulf everything behind them.

Batman was being helped up by Subaru as he looked over the unfathomable damage caused by the Society.

"Still...those guys were-"

"-Yes, they were alternate versions of us, from other worlds."

Everyone heard this and couldn't help but be horrified by the idea of it...that all this death and destruction was caused by people from other realities.

Rem was trembling as she looked at the brunt corpses ahead of her.

"Lies! That...That wasn't Subaru-kun! That wasn't him…"

Subaru ran over and hugged her, she cried into his shoulder. Anyone would figure it was too much for her to see her hero behaving like such a psychotic monster.

Garfiel was embracing an injured Mimi.

"Ya okay Mimi?"

"Yeah, fake Garf didn't do that much damage."

"Damn….the fake me huh?"

Wilhelm was helping Reinhard, when he first noticed it…

"What is that?"

Everyone looked out the broken windows...out in the horizon, they could see the dome of light heading straight towards them.

"Oh god."

Batman grabbed Sarah and Frederica and opened a tear in space he raced forward and yelled behind him.

"EVERYONE WE NEED TO RUN AWAY NOW!"

But as he looked into the tear, he saw that Irlham Village was now consumed by the dome as well.

"NO! NO!"

He closed it and looked back at the dome...only to see it was now gaining speed. He looked up and his eyes sunk as he was seeing stars in the sky begin to disappear.

Still holding onto their hands...Batman fell to his knees.

"Bruce?!"

"Yes, what is wrong?"

They then saw it, the hopelessness plastered on his face.

Pamela fell to her knees as well and began to scream and hit the ground.

Deathstroke sat on the ground and held his head.

"Fuck. Ah Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!"

Subaru looked at Batman waiting for something.

"Hey Bruce? Bruce?! BATMAN-SAN?! Anything?!"

"...We'll have to rely on your Return by Death."

"Hey! Don't say that out loud!"

But...they then noticed it, even when Batman said this, nothing happened to either of them.

Batman then got a tap on his shoulder...it was a confused Sarah.

"Yes...what is Return by Death?"

Subaru and Batman's world came crashing down them…Subaru got a pat on his shoulder and it was Emilia with Puck sitting on her shoulder.

"Subaru, is this Return by Death something important?"

Subaru now had tears rolling down his cheeks and to the top of Rem's hair.

"Subaru-kun?"

Batman now held both Frederica and Sarah tightly...whispering to them.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Then, Sarah began to wail loudly and hug Batman tightly...even she knew why he was acting the way he did. She knew that he was accepting the end...there was nothing he could do. Puck floated away and out the broken window.

"Puck?!"

"Hang on Lia! I'm going to see if I-"

But it was too late, the dome increased its speed more and now nothing could be done.

Frederica held Batman as much as she could she couldn't hold back her tears.

Subaru sat on the ground...he then grabbed Beatrice and hugged her from behind.

"S-Subaru?"

"Everyone...it's time...we just sat down okay?"

"What are you-"

But Beatrice felt his trembling and she held onto his hands.

"Rem, Emilia...please sit with me…"

"Subaru?"

They sat by him and hugged him...they too felt it now, the hopeless despair as they saw the large dome of light practically about to reach the castle. Puck tried to blast it away, use barriers...nothing worked.

"PUCK!"

"LIA!?"

Puck turned around to see Emilia and Rem hugging Subaru, as she looked up at him and cried to come back. Puck began to cry as well...he could feel that this dome was the end.

He rushed over and hugged Emilia.

Batman looked over and saw the dome was now here.

"I'll be with you both til' the end!"

The three embraced, but Batman grabbed them both and rushed over to Subaru and the others, just as the light was going up the sides of the castle.

"SUBARU!"

"Bruce!"

"No matter what happens! We're still friends...We're still family!"

"...YES."

Emilia and Rem cried as they held onto to Subaru, they called out his name, both of them feeling a new sense of terror that neither of them felt before.

"Emilia...Rem…!"

"I love you both, no matter what I will always love you!"

They held him tighter…

"SUBARU!"

"Petra?!"

She was running over to him, crying as she did...then the light came into the palace swallowing up the frozen Sage Council, then it got Batman's back and his two fiances...the three of them closing their eyes.

"Subaru! I need to you that I-"

The light embraced them and they all vanished without a trace.

Garfiel hugged Mimi, then kissed her forehead…

"Mimi."

"Garf?"

"Everything's gonna-"

The light took them.

Ram was holding onto Roswaal, she wanted him to leave with her...but he was muttering madly and still had tears fall from his cheek.

So she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Roswaal-sama."

"R-Ram?"

They were now gone.

Julius put up a barrier around them as Ricardo held onto Anastasia...but the barrier was consumed too and Julius let out a yell as they were all consumed by the light.

Pamela grabbed Otto with a vine and got him out of there...but to no avail...down the hall, they saw the light coming straight towards she decided to try for the windows. But the light was now next to them she created a dome of flower and twigs around them...but she saw the light eat its way though.

"No….DAMN IT!"

She used then grabbed Otto, Ferris, Wilhelm and Crusch in a powerful hug.

"I'm so sorry."

Before Crusch could say anything, the light too them as well.

Deathstroke just threw a knife into the light and chuckled a bit.

Before he too was now gone.

Priscilla was now looking behind herself as she saw Al sit on the ground with his back to the wall, tossing his helmet away.

"Al! What are you-"

"-Screw it all Princess, just take a load off...and just relax."

He turned his head and smiled at her...before being taken by the light. Priscilla glanced down and tossed her fan to the ground.

"This truly is despicable-"

She said it with a twinge of sadness...just as the light took her as well.

Reinhard grabbed Felt as he zipped through the city.

"WAIT! Chin! Ton! Kan! They-"

She saw as they playfully flexed at her from the castle...just it was completely taken by the light.

Reinhard continued dashing in the air, but he saw he could not outrun the light….days later they eventually somehow made it to the ends of the world to the north...but he saw the light was still behind them.

In the sky they heard a roar, it was the dragon, Volcanica.

"No…"

"...I am truly sorry Sword Saint. I could not prevent this."

Volcanica was taken by the light.

Reinhard hugged Felt tightly, making the young girl cry uncontrollably. Reinhard screamed into the air, just as the light took them.

The flat world, their home, was completely engulfed in the light...and soon the light erupted outwards, consuming even the reaches of space.

There was nothing.

No noise.

No things.

Nothing.

There was no young man.

There was no hero.

No silver haired girl.

No blue haired girl.

No one existed.

No good.

No evil.

There was just emptiness.

Alone.

The nothingness.

"I will still love you."

.

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The End.

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.

There. There was a drip.

What was it? Water.

Where?

In this white light?

No.

This wasn't light.

This was-

"F-Fog…?"

Subaru sat up and looked around. He felt he was sitting on pavement instead of a carpeted floor, making him realize he was now outside. There was an unmistakable fog rolling around him. He got up and glanced around.

"What's going on?"

Subaru stumbled his way around in the fog, then he saw silhouettes walking around the fog, he was nervous about it...but he waved at them. They moved closer-

"Holy crap! Natsuki Subaru!"

"K-Kadomon-san?!"

Kadomon and his family walked through the fog and seemed to be glad to see him. Plum's eyes lightened up as she cried tears of joy.

"Subaru onii san!"

"Hey Plum, maaaan, am I so glad to see you guys okay!"

He patted her in the head, making her relax.

"The hell happened?!"

"Don't know Kadomon-san, the light earlier swallowed us up...and we just ended up here?"

"Shit has gotten crazy around here."

Just then, all around them they saw more citizens walking around confused about what was occuring. Subaru then noticed.

"Emilia?"

He called out her name, but no response.

"Rem?"

Nothing again.

"Beatrice? Petra?! Ram?! Otto?! Garfiel, Sarah?! Roswaal?!"

Once again, nothing. No one he was calling for was responding back.

"Anyone!? Bruce?! Frederica?!"

"Subaru-sama!?"

"F-Frederica?!"

"Yes! Where are you?!"

"F-Follow my voice I'm over here!"

He could clearly hear Frederica's voice in the fog, so he called out to her...and sure enough he saw making her way to him. Her face lit up as she smiled seeing Subaru.

"Subaru-sama!"

"Oh thank god! Frederica-UGH!"

She ran over and hugged as tight as could be, his face was changing color at this point. He patted her back rapidly.

"T-T-Too tight."

"Oh, I apologize."

She let him go as he quickly caught his breath, but looked around expectantly.

"Subaru-sama, have you seen the others?"

"N-No...I called them but no one responded."

"Oh...I see…"

They seemed to get down, but both of them shook their heads as they glanced around.

"Bruce and the others should be around here somewhere, I am sure of it."

"No doubt about it, Rem or Garfiel should be able to sniff me out no problem."

As they discussed things further with Kadomon, someone was also coming out of the fog towards them.

"Hello? Anybody there?"

"Let's see if this guy can help us."

Subaru went over to speak with him...only to see something he didn't think he would.

"Young man, what are you doing out here?"

"Um, well I was hoping-"

"-You have blood on your clothes? Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah...I'm fine…"

"...What's wrong kid? You look like you're out of it."

"A-Are you-"

"-Am I what?"

"...Are you a police officer?"

Subaru was looking straight at an African American officer in his police uniform, who tilted his head at him.

"That's right, I am."

"Um, well can you tell-"

Before he could ask him further, Frederica walked over to his side. The officer seemed to be shocked to see a girl like her walking around in a what appeared to be a maid outfit. Frederica glanced to the police officer, she was analyzing the odd clothes he was wearing and the skin tone he had.

She had never seen anything so strange.

"Subaru-sama who is that?"

"A police officer."

"Um, what's that?"

Subaru was about to explain, but the officer glanced to his side and his eyes widend, making him grab his walkie talkie.

"This Officer Morrison! Come in dispatch...I'm at the business center off Polimer Street...and I'm looking at some buildings that weren't here before!"

He was looking at a couple of buildings….ones Subaru recognized from Lugnica, they were intermingled with large glass skyscrapers. Frederica marveled at them, but she along with many of the citizens panicked when they heard a strange fluttering sound around them. Subaru turned around and looked up to the sky...making everyone else do the same.

Flying above them was a strange metal contraption that had something spinning rapidly on top of it. Frederica was ready for a fight, but Subaru put his palm in front of her to stop that from happening.

"Subaru-sama?! What is that thing?"

"...It's a helicopter."

"Hel...o...ter?"

The helicopter flew past them and helped to further dissipate the fog.

All around them the citizens of Lugnica were shocked to see no only their familiar buildings, but larger buildings of glass and grey stones. Some of these buildings reached up to the sky. Behind them, people were exiting out of strange metal carriages and were staring at them in shock and confusion.

Subaru shook his head and walked over to the officer.

"Officer, c-can you please tell us where we are?!"

"...You really don't where you are do you, kid?"

"No…"

The officer took off his hat and rubbed his head, then as he carefully put it back on, he stared right into Subaru's eyes.

"Right now you're in the Business Center of Gotham City."

"G-G-Gotham?"

Subaru then looked behind the officer, the fog was truly clearing away...in the sky was a searchlight putting out a Bat Symbol.

Frederica then trembled as she pointed up at the sky….

"Subaru-sama."

"Frederica?"

"Th-The moon...look at it."

As Subaru glanced up to see it...his eyes widened to an extreme point, he too was now trembling.

The officer did the same as he looked at it.

Kadomon held his family close as they became frightened of what they were looking at.

Both the citizens of Gotham and Lugnica were terrified at what they were witnessing.

Subaru stuttered a bit as he tried to voice his response…

"What... the hell...is going on?"

The sun was coming up the horizon, and high above it...the moon was there looking as if it was shattered with a strange white energy filling the cracks.

This sight, was there welcoming gift to the new world.

Here and now, Natsuki Subaru found himself in a situation, that was beyond his realm of understanding. He was once again, summoned to another world.

AN: ARC Nine, "Infinite Crisis" shall now begin...