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Translator: TranslationChicken
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Editor: TranslationChicken
(Thank You Roanz, Kizarat, Nero, Vimal, Chris, Soriosh, H-X for helping me with proofreading on the Live Draft! <3)
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ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO TAPPEI NAGATSUKI, THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF RE:ZERO, THIS IS A TRANSLATION OF THE FREE JAPANESE WEB NOVEL INTO ENGLISH
JAPANESE WEB NOVEL SOURCE: HTTP://NCODE.SYOSETU.COM/N2267BE/218/
Previous Chapter: https://translationchicken.com/2017/11/08/rezero-arc-4-chapter-51-loveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveme-part-2-2/
ARC 4
THE EVERLASTING COVENANT
Chapter 52 [Subtle Changes]
The first thing Subaru confirmed upon waking up was whether this was reality or not.
After crossing between dream and reality so many times, the boundaries can get a little blurry. Especially since Return by Death usually returns him with his brain still half asleep, like he had just gotten out of bed.
[Subaru: ――uu, ough]
With the return of his consciousness, the first thing Subaru felt was the taste of dirt in his mouth.
Spitting out the unpleasant flavor along with his saliva, Subaru sat himself up and looked around. A dark room, moist, frigid air, and an unsettling silence――he was inside the Tomb.
[Subaru: I’m back, huh……]
Opening and closing his fists, Subaru confirmed the tactile sensation of his body.
At the same time, he remembered how he died immediately before Returning by Death.
[Subaru: Was kinda curious what would happen if I got swallowed…… but, guess suicide worked out]
Recalling the acute pain of his throat being punctured, Subaru rubbed at the phantom gash on his neck and breathed a sigh of relief.
The pain of overflowing blood clogging his throat, drowning his lungs from within, and the sense of loss, of his consciousness pulling further and further away: despite experiencing it countless times, the vividness of “Death” did not fade.
No matter how many times he went through it, “Death” always imparted fresh suffering on Subaru. But even so,
[Subaru: It still beats not coming back…… and having everything broken beyond repair]
Briefly congratulating himself for managing to return after unhesitatingly choosing death, Subaru decided to set it aside for now.
It was still early to tell whether he had actually safely returned or not.
[Subaru: This is no time to be celebrating. Anyway, better sort out what to do next, what needs to be done, and……]
And review his own resolve.
Closing his eyes, Subaru drew in a deep breath. When he opened them again, there was no longer any doubt within, and only what he must do.
Standing up and patting off the dust on his body, he looked around the room and found the girl lying on her side not far away.
It was Emilia. Most likely, the pained expression on her face was due to the past she was presently facing in her Trial.
Subaru ran over and reached out his hand to wake her. He would bring her out, meet up with Ram and Otto outside the Tomb, and then figure out what to do after that.
But there, just before his hand could touch her, Subaru noticed that his fingers were shaking.
[Subaru: ……what?]
His eyes widened at his trembling fingertips as he held his hand in front of his face. His mind commanded the shaking to stop, but, still shaking of their own accord, his fingers ignored his commands. And then, Subaru noticed it.
His teeth were clattering as well, unable to close.
[Subaru: Hands and teeth are shaking……what is this……]
Although surprised by his body’s anomaly, deep down, Subaru knew why it was happening.
The cause was none other than the image that flashed across his mind the moment he was about to touch her.
――Of Emilia’s frozen, emotionless face gazing down at him on the verge of his death.
Surely, the Witch of Envy paid a visit to the Sanctuary, and, for whatever reason, enshrouded Emilia’s body within its shadow. In his final moments, Subaru had seen this with his own eyes.
Most likely, the Witch had possessed Emilia’s body while she lay unconscious in the Tomb.
Subaru had seen Petelgeuse’s ability to possess other people’s bodies, so it wasn’t hard to accept that possibility.
Besides, the reason the Witch chose Emilia’s body was simple.
Subaru had revealed too much forbidden information at the tea party. Though the Witch manifested to punish him, she was barred from setting foot in that place. So instead, she turned her attention to the unconscious Emilia at Subaru’s side.
Then the Witch took over her body, covered the Sanctuary in shadow, killed Garfiel, and swallowed Subaru―― and that should just about sum up the events of the previous loop.
[Subaru: Knowing all that……why is my body still shaking……?]
Even though he could calmly recall the facts of what happened, his feeble heart could not forget the terror of being faced with that abomination.
If Subaru’s speculation was correct, then the root of that disaster was certainly the tea party he was invited to after Returning by Death. Which means, since he didn’t attend the tea party this time, he didn’t step on that landmine.
――So he was 90% sure that the Witch wasn’t currently inside Emilia.
The fact that Subaru’s body was still instinctively voicing its objection was basically due to cowardice.
But still, he couldn’t rule out the worst-case scenario.
That is―― would the Witch of Envy really give up her pursuit just because he passed through Return by Death?
[Subaru: ――――]
It was the Witch of Envy who allowed Subaru to Return by Death in the first place.
Subaru himself had come to this conclusion and Echidona had affirmed it. The Witch’s appearances in the past and the ending of the previous loop should have pushed it beyond reasonable doubt.
For whatever reason, the Witch didn’t want Subaru’s “Death” to be the end. For that, he was grateful. And only for that.
The question was, would such an obsessively envious, overwhelmingly powerful Witch, obstinate to the point of intruding into reality, really let Subaru go?
[Subaru: ――――]
If the Witch of Envy had the ability to rewind time, then it’d be far too optimistic to think that she would let Subaru use it without being able to use it herself.
If Subaru could rewind the world through “Death”, then how could he know that the Witch wouldn’t turn back time to pursue him?
His cowering heart couldn’t answer that question――though the answer was right in front of him.
[Subaru: …………]
Everything would be clear if he just touched Emilia and woke her from her Trial.
If she woke, and called Subaru’s name in her usual voice like the ringing of a silver chime, Subaru would be freed from these grips of fear.
But what if that was not the case?
[Subaru: ……It’ll be all over, then]
If the Witch shows up every time he returns, then there will truly be nothing he can do. The Witch of Envy’s power was absolute, and he could not envision a scenario where they could prevail against a being with the power to plunge the Sanctuary into shadow.
Against a nightmare that so effortlessly sent Garfiel to his grave, what countermeasures could there possibly be?
In other words, this was a watershed.
[Subaru: First I wasn’t sure if I’d return after death…… now I can’t be sure that Emilia is really Emilia? What am I……an idiot?]
Taking hold of his situation once again, Subaru let out a small sigh.
The shaking of his fingers and the clattering of his teeth vanished. Returning to his senses, he realized it.
All this vague, indeterminate uncertainty――
[Subaru: It’s just the same thing that happens to anyone, isn’t it?]
Not knowing the future, worrying about what will happen in the next second, are all just natural facts of life.
Even if there is the small possibility of foreseeing what’s to come, what’s there to be afraid of?
Such idiotic fear would be equivalent to being afraid of life itself,
[Emilia: ……h, no……]
Compared to the girl being crushed by her past right before his eyes, how petty and ludicrous his hesitation seemed to be.
[Subaru: ――Emilia]
Calling her name, Subaru touched the girl’s cheeks with the tips of his no longer trembling fingers.
White and fair. The smooth touch of her skin transferred a warmth enough to dissolve the flesh of his fingertips. There was a small tremor in her closed eyelids as her long lashes stirred, and underneath them, a faint light glimmered from her violet eyes.
Pulled back to reality, Emilia blinked several times and noticed Subaru in front of her,
[Emilia: ……suba…ru?]
Her trembling irises caught onto Subaru, and as he came into focus, she called out his name.
Her voice, her bearing, and the color of her eyes, all belonged to the Emilia he knew.
[Subaru: ――Yeah, it’s me]
All the shadows of doubt weighing on him, tangling over his body, vanished in a single motion.
Finally hearing her reply, Subaru let out a long, long sigh, and, propping her up with his hand behind her back, he felt his body drained of strength.
In contrast, Emilia righted herself and quickly looked over her surroundings. After confirming where she was, perhaps because her head was still a little heavy, Emilia held her hand against her head, and whispered, [So……],
[Emilia: Just now…… I was……]
Confused by the pain she was feeling, Emilia closed her eyes and tried to recall her memories from before she fell asleep――and what happened while she was sleeping.
As the memories flooded back, Emilia opened her eyes and turned to Subaru with her quivering, peach-colored lips.
Waves of emotion churned in her violet pupils. Her mind was probably in turmoil over the reminders of her past. But Subaru already knew that Emilia would fall to pieces after waking from her Trial. That was why he could so calmly watch her when she was on the brink of falling apart.
All that was left was to gently hold her, trembling in his arms, and find words to console her and tell her that it was alright――
[Emilia: ……Subaru?]
But just as Subaru was about to do this, Emilia reacted in a way completely different from what he had imagined.
Her unsettled eyes had calmed, and her quivering lips were stilled by an even more powerful emotion. Then, Emilia softly extended her hand towards Subaru,
[Emilia: Why… do you look like you’re about to cry?]
[Subaru: ……eh?]
Emilia’s fingertips brushed against Subaru’s forehead and made their way to the side of his widened eyes. The pale-white finger softly brushing the corner of his eye caught a drop of tear on the verge of falling. And only then, did Subaru realize that he was close to crying.
But there was no time to ask himself why.
[Subaru: a.. u.. eh?]
A tremor came without warning.
An uncontrollable tremor of a different dimension than the shudders of his fingers and teeth.
His whole body was shaking, robbing him of all the strength inside him. Kneeling at Emilia’s side, Subaru could only curl up, hugging his own trembling body.
Then his grips began to loosen when he understood why.
If the tremor he felt before he touched Emilia was because he was afraid that she might have been replaced by the Witch――
[Emilia: It’s alright, Subaru. It’s alright, it’ll be alright. Because I’m right here with you――]
Saying this, Emilia embraced Subaru’s trembling body from the side.
Through the thin fabric of their clothing, they could feel each other’s warmth. The quiet heartbeat, and the warmth transferred from her body filled his heart to the brim.
――When the fear of that possibility passed, when he knew that possibility was gone, Subaru was overwhelmed by the sense of relief.
Even though his heart wanted him to be strong, his body wouldn’t obey at all.
After all, he had neither a heart of steel nor a body with the strength to protect it.
Feeling Emilia’s warmth, her heartbeat, and her gentle embrace, no matter how much he despised his pathetic weakness, he couldn’t help but feel relieved.
Quietly, quietly, quietly, the two went on holding each other inside the Tomb.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
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Next Part 2/2: https://translationchicken.com/2017/11/14/rezero-arc-4-chapter-52-subtle-changes-part-2-2/
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T-T
It’s been so long since Subaru got a nice scene with Emilia… ❤
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Chapter 52 Live Draft:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/re-zero-arc-4-52-15303555
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Next Part 2/2: https://translationchicken.com/2017/11/14/rezero-arc-4-chapter-52-subtle-changes-part-2-2/
Thank you Holy Chicken-sama!
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Yay this was a nice chapter part, these little moments are so amazing. Thank you chicken!
still team Rem tho
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❤
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I’m close to catching up with your translations. I’ll probably catch up by tonight. I hope to join the competition of first.
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I am so far behind, but I am kind of glad I just followed the story without being spoiled.
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Cool first I think and also new here
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❤
but rabbit got it haha
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Hehe 😄
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Second?
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Ah, reliving the lap pillow moments 🙂
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Wait, did Emilia passed the trial (hense the title) or I’m looking too much into it? Thanks as always btw
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Atm she didn’t, I guess. But it could become possible hense the title
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My guess is that she didn’t pass the trial, but seeing how hurt Subaru is could give her the the willpower to pass it in her next attempt
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She’ll feel like she’s not the only one who has a troubled past. Or if subaru explains that her tears was was because he was worried about her she might find her resolve to succeed in the trials
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Your writing skills are improving, Chicken-sama.
Also, that SubaruxEmilia scene thoooooooough q_q
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After all of those terrifying and despairing loops he went through, I’m really happy and relieved for Subaru in this heartwarming chapter.
Emilia didn’t breakdown from remembering her past traumas, and Subaru was comforted by the kind and sweet girl that he really loves. Sad, sweet, and heartwarming. Nice chapter :’)
Thanks Chicken :’)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the chapter, always love it~
after reading this i think my heart melts or even my eyes..?
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how many chapters are remaining in this arc 4?
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about 80
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80 remaining or 80 in total?
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80 remaining, therefore 130-140 chapters in total.
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Thank you for the chapter! I’m glad Subaru got some confort after all those horrible experinces ;_; after all the suffering he deserves a thousand more lap pillows…
LikeLiked by 3 people
Quick question Chicken, when does the story start to move toward trials two and three?
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I didn’t read ahead so I don’t know. Should be soon though, it’s better to have no idea when it’ll hit you :3
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I know >read a bad translationsorry< only thing I am saying is the ending is awesome and beako plays a big part XD
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I’m glad Subra and Emilia had this nice moment. Subaru got hanged up over his Return by Death so much he drifted apart from the girl he loves. Showing your weakness to your special other isn’t a bad thing, Subaru! Emilia finally got the chance comfort and protect him instead of feeling useless all the time.
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Emilia is really a kind and cute girl ♡
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I just stumbled upon this set of translations very recently, and now am caught up (sad to say) after having re-watched Re:Zero and wanting to see more of the story continued. I must say – I’m at the edge of my seat with every update! Thank you very much for your hard work. Not only are you uploading these translations fairly quickly, but the translations are actually pretty good quality. Being able to translate things in a way that seems natural is a rare talent, and it makes it easier for me to stay immersed in the story.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Aw ❤
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Welcome aboard the chicken cult
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Thank you chicken! I really needed this chapter.
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Just say i can return by diğh xd
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EMT ❤❤❤❤❤❤
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Ohh god, i’m crying too at the end. Emilia-tan really is a angel. She even moved aside her own problems to console Subaru. Really. . EMT~
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I think, emilia is actually still scared, but after she saw subaru expressions suddenly she forgets all the incident in trial, and changed into mode one-san ?
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When is Arc 6 going to be continued?
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Tappei-sama hasn’t released new arc 6 chapters yet. I’ll probably resume as soon as new chapters come out.
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❤
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such a sweet scene ❤
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My boi Chicken back at it with the fast releases. Keep up the great work!
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It’s fine to die countless times as long as I have Emilia by my side.
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“If you want to defeat me, grow a thousand shadows, half of what satella could” -Puck
“I could give you 2000 reasons why I love you” -Subaru
My theory is that Subaru’s feeling towards Emilia is influenced by the witch
LikeLiked by 4 people
Good observation there, didn’t realize that at all
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Your awesome chicken, i’m sad that I couldn’t stay awake til your release. I haven’t had sleep for this past week
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“An uncontrollable tremor of different dimension” …missing an “a” or just pluralize “dimension”.
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Thanks fixed it!
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It’s been too long since we see again how much subaru loves emilia. Holding each other in a cold cave feeling each other’s warmth hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Thank you chicken sama
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Wonderful chapter! Having Emilia comfort Subaru is a nice “calm after the storm moment.” I think we can all agree that we needed a moment like this after everything that just happened.
Excellent work as usual chicken. ; )
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❤
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aaaaaaah ❤
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A certain ship has seemingly just received a year’s worth of supplies and fuel…
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no other chapter has made me want season 2 as desperately as this one ❤
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Is it just me or is Garfiel one letter off of Garfield the other hungry tiger 😉
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Aye another breakdown from the Subaru Impreza. Great chapter chicken!
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T’was a fine chapter. EMVP! Emilia most valuable player!
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The image is quite nice. Emilia really does have Subaru’s back. She may not of played a major yet but, without her Subaru would of given up by now. I am an Official Emilian!!!
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Beautiful chapter. Hopefully now Subaru can break out of these bad loops and move forward. So glad to see Emilia comfort Subaru after so long as well ;). EMT.
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So sweet!
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Emilia’s selflessness ❤❤❤
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EMF ! Emilia-tan Major Fairy! 💜💜💜
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Long live the chicken cult and the half elf is nice and all but you just can not beat rem beliving in Subaru no matter what giving her life for him no matter what. she said when the witch cult got him that Subaru is her reason to die and I heard we will not be seeing a lot of rem for a good long time. She was half died and draged herself to him just to release his chains in fact episode 15 was what made this show one of my favorites.
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Wait I take that back the arch bishop of sloth is best girl I mean when he licked Subarus eye you can’t tell me that it was not a good sigh of showing his love for him lol
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This scene is good no matter how many times I read it. Emilia hates her past and is scared but considers Suburu before herself and comforts him. Really nice moment between the two.
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Nope. Emilia was using Subaru to feel needed and distract herself from what happened in her trial.
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Emilia was using Subaru…? Nice lie moron
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Emilia always cares or people who Emilia dont know that is why Emilia is best birl 👑
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I have arrived, fashionably late.
Nice, tender chapter, good to see a warm moment after so much Suffaru.
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That was a pleasant break from the usual chaos. Thx again Chicken!
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Cant wait for ch. 73
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Oh Great and Merciful Chicken-sama! Thank you so much! I couldn’t rest easy, but I’m so happy! Thank You!
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Nice vent after all Subaru’s been through! Thanks Emilia. I wonder if his behaviour towards her will change, since the impact with Envy was traumatic… I guess no but I am still curious.
Thanks for the chapter!
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My theory : Envy will take emilia’s body because of the love subaru has for her. (And After This , she will think that her love can be mutual)
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Subaru, cry whenever you are hurt and try not to hold in your feelings. Just as your mom said, express your emotions. You deserve happiness Subaru
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“That is―― would the Witch of Envy really give up her pursuit just because he passed through Return by Death?”
That’s what I was thinking. It is hardly believable, that while Subaru remembers about his previous loops, Envy don’t remember, so I don’t see any reason for her to not repeat what she did in previous loop, if she already decided to consume Subaru. The question is still open.
“[Emilia: ……suba…ru?]
Her voice, her bearing, and the color of her eyes, all belonged to the Emilia he knew.
[Subaru: ――Yeah, it’s me]” After these couple of lines I already knew, that Subaru’s mental state would crumble and his emotions would burst. Kind of reminds me of a lap-pillow time, ah… EMT ❤
Such a good emotionally filled chapter.
Thanks for the translation, Chicken!
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This is so beautiful. I love how Emilia loves Subaru, but she don’t know it yet. She’d do anything for Subaru, and when she’s sad she wants Subaru to be with her, every day that passes her love for him grows, and it’ll grow to a point that she’ll not be able to hide the fact that she loves him.
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♥♥
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