My left arm!
It's still there?
I went back again?
No, maybe I should say I made it back.
Oh, sorry. Good morning.
Right, I guess you don't remember me.
Sorry for the trouble I've caused!
Natsuki Subaru will now start over!
Oh, yeah. While we're at it, what's the date and time?
This is my third "first day" at the Roswaal mansion.
Think back to that chill.
Does that mean I died in my sleep due to physical weakness the first time?
But the second time around,
someone definitely attacked me.
And does the fact that I was killed mean everyone else here is a target too?
All because we're caught up in Emilia's royal selection, just like at the loot house?
But even if I know that, I have no proof to explain it or any way to avoid it.
And to top it all off, I didn't even see their face or weapon.
My death was totally in vain.
You're irritating me to death.
Stop it or be blown away. It's your choice.
Oh, sorry. My bad.
But somehow, it's like walking in circles helps turn the gears in my head.
Cut me some slack, okay?
We're tight, aren't we?
I suppose you have some strange idea about our relationship.
You do realize we've only met twice, right?
Well, I'm not here to bother you.
Just serve some tea or something, and let me relax.
I suppose I'd never serve you anything.
Ugh, you're irritating me!
What's that book you're reading?
I suppose it explains how to get rid of a bug that has sneaked into your room.
You've got a bug in the library?
Damn, that sucks.
What kind of bug?
It's about time for you to leave.
Your hands have stopped shaking,
so I suppose you've calmed down enough to mask your fear.
You could tell?
And I suppose you were trying to hide it?
It's quite irking to be treated as a mere convenience.
Man, talk about cold-blooded.
Thanks for the help, though.
I'll be leaning on you again.
I suppose being relied on is nothing but a bother.
If you understand, don't come back again!
Shoo, shoo.
"Shoo, shoo"?
Wait, am I the bug you're trying to get rid of!?
Get out of here this very instant!
I-I would've been a smear on the concrete if not for this flower bed.
Um...
Do you mind if I ask if you're okay?
Emilia-tan, that very kindness is my one and only solace!
You know, Rem spread manure in that flower bed yesterday.
Three-second rule! I got out in time! That doesn't count, okay!?
If it helps any, they say this kind of thing is actually lucky.
Emilia-tan is already shifting into consolation mode.
Puck, wake up.
Morning, Lia.
Morning, Puck.
Sorry to ask after you just woke up, but could you wash Subaru off?
Subaru?
Oh, I see. No problem.
Here!
There, all clean.
Aren't you happy?
I thought I was a goner.
Wasn't there any other way to do that?
You enjoyed that, didn't you?
No way! What makes you say that?
Punchback!
Now you've done it!
Like that? It's my lethal move, "Make the Cat Cry Ha Ha"!
Cut it out!
Tail Punch!
You—
I'll finish you off with my Paw-Pad Grind!
Grind, grind, grind, grind!
Oh, gosh. Sorry, I can't...
What are you two doing?
Ow, my stomach. Please no, I'm dying.
Well, now that I've one-eightied from my initial bad impression...
Thank you for your assistance, Father!
Who are you calling "Father"!?
I won't hand over my daughter that easily!
Please stop. You're both too funny.
Nothing beats your smile, Lia.
You agree too. Right, Subaru?
I totally do.
To me, Emilia-tan's smile is the first shining star in the night sky!
Not you too, Subaru.
Also, what does "tan" imply? Where did it come from?
It's what they call a pet name.
You know, like how Puck calls you "Lia."
It's an expression of affection that shows how close we are.
I don't remember getting so close to you.
It hurts how easily you said that, but I won't lose heart!
Think of it as an advance on our relationship.
It means I want us to get close enough to call each other by pet names.
OK?
All right, I'll accept that.
Please. Stop staring at me.
I expected her to cringe, but somehow got a positive response.
What could this mean, Commentator Puck?
She doesn't have many friends,
so she longs for things such as nicknames.
She's an easy woman.
My main heroine is an easy woman, huh!?
Sister, Sister. In just a short time,
our guest has made himself look like a drowned rat.
Rem, Rem. In just a short time,
our guest has turned into a dirty, worn washrag.
Yeah, yeah. I look like a rat. You don't have to tell me.
Our lord, Roswaal-sama, has returned.
Please come inside.
Here we go.
My third "first meeting" with the lord of the mansion.
All I know for certain is that someone will attack on the fourth night.
I'd love to let them know that,
but I can't explain where I got the information,
so they might think I'm working with the assassin.
If I knew even just my assailant's physique it might be a different story.
So, this time, I'll use these next four days
to gather information and learn who my assailant is.
And to that end...
Merely say the word.
You may have anything your heart desires!
In that case,
let me live here as a house guest,
and eat and sleep all I want!
But how am I supposed to gather information?
I guess I'll start with some indirect questioning.
Hey, that's where I fell!
Sorry to make you do this.
Of course. If you'll excuse me, sir.
Huh? Wait...
I barely got a word in.
I can't find anything out of the ordinary.
What are you searching for?
Oh, it's you, Roscchi.
Don't scare me like that. It's misleading.
Magic - died of weakness in sleep Sound of chains
Roswaal's chains X Misleading!!
Come in!
Here you go, sir.
Oh, thanks. Wanna drink it with me?
No, thank you, sir.
Hey, you can be a little friendlier to me if you want...
Well, it's my first day. I guess it makes sense.
Yo!
You barge in here every day without even knocking.
You truly have no manners whatsoever.
I suppose leaving before you get blown away would be in your best interests.
Whoa! Wait, wait...
I just want to ask you something.
Is there any magic that weakens and kills someone, as if putting them to sleep?
If I must answer, then yes, there is.
There is?
I suppose it isn't so much magic as it is a curse, though.
There are many such things among the spells that shamans specialize in.
Shamans?
Magicians.
However, shamans are a subclass of magic- and spirit-art users
that I suppose originated in the northern nation of Gusteco.
They're all quite useless, and not to be taken seriously.
Though I suppose there is an easier method than a curse.
Easier?
I believe you've already experienced it.
Wait, you mean...
That mana drain thing you forced on me could actually kill me!?
Mana could be considered one's very life force.
I suppose if it were continually sucked out, you could eventually die of weakness.
Wait... You're not the one who killed me, are you?
Sorry to disappoint you, but I lead a busy life.
I couldn't even spare the effort to kill you.
Is this the right one?
So, uh...
Oh, yeah.
Can anyone do that mana-sucking thing?
I suppose you couldn't have phrased that worse.
In this mansion specifically, nobody but Bubby and I can. Not even Roswaal.
Wow, so it's actually a pretty rare skill, then.
Don't suck up that stuff too much.
Especially from me.
I'm really short on blood right now, so I'd die in a heartbeat.
Yes, all your organs were restored,
but I suppose your blood wasn't replaced.
Well, not that I had any obligation to go that far.
My organs?
The way you said that
makes it sound like you were the one who healed my wounds.
Trying to take the credit from Emilia-tan makes you look bad!
I suppose you should know that silly girl doesn't have the power to heal fatal wounds yet.
Huh?
She and Bubby stabilized you, and I healed your wounds.
What!?
F-For real? You're kidding, right?
Of course. It's a lie.
It's just a lie! It's not nice to lie!
Lying is an absolute no-go!
I suppose that's enough of your mouth.
You're too averse to the truth.
I suppose a life not worth saving should disappear!
Um...
Once again, are you okay?
So, in the end, the key words are "curse" and "chains."
I don't know anything else.
If Return by Death's conditions are the same,
I died three times in the capital, and survived the fourth time.
But that doesn't mean I intend to treat this as a throwaway life.
That's why I asked Puck to keep an eye on Emilia for me.
Sure.
This is all really vague,
but I can tell you're asking out of concern for Lia.
On the morning of the fourth day, I'll leave here and—
Pardon my intrusion, sir.
I see you really are studying, sir.
Wow, that's super rude.
I am a guest here, you know.
You're a freeloader calling yourself a guest.
That's how I perceive it, sir.
Thanks.
Ugh, it's still nasty.
You'll incur the wrath of the mansion's finest tea leaves.
Slacking off right in front of your guest?
I have no words for that nerve of yours.
You were the one who told me to be more friendly toward you.
I'm only responding to your demand.
So? How is your studying coming?
Not too bad.
I can read simple fairy tales like these now.
It's interesting how the morals slightly differ from those of the ones I know.
It's like true cross-cultural communication!
Maybe I should import a few fairy tales from my homeland.
Like "The Red Ogre Who Cried."
The Red Ogre Who Cried?
Want me to tell it to you?
All right, your attention, please.
Once upon a time, there lived a red ogre and a blue ogre.
The two were very good friends.
The red ogre wanted to be friends with the people of the village.
But the people were too scared to get close to him.
The blue ogre couldn't bear to watch,
so he devised a plan to help his friend.
"I'll make a ruckus in the village, so you come and stop me.
Then the villagers will be sure to trust you."
The plan worked, and the red ogre befriended the humans.
But as time passed, something began to worry him.
His friend, the blue ogre, no longer came to visit him.
One day, the red ogre went to the blue ogre's house.
The door was tightly shut, and a letter was affixed to it.
The letter said:
"Red Ogre, please have fun with your human friends.
If I continue to hang around you,
they might think you're a bad ogre too.
So I've decided to go on a journey,
but I will never forget you.
Goodbye. Please take care of yourself.
Your friend forever,
Blue Ogre."
The red ogre read the letter in silence, over and over again.
Tears fell as he began to cry.
The end.
That's a sad story.
Yeah, it is.
But I think it has a sweet side too.
I'd say all the characters are just stupid.
The red ogre, the blue ogre, and the villagers too.
That's kind of a harsh critique.
I mean, I'm not denying it, but...
That's why I both love and hate that story.
The blue ogre's self-sacrifice is really admirable,
but it's stupid because he stood to gain nothing.
I'm the type of guy who wants to be rewarded for my effort.
Is that what you think of the blue ogre?
Still, I think it's the red ogre who's beyond help.
He dragged the blue ogre into his own desires.
As a result, he didn't lose anything. Only the blue ogre did.
Then what do you think the two ogres should have done?
If the red ogre truly wanted to befriend the humans,
he should have broken off his horns and gone to them.
He should have done that before the blue ogre couldn't bear to watch anymore.
That's a pretty extreme opinion you have there.
Is it really?
Which of the two ogres would you rather be friends with?
Which of the two?
The red ogre, who can only wish and be taken care of by others,
or the stupid blue ogre, who basks in self-sacrifice?
What a foolish answer.
If you want to befriend both,
you must be the indecisive, adulterous type.
You'll regret it one day.
I don't recall it being that kind of story!
Putting aside your homeland's fairy tales,
did any of our stories leave an impression on you?
Well, the ones that interested me most
were the middle one about the dragon, and the one at the end about the witch.
I finally know where the name "The Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica" comes from.
Oh?
It said the royal family signed a covenant with a dragon,
so it's more like a folktale than a fairy tale, right?
Yes, since it's true.
The noble dragon still protects this nation from far away,
beyond a great waterfall.
It will do so until its contract with the royal family is fulfilled.
Wait, didn't the royal family that signed the contract recently die out?
Yes, quite abruptly.
No one knows what the dragon wants.
In the nation's current situation, only the gods know—
No, only the dragon knows what the dragon will do, sir.
Oh, by the way, about this witch story—
I don't want to discuss that.
I've stayed too long.
I'll come again to notify you when dinner is ready, sir.
O-Okay.
That story you told me about the ogres...
Don't tell it to Rem.
I'm certain she wouldn't like it.
"A scary witch, a terrifying witch.
To even speak her name sparked up great fear.
Instead, everyone called her
the Witch of Envy."
Are you sure about this?
We could call a dragon carriage to take you to the capital.
I'll be fine.
One day, when I'm the kind of strong, smart, rich man who's worthy of you,
I'll take you away on a white horse.
Do you have a handkerchief?
Then there's drinking water, lagumite ore, and...
Will you be able to sleep by yourself?
Do you think you're my mom!?
Very well then, Subaru-kun. Take care.
And do not lose the gift I gave you.
I added something equivalent to our three days' worth of memories together.
Hush money, right? Don't worry, I get it.
I won't say anything I shouldn't. I swear to the dragon.
Talking with you makes any evil scheme seem to lose its purpose.
Also, in this nation, swearing to the dragon is the highest form of promise.
Be sure to keep that in mind.
Roger that!
You two helped me out a ton.
Especially you, Rem-rin. Thanks for all the great food.
And Ram-chi...
Yeah! You're good at cleaning toilets, right?
Sister, Sister. Our guest is hopelessly bad at flattery.
Rem, Rem. Our guest has a fatal lack of skill in flattery.
Oh, shut up!
I seriously couldn't think of anything!
Thanks, though.
Yes, sir.
Subaru!
Thank you for everything.
If you ever need something, you're welcome anytime.
Got it!
Thanks, Emilia-tan!
All right, here we are.
I can see Emilia's room especially well from here.
Now all that's left is to wait for something to happen...
and stop it.
She'd probably get mad at me for using it this way.
I hope she does.
I don't want to die.
I don't want them to die.
What did I tell you, Natsuki Subaru?
Even if no one remembers what happens when things repeat,
you alone will remember.
Now that I think about it, I didn't go shopping for Rem this time.
Maybe because the food meant for me was leftover?
We still have a while to go before dark.
Focus! Focus!
Emergency escape!
I saw it!
Yes, I saw it!
I saw the source of those chain sounds!
But it followed me here?
Does that mean I played right into my assailant's hands?
If you're gonna come, then come at me!
Do you have the guts!?
Now, show yourself, damn it!
I've gone through all kinds of hell to see your face!
Very well, I shall.
The ideal scenario would have been to finish this without being noticed.
You've gotta be kidding me.
Rem?
The Sound of Chains
Aren't there any folk tales in Lugunica?
Of course there are.
Ringatarou is a famous one.
Ringatarou?
Could it be about a man who gathers firewood in the mountains and a woman who washes clothes in the river?
That's right. You're well informed, Barusu.
While the woman was washing clothes in the river,
hundreds of appas started splashing into the river.
Oh, hundreds!
So, so, what happened next?
The surprised woman turned around and saw that an appa seller had dropped them from the bridge.
That's it?
Next time: Natsuki Subaru's Restart
And where the heck does Ringatarou appear in this story?
That'll be revealed in the next preview.
There's a sequel even though it's just a preview?!