1 Prologue

In the heart of the dense woods, a young man sprinted, the thunderous explosions echoing through the trees like an ominous drumbeat. The cacophony of screams and pleas reverberated in his mind, a haunting melody that refused to fade. Running for his life had become an all too familiar dance—inescapable, relentless.

This was Natsuki Subaru's cruel reality—his fate, a canvas painted with the blood of those he couldn't protect. Powerless, he faced his enemies like a moth drawn to a flame, incapable of confronting them head-on. He lacked true power.

The desperate wails of a man, once a companion in conversation, clawed at his consciousness. Yet, Subaru pressed forward, the allure of second chances whispering promises that he dared to believe. A chance to rewrite the script, to save lives, to redo everything once again.

"AHHHHH! SPARE ME…SPAR-AGHH."

The agonizing cries lingered, a bitter reminder of the fragility of time. He refused to glance back; there was no redemption in the past, only the uncertain canvas of the future. Could he truly alter the inevitable, or was he trapped in an unyielding loop of despair?

Natsuki Subaru grappled with uncertainty. Every attempt to break free from the cycle ended in frustration. Each plan, each desperate plea, led him back to the starting point. He has looped back in time again and again but he can't find a way out. He has died thousands of times yet "He" still shows up. Running became his only refuge, a mindless escape from the chaos that pursued him.

Leaves crunched beneath his shoes, a symphony of destruction trailing in his wake. The echoes of his breath, amplified by fear, became a deafening roar in his ears. Overwhelmed, he snapped, hands clutching at his ears, screaming for silence.

"SHUT UP! JUST FUCKING SHUT UP!!"

His frantic escape took an unexpected turn as a tree crashed in his path. Eyes shut tight, he collided with the obstacle, his leg ensnared by its unforgiving branches. The sounds of destruction drew closer, a relentless pursuit that threatened to consume him.

"Haah… fuck…FUCK!" he bellowed in frustration, pinned by both the fallen tree and the approaching storm of annihilation. The cruel reality of his powerlessness loomed, and with every passing moment, the shadows of his failures crept closer, threatening to swallow him whole.

"SUBARU!" The urgent cry pierced through the chaos, Her voice, unmistakable and etched into the core of his being, belonged to the woman who held the most sacred place in his damned existence.

Raising his eyes, he spotted her in the distance—a solitary figure amidst the chaos. Long silver hair flowed like a cascade, and her purple-blue eyes shimmered with a naive determination that had captivated him from the beginning.

"EMILIA! DON'T COME HERE! RUN! RUN AWAY!" He shouted desperately, but his plea fell on determined ears. Emilia, unwavering in her resolve, continued her approach. That stubborn determination was what drew him to her—the first person to extend a hand to him in this forsaken world.

"EMILIA NO! RU—" The air cracked with an ominous sound, drowning his words. In an instant, the woman who stood before him was crushed by an invisible force.

"EMILIAAAAAA!" His anguished cry echoed through the desolation.

This was the 1973rd loop—a relentless cycle that refused to yield salvation. Memories of Emilia flickered in his mind—the warmth of her smile, the soothing embrace of her arms, the promises of dependence. And yet, despite the countless resets, he remained unable to save her.

"AHHHHHHHHHH! HOW MANY TIMES?! HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO KILL THE PEOPLE CLOSE TO ME FOR YOU TO BE SATISFIED?! WHYYYY?!" His voice, strained and desperate, reverberated through the shattered reality.

Footsteps approached, heralding the arrival of the man who had shattered Subaru's world time and again. Regulus, with his unsettling calm and unnaturally white hair, emerged as the architect of his despair.

"REGULUS!" Subaru screamed, his voice a mix of fury and desperation.

Regulus regarded him with indifferent eyes. "Hmm? Have we met before? I apologize but I can't seem to recognize you. How do you know my name?" His calm inquiry clashed with Subaru's unraveling sanity.

"WHY?! JUST WHY DO YOU KEEP SHOWING UP?! I TRIED EVERYTHING! WE DON'T HAVE THE GODDAMN GOSPEL! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS! WHY? JUST WHY!?" Subaru's accusations pierced the air, but Regulus remained eerily composed.

"How? How do you know I'm here for the Holy Gospel? Hmm…it doesn't matter…just die," Regulus declared, pointing his arm at Subaru.

Faces of those he failed flashed before his eyes—Emilia, Rem, Ram—their memories entwined with his impending demise.

"Emilia…Rem…Ram…" He whispered their names, a last homage to the fragments of his shattered world.

"Haha…hahaha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Subaru's laughter erupted, a man on the edge of insanity.

"Hmm? Seems like you lost your mind. What an eyesore…" Regulus sneered, preparing to deliver the final blow.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA—" The laughter abruptly ceased as an invisible blade of wind severed Subaru's head from his shoulders.

He had tried everything, but the 1973rd loop marked the end of his futile endeavors. Natsuki Subaru, on that fateful day, shattered beyond repair.

[Earth, In a hospital in Minnesota, America]

The steady beeping of the monitor echoed in the hospital room, setting a quiet rhythm. A young boy lay on the hospital bed, connected to various tubes delivering a clear liquid into him. His breath moved in a steady pattern, and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

A book rested in his arms as he let his thoughts wander.

"I finished this one faster than I expected... Hope Emily comes sooner, or I'll be bored to death," he said, coming out of his thoughts. Raising the book to his eyes, he looked at the cover—a typical Japanese light novel with all the usual clichés.

"Haaaah... Why did my phone have to die now of all times? I hope Emily checks up on me by herself," he muttered. A faint smile appeared on his face as he remembered the nurse who stuck by him, even when his family forgot him. The smile faded when he recalled the doctor's words.

"A week at most huh?" The boy remembered the deadline the doctor gave him. He could feel it—death was looming. An illness that no one had heard of had plagued him his whole life. He spent all his time in a hospital room, hooked up to machines and fed pills. Even his only family left, his aunt, forgot about him.

The only things to look forward to were books and the gentle nurse who visited him every day. The first gift he ever received was a book—a book about magic and adventure. He got hooked instantly. The only things he ever asked for were more books. Learning was fun.

"I wonder what Aunt Sara is doing now? Maybe she finally got married as she wished... nah..."

A weak laugh escaped his cracked lips, followed by a rough cough. He raised the hand he coughed in and saw blood. His mind spun as his hand fell back down. A dreadful headache assaulted him, and he groaned in pain.

"Ouch... it hurts," he groaned. The machine attached to him started ringing as alarms went off. His breath grew ragged as the pain became unbearable.

'Ah... I'm dying,' he thought. The door burst open as doctors and nurses rushed into his room. They operated the machines and did everything to keep the boy alive, but alas, his time had come.

"HIROSHI! ANSWER ME! HIROSHI?!" he heard Emily's voice.

'Sorry, Emily... I couldn't keep my promise...' The boy apologized to his only friend in his mind.

'If only... if only I had another chance,' he thought to himself.

'I would live my life to the fullest.' That was the last thought that went through his head as he took his last breath.

The beeping of the monitor rang as it flatlined. The cries of the woman echoed in the room.

Darkness enveloped him. He opened his eyes. The only thing he saw was darkness. It seemed like an eternal void.

'I died huh? Is this Hell? No way... Does it exist?' The boy thought to himself.

"Hahaha... You're not in hell, kiddo..." A soft feminine voice broke the silence.

Suddenly, everything went white, but it didn't last long. Darkness enveloped him again, but this time it wasn't the same. He looked around. It looked like he was standing in space. He looked around in wonder as he gazed upon the cosmos surrounding him. He could see galaxies and stars surrounding him in all directions. It seemed infinite.

"What the?" He muttered out loud.

"Over here, kiddo..." That same feminine voice rang out again.

Turning, he beheld her—the epitome of beauty seated on a divine throne crafted from ethereal crystal. Pitch-black hair cascaded down her back, and amethyst eyes held the secrets of existence. A soft smile graced her features.

"Hey there kiddo… Welcome to the Nexus," the woman spoke.

In a daze, the boy stared, instinctively muttering, "Huh?"

It became clear: this was no ordinary day.