Fractured Reality

After the Midday meal was over, Tanaka took a bath and was on his way to his room, he had finally finished his chores and was hoping to get some time alone.

"Hah, it's finally over." Tanaka sighed as he recalled the stress from mimicking the conversation of the first loop, he had to mention many details such as the absence of magic in their world, the existence of much more countries than this world and etc...

With another sigh, he approached his bedroom door and turned the knob. As he pushed it open, an all-too-familiar sight greeted him. It was the forbidden library, with Beatrice seated in a chair, her gaze unwaveringly fixed upon him. Tanaka's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, and he couldn't help but question the situation.

Tanaka: "Are you doing this on purpose?"

Beatrice: "First entering the forbidden library without Betty's permission and now blabbering non-sense, I suppose?"

Tanaka: "I'm talking about how I'm opening the door to my room and in the end. I find myself here in this library."

Beatrice: "I'm sorry to disappoint you but betty has no interest nor the time to waste with a clown who pretends to be from beyond Great cascade. Besides, it's only you who mistakes Betty's library to be his room, your room isn't even in this floor. I don't know whether I should find this situation absurd or laughable, in fact. "

'I missed my room by a whole floor!?"

Tanaka frowned at the thought, but his eyes narrowed with annoyance at the first accusation. "Well, sorry to disappoint you too but I'm not pretending. Our world is called earth and I'm from a country called Japan."

Beatrice remained silent, her expression inscrutable.

Tanaka resigned, with a hint of exhaustion: "Well, sorry, but I'm a bit tired right now. I'll be heading off. And when I'm no longer angry about the fact that you threw me off the third-floor window, maybe I'll come back and play with you."

Beatrice: "Betty doesn't want to play with a moron like you."

Tanaka: "Sorry, but I'm still mad at you, so I'll just filter out any words I don't like coming from your mouth. Anyway, see you later, midget."

With that, Tanaka closed the door, leaving Beatrice irritated in the library.

As Tanaka navigated the hallway, he found himself faced with a staircase leading upward. His thoughts betrayed him, leading him to the conclusion, 'Wow, I'm really on the second floor.' His room was supposed to be on the third floor, yet for some reason, he thought he was already on the third floor, entering his room.

'I must be tripping thanks to all the crap I have to deal with.'

Tanaka ascended the stairs and finally entered his room.

He took a seat at his desk, tapping a pen on the wooden surface as he began to recall the events that had transpired. Tanaka endeavored to replicate the same events from the previous loop, but there were also details he omitted.

For example, he recalled how he'd avoided taking a bath with Roswaal and Subaru, valuing his privacy. He hadn't panicked upon first meeting Puck, nor had he been frightened upon learning of Emilia's identity as a potential ruler of the throne. To convince them that he was from another world, he'd willingly shown them childhood photos from his travels abroad. This time, he also hadn't lost his contact lenses.

Tanaka: "Screw it! The loop is already fucked."

He couldn't help but cringe at his reaction during those absurd events. Although it was normal to be scared upon encountering a floating cat or facing a queen candidate, he couldn't bear pretending to be frightened when he'd already experienced it before.

Tanaka: "Okay, let's calm down. Even if there are many other things that are different in this loop, I still need to pursue the original goal."

His main objective wasn't to maintain the original path, even through it would have been ideal so it might have helped him spot any triggers, but regardless, his aim was to test if the loops follow a certain pattern.

Tanaka resolved, "I have to stay up to see if this loop is going to end tonight or not. I'll keep myself occupied with reading this book."

His progress he had with Ram didn't go in vain. In the past five days during the loop, Tanaka is now able to recognize each of 30 characters of the draconian language, although he is not yet fully capable of writing, if he tries hard enough, he can read the kids stories.

Tanaka remarked, "Despite the fact that the name draconian is cringe, their stories are not that bad."

Observing the people of this country, it became evident that their fascination with dragons knew no bounds. The very name of their country boasted the presence of a dragon, and even their official language bore the name 'draconian.'

He reached for a cigarette from his pack, lit it with a flick of his lighter, and took a contemplative drag. "Four days to go," he added, exhaling a plume of smoke as he leaned back in his chair.

*********************************************************************************

Tanaka's fatigue hung heavy in the air as he succumbed to an uncontrollable yawn, his jaw stretching wide open like a yawning chasm. His eyelids drooped, and it became increasingly evident that he couldn't resist the embrace of sleep any longer.

'I didn't loop yesterday, huh?'

It wasn't entirely unexpected, to be honest. Tanaka had stubbornly remained awake throughout the night, fearing that he might find himself transported into that ominous, dark realm once more. But if he were to experience another transition, he would at least be conscious of it this time.

'It's then likely that the loop will happen in the fifth day, I should really go to sleep after I finish work.'

This newfound realization seemed to solidify the idea that the loops adhered to a pattern. Consequently, there was no reason for him to stay awake every night until the fifth day, at least for the time being.

Subaru: "Ouch!!"

Tanaka's train of thought was abruptly disrupted by Subaru's cry of pain. He turned his gaze toward Subaru, who was clutching his hand, a small but noticeable cut marring his palm.

Tanaka: "Dude, if you are bad with the knife, just switch with me and go wash the dishes."

Subaru: "Eventually, I need to learn how to use it. And besides, you're acting like you're some kind of knife expert."

"Dah, that's because I'm better." Tanaka declared as he moved closer to Subaru, knife in hand, and selected a potato. He began to demonstrate the proper technique. "You need to hold the knife still and slowly rotate the potato."

Subaru, surprised, remarked, "Huh, when did you become able to peel them efficiently?"

Tanaka: "Two years living with the shitty independence, don't worry you will get the hang of it eventually, anyway switch with me now and go get some bandages, I'm going to throw up because of my Hemophobia."

"Hemofobia?" Ram inquired.

"It means I feel uncomfortable when I see blood or open wounds," Tanaka explained.

"Since when are you afraid of blood?" Subaru questioned.

Tanaka: "The heck do you mean, since when? Sometimes people develop fears naturally, just like how some people are afraid of heights. Do you think everyone who fears heights fell off a mountain?"

"You're afraid of blood?" Rem chimed in.

Tanaka: "It's not as severe as most people, others with Hemophobia immediately faint when they see blood, in my case I just feel uncomfortable when I do see and I don't faint unless I continue to stare at it from close distance so I just avert my gaze."

When the conversation shifted towards Tanaka's phobia, Subaru's curiosity was palpable as he turned his gaze away from the discussion, fixing his eyes on the stable fire crackling beneath a pot on the stove. 

Subaru: "I have been curious for a while, how does the stove even work?"

The twins exchanged puzzled glances, as if Subaru's question had caught them off guard.

"Actually, I've been wondering the same thing," Tanaka chimed in. "Does it work with magic as well?"

Rem began to explain, "There is a layer of magic crystals of the fire element beneath, which creates the heat. The same mechanism is used in order to get the water heated in the bathroom."

Subaru nodded in understanding. "So, the kettle and other things follow the same principle. No gas stoves or induction heaters, huh? I was wondering how things were done from time to time."

"Using a source of energy to generate heat, even if it's called magic crystals, whoever thought about this was using their brain," Tanaka remarked. "Also, are those crystals easy to get?"

Upon hearing about this topic, Tanaka's curiosity peaked this item. Until now, he was using earth magnets to charge his phone but they are no where near enough to charge up his laptop, he was at first thinking of using solar energy but sadly it will take too much time to make and he doesn't have that time because of work and the looping phenomenon that was happening to him.

Ram clarified, "Magic crystals are considered a luxury, typically used by nobles and large households."

Tanaka muttered, "Tch, It's useless then."

'If it's exclusive, then it's useless. Those nobles can shove those crystals all the way up to their asses.'

Subaru: "I think I get what you mean, if the middle class aren't going to benefit from them, then it's just meh."

"What do you use beyond the Great Cascade?" Ram inquired.

"I think it's mostly gas," Subaru explained. "Back in the day, people used wood."

"That's still a type of fuel," Tanaka added. "It's mostly thanks to the mechanism in our world, the system, that we're able to maintain a stable fire temperature. All you need is a bit of heat to light it up."

"All you need is a bit of heat to lit it up."

"How do you even start the fire with no mana or crystals."

""Electricity.""

"You mean that lightning thing Tanuki showed us two days ago?" Ram asked.

Subaru: "Lightning thing?"

"It's essentially harnessing the power of electromagnetic induction, a phenomenon where a change in magnetic field induces an electric current within a circuit. So, what I did was take this rare earth, which, by the way, is an incredibly potent natural magnet, and I used it to create an electro-motive force..."

However, before he could dive deeper into the topic, Subaru abruptly interrupted, his eyes wide with bewilderment.

"Okay! Okay! That's enough!" Subaru exclaimed, waving his hands in surrender. 

"Yeah, anyway," Tanaka continued, "You can think of it as an alternative power source we use instead of mana. Electricity can be generated from sunlight, wind, water, and other natural sources. Almost every middle-class family uses electricity. Heck, even poor families have access to it."

"From what I understood, mana is something that always exists in the atmosphere. However, electricity can be created, then utilized," Subaru added. 

With the topic neatly summarized, Ram interjected with a hint of sarcasm, "Alright, as much as this topic has no importance whatsoever, we still have a lot of work to finish."

As time passed, the staff diligently completed their tasks, from cleaning rooms to maintaining the garden. And the break drew to a close. Seizing a moment between tasks, Tanaka approached Ram to initiate a conversation.

"Ram, I almost forgot. I think Subaru should join the study session," Tanaka suggested.

Tanaka had to be the one who decided to initiate the request. It was the second day since Subaru's arrival, and in the previous loop, it had been Ram who had been the sole teacher until Subaru and Rem joined their study session on the second day. However, in this particular loop, Ram had been conspicuously absent on the first day, and that fact had triggered Tanaka's recollection of their teaching sessions.

Ram furrowed her eyebrows and inquired, "Why?"

Tanaka explained his reasoning. "What do you mean why? He can't read or write, just like me, since our native language is Japanese, not draconian. You also didn't come to teach me yesterday, were you busy?"

Ram, quick to provide an explanation, "Ah yes, Ram had some tasks given by Roswaal, therefore I wasn't able to come, does Barusu also have to learn?"

Tanaka nodded firmly. "Of course, he does. Not just me. He should be able to read and write on his own if I'm not there with him."

Ram: "Alright, I will go talk with Roswaal-Sama and Rem about this, Ram should be able to come tonight. If not, Tanuki can drag Barusu and introduce him to letters."

Tanaka expressed his gratitude. "Okay, then. I will go to my room for now."

With the matter settled, Tanaka made his way to his room, leaving behind the discussions and preparations for the loop.

*********************************************************************************************************

Emilia: "So, since Ram or Rem can't come see you tonight… I took over the role of supervising your studies."

Tanaka: "Huh?"

Subaru: "I see! Wow, I'm glad, a real surprise! Oh, please, sit. You want tea or something, right? Oh, I snuck out some special tea snacks."

Subaru invited Emilia into the room, and started to prepare to welcome her in a rush.

However, Tanaka had other preferences. "Bring me coffee instead of tea," he requested, his tone lighthearted.

Subaru, momentarily taken aback, couldn't hide his exasperation. "Augh, why should I serve you," he retorted as he made his way out of the room to fulfill Tanaka's request.

Emilia: "You shouldn't drink coffee at night, Tanaka. It will prevent you from sleeping."

Tanaka shrugged off her concern with a casual demeanor. "It's fine," he assured her, "I'm planning to stay awake because I wanted to do some extra studies. In any case, shouldn't you be busy with all that throne thing?"

Emilia's expression turned briefly gloomy, a flicker of doubt crossing her features. She spoke hesitantly, "I have finished my studies earlier... Do you hate it? That I'm the one teaching you?"

Tanaka, taken aback by her question, quickly clarified, "Wait! Wait! It's not like that. I'm just thought you would be busy and I wasn't expecting you to teach us." He paused and added sincerely, "I didn't mean it that way. I'm thankful that you're here."

In truth, he was more curious about why Ram and Rem hadn't come this time. They had consistently been his teachers, but this loop was different; they were absent on the fifth day.

Emilia: "It's fine, you don't have to feel burdened."

Trying to lighten up the mood, Tanaka brought up the topic of his studies. "I've been learning about numbers and stuff, but there's a problem."

Emilia, curious, inquired, "What's the problem?"

Tanaka sighed, "It's making me angry."

He proceeded to explain the numeration system, using dots and lines to represent numbers. As he described it, his irritation with the system grew more apparent.

"One is represented by a single dot (·)," he began. "Two is represented by two dots (··). Five is represented by a single line (—). Then seven is represented by a line (—) followed by two dots (··). Ten is represented by a single circle (○). And Twelve is represented by a circle (○) followed by two dots (··). And Fifteen is represented by a circle (○) and a line (—). And Twenty is represented by two circles (○○)."

Tanaka: "Whoever invented this numeration system needs to get arrested as soon as possible."

Emilia, attempting to understand his vexation, asked, "What's wrong with it!?"

Tanaka, exasperated, replied, "What's wrong with it? Okay, hear me out. Hypothetically, if I want to buy a house and it costs Two hundred thirty-four thousand twenty-three sage coins."

Emilia interjected, "Why would you choose such an inconvenient number? Also, you can pay using the sacred dragon coins instead."

Tanaka defended his position, saying, "I only have sage coins."

Emilia, with a bemused smile, asked, "Where would you get that many coins in the first place?"

Tanaka, grinning, responded, "I said hypothetically."

As they were discussing this numerical nightmare, Subaru reentered the room, his curiosity piqued. "Hey dude, come here," Tanaka beckoned him over. "I found a glitch in their math! Hehe."

Emilia, seemingly undeterred by their banter, reassured them, "It's fine! Say the number, and I will write it down."

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Tanaka challenged Emilia with a seemingly daunting number. "Two hundred thirty-four thousand twenty-three (234023)."

Emilia, determined, jotted down the symbols to represent the number on the paper. When Tanaka saw the resulting notation, he couldn't help but be amused and slightly frustrated.

'○○○○○—····—···'

Subaru couldn't contain his reaction. "Yikes!"

Emilia, taken aback, exclaimed, "You too, Subaru?!"

Subaru, with a sheepish grin, apologized, "I'm sorry, Emilia-tan. But when I look at this unholy thing, it only solidifies my hatred towards math!"

Tanaka, nodding in agreement, chimed in. "It's not like we're teasing you just for the sake of it; it's genuinely bad. Okay, it can work fine when the numbers are small, but when they become more than three digits, it's just awful. And don't get me started if we include operations like division and multiplication."

Emilia: "Alright then....." She stayed silent for a bit contemplating her words, "How do numbers work in your world?"

Tanaka, eager to explain, picked up a sheet of paper and started writing. "It's easy; basic math numbers go from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9. And when you move to two and three digits, it goes 10, 11, 12... and 100, 101... etc. It's not that complicated; all you need is to memorize the first ten basic numbers, and the rest is easy."

Emilia, still somewhat puzzled, remarked, "It's just as confusing!"

Tanaka: "How? Bigger numbers are easier and shorter to write! You are just saying that because you are not used to it."

Emilia: "Aren't you too saying that because you also to our system."

Tanaka, realizing his bias, conceded, "Okay, maybe I'm being a bit biased here..."

Subaru, with a smirk, quipped, "You mean a hypocrite."

Tanaka retorted, "Shut up! The point I'm trying to make is that it can work for basic trading and simple operations, but when it comes to natural science, engineering, medicine... Well, good luck."

Subaru, understanding the sentiment, agreed, "Yeah, I get what you're saying, but all that stuff is useless when they have magic."

With their banter subsiding, Tanaka hopped over to the bed. "Yup, but either way, I still have to learn it so I can do normal errands."

Emilia, who had been observing their lively conversation, smiled warmly. "Are you done?"

Tanaka nodded. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to ask. You can take my seat now and check on Subaru."

Now, Emilia turned her attention to Subaru. "Are you stuck somewhere?"

Subaru's face lit up with excitement as he presented his request. "That's right, Emilia-tan. I have so many questions and so few answers. Therefore... we need to have a sleepover so we can go into all my problems."

With resignation in her eyes, her behavior was like an abandoned puppy, which activated Subaru's protective instincts. To cut a long story short, Emilia was cute to him, whatever expression she was making. In short…

"E. M. T. (Emilia-tan is seriously an angel!)"

Emilia: "Your face tells me you're reaaally speaking nonsense. Maybe I've finally come to understand you, Subaru."

Tanaka chimed in, amused by the exchange. "You do!?"

Subaru: "Aw, that's a delight to hear. But don't think you can see through me so easily. Oh, here's some tea. And here's your stupid coffee; I didn't put any sugar on purpose, just so you know."

"Oh, thanks." Emilia accepted the tea and took her seat in front of the desk, while Tanaka settled on his bed. Tanaka, still sipping his coffee, interjected with a smirk, "Thanks, I like it this way."

Subaru, pretending to be offended, retorted, "Fuck! I knew it that you are a sociopath!"

Emilia, sensing that it was time to get down to business, declared, "Actually, I didn't come here to fool around, so you shouldn't be relaxing."

The air started to crack apart with a dry sound, and the temperature in the room decreased drastically.

Seeing the steam from the tea becoming more forceful and thick, Subaru came to the conclusion that further delaying this study session would be impossible. "Ok ok, got it. Let's study, it's study time. A heart-racing lesson in a private room at night with Emilia-tan… I got excited just saying that!"

Tanaka, sipping his coffee unfazed, casually concluded Subaru's daydream with, "I'm still here, remember?"

Subaru, with a growl, dismissed Tanaka's presence. "Nope, you don't exist."

"Fine, fine, I got it. Anyways, what do you usually do?" asked Emilia from the side with her hands on the back of the seat after Subaru had moved to the chair. Feeling her breath on him, Subaru nervously opened his notebook and textbook.

"I'm currently learning the basic E letters," he replied. "It seems like the fairytales are mostly a collection of stories written with E letters, so my goal at the moment is to be able to read them."

Emilia: "Huh, a collection of fairytales."

Tanaka, however, was taken aback. "Huh? Wait, wait, wait! You already got there? You just started two days ago!"

Subaru, quick on his feet, responded, "Ah, that... I did some extra studies so I can catch up."

Subaru burned with an odd sense of mission. Not knowing his objective, Emilia had a cloudy expression on her face, as she lowered her gaze in her sensational position. Then she muttered, "You're faithful at strange moments." She continued, "Hey, Subaru. I don't really want to ask you this, but... why aren't you usually more serious like this?"

Subaru's initial response was somewhat evasive. "It's my policy to seriously be unserious, and... I guess that kind of answer is not what you want to hear right now, huh?"

Emilia: "Yeah, I'm serious. —Ram was also complaining a little bit. That you seem like, hmm, like you're cutting corners here and there in your work."

Tanaka couldn't resist jumping into the conversation. "A little bit? She is almost about to complain how I'm breathing the same air as she."

Emilia corrected him, "That's quite the opposite, Tanaka. Ram praised how you didn't need much guidance and can handle chores on your own, and that's quite rare for Ram to praise someone."

Tanaka couldn't believe it. "For real! Even though she calls me slow all the time... Oh my god, tomorrow might be my funeral."

On the opposite side of the discussion, Subaru looked down emersed deep in his thoughts. Maybe because it seemed like she was telling on him, Emilia spoke hesitantly. However, all Subaru could do was internally frown in pain that she was right on point.

'I gotta admit that it's a totally accurate evaluation to say that I've been cutting corners here and there while on the job.'

In fact, Subaru was not seriously devoting himself to his work. Rather, you could say he was making adjustments to gain the same results as before.

Compared to when he hardly understood his work, Subaru now more or less had gotten used to it. You could say that if he had an employee skill of all Cs, he currently had all C+s. But regardless, he felt like he was overshadowed by Tanaka who was completing his tasks with efficiency unlike the previous loop for some unknown reason.

Naturally, the sense of guilt slowed down Subaru's mouth.

Seeing Subaru who could not utter another word, Emilia murmured "I thought so," before continuing. "Well, it's not like you don't feel guilty. Like how you aren't slacking off while studying."

Tanaka also tried to lift up his morals, "He will get used to it eventually. After all, unlike me, it's his first time ever working and he just needs some time."

He had been causing trouble for the twins due to his own circumstances, working hard for the things that would only benefit himself, and cutting corners even outside of that.

Subaru: "Ah, I will attend to it with a renewed attitude starting tomorrow, please forgive me, my queen."

"Hmm, that's alright… Wait a second." Emilia tilted her head, as though she'd felt something was off about her response.

While feeling at ease at her softened attitude, Subaru promised himself that he would make his words reality starting tomorrow.

At any rate, it was a good place to restart. After that, he wouldn't have to retrace his previous work, and he wouldn't have to intentionally cut corners at his work either.

He would be able to return the debt of gratitude to both Ram and Rem, and even Tanaka who was supporting him for the past few days.

'Of course, just because I stop cutting corners doesn't mean that my level of ability is gonna immediately rise either.'

Subaru: "Your mentality is important for these things. My dilligentness has a value that can't be bought. Indeed, it's priceless."

Emilia: "You fool around at your convenience again… Did you finish studying?"

"Yeah, today's share! Oh ya, I have a favor to ask you, Emilia-tan, can you hear me out?" Fiddling with his fingers, he glanced up at Emilia using his secret technique: puppy-dog eyes. It was a gesture targeting her maternal instincts, but she looked slightly disturbed and Tanaka on the other hand was staring at them sipping on his coffee.

"No, I have a reaaally bad feeling about this one."

Tanaka, enjoying the unfolding drama, chimed in, "I actually like where this is going..." as he took another sip of coffee.

"Such a negative impression that you are disgusted!? It's nothing like that! I just wanted a reward for working hard starting tomorrow."

"A reward! Just to let you know, I don't have any spare money, alright?"

"It's nothing like that. Ju-Ju-Ju-Just hear me out. So since I'm gonna work seriously starting tomorrow… Let's go on a date!"

Putting his thumb up with shining teeth, he made his signature pose, content with the results.

Emilia blinked her eyes at Subaru's usual posing and said, "A da-te, what do we do?"

Subaru: "Ha, simply, if a man and woman go out alone, that is a date. Only the goddess of romance knows what happens during that time."

Emilia: "So, you went on a da-te with Rem today, Subaru."

Tanaka couldn't hold back his laughter. "Pft! Hahahaha! Yes, that's right, he went on a date today."

Subaru protested, "Ugh! I didn't expect that response! It doesn't count! Please don't count that!"

Emilia wryly laughed with an "Ok, ok" at Subaru, who had broken down into tears with his arms wrapped around himself. Waving her hand, she said, "I get that you want to go out together, but where do you want to go?"

"Eh, there's actually a super lovely dog right near this mansion that bit me twice. There's also a field of flowers and it's really pretty. I wanna forever commemorate our co-starred scene amongst the blooming flowers with my magical item."

His initial equipment had also been collected after the battle in the loot house and stored in the corner of the room.

The contents in the plastic bag were untouched, and not to mention the cell phone, the snacks and instant ramen were also in good condition.

Subaru lamented, "If I had a charger and an outlet, I would fill up the storage with pictures of Emilia-tan... and change my phone wallpaper every day. Aargh, I really want to do that. Why was I summoned to another world, Thomas!"

Calling the name of the great inventor, Subaru expressed his longing for modern conveniences, and as he looked at Tanaka tapping on his phone, he couldn't help but ask, "I have seen you using it all the time, does yours still have power?"

Tanaka explained, "I'm just writing notes. The battery lasts for a long time, but it wouldn't last for days. That's why I'm using my charger."

Subaru was intrigued, "Your charger? What do you mean? There's no electricity here."

Tanaka clarified, "That's why I made a power source using magnets the first day I came here. I thought my top priority was to keep my phone alive to call for help, but since there's no signal, it's useless."

Subaru joked, "Are you Thomas? Can you make one for me?"

Tanaka, however, had to disappoint him, "Sorry, I can't. I still need your charger for it to work. I was lucky to bring mine, and I'm also planning on building a power source for my laptop."

Subaru couldn't help but wonder, "Did you prepare for this Isekai trip or what?"

Tanaka: "I was going back from home and I always take them around with me, I was lucky that I got transported here with my bag. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have brought many other things."

Subaru sighed, "All I brought with me was just a bag of chips and stupid noodles. Anyway, Tanaka, please lend me your phone tomorrow."

Tanaka was quick to respond, "I refuse."

Subaru pleaded, "Come on! Please! Please! I really want to take pictures of our first date."

Emilia: "Why do you want Tanaka's.... What's that anyway?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Tanaka decided to clarify things. "Okay, I will explain, but first, I need to know something. Do you know what pictures are?"

Emilia responded confidently, "It's a typical thing to know."

Tanaka grinned and instructed, "Great, then Subaru, go stand beside her. And when I count to three, both of you say cheese."

Subaru, thrilled about their first picture, encouraged Emilia, "Ohhhh! Our first picture! Come on, Emilia-Tan."

Emilia, baffled by the sudden request, stammered, "Huh? What... What is going on?"

Tanaka got ready, holding his phone up. "Alright! One... Two... Three... Cheese."

Subaru chimed in, "CHEESE!"

Emilia, not quite grasping the concept, exclaimed, "Chiz!!"

As Tanaka pressed the button, a sudden flash of light burst from the phone, startling Emilia. She blinked in surprise, "What just happened!?"

Subaru, on the other hand, excitedly jumped over, urging, "Show me! Show me!"

Tanaka obliged, turning his phone to display the image. "Dude, this looks amazing!" Subaru's reaction was pure delight as he praised the quality of the image.

Emilia, still mesmerized, asked with astonishment, "This... Is this me?"

Tanaka nodded, explaining, "Yup, most phones in our world can take pictures, but mine is top quality."

Emilia, a hint of a unawareness, marveled, "I'm also smiling?"

Tanaka chuckled, "That's the point of saying cheese. When you do, your face forms a smile, it's something we do before taking pictures."

Subaru: "Yeah, it's cool but it's still really corny!"

Emilia couldn't resist checking the image once more, repeating, "Chiz!....Oh! It's true!"

Subaru, looking at her expression, couldn't help but praise Emilia's smile, "Emilia-tan, you've got a killer smile!"

Emilia giggled at the compliment and shifted her gaze to Tanaka, suggesting, "You should show this to Rem and Ram tomorrow; I'm sure they are going to love it."

Tanaka nodded in agreement with a smile on his face, but his face carried a hint of loneliness.

Subaru didn't let the momentum fade as he returned to his initial request, "So... What do you say about lending me your phone tomorrow, please? PleasePleasePLeasssssssssssssssse, I will do anythingggg Tanakaaa-SAMA."

Tanaka, letting out a sigh, replied with conditions, "Fine, but under two conditions. First, you have to do better at work, basically when Emilia gives the okay."

Subaru quickly agreed, "Alright, Alright! That's a given. And what's the second condition?"

Tanaka, with a sly grin, stated, "Go make four more cups of coffee before you go to sleep."

Subaru, puzzled by the sudden request, inquired, "What are you drinking all the coffee for?"

Emilia chimed in, "That's right, Tanaka! Didn't I say it's bad for your sleep?"

Tanaka, still smiling, confessed, "Well, adding the fact that I'm a smoke addict, I drink a lot of coffee as well. I also want to study a bit more on the numbers subject; I will go to sleep when I make good progress."

In truth, Tanaka intended to use the coffee and his studies as a distraction from going to sleep.

Emilia, concerned, said, "Alright, just don't push yourself too hard."

Tanaka assured her, "I won't. Have a good night."

With that, both Subaru and Emilia left the room, but after a short while, Subaru returned with four cups of coffee before departing again.

Tanaka took one of the cups, but his initial enthusiasm gave way to a grimace as he took a sip. "Augh, it's too sweet."

*********************************************************************************************************

As Tanaka chugged the cups of coffee one after another, a sense of alertness coursed through his veins. He was visibly jittery, his hand trembling as he tried to steady it with his other hand. The underlying reason behind this reaction wasn't solely the caffeine. It was nervousness, a tension that had been building up over the past five days, keeping him on edge, always anticipating the return to his world before the fifth day arrived.

Tanaka takes a deep breath and murmurs, "I need really to calm down."

Despite his initial plan to keep studying until the phenomenon happens, but he wasn't able to focus at all.

Tanaka: "Well, it works both ways since I won't be able to sleep."

Just as he spoke to himself, another phenomenon began unfolding, and it was centered around his stomach. Discomfort set in, and he grimaced, realizing the harsh effects of consuming so much coffee in such a short time.

Tanaka muttered with growing discomfort, "Shit! The caffeine is messing up my stomach."

Realizing he needed to address this issue immediately, Tanaka hastily got up and exited the room. He held his abdomen, feeling the aftereffects of his coffee binge taking their toll as he hurried towards the bathroom.

In the bathroom, after what felt like a torturous eternity, Tanaka finally emerged, relieved and feeling significantly lighter.

Tanaka breathed a sigh of relief, muttering to himself, "Phew! That was a close call."

As he made his way back through the dimly lit hallway towards his room, he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling of being alone in the mansion at this late hour. His footsteps echoed softly in the silence of the night.

Then, just as he was about to reach his room, he heard an unexpected sound—a faint clinking of chains.

Tanaka's senses instantly sharpened, and he froze in his tracks. He furrowed his brow, recognizing the sound as something unusual for this hour in the mansion.

Tanaka: "Rem?"

The individual on the other end of the corridor was startled by the sudden call. She had been quietly moving about, her blue hair catching the dim light as she turned to identify the source of the voice.

A question popped up in Tanaka's head, 'Why was she wandering around at this time?'

No, the better question was, 'Why would anyone be awake at this late hour in the mansion?'

The answer was simple, the reason why he was awake was to observe the loop transition, and the reason why he was wondering around was to take a dump.

Rem, her voice hushed, inquired, "Why are you awake now?"

Tanaka contemplated for a bit then spoke up, "It's probably for the same reason as you."

'Of course he didn't want to add "going to take a dump like you" part because he didn't want to embarrass the girl.'

Just as he was retracing his thoughts, a sudden, loud cough cut through the silence of the corridor.

"What is th...?!!"

The next second, an impact struck Tanaka.

Tanaka's exclamation was abruptly cut off by a sudden, powerful impact that struck him like a bolt of lightning. He lost his balance entirely, sent sprawling to the ground. His contact lenses were dislodged in the fall, leaving his vision blurred and hazy.

He completely lost his balance and was blown away to the ground, his contact lenses were dropped as well, his vision is blurry but he could see it, Rem standing a few meters away, murmuring something but it wasn't clear and.... holding some sort of chain, and....

"What, ha…"

"--a?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

'Rem did this?!!'

His thoughts became a relentless mantra, echoing his confusion and fear.

'Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?'

Injured, broken fingers and hands, crushed into grotesque, misshapen forms, clawed at the air, unable to produce even a whisper of sound. Their digits, once dexterous and capable, were now mangled, their skin torn away to expose the gruesome sight of fractured bones and shredded flesh.

But even in their frantic contortions, they were utterly impotent, unable to produce even a whisper of sound. These once skilled and nimble extremities had been transformed into horrifying parodies of their former selves. The skin had been mercilessly stripped away, exposing the grisly sight of fractured bones and tattered, torn flesh. Each movement sent jolts of searing agony through his shattered limbs, yet they continued their futile dance in the air, a grotesque testament to the brutality of the unseen attack.

'No! No! No! No! No! No! This can't be! It can't be! It's not possible!' His thoughts were a frantic mantra, a futile attempt to deny the harrowing reality that had befallen him. The world around him blurred as he clung to the desperate belief that he couldn't die here.

'Please! Please! Not yet! Not yet! I haven't done anything!' The words reverberated in his mind like a mournful lament, an agonized plea for more time, for a chance to make things right, his thoughts were a torrent of regret and unfulfilled promises.

"E--lp... p--lz e--lp...'" he choked out, his voice a fragile whisper, the syllables stumbled from his lips like broken fragments of a shattered resolve. Each effort was a painful reminder of his vulnerability, the stark contrast between his former capabilities and his current state.

But as time passed, the agitation waned, and Tanaka's frantic attempts to call for aid grew feeble. His heartbeat, once a furious drumbeat of survival, began to slow, bit by agonizing bit. It was as if the very essence of life was slipping through his grasp, a cruel countdown to an inevitable end.

In the profound stillness that settled around him, Tanaka's mind turned to the things he regretted most, memories etched with longing and remorse.

'I'm sorry Dad...' His voice, though frail, carried the weight of a son's unspoken apologies, a recognition of the times he had fallen short, the moments of disappointment he had caused.

"I'm sorry Mom..." The words held the tenderness of a child's love, mingled with the knowledge of the hurt he had unintentionally inflicted, the unspoken apologies for the times he had taken her for granted.

"I'm sorry Mio..." His sister's name was a bittersweet refrain, filled with the pain of missed opportunities and lost connections, the profound regret of moments that could never be reclaimed.

As he lay in the darkness, those whispered apologies were the last remnants of a fading consciousness, Tanaka's eyes lost their light and he rolled his eyes. His voice didn't last, his consciousness also drops as if the power had been turned off.

[???]: "I'm sorry." Amidst the abyss of darkness, he heard a clear voice of a girl. It was both familiar and unfamiliar, carrying not only a touch of melancholy but a deep well of sorrow.

And at that moment, Kazuki Tanaka lost his life.

*********************************************************************************************************

Yet, just as he believed he had surrendered to the abyss, something peculiar happened. Tanaka, in a state of seeming oblivion, experienced a sensation that defied the confines of his nightmare.

Wetness.

His senses, thought lost, returned to him, and he gradually opened his eyes. Instead of the cold, lifeless floor of the hall, he found himself lying on the comforting warmth of his room's bed. The gentle caress of sunlight kissed his skin, and the symphony of birdsong serenaded his ears.

He gingerly examined his hands and chest, finding no trace of the injuries that had marred his form just moments before.

"A--aa-a." His voice, though tentative, obeyed his command.

With trembling legs, he managed to stand. Tears welled up, and his entire body shook violently. Falling to his knees, Tanaka sobbed uncontrollably, the torrent of emotions overwhelming him.

He eventually collapsed to the floor, his sobs slowly subsiding into soft, shuddering breaths.