I'm his friend

Tanaka dashed through the mansion, his footsteps echoing the urgency that thudded in his chest. Internally, he couldn't help but ponder whether Subaru's departure was somehow linked to his presence.

"Fuck! Did this happen because of me?"

Tanaka couldn't help but think that he was the cause of this drastic development. The fact that him and Subaru didn't meet resulted in the latter choosing an alternative choice as reward.

"He chose to work here because he chose me as a reference."

The reason why Subaru might have decided to become a servant in the recent loops might have been because of Tanaka, and without him knowing about the latter's presence here, he decided to rest a bit as a guest, get a money bag and then leave.

"Fuck! Fuck! What exactly is he planning to do."

His thoughts raced alongside his footsteps as he rapidly descended the stairs. Finally, he reached the first floor, only to collide head-on with Ram and Emilia, who were both taken aback by his sudden appearance.

Ram, wearing her characteristic scowl, was the first to speak. "Tanuki? What are you doing here?"

"Who is this person?"

Still caught in the grip of his urgency, Tanaka wasted no time with pleasantries. His voice trembled as he inquired, "Subaru... Do you know where Subaru went?"

The mention of Subaru's name took Ram by surprise, as they knew nothing about him. Her voice tinged with suspicion as she asked, "The guest? Tanuki, what do you know about him?"

Emilia, too, was taken aback by the stranger's knowledge of Subaru. Her eyes widened in surprise as she inquired, "You know Subaru?"

In his hurry, Tanaka gave a brisk response before posing his question. "Yes, I know him. He used to live near my house. Anyway, Beatrice said that he left the mansion. Do you know where he's going?"

The presence of the minor spirits didn't go unnoticed by Emilia and Ram. Both of them displayed their astonishment at the ethereal entities.

(This Emilia expressing her surprise) "What are the minor spirits doing here?"

Ram, too, expressed her confusion. "Why are the minor spirits here? Tanuki, what's going on?"

Growing increasingly impatient, Tanaka couldn't waste more time with explanations. He urgently stated, "Augh, I don't have time for this. Let's go, guys..."

But then he noticed something important

"Wait... Where's Rem?"

Tanaka's alarm grew as he noticed her absence, and his urgency intensified.

Ram, faced with a barrage of questions in a short period, was feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Rem went to the village to buy chores. Tanuki, what's going on?"

Upon hearing her answer, Tanaka couldn't shake an ominous feeling that had taken hold of him.

"I have a bad feeling; I need to go."

The minor spirits, sensing his urgency, took the lead as Tanaka followed them with determined strides.

Ram tried to call out for him. However, he didn't pause to respond, leaving before she could finish her sentence. She called after him, "Wait, where are you goi..."

Without wasting any more time, Tanaka headed towards the mansion's door and swiftly departed.

As he kept running, chasing the spirits that were leading him, his thoughts raced through his head, desperately attempting to connect the current pieces of information he held. His past deaths in the previous loops, the sudden disappearance of Subaru, and the absence of Rem all seemed to point to one doomy conclusion.

"Subaru... He's in danger."

If the reason for his previous death had indeed been suspicion arising from his unknown origins, then the same deduction would likely apply to Subaru, who, like him, hailed from the same world.

With his heart pounding in his chest, he couldn't help but add a silent plea, "I hope I'm wrong."

Tanaka's breaths came in ragged gasps as he continued his frenzied sprint. He passed the village and ascended several hills that eventually led him to a dense forest. Here, the trees crowded together, obscuring his vision as he navigated the unfamiliar terrain. After what felt like an eternity of running, he finally came to a halt, bending over to catch his breath.

He turned his face towards the spirits, looking for some reassurance.

"Hah, Hah... Are you guys sure you know where you're going?"

The spirits responded with positive signals, instilling him with a modicum of reassurance.

He felt the burn in his lungs; Tanaka knew that lacked stamina. Despite his above-average confidence in athletic abilities, stamina was the chink in his armor.

"Grasp... Hah, I really should stop smoking.."

Navigating the forest, Tanaka and the spirits kept pressing forward, stepping on branches, leaping over ditches, and carefully choosing their path on uneven terrain.

Suddenly, a strange, foreboding sensation had crept over him in the mountains was punctuated by the echoing sound of chains connecting iron balls.

An unexpected resonance of a colossal impact shook the forest. Trees quivered, their leaves rustling in a chaotic manner, and birds scattered into the sky. The ground beneath Tanaka's feet vibrated with the aftershocks, sending shivers up his spine. It wasn't just a sound; it was a palpable force that reverberated through the foliage, disturbing the natural serenity of the woodland.

"What just happened?

Tanaka's voice broke through the eerie stillness, but the forest remained silent, as if holding its breath in response.

In the wake of the impact, the spirits, too, seemed disturbed, their luminous forms exhibiting signs of panic. Urgently, they gestured for Tanaka to follow, compelling him to navigate the forest in haste.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

A chilling scream reverberated through the air, cutting through the eerie silence of the forest. The sound crawled up Tanaka's spine, raising the hair on the back of his neck. Without a moment's hesitation, he surged forward, following the haunting trail of the scream.

As the trees began to thin, revealing a nightmarish tableau, Tanaka's eyes widened in horror. Subaru, sprawled on the ground, his leg severed and blood staining the once-vibrant greenery. The air hung heavy with the metallic tang of blood, and the sight made Tanaka sick to his core. He instinctively clamped a hand over his mouth, fighting back the urge to vomit.

"Are involved with the witch cult?"

The words reached his ears, but they were drowned out by the gruesome scene before him. Subaru's pain-filled groans, the pooling blood, and the twisted reality of violence unfolding in the serene forest created a surreal, macabre atmosphere.

Driven by shock and disbelief, Tanaka tried to make sense of the horrifying sight. The realization hit him like a physical blow—the very person he sought was now a victim, mutilated and left to suffer.

As he stood there, paralyzed by the gruesome scene, his presence was finally noticed by Rem and Subaru. Rem, with her heightened senses, detected him first. She turned her gaze toward him, eyes widening in a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. 

Subaru, despite his agony, also turned his head in the direction of the newcomer. Pain and confusion were etched across his face, his eyes struggling to focus on Tanaka as if questioning the reality of the moment.

"Tanaka? What are you doing here?"

"Wha..." His attention was drawn to Rem's voice, pulling him out of the surreal shock. The intensity of the situation surged through him, manifesting in a desperate yell.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING??" Tanaka's voice trembled with a mixture of anger, panic, and disbelief.

Rem, still holding her weapon, stared back at him, her expression unreadable.

"Why are you doing this?" Tanaka demanded, his voice more desperate now, searching for any semblance of reason.

"Did Roswaal ask you to do this?"

Rem's silence hung heavily in the air, prompting Tanaka to press further.

"Does Ram know about this?"

Rem's response was a low, almost inaudible admission, "My sister doesn't know. Rem took this action on her own."

The revelation struck Tanaka like a thunderbolt, leaving him utterly stunned.

"What?"

Tanaka's mind was a whirlwind of confusion as he struggled to process Rem's words. She had acted independently, why? For what reason?

"Now is your turn to answer my questions."

Rem, still gripping the bloodied weapon, responded with a chilling calmness, "Did you two plan on coming here together?" 

Tanaka, taken aback, stammered, "Wha.. No!"

"Are you two spies from another camp?"

"No! We are not!"

"Are you two from the witch cult. Now, who are you to him?"

"I know him. He's my friend," Tanaka retorted, his voice laced with urgency and defiance. His eyes were fixed on Subaru, lying on the ground in agony, and he wasn't about to let Rem's accusations stand unchallenged. "So, get the hell away from him."

"He's too suspicious, he carries the witch's scent, he's a threat. And if you are associated with him, then Rem will also consider you a threat."

"Tanaka, Run awa...Aaaagh." His voice was cut short by his own scream as rem struck him again with her weapon.

"Let him go! Whatever you think we are, you are wrong! We are..."

Tanaka felt hesitant to continue, unsure about the accuracy of the information, but the urgency of the situation left him no choice. "We are from beyond the great cascade."

Silence engulfed the scene, an unbearable tension hanging in the air, until Rem's gaze bore into Tanaka, and she cut through the stillness with a cold retort, "Of all the lies you could have said..."

"That's the truth, I swea..."

"Shut your mouth." 

"Your bald-faced lies can only take you so far when the witch's scent lies so thickly upon you."

'Witch's scent' He heard the word witch before but he didn't understand what does it have it do with him.

"It's ridiculous to smell like a witch and has nothing to do with it."

Rem swung her arms down and the corners of her lips curled into an angry expression.

"Isn't it more ridiculous to assume that someone is a part of cult just based on their smell?" He knew almost nothing about this so called witch cult and why does have their smell on him, but even so, it was still absurd to say that he is cultist because he has a scent he didn't even detect. 

"Even if my sister and no one else notices, Rem is the only one who notices the smell! That stench, the lingering scent of the sinner, makes me feel disgusted."

In front of Subaru and Tanaka, who remained silent, Rem bit her lip so hard she was about to gnash her teeth.

"When I watched you conversing with my sister, Rem felt like I would go mad with anger and unrest. Someone associated with the one who has caused my sister so much agony, shamelessly encroaching on the place in which my sister and Rem belong, I can't bear it any longer."

Words that didn't make sense were muttered like grudges, and sighs of resentment were showered on her face.

'Shamelessly encroaching?'

It has been a long time since Tanaka felt like this, it wasn't just frustration, it wasn't .... He was just genuinely pissed.

Being transported to an another world, Tanaka's emotions, a mixture of frustration and anger, boiled beneath the surface. Being accused of coming here willingly while he wanted nothing more than to go back home intensified his resentment.

He couldn't hold back any longer and exploded, "What does that fucking have anything to do with us? We just met you!" His voice, charged with emotion, reverberated through the forest.

Tanaka continued, "You are making your own fucking conclusions!"

"Roswaal-Sama told me to welcome you, so Rem was also watching. But, even the time spent watching over you is no longer painful. My sister pretended to be taking care of you and acted friendly with you. Even if I know you're there!"

'It's not good, words are going through one ear and are exiting the other one.' Tanaka's frustration reached its peak as Rem's words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

His hand, clutching the rock, trembled with fear and desperation. Time was ticking, and Subaru was losing too much blood at a rapid pace. The pallor on his face deepened, his complexion draining like the fading light of dusk. The urgency of the situation weighed heavily on Tanaka as he grappled with a sense of helplessness.

In a desperate attempt, he held a rock and brandished it threateningly. He knew it was a futile and foolish gesture, but desperation had clouded his judgment. The rational decision screamed for him to run away, yet he couldn't just leave, he couldn't just abandon Subaru. The gravity of the situation pressed down on him like a suffocating weight.

"I SAID... GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

His voice, laced with desperation and panic, echoed through the tense air. It was a plea, a final attempt to break through to Rem.

Regardless, Rem remained unswayed by his empty threat, and with a determined swing, she launched her weapon. The morning star hurtled towards Tanaka, and he braced himself for the inevitable impact. Acceptance of his fate settled over him like a heavy shroud.

Clang...

The unexpected sound of a clash pierced the air, disrupting the grim atmosphere. Tanaka, bewildered, looked up to find the minor spirits intervening, intercepting the morning star mid-air. The weapon collided with the blueish light that acted like a shield, causing a resonating clang that echoed through the forest.

"Minor spirits!? And that many!" Rem's eyes widened as he realized the ethereal entities had blocked her attack.

Tanaka, frozen in a moment of impending danger, watched in awe as the spirits, Inside his mind, a whirlwind of thoughts raced. 'They protected me?'

Rem, her eyes reflecting a mixture of astonishment and confusion, stared at the spirits hovering in the air. The intervention of the spirits appeared to be the most shocking event that had transpired in this encounter.

"Who on earth are you?" Rem's question hung in the air, directed at Tanaka and the mysterious entities that had just intervened.

Suddenly, the space seemed to distort, darkness folding his surroundings. His reality began to blur and twist, as if an otherworldly haze had enveloped his vision. The familiar forest and its immediate chaos dissolved into an empty void—a place devoid of light and sound. The once chaotic forest and its immediate turmoil dissolved into an empty void—a realm stripped of familiar sensations.

"It's that thing again."

Tanaka's voice, tinged with a sense of inevitability, resonated within the surreal emptiness. Instinctively, he recognized the unfolding phenomenon. The transition into this peculiar space signified only one undeniable truth: another loop was beginning. He tried to halt his train of thought, to resist contemplating anything until the cycle concluded. It was only a matter of time, and all he had to do was endure. Eventually, it did end.

*********************************************************************************************************

As the transition concluded, Tanaka found himself breathing heavily, the residue of the ordeal still lingering in his senses. "Hah... Hah..."

Surveying his surroundings, he confirmed that he was back in a room—the gentle touch of sunlight caressing his skin, and the melodious symphony of birdsong serenading his ears.

"I made it back?"

The lingering uncertainty in Tanaka's mind prompted a reconsideration of his earlier assumption regarding the cyclic nature of the loops. "It's not a pattern then; it's something different."

This time, the reset had occurred in an abbreviated three-day span, deviating from the accustomed five-day cycle of previous loops. Reflecting on the events that precipitated this reset, Tanaka vividly recalled the culmination.

"Death.."

In the first loop, he had been oblivious to the transition, lost in slumber. The second loop had ended in his demise, only for him to discover the reset afterward. The third loop reached its conclusion with Subaru's brutal confrontation with Rem.

"The way his face looked, I think Subaru might have died because he lost too much blood."

It wasn't just a matter of dumb luck, Tanaka considered that the trigger for the loops might be death.

Out of nowhere, a realization hit Tanaka like a lightning bolt—a sudden recollection that washed over him.

"Wait! Subaru looked like he was aware of my presence, he also called me by my name."

The realization that Subaru, in the throes of death, had not only been aware of his presence but had also called him by name. This led Tanaka to presume an even wilder conclusion, 'He might be looping too'

"I have to talk to him now and confir..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA..."

A chilling scream sliced through the air, pulling Tanaka from his thoughts.

"Subaru!"

Driven by urgency, Tanaka burst out of his room and sprinted through the hallways, with a singular goal in mind: to meet with Subaru. As he approached the door to Subaru's supposed residence, he found the twins standing in front of it, their expressions wrought with anxiety. They noticed Tanaka and hurried towards him. Despite his resentful glare at Rem, he pushed aside his emotions for the moment, reserving them for the impending meeting with Subaru.

"What the hell is going on?" Tanaka demanded as he reached them.

Looking equally perplexed, they explained, "The guest just woke up and suddenly started screaming."

The abnormal behavior only deepened Tanaka's suspicions. Subaru's inexplicable scream seemed to confirm that he, too, just came back from the previous loop.

"Is he alone right now?" Tanaka inquired.

"No, Emilia-Sama is inside with him," Rem replied.

As soon as he received the answer, Tanaka started walking towards the room. The rush etched on his face was undeniable.

"Tanuki? Where are you going?" Ram called out, confusion furrowing her brow.

"I'm going to talk to him, of course," Tanaka responded matter-of-factly, as if it were the most obvious course of action.

The moment he took another step, a strange phenomenon occurred.

Feeling strange, Tanaka hesitated, struggling to say the first word.

Something wasn't right, he thought, and he quickly realized why. It's the sound. The sound disappeared. Sound suddenly disappeared from the world. he could hear his own throbbing heartbeat just moments ago. The voice of the twins that were just calling for him. The cool morning breeze that sneaks in through the open windows filling the hallway with a sense of tranquility.

All of that had completely disappeared from the world. A world without sound is an isolated space where even the word silence is lukewarm.

'--what?'

Was he going to loop again? No... Something was different.

It phenomenon beyond comprehension that suddenly appeared. Unable to move even a single piece of his body, and his thoughts continued to run in confusion.

It was a black mist. For Tanaka, who didn't even have the freedom to blink, its appearance could only be described as sudden. What was even more peculiar was that only the black mist slowly changed its shape. In a world where everything was stagnant, only the black mist slowly changed shape. The outline of the mist, which was so large, gradually became clearer and took a couple of seconds to reach its desired shape.

It looked like a black palm.

The shape-changing mist took the shape of an arm. A floating black arm with five fingers and only the length of the elbow. Then, as if to confirm, he trembled his fingertips and approached Tanaka with a clear intention.

Tanaka saw it off, helpless to do anything, and gasped at the sensation alone.

The black fingertips slipped into Tanaka's chest as if there was nothing to obstruct them. Tanaka could clearly feel the fingertips stroking his internal organs, touching the inner part of the body, stroking the ribs. The palm moved deeper until the fingertips reached the most important organ in the human body.

'--Hey Stop i...'

Before he could even say it in his heart, a shock shook Tanaka to the core of his being.

At that moment, there was no need to explain the intense pain that hit him. Simply, the pain of mercilessly crushing his heart continued to hit Tanaka.

He can't raise his voice. Even shaking in pain is forbidden.

There was only pain. And it brought with it more than just pain, it also left behind a warning to Tanaka that was so grateful that it brought tears to his eyes.

His existence was torn apart by the pain, his consciousness distorted, and his thoughts were torn to shreds to the point that he couldn't even remember what he was trying to do.

"--Tanuki?"

"--a?"

Ram was leaning towards Tanaka, who himself was leaning on the ground.

The moment Tanaka realized this, he let out a long breath. Then, I confirmed that his fingers were moving according to his will, and after a delay, he touched his chest and confirmed from the outside that his heart was beating quietly.

The body moves. There is also a voice and there's no longer any pain in his heart.

But...

The fear is instilled within him.

His voice was very dry, and the words escaped his mouth only one by one, "What.. the fuck!"

His fingertips were trembling, and his entire body was shaking.

'I'm fucking sick of this.'

He was exhausted, he was tired, he was mentally drained of the continuous, inexplicable events that kept occurring.

Despite his instability, Tanaka forced himself up from the ground, still having difficulty breathing, and walks towards the room. Ram attempted to stop him, but Tanaka pushed past and swung the door open.

"Don't worry about...." 

Subaru's words hung in the air, interrupted by the sudden entrance.

All eyes turned toward Tanaka—Emilia, Subaru, and the twins.

Emilia's well-shaped eyebrows gently drew closer, opened her mouth in confusion with her voice somehow hoarse "Em, Who are you?"

Tanaka didn't know how exactly to answer that question. He was out of breath, his expression a mess. Therefore, he gave a response he found was sufficient and suitable for their situation. He raised his head and looked at Subaru, who was also looking at him in awe, then Tanaka raised his hand and pointed a finger at himself.

"I'm his friend."