…
{ 3rd Pov }
Subaru's eyelids fluttered open.
"You're finally awake!" Emilia waid with relief in her voice. He turned his head and saw her gently holding his hand.
"Emilia?" he mumbled, confused.
Her expression darkened. "Why did you accept a duel with Sir Julius?"
"Lady Emilia… from what I've heard, he beat Julius so badly that the knight nearly died," Rem said.
Emilia sighed, her grip tightening slightly. "Yes, and now the Council of Wise Men and Lady Anastasia are demanding he be punished."
Subaru sat up slowly, Memories of the duel began flooding back…
'What was that? Another- no two new abilities!' he thought, narrowing his eyes.
At first, he felt something surrounding his body- radiating around him in hundred of meters in every direction.
He tried to manipulate it—harnessing the energy to reinforce his body and the wooden sword.
That time, he also awakened something else within—a wild, unbridled energy that surged through his entire body.
He took control of it, using it to enhance his physical strength without relying on magic, and unleashed a devastating blow against Julius.
Looking back, he realized– Maybe he had gone too far.
"What happened to Julius?" he asked.
Emilia answered, "According to Sir Felix, several of his bones were broken—especially his ribs and spine. If Felix hadn't healed him in time, he might have been paralyzed... or worse, dead."
Subaru took a deep breath upon hearing that. Julius had been far too persistent, especially considering he was behaving much better than the original. Still, it seemed to irk him.
'I am happy he isn't dead… That would have been bad' he thought, despite how bad Julius treated him, he shouldn't receive death.
"Will he recover?"
"He will," replied Reina, entering the room with a tray of food.
"I have made this mutton soup, fried pork with vegetables myself using my Divine Protection," she said as she placed the food on the table beside him
"Sir Julius will make a complete recovery… There is no need for you to worry" she said, grabbing his hand to comfort him.
He nodded, then looked at her. "Thanks, but why did you go through the trouble to make the food for me when Rem could have prepared it?"
"My Divine Protection not only makes food more delicious but also more nutritious," she said, a faint blush on her cheeks. "And since you were so exhausted, I wanted to help by preparing it myself."
Subaru became silent… Reina was really too kind to him, he even hadn't done anything special to deserve such affection from her.
"T-Thank you" he replied as he took the spoon and tasted the soup.
His eyes lit up, as the rich taste invaded his body, as if firing cannons and blasting every molecule of him, filling him with joy.
"This is Delicious!" he said and she smiled "Really? Then I am happy!"
Rem remained silent, her gaze fixed on Reina. :Could it be… is Miss Reina in love with Master Zero?' she wondered, suspiciously.
Reina was so close to Zero, preparing his meals and showing him such affection. Rem was bewildered to see Sword Saint acting like this.
She had even heard that Reina stood up for Zero, despite knowing it would make enemies of the entire nobility and the Royal Knights.
No one goes to such lengths for another without a special reason—and Reina wasn't the type to do so for any man. It was clear she was in love with him.
Emilia meanwhile had no inkling of Reina's true feelings towards Subaru.
Meanwhile, Puck appeared and said, "Zero, you really caused a scene in front of the entire nation."
Subaru chuckled. "That I did."
"With you beating Julius that horribly, our relationship with the Anastasia camp has hit a freezing point," Roswaal said as he entered the room.
Everyone turned toward him.
"I didn't inteeerrupt anything… did I?" Roswaal asked with a wide, mischievous smile.
"To think the faaamed Swooooord Saint would stoop to the humble task of cooking for someone," he added in a sly tone, eyes gleaming as they drifted toward Subaru's plate.
"Sir Roswaal, I'm very disappointed with how you acted during the conference," Reina said sharply, her eyes narrowing into a glare.
"Why didn't you stand up for Miss Emilia… and Zero?" she demanded, her voice laced with accusation.
"Whateeeever I wouuuld have saaaaid would've been useeeless," Roswaal replied with a dramatic shrug. Reina clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Miss Reina," Emilia said gently, stepping in to diffuse the tension, "while I do appreciate you standing up for me… I don't think the fault lies with Roswaal."
After a bit more discussion, the room slowly quieted, and Subaru was finally left alone to rest.
…
"Julius," Anastasia murmured softly, gently stroking his cheek.
Crusch was also in the room, seated nearby, as it was Felix who had healed Julius.
"I thank you, Miss Crusch. If not for Sir Felix… I don't know what would've happened,"
Anastasia said with a rare note of sincerity.
"You naturally have a favor from me—if it concerns money or business, just name it."
They both understood—despite Felix's pure intentions, their camps were still rivals. And now that Felix had aided them, a debt had been created. One they couldn't ignore.
However, Anastasia made it clear that the favour could only pertain to money or business—nothing more.
Crusch nodded thoughtfully and said, "I didn't know that man was this strong."
"His name's strange too… Zero," Ricardo added with a grunt.
"At first, I thought he was just a loud-mouthed fellow with a bit of cunning… but this? This changes everything," Anastasia said, her eyes narrowing.
Crusch nodded in agreement. "He even forced the Wise Men to revise some of the Royal Selection's rules. And while you and I remain the most favoured candidates, that Half-Elf… her image has shifted. Somewhat."
"Did he really not use magic?" Ricardo asked, eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Felix shook his head. "I didn't sense any magic at all—and even the Sword Saint vouched for him."
"Sir Wilhelm told me that during his spar with Zero, he teleported, yet there was no distortion in mana," Crusch added calmly, her words making everyone in the room pause. "As if he hadn't used magic at all."
"Must be a Divine Protection." Ricardo muttered, shrugging but clearly unsettled.
Anastasia folded her arms, her expression serious. "Our biggest concern shouldn't be how strong that man is… but what his relationship is with the Sword Saint."
Crusch glanced at her, a knowing gleam in her eyes. "I may have an inkling," she said, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"He's the only disciple of the Sword Saint! According to Old Man Wilhelm, he himself admitted that his swordsmanship was taught by her!" Crusch declared, completely sure of her claim.
"Really? No one goes that far for a student… Rather, she would've beaten him down for acting like he did," Anastasia countered, raising an eyebrow.
" Nyah~ Is it just me, or does it seem like Sword Saint-ya is in love with him?" Felix chimed in with a teasing grin—stunning the entire room into silence.
"Indeed! It should have been this simple!" Crusch said, clenching her fists in frustration.
"That does make sense now. If he's her mate… then of course she wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who tries to harm him," Ricardo muttered, eyes widening as the pieces started to fit.
"Now this makes things worse," Anastasia said, her eyes narrowing as she processed the situation. "If the Sword Saint is really in love with him, that means the Half-Elf has the support of Roswaal L. Mathers, the Sword Saint, and that boy himself."
"Indeed," Crusch replied, her expression growing slightly horrified. "Having the Court Magician and the Sword Saint on her side is like having half of Lugunica's battle strength backing her."
Anastasia leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with determination. "So, I have a deal," she said, capturing everyone's attention.
"We're far ahead of our competitors, but Sword Saint and that boy's involvement could change everything. Therefore, we must form a mutual alliance to tackle them head-on," Anastasia proposed, her voice firm and commanding.
"An alliance, you say? As of now, we're the biggest competitors and the best candidates," Crusch pointed out, crossing her arms.
The purple-haired girl nodded in agreement. "Indeed, and with our alliance, we'll topple any threat from the other candidates. We'll form a contract so we can't betray each other, and in the end, our separate efforts will be the deciding factor in our victory."
"If we were to go against each other, the other three candidates—especially Emilia—would benefit, which we cannot afford," Anastasia concluded, her gaze steely.
"Very well, a fine proposition, if you ask me," Crusch said after a moment, extending her hand for a handshake. "Though the terms of the contract must be decided."
With that, the alliance between the two strongest camps was officially established.
…
Subaru pondered the power he had used.
He closed his eyes and focused. Soon, he felt it—an unbridled energy flowing throughout his body.
As he tried to control it, he found it difficult. However, diverting its flow was much easier.
His fists began to glow, a surge of strength flooding his being.
Then, he realized something else—an aura was continuously being released from his body, completely enveloping him. It was as if his very presence was radiating with power.
He willed it to compress, and it obeyed. The aura, once sprawling hundreds of meters wide, began to condense within him, becoming visibly denser.
The aura took on a rainbow hue, its colors shifting and blending, a clear sign that it was a mixture of various types.
Undoubtedly, it was Aura.
A luminous radiation that surrounded people. The color and size of one's aura could vary, but it was universally understood to be a form of life energy—a manifestation of vitality itself.
A spiritual counterpart to its physical counterpart, which he had also awakened—Ki.
Both were undoubtedly powerful energies, and Subaru never imagined he would awaken them. After all, the very concept of Aura or Ki didn't exist in the Re:Zero universe.
Or rather, it had been overshadowed by the presence of Mana and Divine Blessings.
'Then again, why didn't anyone ever awaken Aura or Ki?' he pondered, his mind racing through possibilities.
After thinking for a bit, he realized there was a crucial condition for using both of these energies—robust vitality. Without a strong foundation of health and life force, neither Aura nor Ki could be harnessed effectively. It was a demanding energy, one that required the body to be in peak condition to channel and control properly.
Not to mention, one also needed an extraordinarily powerful and vast reserve of Aura to even begin utilizing it properly.
In the world of Re:Zero, while people were undeniably strong, their strength primarily stemmed from Divine Protections and the manipulation of Mana. Their power was granted or borrowed—not something inherently born within them.
No one, aside from Authority users, possessed enough vitality to surpass their natural lifespan. Even the famed Sword Saints, as legendary as they were, eventually succumbed to old age.
Secondly, Aura wasn't just about vitality—it was deeply rooted in one's spirituality. And that was an even rarer trait. Most people simply didn't meet the criteria. Their spirits weren't aligned, balanced, or strong enough to manifest something as raw and pure as Aura.
'Even if I'm wrong, I shouldn't be far from the truth,' he thought, his breath hitching slightly.
He now had four distinct energy manipulation capabilities—each one covering an aspect of his being, erasing every weakness he once had.
Psychic Energy for the Mind.
Ki Energy for the Body.
Aura for the Spiritual Body or Soul.
Magic for Elemental and Conceptual Manipulation.
If he could learn to control all of them properly…
He started panting—whether from excitement or anticipation, even he couldn't tell… The possibilities were endless.
'Even if I'm not as strong as Reina… I can become the second or third strongest after Satella!' he thought, eyes widening with a mix of disbelief and ambition.
'And that's not even counting how versatile and powerful these energies truly are!'
Psychic Energy—at its peak—could manipulate matter, bend reality, even shatter the laws of physics.
Ki—if trained to levels seen in DBZ—could burst planets, even universes, with sheer physical force alone.
He shivered, not from fear, but from the overwhelming potential brewing inside him.
Aura—if honed to the level of characters from Tensura—could destroy even concepts, erasing ideas, laws, and existences themselves from the very fabric of reality.
Magic, meanwhile… was practically limitless.
It could bend, create, even redefine concepts.
The only boundary was imagination and knowledge.
And now, he had access to all four.
"Now that I notice, I'm still feeling a tug in my soul… a connection of sorts?" he muttered, recognizing the same subtle pull he'd felt ever since his most recent death.
Closing his eyes, he focused.
The space around him distorted—rippling unnaturally—as a dark, viscous blob materialized before him. Without hesitation, he dipped his hand into it.
He felt… nothing. Not even the sensation of his hand.
Yet instead of panicking, he pushed deeper, driven by instinct.
Suddenly, his fingers wrapped around something solid—something like… a hilt.
He pulled it out.
A black, shimmering blade emerged in his hand.
Subaru breath caught in his throat as he stared at it—eyes wide, hand trembling—not from fear, but awe.
Power radiated from the sword in waves, like it was alive, resonating with his very soul. The air around it distorted faintly, space itself seeming to bend around the blade.
It was a sword born of shadow and silence.
A weapon capable of cutting through space itself, bending reality, and commanding the essence of darkness.
It was the Yin Sword.
___
To be continued…
(A/N: I have checked, the gapping in previous chapter was because the formatting was causing the issue and to be honest, the chap in inkstone isn't showing any issues, so yeah I will have to delete the chaps and re-upload them to solve the issue, for now I am uploading the proof-readed chapter this time, not keeping the format same.
I hope it solves the issue.
Secondly those of you who are complaining on MC being dense, first Due to the Divine blessing of Reina her face doesn't shows any hint of shyness, blush, and emotion most of the time.
Subaru is indeed suspicious about her feelings, and by now he is sure.
We must remember, Reina is supposed to be friendless, and Reinhardt in original became Subaru's friend very quickly and was willing to help him, though not as forceful as Reina.
FOR THE FINAL TIME! TELL ME HOW IS THE PROOFREADING! NOTE THAT THE PROOFREADER HAS INCREASED THE WORD COUNT!
TELL ME WHETHER TO KEEP HIM OR NOT, IF YES, THEN THE CHAPS ARE GOING TO BE DELAYED TILL NEXT WEEK SO HE CAN DO THE PROOFREADING.
Give your powerstones anyway, otherwise i will delay it by one week(Yes that's a threat))