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Translator: TranslationChicken

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Editor: TranslationChicken

(Thank you Kizarat, Rodolfo, Roanz, Aaron, Kam for helping me with proofreading on the Live Draft! <3)

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ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO TAPPEI NAGATSUKI, THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF RE:ZERO, THIS IS A TRANSLATION OF THE FREE JAPANESE WEB NOVEL INTO ENGLISH

JAPANESE WEB NOVEL SOURCE: HTTP://NCODE.SYOSETU.COM/N2267BE/229/

Previous Part 1/3: https://translationchicken.com/2018/01/19/rezero-arc-4-chapter-63-an-empathy-towards-death-part-1-3/

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[???: ……It’s about time you woke up, I suppose]

With the sound of a dry slap against his cheek, Subaru’s consciousness was pulled back to reality.

He blinked, and groaned at the dazzling brightness piercing his returning vision. Hearing this, the pain that woke him slapped his cheeks again. Left and then right, once on each side.

[Subaru: Hey, you don’t have to keep hitting me!]

[Beatrice: Just wanted to make sure you’re awake. As for the second time, I don’t know why, but it might’ve been reflex, I suppose]

Beatrice tossed him a cursory glance and gave him this disdainful reply, and only then did Subaru realize that he was lying on the floor.

Propping himself up, he checked over his body just to be sure. A sharp pain was throbbing in his right shoulder. Inadvertently looking towards its source, he saw the fresh wound asserting its existence with blood streaming from the gash.

[Subaru: Aaghh, hurts…… couldn’t you’ve kept a bit of that Shamac for me?]

[Beatrice: It’s not that I couldn’t, but that’d only make you temporarily forget the wound, even though it’s still there. Moving it around without actually healing it usually results in death from loss of blood, I suppose]

Listening to Beatrice spell out that grisly possibility, Subaru pressed a hand over the wound and narrowed his eyes, saying [More importantly……], as if having remembered something,

[Subaru: What happened to Elsa? Since you look so relaxed about it… did you get her to retreat?]

[Beatrice: What’re you talking about, I suppose?]

[Subaru: What do you mean what am I talking about? If she’s still around, we can’t be dawdling like this. I mean, sure, your Shamac was way more powerful than mine, but just with that……]

[Beatrice: If you’re really that blind, then I kind of feel sorry for you]

Subaru anxiously furrowed his brows at Beatrice’s baffled remark.

Beatrice might seem optimistic, but that was because she didn’t know Elsa well enough to be afraid. If she only knew that murderer’s depravity, she’d probably be as wary as Subaru.

Reading the thoughts written all over Subaru’s face, this time, Beatrice let out a sigh as though she was truly astounded.

Seeing Subaru grow even more confused, Beatrice took a step to the side,

[Beatrice: If you still don’t understand, just see for yourself, I suppose]

[Subaru: ――u, oah?]

The scene uncovered before his eyes as Beatrice moved out of the way. Taking it in, he let out an involuntary groan.

[Beatrice: You were asking what happened to our terrifying opponent?]

Listening to Beatrice’s triumphant boast, Subaru couldn’t utter a word in reply.

Because, behind her―― hanging from her limbs impaled by violet spears, crucified on the corridor wall, was Elsa’s corpse with an amethyst stake driven through her heart like a vanquished vampire of old.

Corpse――yes, there was no doubt about it. It was a corpse.

[Subaru: She’s…… dead?]

[Beatrice: There’s a hole in her chest, and with that many injuries, if she’s still alive…… she’d be something other than a human]

With a shake of his head, weighed down by fatigue, Subaru got onto his feet.

The moment he stood, he was struck by an intense dizziness as his body tottered. But a hand reached out and gently stopped him from falling.

[Subaru: S-sorry……]

[Beatrice: It’s fine……]

Beatrice turned away, and did not look at him. Consigning some of his weight onto her palm, he dragged his feet towards Elsa’s body.

Elsa’s head hung limply, and her braid had been cut in half by a spear. Seeing her elbows and knees pinned to the wall, the brutality of the sight made him want to avert his eyes. But he still moved closer nonetheless, close enough to feel her breath, so he could check for himself if the murderer had truly breathed her last.

She wasn’t breathing. He reached out his hand and touched her motionless body. It was still warm, but lacked any response unique to living beings. He touched her neck, but there wasn’t the slightest pulse.

And, most importantly, despite being up close against the defenseless Subaru, she didn’t make any attempt to strike.

[Subaru: S-she’s… really dead, then……?]

[Beatrice: How many times are you going to ask that, I suppose]

[Subaru: Knowing what she’s capable of… I can’t breathe easy just like that, you know…… It’s hard to believe… we actually did it……]

Standing in front of Elsa’s lifeless corpse, Subaru stared stupidly at their mirthless victory.

He had always thought of her as an enemy he would need to defeat, but he had never expected Beatrice to take her down single-handedly. Up to now, he had thought that it’d be impossible without Garfiel’s help.

[Subaru: Even Puck and Emilia together couldn’t defeat her…]

[Beatrice: ……If Nii-cha was serious about it, she would’ve been no match for him. And Betty, in this perfect state, couldn’t possibly lose to the likes of a Human, I suppose]

If Puck was serious――that would probably mean turning into that giant lion thing. Indeed, if he had turned into something that could freeze over the world just by existing, even Elsa wouldn’t stand a chance. On top of that, it would seem that Beatrice was a spirit possessing similar powers.

To have lived for four hundred years――there were simply far too many lifetimes between them.

[Subaru: Ri, ght. Rem!]

Now that Elsa’s death was confirmed, Subaru suddenly jolted back towards the bedroom. Even now, Frederica’s body was still fixed to the door.

Carefully taking down her rigid body, Subaru placed his hand on the bloodstained doorknob. He drew in a breath, and gathered the courage to look inside.

Then,

[Subaru: ――Rem]

The girl did not respond to his call.

But, lying on the bed, he could see that Rem was sleeping, her rhythmic breathing unaffected by the carnage that had taken place outside.

Elsa never set foot into this room.

No doubt, it was proof that in guarding this room with her life, Frederica’s persistence had been even greater than the depravity of that murderer.

[Subaru: ……I’m so sorry I doubted you… Frederica…]

Caressing the lovely, sleeping girl’s forehead, Subaru apologized to the woman lying in the hallway once more.

Although, her soul had already departed this world, and Subaru’s words would never reach her.

[Beatrice: So, what now, I suppose?]

[Subaru: We can’t just leave Rem here. And Frederica, and Petra…… we can only ask the Arlam villagers to take care of them]

[Beatrice: You won’t do it yourself? It’d make that girl happier too, I suppose]

[Subaru: If I’m in a position where I could look after Rem myself, I would. But, I can’t. I…… have to take you to the Sanctuary]

Turning around from Rem’s bedside, Subaru met Beatrice’s gaze at the door. The girl gave a light snort,

[Beatrice: And what gave you that idea? Our conversation may have been interrupted, but there’s still the issue to settle between us]

[Subaru: I know. Then my answer is this: ――I’ll never agree to kill you, and I’ll drag you out of this Mansion if I have to. That’s already decided]

[Beatrice: How arrogant. You would ignore Betty’s say in the matter, and just carry out your own intentions. ――Who do you think you are, to make such ludicrous proclamations, I suppose]

[Subaru: If what you told me is what you truly wanted… then I would have considered it]

[Beatrice: ――What’s that supposed to mean]

Beatrice’s voice was quiet, but an intimidating aura pulsed from her words as she spoke. Subaru felt goosebumps racing up his skin, but he quickly shook his head.

[Subaru: I don’t know the details either. But I just feel like there’s still a lot more to what you’re really thinking inside]

[Beatrice: ――Don’t, I suppose]

[Subaru: I’m still in the dark about your relationship to the Sanctuary. What does Echidona’s experimental grounds have to do with you? ……Honestly, I have nothing but bad feelings about this]

[Beatrice: Will you just stop prying?]

[Subaru: I won’t. ……Aside from me, who else is going to bother figuring you out? You’ve only ever shut yourself in that room…]

As if her throat had clogged up, Beatrice lost her words.

Seeing this, Subaru lifted Rem from the bed. He would bring her to Arlam village, and once she’s settled there, he would head to the Sanctuary with Beatrice.

If she could agree to assist him with Door Crossing, that would save them a lot of time, but it was not like he could force her. In that case, it would just be half a day’s journey on Patrasche.

[Subaru: Even if you won’t come to the Sanctuary with me, I’ll ask Roswaal and Lewes-san about you. If possible, I’d like to ask the big-shot herself as well]

As long as Subaru held a genuine yearning in his heart to “know”, the Witch of Greed would answer his call.

This time, he already had far more information than he did before, along with quite a few theories as well. With all the new questions that came with it, he was sure that he’d be accepted into the Dream Citadel.

And when that time comes, he would pry open the secrets of the Sanctuary that everyone had sealed their lips about.

[Subaru: Sooner or later, it’s only a matter of time. Though I can understand why you’d want to delay it as much as you can]

[Beatrice: Just how long do you plan to continue toying with people, I suppose……!]

[Subaru: Toying? I’ve no such……]

[Beatrice: You callously trample on grounds people don’t wish to be trampled on, and even as you throw them into disarray you spew this selfish drivel. There’s a limit to how much of your farce I will tolerate, I suppose. Two people are dead, and you are just going to leave like nothing happened?]

[Subaru: ――――I]

At the end of Beatrice’s rebuke, a look of unbearable pain emerged on Subaru’s face.

Seeing this, Beatrice hesitated for a moment, wondering if she had gone too far. But that doubt was soon replaced by an expression of feigned indifference.

[Subaru: Petra and Frederica…… once I’ve handed Rem to the villagers, I’ll be sure to properly mourn them. And with Petra I… it’s not like I can just stay silent]

He realized as well that these were only excuses, but, turning away so that Beatrice would not see his face, Subaru started walking.

Beatrice’s words had pierced straight into his heart.

Petra and Frederica’s deaths had only strengthened Subaru’s resolve to reset this world. Even with the defeat of Elsa, that achievement came with far too heavy a price. It would simply be too painful to go on in this world.

Here he was, the one telling Beatrice “Not to die”, and yet, what right did he have to say it? You can’t, but I could―― it was truly selfish to the extreme.

[Subaru: Whether you’ll come to the Sanctuary with me or not, let’s just sort out everything at the Mansion first. Then we can pick it up after that]

Passing Beatrice at the doorway, he continued down the hall. Beatrice looked on silently, but quietly indicated that she would follow him.

Since she was forbidden from taking her own life, Beatrice needed someone else to bring about her end. She couldn’t force his hand, and though he had made his intentions clear, she could only follow close behind him.

What a cruel man he was, to knowingly act this way. The thought of it filled him with guilt.

[Subaru: ――oa?]

While wallowing in this self loathing, suddenly, Subaru let out a grunt.

The reason was a light impact. As if a hand pushed on his back, Subaru stumbled forward with Rem in his arms.

Turning around after taking a few steps to regain his balance, he saw that it was Beatrice. Was it revenge for what he had said earlier? But just as he was about to furrow his brows and protest――

[Beatrice: ――a]

The girl softly cried, with a dull gleam jutting out of her chest.

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Next Part 3/3: https://translationchicken.com/2018/01/21/rezero-arc-4-chapter-63-an-empathy-towards-death-part-3-3/

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Nooo… Betty…… ;-;

I haven’t read the rest of the chapter yet, don’t spoil it >_<

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(The amazing thumbnail fan art is by @INOKI!)

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Let me know if you find any typos ❤

I’ll start on part 3 in a couple hours!

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Chapter 63 Live Draft:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/re-zero-arc-4-63-16431742

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Next Part 3/3: https://translationchicken.com/2018/01/21/rezero-arc-4-chapter-63-an-empathy-towards-death-part-3-3/