Re:Zero - Starting Life as a Shinobi in Another World

8

Subaru walked calmly, with Rem three steps behind him, her hands clasped in front and her head bowed.

When they reached the door, Roswaal emerged from inside. "Subaru-kun," he smiled with a clownish grin fitting his makeup, "Reeem, unfortunately Ram doesn’t want to see you. Instead, could you bring me some books?" Before leaving, he patted Subaru's shoulder. "Good luck, Subaruuuu."

The elongation of his name left a strange taste in Subaru's mouth, but he simply nodded and greeted him.

Upon entering, Ram was sitting in a chair. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Subaru. "Sit," she commanded. Subaru sat immediately.

"Ram has some questions for you," she said, still showing anger on her face, as if she would smash the chair over Subaru's head if she got angrier.

"What is it, Nee-sama?"

"Don’t call me that, Barusu," her voice was icy. "I am not part of your family."

"You are my wife’s sister," Subaru said, placing his hands on his knees. "That makes you a part of the family," he said, reading from a textbook.

Ram looked him up and down. "What are your intentions?"

"My marriage to Rem," he said flatly, "is to be a family, to be happy. Everyone should marry, at least once."

"You're talking nonsense. How can someone build a family with someone who tried to kill themselves?" She paused for a moment. "What kind of crazy person are you, Ram wonders."

Ram scrutinized Subaru with disdainful glances. "You are not worthy of my sister. You are a bloody killer. As a Shinobi, you are a worthless dog," she said, every word filled with hatred. "Rem should not be with someone like you."

Subaru shrugged, showing no signs of remorse in his eyes. "I have no regrets for what I did," he said harshly. "After all, I was just doing my job."

Ram stood up in anger. "Did you say you did your job? Is your job to kill people? Is that what you call your job, Barusu?"

"Yes, just like you," Subaru replied, rolling his eyes. "Rem was perfectly calm when she poisoned food or checked if someone was dead." His gaze met Ram's. "Both of you have the eyes of a killer; you're no strangers to killing. So why am I the problem?"

"Not the same. We only deal with threats to the mansion—"

"It’s the same. The only difference is that I killed those with whom I had a blood connection," Subaru said, tilting his head back. "Unlike yours, my clan isn’t exactly human."

"What kind of clan do you think I come from? Know this, the Oni clan is quite harsh—"

"Have you ever been afraid of valuing something because of your clan? Always feared that whenever you obtained something valuable, it was just a game? Or a gift for the pain after losing it? Have you ever wanted to die?" Subaru asked, clenching his teeth.

Ram was momentarily taken aback by Subaru's unexpected outburst. Her eyes shifted from anger to a mocking curiosity. "Death? We, Oni, fight to survive."

"Survival," Subaru chuckled lightly. "Is that survival? Living in constant fear and insecurity? I love Rem and for her, I would even risk death. My clan, my past, even your anger means nothing. I would do anything for her."

Ram hesitated for a moment in the face of Subaru’s determination. "Your words are grand, Barusu. It hasn't even been a week since you met her, and you say you value her so madly?"

"Yes, because I felt happy with her," his eyes momentarily brightened. "I would do anything for her, even give my life."

Ram was surprised by Subaru's sudden and passionate outburst. She thought him a dangerously unstable person, someone who had become madly attached to his first emotional source. Such people were dangerous; they could become uncontrollable and burn everything around them when they lost.