ARC Two: The Roswaal Mansion

Chapter Ten: The Corpses

Batman heard a loud scream come from the mansion.

He knew it was his new ally Natsuki Subaru. He rushed over to see what was going on.

He searched everywhere for him, until he found him outside lying in a flower patch.

"Hey what was that all about?!"

"S-sorry Batman-san. I just had a real bad nightmare is all."

"…Try to get a hold of yourself Natsuki Subaru. You had me worried for a bit."

"Try to relax a bit. I'm sure Elsa wouldn't come back so soon after getting her ass handed to her!"

"Coming from the guy who almost got killed by her…"

Subaru chuckled at the thought of it.

Emilia soon arrived.

"Is everything all right Subaru?"

"Yeah, just had a little rough landing in this flower bed-!"

"Um, Subaru. Yesterday, Rem scattered fertilizer there..."

"UWAAA! It doesn't count! It doesn't count!"

Subaru desperately tried to wipe the fertilizer off of him, but to no avail.

"Erm. I suppose one might say this could be some form of good luck.."

"Emilia-tan you've shifted to consolation mode already?!"

Batman crossed his arms and closed his eyes at the sight.

"I knew you had bad luck…but this is really something else."

"This is painful! You two are causing me great unseen pain here!"

After Puck was able to wash him off. Subaru and Batman headed back to the mansion, but Subaru slowed down a bit.

"Subaru?"

"Listen, this may sound weird, but hear me out."

"Oh, seems serious."

Subaru folded his arms and sharpened his eyes.

"I think someone is going to be attacking the mansion in four days."

"…And how do you know this?"

"I-I can't explain it."

"And if I choose to accept this, theory of yours…how do we prepare for this?"

"Well, I've decided that I'm going to be just a guest here. And I need you to be Emilia's bodyguard."

"And then?"

"On the day of the supposed attack, I'll leave the mansion and head for one of the hills that overlook the mansion. When I see the attacking party, I'll try and contact you."

"Okay. Then here."

Batman handed him a comm link.

"We'll use this to contact each other."

"Cool! I've always wanted to use one of these things! Makes me feel like a secret agent."

"Right…I'll teach you how to use it so we can prepare."

"Okay! But…Batman-san."

"Hm?"

"Aren't you a bit too accepting of this? I mean, I appreciate you believing me. But how can you trust me so much?"

"Subaru, I pride myself on knowing when a person is lying. And I can tell that not only are not lying, you planned this out too well to be playing around. You care for Emilia; I've seen it. And you have a good sense of justice. So I choose to believe in you."

Subaru was shocked at the level of trust Batman had given him less than a few days.

But it was Subaru's actions at the loot house that allowed Batman to see his character. And with that, he chooses to trust him.

"Alright, let's get this party started Batman-san!"

"Well okay then."

With a small breeze blowing at their backs, the two heroes made their way to the mansion.

It was the day of the mission, Batman and the rest of the mansions residents were seeing Subaru off.

"It hasn't been long. But thanks for taking care of me!"

Emilia walked over and observed Subaru with a concerned look.

"Don't worry Emilia-tan. I'll be fine. One day when I become strong, wise and rich enough to be worthy of you, I'll ride back on a white horse to take your hand in marriage."

"Do you have a handkerchief? Water? Lagmite Crystals? And let's see.."

"You're looking at this from a mother's perspective?!"

Subaru then moved the backpack he had and gave a glance at Roswaal.

"Appreciate everything Roz-chi!"

"Weeeell take care of yourself Subaru-kun. Please dooooo be careful not to drop the souvenirs."

"Ah! This little fee to keep my mouth shut right? Don't worry I won't say a thing. I swear it upon the Dragon!"

"You really aaaaaare something. Also, in this country, swearing upon the Dragon is the highest vow one can make. Never forget thiiis."

"Yes sir!"

The two shook hands with smiles on their faces.

Subaru then turned his attention towards Rem and Ram.

"And thanks to the both of you! Rem, thanks all the meals, they were all delicious to eat. And Ram-chii…you're good at cleaning toilets and stuff?"

The twin maids turned to each other.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama, the honored guest is hopeless when it comes to compliments."

"Rem, Rem, the honored guest is fatally terrible when it comes to compliments."

"Hey! I seriously couldn't think of anything at the top of my head!"

He gave a short smile as he looked back at them.

"But still thank you so much."

Subaru turned his attention to Batman. He reached out his hand and gave a big goofy smile. Batman smirked back.

They shook and hands and waved each other goodbye.

Subaru waved a final goodbye to Emilia at the gates.

As he walked away, he took a sharp turn into the woods.

He walked up a large hill that overlooked the mansion.

Subaru then pressed into his ears.

"Batman-san it's me, Natsuki Subaru."

"Subaru. Okay, have you made it to the hill?"

"Roger that. I'm tying the lifeline to myself as we speak."

"Good. Anything to report on?"

"Nothing yet."

"Alright, remember once you see the perpetrator contact me ASAP. I have a tracker in the comm link and I can find you quickly."

"Okay…hey Batman."

"Hmm?"

"…I'm really scared."

"…. It's okay. Everything will be fine. Don't forget to contact me."

"Right."

Subaru sat down and viewed the mansion from afar. He then turned his attention to the knife he stole from the mansion.

He intended on using it to cut his lifeline and make an easy escape.

But he also planned on using it as a weapon or even killing himself.

"I'm not gonna die. I won't let them die. I'll fight with everything I got."

Batman was wandering the halls, waiting for Subaru to contact him. He was slightly worried about him. He knew he was a tenacious kid, but he had very little combat skills.

He wanted everything to go well. He even hoped that Subaru might have been mistaken about the attack. This was something he thought about endlessly.

"Getting too comfortable to get this worried."

Batman crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, looking out at the sunset.

Then, his comm link sounded off.

"BATMAN-SAN! IT'S HERE!"

"SUBARU! DID YOU SEE IT?!"

"I saw their weapon, but not them. I'm making a run for it!"

"I'm going! Hang tight!"

Batman rushed out of the mansion, Emilia saw this and stuck her head out of ther window.

"Batman-san?!"

"Emilia, stay inside! Don't come out no matter what!"

Batman leaped over the gate and ran through the woods. He jumped from tree to tree, hoping to catch up to Subaru.

"Batman-san! Come in!"

"I hear you! I'll be there soon!"

Then he heard Subaru breath heavily as he tried not to cry.

"It-It's Rem."

"What?!"

"It's Rem! She's trying to kill me!"

"What?! WHY?!"

"She said she doesn't trust me! I-!"

Batman could hear loud sounds over Subaru's voice.

"Subaru?!"

"…AH...AHHHHH! MY LEG!"

Batman's face stiffened as he realized Subaru was in mortal danger.

He used his grappling hook to try and get to his destination faster.

He could still hear everything, Subaru never turning off the comm link. He mostly ignored it, trying to concentrate on reaching Subaru.

Then-

"PLEASE DON'T ACT DUMB!"

Batman heard Rem's voice scream.

"TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE WHO REEKS OF THE WITCHES' SCENT THIS MUCH HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH THE WITCH'S CULT, THERE IS A LIMIT TO HOW BRAZEN YOU CAN BE! THIS EVIL FOUL STENCH THAT BRINGS ME ABSOLUTE DISGUST!"

Batman ignored it at that point as he marched forward.

But then he heard Subaru speak once again. He spoke of things that maids seemed to have done for him. But...

"I'm talking about the things both of you gave me."

"Rem doesn't remember anything like that."

"-WHY DON'T YOU REMEMBER?! WHY IS EVERYONE GROUPING UP JUST TO LEAVE ME BEHIND?! WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG?! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! ...WHY DO YOU PEOPLE HATE ME SO MUCH?!"

Batman could clearly hear the pain and sadness in his voice. The tracer was close. He was close. He could hear his voice in the distance.

"I…really lov-!"

Then silence.

Batman leaped over some trees to look down at the situation.

He saw Natsuki Subaru with his throat sliced away. He was dead.

His tears were sliding down his face, mixing with the blood that was leaking from his grisly wound.

Rem and Ram walked over to his dead body.

"Nee-sama, that was completely unnecessary. Rem would have made the rat talk."

"Be that as it may, we were only sent by Roswaal-sama to ascertain if he was a threat."

"Rem knew he was no good. He was sitting on the hill there ready to kill us all. The knife he had was proof enough."

"…Either way, we will now have to dispose of his bod-."

Just then, a shadow appeared on Subaru's corpse. The twin maids looked up to see Batman charging down at them.

With furious eyes staring down at them.

Rem used her Morningstar to try and swat him away. This failed as he glided past it throwing a smoke bomb at the floor.

It exploded releasing smoke all over. Ram used a powerful wind attack to blow it away.

However…

"HAKKK! AKKKKK!"

Rem had mucus coming out of her nose, tears were falling from her eyes and she was coughing up a storm.

She was affected badly by the tear gas.

In her state, she was unable to see Batman's fist. It collided with her cheek. Several of her back teeth shattered on impact. Most of these fragments fell into her throat causing her even more pain. The hit sent her flying, crashing through a tree as it collapsed on top of her.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Ram waved her hand at him, releasing a powerful wind attack towards him he effortlessly moved out of the way. He threw four batarangs on the floor next to her feet. They exploded launching her petite body into the air. Batman jumped to her and unleashed a flurry of punches.

One of the punches caused her ribs to break. One of her ribs punctured right into one of her lungs.

Out of breath Ram couldn't focus. Batman grabbed her arm and swung her into the ground. The impact caused her shoulder bones to crack.

Batman then placed a Taser on her body and activated it. Her body convulsed in pain as the voltage tore away at her body.

"GET AWAY FROM NEE-SAMA!"

The Morningstar returned, charging towards Batman. Batman rolled away from it. The Morningstar then turned as Rem pulled on it again to return to her.

Batman threw a Batarang at it, getting stuck as it pierced the iron sphere.

When it reached Rem, she pulled it back, intent on thrusting it again at him.

She had a vicious look on her face and blood pouring from her mouth.

When the Morningstar was next to her, Batman activated the bomb on the Batarang. The Morningstar exploded sending pieces flying everywhere.

Most of them pierced Rem.

Her entire right side was now covered in shards and pieces of her weapon. Her right ear was completely torn away, a shard impaled her right eye and her nose was bleeding nonstop.

Rem roared loudly as a glowing horn suddenly appeared on her forehead.

Rem charged at him, her speed increased and even her strength. She held on tightly to her chain, ready to beat Batman to death with it.

This would not happen.

Batman activated a button on his glove. Electricity funneled through his hands. He charged at Rem. Rem attempted kick him; he dodged it and hit her on her injured side. The metal pieces were useful, as they would easily cause more electricity to flow inside of Rem.

Rem screamed at the pain. She clenched a fist intending on crushing his head. He then pulled out small pellets out of his utility belt and threw them at her. They exploded on impact and caused her to lose her balance.

Batman then pulled out a Batarang and charged at her. She then fired an ice spear at him. He sliced away at it, until he was only inches away from her.

She tried to once again to stab him with an ice spear.

He dodged it, got close…and used his Batarang to slice off Rem's horn.

He figured her horn was absorbing energy from the air and thus without it, she would lose her abilities.

He eyes went dark and she fell to the ground.

"YOU SCUM!"

Ram was able to get the Taser off of her, and had tears in her eyes. She felt anger in seeing her sister defeated, but also to know that her horn was lost as well.

She fired countless attacks screaming as she did.

"FULA! FULA! EL FULA! DIE YOU FILTH! DIE!"

Batman continuously dodged her wind attacks, until finally he had enough.

He pulled out a large gun from his waist and fired it as he leapt away from one last wind slash.

When it fired…a beam of ice shot out of it. It was a replica of Mr. Freeze's very own weapon, one that Batman had created long ago.

"WHAT?!"

Ram's entire lower half was completely frozen in ice. She tried to cut away at it.

"WH-!"

Batman jumped over to her and unleashed a massive punch. His fist completely smashed into her face. The impact actually freed her from the ice.

She was sent flying to a tree that caved in from her crashing into it.

Ram tried to get up…but she slumped back and fell, losing consciousness.

Batman tied them up and threw them on his shoulders. He began to carry them, along with Subaru's corpse.

He then summoned the Batwing to him and tied the girls to it, while he carried Subaru's body inside with him to the cockpit.

He then gave a sad heart-rending look as he headed back to the mansion.

The Batwing arrived flying over the mansion. It first dropped off the twin maids…harshly on the ground below. Batman then landed it and jumped out.

He then stormed into the mansion dragging the unconscious maids with him inside.

"ROSWAAL!"

Roswaal was then turning the corner and looked down in utter shock at the sight.

"Whaaaat have you done Batman?"

"What have I done? I think the person who should be answering that is you!"

"What ever doooo you mean?"

"…Your maids here killed Subaru."

"…"

"And on the day we first met you said that the mistakes made by them reflected on you! And in this case, you've a killed good b-…no, a good man. You deserve whatever comes next."

"Ohhhhh, and you believe that one such as yourself can actually bring me harm? Iiiiiis that right…well I can asssssure you that it won't be that eaaaasy."

"No, it is."

Batman fired something out of his pocket.

It was a grappling hook, he fired it next to Roswaal, launching his body towards him. He tossed the tied up twin maids aside as he flew to him.

"Hmph. Leeeeet me show you the extent of power a Magrave has!"

Roswaal raised a palm as fire sprouted forth.

"AL GOA!"

A fire blast shot out at him.

Roswaal smiled as he witnessed the fire blast engulf his field of vision.

"You're finished."

Roswaal heard a voice come from behind and as he turned around to see-

Batman had placed a Taser on his back.

"UGAHHHHHH!"

Massive volts of electricity surged throughout his body and he fell onto the floor. He was then kicked in the jaw. His body launched into the air and was met with a flurry of punches to his abdomen. Until a solid uppercut to his already injured jaw sent him flying into an empty room.

Roswaal began to pick himself up again, only for the Taser to activate again and he fell back down again.

When he grasped his chest that was when he noticed it.

"Wait…NO. NONONONONO!"

Something was missing from his left pocket, something that was utterly vital to his very existence.

"Looking for this?"

Batman held out a small black book in front of himself.

It was Roswaal's Book of Wisdom.

"….RETURN THAT TO ME AT ONCE!"

"Is this what Subaru died for? A book that can see into the future?"

"How did you…?"

"I've been listening in on your conversations with Ram the entire time. This thing came up twice."

"…GIVE IT BACK. LEST YOU WISH TO BE BURNED AWAY TO A CINDER!"

"Alright then."

Batman tossed the book back at Roswaal.

Roswaal caught it with hands with an ecstatic look to his face.

Then a Batarang hit the back of the book.

It then exploded.

Ram and Rem had awoken in the middle of the night; having had been freed from their constraints by Emilia. Emilia left a note revealing she heard Batman and Roswaal's conversation, the fact that maids killed Subaru. She wrote that though she was grateful for the help, in the end, she did not want help from a group of liars and murderers. Thus, she returned to her original home in Elior Forest.

Ram was the most shocked by this, and then she realized someone would need to know about this shocking development.

She ran with all her might upstairs, only to see the door to an empty room smashed in. When she peered inside, she saw him.

"Roswaal-sama!"

But when she got closer she saw his condition.

Several of his lower teeth were missing, he had a swollen left eye and scorch marks on his face. His eyes were downcast and crazed as he was looking down at the floor.

Ram looked down to see it.

The Book of Wisdom was destroyed. Burned to ashes.

Roswaal slowly began to stand up.

"Roswaal-sama."

"It is over…my plans are undone. My wishes and dreams are destroyed. All that I have sacrificed is meaningless now. I cannot see her again…"

Then Roswaal grinned madly, a gleam of light reflecting in his eyes.

"AND IT'S ALL HIS FAULT."

Ram was frightened by his look, as she took a step back.

"Yesssss, I must find him. The only thing I have noooooow is revenge. I will find him and I will tear him apaaaart. He will die in agony over this fatal mistake he has made."

Roswaal then began to float in the air as he zoomed past Ram and headed for the main door.

"Roswaal-sama! Wait-!"

"The contract iiiiis undone. Dooooo as you wish. I'm done here."

Rem, who struggled to get back up, saw Roswaal fly past her and out the door.

Ram chased after him with what little strength she had left.

"No! Please come back! Don't leave me! Take me with you! PLEASE!"

She reached out her hand to try and grab him.

He shot into the air and flew away into the far distance.

Ram fell to her knees and continued looking up at the sky.

"Noooooo."

Ram then placed her head into her hands and began to cry uncontrollably.

Two months passed as Ram and Rem, were traversing a snowy mountain in Gusteko.

For the past few weeks, Rem and Ram had followed the path their Master had taken. They followed sightings of both Roswaal and the Batwing, until they had made it to Gusteko.

They were at a small village when they learned that several villagers heard a large battle occur on one of the adjacent mountains.

It went on for a full two days, until it just stopped.

Rem and Ram were halfway up the mountain when they decided to take a break and have a meal. They then pulled out some magic stones and swallowed them.

Because both sisters had lost their horns, they had no choice but to so this. They would allow the stones to absorb mana from the air and then consume them. It was nasty and it hurt their stomachs. But they had to do it if they wanted to survive.

They began moving again. They put the hoods of their cloaks on...when Rem saw it.

"Nee-sama…"

She pointed ahead of them at something they recognized.

It was the left wing of the Batwing. Smoke still coming out of it.

"...Roswaal-sama…"

Ram sprinted up the mountain, past her sister.

When she reached the top, she saw something that brought great comfort to her.

"...He did it. I knew he could."

It was the corpse of Batman. Wearing some destroyed armor and a hole where his chest would be. Sitting with his back on a boulder.

His eyes were closed, looking as if he was merely asleep.

Ram stepped closer to him and leered at him.

"Good riddance..."

She spit in his face. His corpse was unable to defend against it.

"Roswaal-sama did it. Rem! He has done it. He has killed the one who has brought us great harm! The one who took him away from us...I hope he died in agony…"

Rem was quiet. Not saying a word.

"Rem, what are you…"

"Nee-sama…"

Rem pointed in the other direction.

There, sitting next to another boulder was the body of Roswaal.

His entire left side was burned away and a Batarang impaled his left eye.

The two men had killed each other.

"No…"

Ram stumbled over to his body, tears falling from her red eyes, devoid of light.

"No. Nonononono. NOOOOOO!"

Ram fell over clutching the snow on the floor. Tears fell from her eyes nonstop, her cries getting louder and louder.

"Oh Nee-sama…"

Rem joined in on her crying. She put a hand on her back, trying best to comfort her.

"Rem is sorry…"

Everything was gone.

Their home was abandoned. Later looted and burned down by the surviving Irlham Villagers.

Their master, having lost his hope and his dreams ruined. Turned mad and lost his life in that madness.

Her sister lost someone she loved and was now lost to her own sadness, one that could never be healed.

Emilia was gone, returned to her old home in self-loathing and anger.

"What does Rem do…?"

Tears continued to fall from her face.

The snow continued to grace the mountain. Blanketing everything.

Rem, Ram and the corpses of Bruce Wayne and Roswaal L. Mathers were soon covered in it.

Subaru had awoken in his bed. Screaming and lashing out, his hand banging on the bed frame, gnashing and cutting deep into it. His fingernails were nearly coming off.

Something held him down.

"Dear Guest, Dear Guest have you finally calmed down?"

"Dear Guest, Dear Guest has your struggle come to an end?"

Subaru saw it was Rem and Ram.

The two who had killed him.

After only a few seconds, Subaru remembered to scream.

The third loop, one filled nothing but death and despair...had come to an end.