Arc 7, Chapter 30 – “Self-proclaimed Hero Natsuki Subaru”

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Mizelda’s expression was resolute as she declared that she would give up her position as Chieftain.

The dominance of her wild, strong-eyed beauty had not diminished, and she was still exactly the same as when they had first seen her. Through thick and thin, the impression of her being a strong woman remained the same. 

And with that notion still present, having lost her right leg, Mizelda had decided to step down from her position as Chieftain.

Everyone: [――――]

The ones surrounding Mizelda, were the ones who harbored a deep sense of regret.

The People of Shudraq, those who had witnessed Mizelda’s, their Chieftain’s, strength from up close, would not be able to discard their bitterness and sense of loss that easily.

Kuna’s lack of expression was intensified by her usual coldness, next to Holly, whose usual relaxed state was replaced with a somber expression. A teary-eyed Utakata bit her lip and cast her head down, while all the remaining Shudraqians too, displayed gloomy expressions on their faces.

However, the one most shaken up amidst them all――

Taritta: [Oh, sister, it’s impossible. There’s no way someone like me could be a good Chieftain…]

Mizelda: [――Taritta.]

Taritta: [It’s because it’s you, sister, that you were able to do it! I don’t have the ability to do something like that…]

Shaking her head in disagreement, Taritta frantically pleaded.

That she, Mizelda’s younger sister, who had personally been nominated to be the next Chieftain, respected and practically worshipped her elder sister was easy to imagine, based off of every single one her daily words and actions.

For that reason precisely, Taritta was in denial, unable to accept the fact that Mizelda had lost her leg. She appeared even more upset than Mizelda herself was.

Rem: […It’s because of my inadequacy.]

Taritta’s grief-stricken plea was met by a weak, self-condemning voice. 

It came from the other end of the room littered with injured bodies, from Rem, who was in a state of exhaustion, making use of her cane to stand.

She was the sole existence at this place able to use healing magic. Making herself useful, Rem bustled left and right, going from person-to-person endeavoring to save many of the injured. One could only guess from her blood-stained clothes, disheveled hair, and fatigued expression how draining it had been.

Nevertheless, the person in question did not care, and even the appreciative words of Subaru at the beginning had been met with a simple “I’m fine” of dismissal.

Even so, no one had the right to condemn Rem for her lack of strength.

Without her, they would not have been able to attain a result devoid of fatalities from Arakiya’s attack. Everyone understood that much.

Therefore――,

Mizelda: [Rem, there’s no need for you to be worried. I was lucky to get out of the battle with the Imperial General having only lost one of my legs… No, it’s because I had your help.]

Rem: [Mizelda-san… that may be true, but――]

Mizelda: [I’m grateful to you. I have nothing more to say.]

Rem was blocked from speaking any further, as Mizelda repeated her gratitude.

Louis, her long blonde hair in disarray, snuggled up beside the silent Rem. As the former gently picked at the hem of the latter’s dress, Rem quietly lowered her gaze, placing her hand on Louis’s shoulder.

The remorse and helplessness that Rem was feeling was painfully obvious to Subaru. But the dark-haired handsome man stepped forward faster than Subaru could say anything.

Abel: [Mizelda, you have no intention to change your mind, do you?]

Abel’s question as he stepped forward was met with a nod from Mizelda, who sat on an object.

As she felt the surface of her amputated, bandaged leg with her fingers, she said,

Mizelda: [Ah, I have no intention to. The pact between the Shudraq and Emperor of Vollachia will be kept. From here on out though, you should ask Taritta… or rather, the Chieftain.]

Abel: [――. I understand. Mizelda, you have done a great service.]

Mizelda: [Mh.]

Mizelda had hardened her resolve to resign and Abel showed his understanding to her answer while folding his arms. With that, Mizelda let out a small breath and showed a wide grin.

With a faint smile, she glanced upward at Abel.

Mizelda: [If it’s going to be that way, show me your smile. It’s the duty of a good-looking man.]

Abel: [――. Hmm.]

Mizelda: [Good enough.]

Despite losing her leg only recently, Mizelda was still much too fierce.

Even Abel, arrogant as he was, did not criticize her for her disrespect, and even smiled at her attitude.

Above all, this was proof that the Emperor, whose throne had been usurped, displayed his respect towards the female warrior who lived in the jungle.

And then――,

Mizelda: [――Listen up, my brethren!]

Mizelda’s smiling face hardened, as she raised her head to speak in a loud voice.

Hearing the fierce sound of her voice, the Shudraq all straightened their posture as to listen carefully.

Mizelda: [As I told you earlier, I am fulfilling my duty as Chieftain! I now hand over the role of Chieftain to my sister, Taritta! Everyone, obey Taritta from now on!]

Shudraqians: [――――]

Mizelda: [This is my last command as Chieftain. ――Thank you for your ancestral vows and ancestral pride.]

Shudraqians: [――Thank you!]

Mizelda concluded, and the Shudraqians seemed to be reciting something.

He knew not of their customs or longstanding practices. But even Subaru, an outsider and a layman, could sense that it was a ritual of succession.

It was short, informal, and a combination of practical and conceptual inheritance.

In this place, the position of Chieftain of the People of Shudraq had been inherited, going from Mizelda to Taritta.

Taritta: [Sister…]

Mizelda: [Don’t lower your head, Chieftain. Your hesitation is our hesitation. Your faltering is our faltering. Your death leads to our death.]

Taritta: [――――]

Approaching her, Mizelda encouraged the new Chieftain, Taritta, the latter’s expression was murky.

That would not make Taritta feel any better at once. However, Taritta must have realized that clinging onto her would not change the situation.

After a few moments of silence, Taritta nodded timidly, and silently.

Mizelda: [――――]

The complex emotions that flitted in Mizelda’s eyes as she saw this, were something that went unnoticed by Taritta as she lowered her head. ――And it was something that no one but her would mention.

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Subaru: […To be honest, that was unexpected.]

With the Chieftain’s succession spiel and the damage report concluded, Subaru called out to Abel.

Abel furrowed his brow at being stopped without receiving a concrete subject. Showing displeasure, he then inquired about Subaru’s true intention with a “What was?”,

Abel: [I have much to ponder. You, of all people, should not be bothering me.]

Subaru: [You sure are harsh like always… It’s just that I was surprised. You accepted Mizelda-san leaving the frontlines so readily.]

Abel: [――――]

Subaru: [I thought you’d say that all she lost was one leg for sure. I thought you were going to tell her to work herself to death for you.]

Even though he thought it far too extreme, Subaru declared his honest feelings to Abel.

This was the Emperor who had appended the People of Shudraq to his troops for the sake of reclaiming the throne, and someone who had considered polluting the Fortress City of Guaral with poison, if worst came to worst.

Abel―― no, Vincent Vollachia, was very much willing to do such things.

Abel: [Nonsense. What in the world would be the meaning of being so forceful?]

However, Abel’s response to Subaru, who had been prepared to hurl words of abuse and his true opinion, was calm and sober.

In front of the disappointed Subaru, Abel looked at the Shudraqians conversing in the distance.

Abel: [Well, I do not wish that my subordinates do any more than they are capable of. Even if I order them to do their utmost, it would be delusional to expect them to go any further than their limits.]

Subaru: [――――]

Abel: [If they overperform in comparison to what they had been evaluated as being capable of, the plan shall be thrown into disarray. I simply request nothing more and nothing less than what I demand from my men. And Mizelda has fulfilled her duty. In that case, the only thing I can present her with, is a reward.]

With words, motivate them. With rewards, get them to exceed their abilities. With praise, make them promise to improve next time.

Subaru had always thought, with absolute certainty, that this was how powerful people subjugated their subordinates. Therefore, Abel’s reply was in direct contradiction to what Subaru had in mind.

He would not request labors beyond the capabilities of his subordinates.

It seemed like a good environment for subordinates to work in, albeit simultaneously a lonely one as well.

Abel: [Goes without saying that endeavoring less than what is expected shall be met with punishment. Definite punishment or reward, you do comprehend what it signifies, right?]

Subaru: […Then, does that mean I’m going to be punished?]

Abel: [If you were my subordinate, that would be correct. But are you my subordinate?]

Staring straight ahead, Subaru’s eyes widened at Abel’s words.

Of course, Subaru did not recall ever becoming Abel’s subordinate. In his discussion with Priscilla, Abel had treated Subaru as a military strategist, but he did not have any intention of formally becoming one.

Subaru: [It’s not that I’m not attracted to the title of military strategist, but I don’t wish to be something like your subordinate.]

Abel: [And so that is how it is. You are not my subordinate, and therefore, you do not fall under the category of receiving definite punishment or reward.]

Subaru: [Thinking about it, just what are you to me…?]

Because of their situation, they were forced to accompany each other. They did not have the relationship of a master and a servant in the first place, nor any kind of personal one.

They were two people caught in a flow of obstacles, and once these obstacles were cleared, their paths would separate. That was the type of relationship they had.

Calling them friends, or allies, or comrades, would just be untrue. If there was something they could be classified as, it would be crossdressing companions.

Abel: [Some have taken the liberty of calling me a friend, but you have not.]

Subaru: [Ah. I’m a shy guy, so I can’t become your friend that easily.]

Given the current situation, the person who may have been able to call him a friend here would either be a very good person or a fraud, and Flop would be the former.

Anyhow――,

Abel: [I shall resume my conversation with Priscilla. Go do whatever else you need to do.]

Subaru: [What I need to do…]

Abel: [It should not be required of me to tell you that.]

Being diced by those almond-shaped eyes, Subaru’s gaze left Abel and headed towards the corner of the room.

There, he found the figure of Rem sitting on the floor. He could not make out her downcast expression from a distance, but there was no doubt that leaving her alone would not do.

He was somewhat annoyed that Abel had told him to do it first, though.

Subaru: [I don’t want you to get in trouble with Priscilla and start another fight. Just be careful with how you talk to her.]

Abel: [I am certain many would advise that you, not I, should be the one to receive those words.]

Hateful words were riposted with further hateful words, and Subaru parted ways with Abel, who returned to the conference hall.

Mizelda’s leg would change the situation of the People of Shudraq, so it would be necessary to take that into account when engaging in discussions with Priscilla.

However, there was little room for Subaru in the conversation between the celestial beings, Abel and Priscilla.

The priority for Subaru was to speak to the only person he could.

Subaru: [――Rem, is now a good time?]

He lightly took a deep breath and calmed himself down, before heading over, towards Rem.

Sitting with her knees folded and her back against the wall, Rem slightly stirred at Subaru’s words, his figure faintly reflected on her pale-blue eyes.

Rem: […Is that you? When are you going to change your clothes?]

Subaru: [Rem has priority over changing clothes. As soon as this conversation ends, I will change my clothes.]

Rem: [Is that so? Well then, this conversation has ended. Please go change your clothes.]

Subaru: [That’s so crude!]

Subaru was left helpless and raised his voice after Rem’s blunt retort. At Subaru’s voice, Rem’s eyes sharpened and she said, “Please be quiet”.

Then she jerked her chin toward the girl leaning on her left shoulder.

Rem: [At this rate, you’ll wake up the sleeping Louis-chan. Please consider her.]

Subaru: [Well, I…]

Rem: [Or is it just that you do not want to put that much consideration into this girl?]

Subaru: [Don’t say it like that. My bad…]

Taking tiny breaths while sleeping, Louis cuddled closer with Rem.

Louis had been helping Rem to treat the wounded; her white clothes were stained with blood here and there. From what he had learned from Rem’s attitude and from Utakata, she had done exactly as she had been told, albeit poorly.

Naturally, Subaru’s inner thoughts were mixed, though.

Rem: [It throws me off when you make a grim face in that appearance.]

Subaru: [Oh, yeah, my bad. My makeup’s messed up, it’s rather unsightly.]

Rem: [It looked unsightly even when you had it on properly.]

Subaru: [Tohoho…]

Subaru’s shoulders slumped in depression at Rem’s remark, which was as harsh as ever. Subaru then slowly sat side-by-side with Rem, at her right, opposite of Louis.

He peeked at Rem’s protesting gaze, but consciously ignored it.

Subaru: [Rem, you did great. Everyone survived thanks to you.]

Rem: […I’m keenly aware of my lack of power. To tell you the truth, I’m useless.]

Subaru: [Rem…]

In response to the words of gratitude, Rem looked down at her hands in frustration. As she regarded those pale fingers, Rem was biting her lip weakly.

Subaru: [You’re definitely not useless. Even though your memories are fuzzy, you were able to use your healing magic splendidly and saved a lot of people. But…]

Rem: [I know. If I were whole, this magic wouldn’t have been like this.]

Subaru: [Like this?]

Rem: [My healing magic. The magic I’m using right now is by intuition, in other words, self-taught. Though with Louis-chan’s assistance, I’ve managed to get it into shape. Even then…]

Rem’s words did not continue beyond that point.

The reason why she did not continue after that, was because it was something that went without saying. She knew that, if she put it into words, it would become a blade that she would hurt herself with, and that the pain would console her, albeit slightly.

Complaints, when spoken, would hurt oneself and others. In compensation however, it would lighten one’s heart merely a little bit. And Rem disliked the idea of lightening her heart.

It was proof that she truly blamed herself for her inability to save others, because of her lack of power.

Subaru: [――――]

Once again, Subaru painfully understood Rem’s feelings.

To rue that one could have done more, was more painful than an unreachable wall. It would be even worse when it regarded someone else’s future, someone other than one’s own.

――The loss of Mizelda’s leg had left something weighty in the recesses of Subaru’s heart.

It was not a life. But it was not hard to imagine the magnitude of losing one of your four limbs.

The closest example was certainly Al, a one-armed man who had lost his left arm. Additionally, there was the Watergate City of Pristella; during that battle, Ricardo had lost one of his arms in a confrontation against Gluttony.

It had been an extremely shocking event, but it was not a tragedy so remote that it could not happen. In fact, for those who put themselves in harm’s way, it may be more appropriate to call it a familiar tragedy.

Still――,

Subaru: [That’s harsh.]

Rem: […Yes.]

Subaru’s parched murmur was met with a small nod from Rem right beside him.

This was the first time he had ever gotten a straightforward nod without repercussions, yet he was unfortunately not in the right frame of mind to appreciate it. Rem glanced at Subaru, the latter holding a lump deep in his chest.

Rem: [The previous… If it was the previous me, I wonder how it would’ve gone…]

Subaru: […If it was the you when you still had memories?]

Rem: [Yes. If it was the past me’s healing magic, Mizelda-san’s leg could’ve been…]

“Could’ve been saved”, Subaru closed his eyes at the words that would have followed. 

It was not that he could not comprehend what Rem was thinking. But it was difficult for Subaru, being on the outside, to judge the extent to which the presence or absence of memory had affected Rem’s healing magic.

Even if it were possible to quantify the healing power, it would be difficult for Subaru to assess it.

However――,

Rem: [――――]

Rem, her pale-blue eyes filled with earnest emotion, were directed at Subaru.

If the answer she was looking for was something that Subaru could provide he did not know, but there were only two choices in front of him: “The previous Rem could” or “The previous Rem couldn’t”.

Which of the two would turn out to be the salvation for Rem?

――Or rather, which of the two would save Rem from being hurt even more?

Subaru: […Even with your memories, I think it would be helpless.]

Rem: [――――]

Subaru: [Even healing magic isn’t all-powerful. In that case, Rem would have done the best she could.]

He replied after a few seconds of agonizing thought, which felt much longer in Subaru’s mind.

Even if Rem had her memories, even if her healing magic had been in perfect condition, she would not have been able to save Mizelda’s leg.

The truth was that it was not about “ifs”.

If they started talking about “ifs”, there would be no end to it. It was true that Rem had not been able to salvage Mizelda’s leg. But beyond Mizelda, she had saved the lives of many other injured people.

She should be praised for her achievements, and there was no reason for her to blame herself.

In fact, if someone should be blamed, it should be――,

Subaru: [I wasn’t strong enough.]

Rem: [Eh…]

Subaru: [I didn’t think enough. I should’ve examined things more seriously.]

Upon hearing this answer spat out by Subaru, Rem’s round eyes went wide.

In front of Rem, Subaru clenched his molars with force, and covered his face with both of his hands.

If anyone were to curse the lack of strength, the blame should fall on Subaru.

Subaru: [All of it. It’s my fault.]

Despite the pompous claims of a “bloodless siege”, reality was far from such results.

Arakiya’s intrusion had caused many injuries, and her recovery had brought death to multiple guards. There had been no casualties within their own ranks, but taking into account Mizelda’s missing leg, how could it be called “bloodless”?

He had failed. It was a pile of failures, and the chance for recovery had been lost.

All he wanted was the best possible happy ending, and what Subaru had obtained was either a so-so happy ending or what should be called a so-so bad ending.

To paraphrase Abel’s words from earlier, definite punishment or reward―― castigation ought to follow.

Had Subaru been one of Abel’s men, it would not be strange for him to have his head chopped off.

――Worst-case scenario, he would have to Return by Death.

Thoughts like these crossed his mind.

In that case, he would most likely go back to the most recent point of return, to the time of the bloody battle against Todd in Guaral. ――The fear caused by the recollection of that time made his entire body tremble.

Still, even if he returned to that moment of terror, if he could recover what they had lost――,

Rem: […Why?]

Suddenly, that word struck the brooding Subaru’s eardrums.

Raising his face immediately, he was met head-on by Rem’s eyes staring right toward him.

Rem’s eyes, which had been moist with remorse until just before, were now staring straight at Subaru, holding even stronger remorse within.

Rem: [Why did it turn into your fault?]

Agitated by Rem’s gaze, more words were piled up upon Subaru, rendered unable to move.

She extended her hand, her eyes damp, and while indicating the devastated City Hall she said,

Rem: [So Mizelda-san’s leg, Louis-chan’s and Utakata-chan’s injuries, Medium-san’s and Flop-san’s wounds, all of it is your fault?]

Subaru: [They are, yes. It wouldn’t have turned out like this if I’d been more careful about my preparations.]

Rem: [You thought of a plan, and your seemingly reckless plan had a proper pay off. You were able to hold the General Second-Class in place, and get them into the city without letting anyone fight. Just like we planned.]

Subaru: [But then after that…]

Rem: [――Who cares about what happened after!?]

At Subaru’s persistence, Rem raised her eyebrows and made her voice louder. Rem quickly turned her face, and because of this, Louis, who was leaning against her, fell into her lap.

Louis jerked slightly and groaned softly, without waking up. While supporting Louis’s shoulder, Rem puffed slightly and looked at Subaru again.

Rem: [No one could’ve foreseen what would happen after that. The appearance of that half-naked woman and her rampage were all unpredictable. So…]

Subaru: [――――]

Rem: [So why are you responsible for all of that?]

Subaru gulped as the question of “why” was once again asked toward him.

If you asked him why, he would think it was the responsibility of one that had power.

In the same way that Rem lamented the lack of power in her own healing magic, Subaru sometimes regretted and lamented the fact that his own Authority could not make up for it. The scope of Return by Death was greater.

The future could improve or worsen, depending on whether Subaru exercised his power.

However――,

Subaru: [It’s…]

――It was a truth that could not be told to another, even if the person was Rem.

It was not restricted to merely Rem.

The authority Subaru wielded, this alone he could not propagate to anyone, no matter how open-minded the other party was. ――No, he was unable to speak of it even to someone he had established an emotional bond with.

If he told them, there was no way he could disclose the truth without possibly causing the death of that person.

He was afraid of pain. The pain brought about from trying to tell someone about Return by Death was terrifying.

Who could get used to that intense pain that gripped one’s heart no matter how many times they experienced it?

But what was truly frightening was not the pain, but the loss.

Was there anything in this world that was more terrifying than loss?

Was it not because of this extreme fear precisely, that this Authority had been granted to Natsuki Subaru?

Rem: […Why did you protect me?]

Subaru: [Huh…?]

Rem continued to speak as if she had given up on Subaru, the latter silent and unable to answer.

For a moment, Subaru blinked, unsure of what she was talking about.

Rem: [When that half-naked woman attacked me. I knocked down a pillar, and when that didn’t work… That woman came at me, and you stood in front of me.]

In a selfless attempt to save her from being attacked by Arakiya, Subaru had stood in front of Rem.

His hands outstretched, he had been desperate to keep any threat away from Rem. At that moment, Subaru did not care if Arakiya were to take his life.

He wanted Rem to outlive him, for even a second longer.

That was――,

Rem: [The result of your bloodless siege, the fact that you covered for me at that moment, and even the fact that Mizelda-san lost her leg, you’re trying to take on everything on your own…]

Subaru: [――――]

Rem: [You’re not strong enough to do all those things… At first, I was wary of you because of that horrible smell.]

That was where Rem broke off her words, and once she did, she looked down at Louis on her lap.

Gently stroking her golden hair, Rem choked and calmly turned her gaze back to Subaru, saying

Rem: [I, Louis-chan, Abel-san, Mizelda-san and the others, Medium-san and Flop-san are all human beings with a will, and you don’t have to get worked up to protect them.]

Subaru: [Oh…]

Rem: [Please don’t try to do anything like that all by yourself. You don’t have to take responsibility for our actions.]

Subaru’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, overwhelmed by the shower of words.

His brain refused to comprehend what was being said, in a prompt fashion. However, an unidentified sense of urgency scorched Subaru’s heart, forcing him to listen no further.

With earnest emotion, directed at a Subaru cursing his own lack of power, Rem bit back.

He had to stop her from saying anything beyond that――,

Rem: [You aren’t a special person――]

He knew he should not have allowed her to say it.

Rem: [――Because, you’re not a hero.]

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Staggering, Subaru walked through the City Hall as if wandering.

He had no destination in mind. It was not even clear when he had started walking, to begin with. When he had come to, he was walking, and if anything, his consciousness still remained in a state of vagueness.

Subaru: [――Hk.]

Suddenly, he was hit head-on by a hard impact.

Taking a look at it, it seemed that he had hit a wall. He was walking while only staring at his feet, that was the reason. Slamming his forehead against the bare wall, Subaru held his aching forehead and exhaled.

Then, without thinking, he slammed his forehead against the solid wall again.

A firm impact and a dull sound, and Subaru felt a stinging pain in his brain.

As he shook his brain from the outside, he felt as if the stagnation that permeated his whole body was slowly receding.

In the same manner, Subaru slammed his forehead against the wall again and again.

Slam, slam, slam――

???: [Hey, hey, stop that, bro.]

As he pulled back to strike again, his shoulder was grabbed from behind. He had been called out.

What came into view when Subaru turned around, was a gaze that met his own from behind a steel helmet directed his way. Still grasping Subaru by the shoulder, the other party cracked the bones in his own neck and spoke,

Al: [I understand the feeling of wanting to die. But no matter how many times you do that, there’s gonna be no end to that sorta thing.]

71 thoughts on “Arc 7, Chapter 30 – “Self-proclaimed Hero Natsuki Subaru””

    1. Seems the author keeps going in circles with Subaru. Whenever you think he learnt something he just makes the same naive mistakes again on the next chapter. To tell you the truth i´m starting to get annoyed with his character.

        1. I agree a little bit with Martin. The self-loathing Subaru shows at the end of this chapter just feels too heavy for his growth at this point.

          1. It’s obnoxious even for those that hates themselves, so it’s only natural if you get agitated by his attitude.

          2. I think you misunderstood why Baru is sad here… it’s not because of self losthimg but related to REM, who of course regards Subaru as her hero (Which in itself was a big part of his early character development) and how amnesiac REM says he isn’t a hero… essentially undoing that development and almost completely showing the disconnect between him and this Rem.

            1. Plus, Subaru is mentally destroyed by now from Return by Death. The slamming his head against the wall is just another one of his moments of self-harm to cope with the anxiety and suffering. Just dying over and over again isn’t gonna automatically make you better the next time, so I don’t know what these people are on about. But the self-loathing is something Subaru has always had a problem with anyway, and which we know will eventually be resolved. Subaru’s always hated himself, even before coming to the Re:Zero world. It’s gonna take a lot more than DYING REPEATEDLY to fix that. Maybe you should think before you criticize aspects of a story you don’t fully understand.

              1. Arc 6: he learns to love himself
                Arc 4: he learns to rely on others and he doesn’t have to face everything on his own
                I can understand other people’s frustrations given this development has already happened in previous arcs

      1. Old habits die hard
        truly changing the way you go at things isn’t easily achievevd, falling back into doing the same mistakes over and over again is only human

        We still burn ourselves despite having who knows how many years of experience in our heritage, we trip over our own legs despite walking on them for most our lives and the list can keep growing
        We’re not perfect, we make mistakes – That is the first lesson.
        We’re human, knowing and admitting is the first step to improvement, not the last one; no amount of improvement will be perfection – that is the second lesson

        1. Well you are right but my problem is not with the mistakes per se, it is with the author that seems to be using Subaru to purposely stay as naive as possible for plot reasons. And this will keep going for chapters and chapters.

          At some point you need the main character to evolve somehow. Its arc 6 and Subaru is still all “return by death” still.

          1. Yeah it feels like the author is missing all this amazing shift in plot to evolve the character for real. It’s becoming a headache.

            1. To me this messiah complex is still making sense. He just couldn’t let things stay as they are. The knowledge that he can redo things and makes things better is just weighting on his mind with guilt

      2. im also the same. I start to change and become a good person then after a few weeks, I’ll be back from my old attitude. Its just not im not consistent with my change maybe the same with subaru

    1. I don’t see any reason at all to hate Rem, especially the one before this one. I can definitely understand why this one can be quite frustrating but no matter how you look at it anyone who can think that must have serious problems.

  1. I dont think alot of ppl understand how much rem saved subaru by calling him her hero he hated himself and rem gave him a reason to try harder he had to live up to her expectation. Hearing her say he’s no hero must’ve hit him like an isekai truck

    1. While Rem did save Subaru by calling him a hero, it also hurt both her and Subaru. She was willing to throw away her life to save Subaru, as shown in every arc 3 loop, and her comatose state pushed Subaru down a very bad path, to the point where he started using throwaway lives in the Sanctuary and tried to shoulder everyone’s burdens with his hero mentality, simply because Rem held him to such a high standard. We see the result of him trying to shoulder everything in Greed IF, and it wasn’t good. Rem’s speech was a double edged sword

  2. It feels like subaru’s emotion and growth is in a loop. It keeps going on and on in circle that it is becoming a frustration to even hope for anything new. And as if rem is on par with emilia in importance while he doesn’t even love her in the same way as her. Subaru’s relationship with rem is becoming really confusing, it needs to be made clear soon, whether we should simp for emilia or rem or both or even otto.

  3. People criticizing Tappei’s approach to this particular plot line appear to have missed the pattern he has established ever since Arc 1.

    Subaru faces an issue > faces a wall that has to be solved through him maturing as a person > gets help from people dear to him to overcome that problem > with the aid of his loved ones, he succeeds.

    What then happens on the subsequent Arc is that the training wheels come off. Tappei demolishes the support structure/puts a stress test on what Subaru built in the previous Arc, so that he has to continue growing.

    Examples:
    Arc 1 to Arc 2: Emilia being friendly and patient in Arc 1 gets entirely nullified by Rem and Ram being suspicious of him in Arc 2, making it so Subaru is practically alone in a new environment and has to choose to put himself in danger for people who haven’t exactly showed they care for him in the same way Emilia did in Arc 1.

    Arc 2 to Arc 3: Subaru makes new friends, but is forced to face the cold reality of the world. The trust and confidence he gained in Arc 2 prove to be his downfall as his ego and arrogance go way over his head and he almost loses everything he gained previously. Rem then helps him pick up the pieces, and HER FAITH IN HIM motivates him to keep going.
    Subaru hates himself, he has very low-self esteem, but it is Rem’s love and confidence on him being a hero that fuels him to try and match those expectations, to try and live up to the potential she sees in him. KEEP THIS IN MIND.

    Arc 3 to Arc 4: Subaru tries to be the hero Rem showed him he could be, but alone, so that no one else has to shoulder his burdens. This fails and he almost despairs but Otto saves him, and eventually the entire crew bands together to solve Roswaal’s trap. He learns to share his worries and to trust on his friends to do their own part.

    Arc 4 to Arc 5: Subaru has to put what he learned in Arc 4 to PRACTICE. He can’t be everywhere at once, and he doesn’t want to use RbD as a clutch, so he has to delegate tasks to his allies and trust that they will carry things through.

    Arc 5 to Arc 6: Subaru’s trust in his friends is put to it’s utmost test, while at the same time Tappei flips things around and have it so the PEOPLE AROUND Subaru that have to show how much they came to trust and love him. This is full presentation of Subaru’s support structure as he slowly regains his memories, so that once he fully gets them back he is at the top of his game. He knows how much everyone cherishes him, and he is confident enough to think a way out of an almost impossible situation.

    Arc 6 to Arc 7: This is where we are, and Tappei did the exact same thing again. What motivated Subaru to become a hero, excel and try to save people? The FAITH REM HAD IN HIM, was the love she showed for him, and how she taught him what caring for someone truly meant (which he learned and demonstrated in his interactions with Emilia ever since). So, what does the madlad writer does? HE REMOVES IT. He has amnesiac REM destroy the very SINGLE PILLAR on which Subaru has BUILT his heroic persona for almost two years now, ever since Arc 2-3!!

    It’s the EXACT SAME PATTERN guys, come on, but it is NOT the writer repeating plot points, not at all. Subaru will have to find his OWN MOTIVATION to be a hero, his own PILLAR to fight his self-worth issues, and a more healthy mental anchor besides trying to match Rem’s imagined ideal.

    My predictions for this arc is that this will be both Subaru finding his OWN identity as a hero without relying on Rem, AND Rem finding her own self without being burdened by her own issues and delegation of self-love to caring for Ram and Subaru – which people seem to ignore, Rem’s way of seeing herself as utterly worthless unless she was caring for Ram/Subaru was very unhealthy.

    Just like Arc 4 was Emilia becoming more of her own character, with her own backstory, loved ones and motivations without being solely defined by Subaru, this will be Rem and Subaru going through the exact same process regarding one another, and themselves.

    1. Holy shit bro, this is exactly what I thinking about and more. Thank you for putting it into words, this was insightful.

      1. Hey man this is great because you’re both not eloquent and wrong

        That’s 2/2, which is pretty impressive

        It takes a profound lack of talent to be this wrong so succinctly

  4. people seems to thinks that Subaru’s self loathing is just out of placed now and that his character isn’t improving at all which isn’t really true

    you see, Subaru’s developments in the arcs in the anime depended on the people that Subaru sees as a friend, their views on Subaru are the pillars that is used to prevent him from completely deteriorating but Tappei is now slowly removing those pillars one by one so Subaru’s whole personality wouldn’t depend only on his friends but also developed by himself without regarding other’s personal views

  5. This chapter has decided me. Arc 7 is an abortion. It needs to be scrapped entirely. Tappei’s completely lost the damn plot from vindictiveness towards the character of Rem that he wrote.

    I’ll read on from morbid curiosity but in my personal headcanon ReZero stopped with the end of Arc 6.

    1. Arc 7 does seem like it’s gone pretty far out into left field … and with 9 generals, it could carry on longer than arc 4, but I expect it will pay off. Subaru should be having mana sickness soon… unless Lous is discreetly draining his mana on occasion similar to how Beako did pre contract?
      I still can’t help but wonder what kind of disasters could be occurring in Lagunica that Subaru will be powerless to change, and what people might be doing to try and track Subaru down? The memories returned by gluttony may have dire consequences still. Hopefully he doesn’t get back to Lagunica to find the royal section has gone off the rails and find Reinhard is an enemy.

      1. I feel that the memories stolen by Gluttonies returning to their owner will have a heavy impact in future arcs.

  6. Subaru annoys me sometime. If he’s not ready to use RBD to get a bloodless siege, he should at least not consider himself as a hero because without this power Subaru is merely a human. He recognizes himself to not be smart, the essential thing that keeps him and his friends alive is his RBD. Maybe he should have died.

    1. Someone forgot about Arc 4 and how Subaru now also has the fear of him leaving worlds behind each time he dies as well as the lesson to not use RBD as a mere tool. That kind of thinking leads to the Greed If.

  7. I don’t get why people are being so hard on Rem here. She didn’t say that out of malice or ungratefulness, she said it because Subaru constantly over-exerts himself in order to save everyone around him. She was just trying to lessen the burden he’s placed on himself, but due to her amnesia she doesn’t know how damaging those words were to him.

  8. The lack of any character growth for Subaru that sticks for longer than a chapter is seriously getting on my nerves.

  9. What Rem said in this chapter may have been harsh, but Subaru needed to hear it. Rem’s the one who gave him his hero complex: it makes perfect sense for her to be the one to kick him out of it too

  10. Yeah id be smacking my head against a wall if i had to deal with rems bs after going through all that effort. Would it kill the bitch to ease up god if it wasnt for everyone waiting for them id have ditched her back when she first chocked me out in the forest.

    For someone thats died so much subaru is too naieve
    I guess thats why hes the sin archbishop of pride

  11. Arc 7 is not like the other Arcs. It has ups and downs. I stopped reading for the first time for a year in this arc. Tappei is trying to evolve Re: Zero. He tries to show people do kill their own kind if necessary. Life is not always black and white. Evolution is a painful process. Trying to evolve a already good novel is rather unnecessary. But Tappei is greedy. He wants to have it all. He wants the novel has all kind of different genres. But that might exhaust the readers. The novel was already complicated. The universe was already huge. There was already tons of characters. But he keeps expanding everything. I believe Arc 7 is going in a misguided direction. Messing up the reletionship between Rem and Subaru upsets the readers.
    One of the few good things in this arc is Todd. And the RBD parts was also fun to read.

  12. Que triste….pra me ele continua sendo um herói 🙂
    Mas essas palavras cortou o fiapo de esperança dele…a Rem tá agindo mais como a Ram sem essas memórias, a língua afiada…
    Obrigado pelo capítulo!

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