#soulboundif

Snippet:

“To accept one another..”

kill her!

kill her!

“To forgive one another!”

Reinhard walks forward with slow but steady footsteps. His hand positioned and ready to strike.

kill her!

“To become one!”

There was a distant shout of his name drowned out by the screaming voices of the people of Priestella chanting for Reinhard to kill the archbishop.

“Yes, that is the purest form of love!”

“Kill her!”

Reinhard heard Subaru’s voice— that stood out amongst the chaos, that screamed at him to kill the archbishop. Immediately trusting the words of his dear friend with his arm poised for an attack. Reinhard finally made a clear slash and the deed was done.

“Ah… what a kind world.”

At an instant dead bodies had surrounded the Sword Saint.

“No..” The knight whispered in horror.

Reinhard looked in front of him in alarm as the bodies of the people slumped down, reflecting wounds the same as the archbishop of wrath. That couldn’t possibly be it. He.. he had only wanted to harm the evil witch cultist. Lachins… the innocent people he should have protected.. He did not mean to—

His gaze then immediately focused on his friend Subaru who lay on the ground with his body split in half sharing the same fate as the archbishop.

Reinhard dropped to his knees in agony. As he cautiously— with shaky arms, reached for his now dead friend.

Rachins… Subaru… the innocent civilians.. he had been far too reckless!

He failed everyone.

A distant and familiar buzz came at the back of his mind but all he could focus on was the bloody Subaru in his arms and the little boy next to him who his friend had successfully rescued. The blood stained his white pristine uniform. Dead bodies littered around him with the pungent smell of blood as pure dread and self loath filled the Sword Saint even more. Subaru was the real hero who had done so much for the people. He had called for Reinhard, he— he believed in Reinhard only for his life to immediately end just like that.

By Reinhard’s already bloodied hands.

Muffled voices grew nearer but all Reinhard felt was the dreadful feeling of numbness.

“Let go, I suppose—!”

“No..!!”

The voice of a woman had pierced through the rather cold air as Reinhard let himself be pushed off to the cold unforgiving ground— away from Subaru.

It was all his fault.

Reinhard had chosen to ignore the muffled screams, the anguished cries and the terror-filled reactions.

It was all his fault.

He ignored the distant calls of his name.

His Honored Grandfather had always been right, he is a monster.

“—Reinhard?”

That all too familiar voice had spoken and it felt as though his entire body had froze in disbelief.

Surely not…

In front of the knight was a Subaru with his body still intact— staring at him with horror-filled eyes.

Has Reinhard finally gone mad?

Hah. What a joke this must be.

“Reinhard… Buddy?”

It was as if Od itself decided to pull a prank on him! To make him suffer for his sins.

Reinhard immediately closed in their distance as his hands went and gripped on his friend’s shoulders. It felt wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Why is he translucent? Why couldn’t he hear a heartbeat? Where was his warmth? Why does he not feel like Subaru at all?

There is only one explanation, simply it is not Subaru who was currently in front of him because…..

Because Natsuki Subaru is already dead, the proof being his actual dead body surrounded by his loved ones. So, surely, the Subaru in front of him had to be a fake. Had his countless sins finally decided to take form and haunt him? He supposed he deserved this as he was nothing but a failure as a son, as a friend and now as a Sword Saint who swore to protect the lives of innocent people. What was all there left for him?

Reinhard then widened his eyes, no no no even if he had failed, he is still not far too gone! His.. his Lady is safe and is surely still out there somewhere!

In his haste, he ran and—

A pained guttural scream halted his movements.

He saw the same fake Subaru crumble to the ground, as its hands were grasping desperately on its chest- choking and thrashing and thrashing around in what seemed to be in pain.

….It looked too real.

He— he can't just leave him like this.

Reinhard immediately ran back to the fake Subaru writhing painfully on the ground.

Everything hurts.

Subaru was no stranger to pain, having experienced terrible deaths and injuries throughout his journey ever since being isekai’d in another world. But this pain in particular managed to have a place in his top ten worse pain experienced ever! Managed to rank even higher than those damned bunnies! It was excruciating, he needs it to stop. Subaru doesn’t even have any clue what triggered it in the first place, he needs help. But who would help him? He looked down at his transluscent figure remembering his time when he was allowed to partake the trial. Excepr this was clearly not the trial where he can simply call out to Echidna or any of the witches. It tore his heart to pieces when not even his Emilia-tan or adorable Beako could see or hear him.

He squeezed his eyes as he avoided to look at how people he loves most are currently holding his dead body.

“Reinhard..” He gasped out in agony.

And as if the pain did not exist at all, the awful sensation then subsided. Letting out a gasp of shock he looked up and saw his red-haired friend who came back for him. And never had Subaru felt so relieved at seeing those striking blue eyes look at him, to actually see him.

“You… you can see me right?”