Black mist and a dark claw of someone appeared on the screen as the scene now shifted to Subaru back to the mansion, lying on his bed.

"I'm back here again..." Subaru uttered.

"I think this is the third time I see him on that bed, I guess?" Otto asked.

"For as long as he doesn't succeed on that loop, he won't be spawning to the next checkpoint or even advance further to that day." Ricardo said.

"Do I feel that he will finally succeed here?" Priscilla asked.

"Yes, he will!" Emilia said.

"Sister, Sister... It appears our guest is still half-asleep." Rem said.

"Rem, Rem... For one so young, it's quite sad how out of it he is." Ram said as the two can be seen hugging each other. Subaru rose up and glanced at them with tears coming from his eyes.

"What is the matter, sir?" Rem asked.

"Do you feel unwell?" Ram asked.

"What's wrong, sir?" Rem asked.

"Do you have a chronic illness flaring up?" Ram asked.

"Let me see your hands." Subaru said as he holds each hand of the maid and remembers what he saw from his sleep before.

"So it's true... I wasn't mistaken..." Subaru said.

"No, sir. I think you are mistaken about everything." Ram said as she quickly pulls her hand away from Subaru and both of them stepped backward as quickly as they can.

"No, sir. I think your very birth was a mistake." Ram said.

"These two really act weird but normal right now. But still can't trust this loop because anytime right now, they might haunt Subaru down once again." Julius said.

"Believe me or not, in this one, Subaru won't die again." Puck said.

"How can you say that with confidence?" Al asked.

"Because you're a spirit?" Kadomon asked.

"When I think about what's to come, I can't laugh off that comment. But right now, even that's a good feeling." Subaru said.

"Sister, Sister... Could our guest be a troubled man, deriving pleasure from torture?" Rem asked.

"Rem, Rem, our guest appears to be a pervert who's turned on by insults." Ram said.

"Sorry to do that out of the blue, but I trust you both. Let's be friends, okay?" Subaru asked while offering his hands to the two maids.

"It was awfully noisy, so I came to check. Subaru, I'm glad you seem well." Emilia interfered as she enters the room.

"A second ago, I had a lot on my mind, but seeing you blew it all away, Emilia-tan! I guess you were the wonder drug that my heart needed." Subaru said while cuddling himself.

"Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying. But good morning. I'm glad you're well." Emilia said with her smile.

"Yeah, good morning. Okay, might as well get started..." Subaru said.

"The wonder drug he needed? What does it mean?" Emilia asked.

"He thinks of you as the medicine he needs for his heart. Well, that's the only thing I can easily explain by what he meant of that drug." Inosuke said.

"M-Medicine?" Emilia stuttered.

"Because you're the only one who can make him happy and fired up." Katsuki said.

"But soon, it won't be anymore." Madara said, receiving some looks from everyone.

"What do you mean by it won't be anymore?" Puck asked.

"Hire me to work in this mansion!" Subaru exclaimed as the scenes now shifted to Subaru now working in the Roswaal mansion.

'I must clear two broad conditions, in order to survive a week in Roswaal's mansion. First is to earn the trust of the staff here. If I don't gain those girls' favor, they're liable to kill me, to silence me.

That goes not only for Rem and Ram but for their master, Roswaal, as well. And second is to defeat the shaman that attacks Roswaal's mansion!' Subaru thought.

"He all planned it for himself?" Crusch asked.

"Believing that the past loops might happen once again, he has finally set two plain and clear plans for him to survive at the Roswaal mansion. And now even Roswaal here is also a suspect for Subaru." Anastasia said.

"I wanna see how he will succeeeeeeeed in this one." Roswaal said.

"I'm exhausted..." Subaru moaned as he crashed himself to the grass.

"You're quite the hard worker." Puck said while floating in the air upside down.

"I'm not done yet. I need to prepare dinner and clean the rooms. I'll get back to work after a little break." Subaru said.

"It's only your first day, and you're so spirited." Puck said.

"Well... Some important things are at stake here. By the way, what kind of magic does Emilia-tan use?" Subaru asked.

"Technically, Lia isn't really a magic-user. That goes for her contract with me, too. She uses spirit arts." Puck said.

"So those who use magic and spirit arts are different..." Subaru said.

"Magic-users cast magic with their own mana, but those who use spirit arts draw from mana in the atmosphere." Puck said.

"And how are those two different, Sensei?" Subaru asked.

"Basically, it depends on whether you use a gate." Puck said.

"A gate?" Subaru asked.

"Mana passes through a gate within your body. Through the gate, you both draw mana in and expel it out." Puck said.

"I see, so it's like a spigoy for MP...' Subaru said.

"I remember someone who used that same ability against Madara. It is also called a gate but not the gate you guys do." Katsuki said.

"And Madara nearly died because of that Death Gate user. Fufufufu." Scorpio said.

"M-Madara sama nearly died from this gate user?! Wh-What kind of gate is this you mean?" Puck asked making everyone look at Madara with fear.

"One of the Eight Inner Gates, the Strongest but the Deadliest Gate of all. A Taijutsu user once fought me using that gate and he nearly killed me by giving his all to that one attack. But in the end, I still survived and regenerated my body as quickly as I can." Madara said.

"Could he be enough to take on enemies like Petelguese using that gate?" Ferris asked.

"He can't use the Eighth Gate always. That gate is only meant to be used for one time. And the cost of it is your life itself." Madara said.

"Y-Your life itself...? J-Just how scary and powerful that gate is?" Otto asked.

"After using that gate, your body will slowly turn into ashes and never return again. But you'll be saved once someone donates their chakra or this life-force of our way back from our world." Madara said.

"Ashes? Yikes, I don't wanna have that power." Al said.

"If Subaru has learned the Eight Inner Gates, maybe he won't be useless on your missions like you guys always think on him." Madara said.

"You should also have one, Subaru." Puck said.

"R-Really? Does that mean I can use magic, too?" Subaru asked.

"Want me to figure out your attribute? Magic-users are divided into fire, water, wind, and earth attributes... meow meow meow meow meow." Puck said as he puts his tail into Subaru's forehead and some sound effects can be heard.

"Whoa, it's totally a magic sound effect!" Subaru said.

"I know what your attribute is." Puck said.

"Yes! I've been waiting for this! Is it the burning fire of passion? Or a relaxed, cool-guy water type? Or maybe a gentle wind blowing across the plain? Or is it solid, reliable earth?" Subaru asked.

"Shadow." Puck replied.

"All rejected?!" Subaru whined.

"Wow, shadow? That's very rare." Emilia said and now joins Subaru and Puck.

"What is shadow, anyway? Weren't it there only for attributes? This is a category error!" Subaru whined.

"Shadow because of the curse inside him." Wilhelm said.

"But it is useful to lure out some dark creatures out there." Rem said.

"That may end his life in an instant." Felt said.

"If he is careless and dumb enough." Anastasia said.

"In addition to the four basic attributes, there's also shadow and light." Puck said.

"Is it actually some amazing ability? Like a talent only seen once in five thousand years?" Subaru asked.

"With shadow magic, you can obstruct an opponent's vision, block sound, slow movements, and things like that." Emilia said.

'It's just debuffs?' Subaru thought.

"An easy one would be something like Shamac." Puck said.

"That's a blinding spell, right?" Emilia asked.

"Want me to show you?" Puck asked.

"For real? Let's see, let's see!" Subaru said.

"Wait, Puck..." Emilia warned.

"Shamac!" Puck said as Subaru founds himself imprisoned in a dark and negative world, making him hard to breathe and lose his posture.

"Okay, that's it. What do you think? That was Shamac." Puck asked.

"That Shamac you did was an expert level, I suppose. The way that brat almost got hurt because of that style you did, Bubby." Beatrice said.

"If I remember, that wasn't the Shamac I saw before when we fought against those beasts." Rem whispered to Ram.

"Yeah, yeah, I see." Ram said.

"Are you all right?" Emilia asked.

"I-I'm fine! It's not too flashy, but it seems pretty effective! So I can also use this Shamac, right?" Subaru asked.

"Want to try the beginner's course?" Puck asked.

"Please, Master!" Subaru said.

"I'll act as a support, and use the mana inside you, so the magic will come from your own gate. Lia, on the off-chance that Subaru's magic goes out of control and explodes, you should step away, so yoht clothes don't get messy." Puck said.

"That only happens if I screw up really bad, right?!" Subaru cried.

"If you can make relaxed, lighthearted comments like that, you'll be fine. Now, visualize the flow of mana through your body. Then expel a part of it, though your gate, out of your body." Puck said.

"Visualizing, I can do. Fantasizing is what I do best. Meow meow meow meow." Subaru now started to visualize his mana but the flow of his curse now rushed through the white circular light inside him.

"Huh? That isn't good. The gate just--" Puck was stopped as Subaru's shadow magic explodes from him and covers the whole mansion into darkness.

"Ew." Anastasia uttered.

"He can't control his gate yet. And that's the result. Total black destruction." Ricardo said.

"Poor everyone got covered by Subaru's stink!" Priscilla said.

"Who cares if we are covered by his stink?" Rem asked.

"Long story short, your control over your gate isn't very good, so you shouldn't try too hard." Puck said while his body is covered with shadow.

"You're the one who said I'd be fine. That's not cute at all..." Subaru said while lying.

"Well, for better or worse, your gate hasn't been well-used. That's why the mana inside ignored the user's will, bursting out." Puck said.

"What am I, a soy sauce bottle with a loose cap?" Subaru asked as he tried to stand up but he can't due to using up all his mana.

"You shouldn't move. You used up all the mana in your body. Maybe you shouldn't work anymore today--" Emilia was stopped by Subaru.

"No! I have to!" Subaru yelled as he tried to move once again.

"Don't try to overdo it!" Emilia said.

"This is exactly when I need to overdo it... I can't waste a single day." Subaru said.

"You really are hopeless..." Emilia said and now approaches Subaru.

"What--" Subaru suddenly stopped talking when Emilia placed something in his mouth.

"Chew. Chew and swallow it. Three... And go! WOOOO!!! Wh What was that?" Subaru asked after feeling an enormous shock from he chewed.

"It's a bocco fruit. When you eat it, your mana activates, and your gate regains a little of its strength." Emilia said.

"Sorry, I guess I've caused you some trouble." Subaru said.

"You don't understand, Subaru... It's more satisfying to hear a single "thank you" than a lot of "sorry"s. I did it because I wanted to help, not because I wanted an apology. Okay?" Emilia said. The scene now changed into the night as Roswaal and Ram can be seen together in his room.

"So, Ram, given what you've seen so far, what do you think of him?" Roswaal asked.

"Is there something between you two or what? Because Roswaal looks like a pedophile over Ram." Katsuki said, making Inosuke laugh.

"Pedophile?" Roswaal asked.

"Here they go, accusing him once again." Wilhelm said.

"I'm sorry if we did that kind of thing. We just not want to make Emilia got handicapped by the otheeeeeer candidates." Roswaal said.

"Shut your long rhyme, you squealing clown!" Inosuke yelled.

"They look like a father and daughter at that moment." Cain said.

"But as lovers? Heck no." Kadomon said.

"In terms of abilities, he's completely incompetent, but when it counts, he can be excessively quick-witted. I believe it may be necessary to keep an eye on him for a time." Ram said.

"This is a problem we must handle with utmost care. Be sure to give the proper warnings, so your sister does not act rashly..." Roswaal said. Rem can be seen peeking at Subaru while he is cleaning.

"I guess that's about all I can expect of the first day. I earned quite a bit of trust from Ram and Rem, I think. But the problem is that shaman's attack... How do I fight that?" Subaru asked.

"You want to know more about shamans?" Beatrice asked as the scene now shifted her and Subaru in her library.

"Yeah, how do you avoid curses?" Subaru asked.

"There isn't a way. Once a curse is activated, there isn't any way to undo it, I suppose. Once it's activated, that's it. That's what curses are." Beatrice said.

"It's actually possible to nullify instant death resistances?" Subaru asked.

"However, before they're activated, curses are just simple spells, so I can easily undo them. *sniff sniff* The smell of the witch." Beatrice said after smelling the scent.

"You know, Rem mentioned that, too. Who is this witch? Are witches related to shamans?" Subaru asked.

"In this world, the word "witch" only refers to one person." Beatrice said.

"The Jealous Witch?" Subaru asked.

"Exactly. The Jealous Witch, Satella. Long ago, she devoured the six witches who bore the names of the deadly sins and drained half of the world dry. She's the worst of the worst, I suppose. It's said that she was starved for love.

It's said that she doesn't understand human language. It's said that her body never withers, weakens, or dies. It's said that, though she was sealed by the powers of a dragon, a hero, and a sage, they were unable to destroy her flesh. It's said that her body is that of a half-elf with silver hair." Beatrice said. Subaru remembers her first meeting with Satella before in his very first loop.

"If Satella and Lia both have the same faces before and maybe had the power to cast a spirit like myself before, maybe he met the real Jealous Witch from before." Puck said.

"If she really is the witch, why she died and didn't protected Subaru against Elsa?" Felt asked.

"Maybe to pretend that she isn't as strong as Beatrice thought. Maybe after Subaru died, she got back to her feet and finished Elsa by herself." Puck said.

"Where's the bowel hunter by the way? Isn't it she died or what?" Reinhard asked.

"Who knows about her status, she is going to be a pain in our bowels soon we meet her." Julius said.

"What would it take to make someone steal the Jealous Witch's name? Oh, I guess "steal" makes the person sound bad... I should say to make someone "borrow" the Jealous Witch's name." Subaru said.

"Either way, they must have no fear of death, I suppose. One who would steal her name can be called nothing but insane." Beatrice said.

"If Emilia borrowed her name, then she's insane then?" Anastasia asked.

"If Emilia was the one who pretended to be Satella in the first loop, then maybe she used that name to make everyone scare of her or because for any apparent reason." Kadomon said.

"You're too brave to use that name, Lia. And if it was you who first met Subaru in his very first loop." Puck said.

"I-I can't even tell if that was an insane move or not." Emilia uttered.

"I see... So that's why. If people just saw her as a crazy freak, she wouldn't have to be involved in this royal selection mess..." Subaru said.

"What are you talking about, I suppose?" Beatrice asked.

"Nothing." Subaru said. Another day came as Subaru is fired up as always.

"Good morning! It's another sunny day, perfect for drying laundry! Let's make this happiness-field day! Now... Victory! Victory!" Subaru exclaimed.

"You're so energetic again this morning." Emilia said.

"Yep! Even as I'm ordered around and disciplined by the maid sisters, I'll enjoy my servant's life to the fullest again! But when that lifestyle wears me out, I'll come to rest my head in your lap, so save it for me, okay?

When you wash your face like that, you really do look like a cat! So, do spirits get sleepy and stuff, too? Do they oversleep?" Subaru asked while playing with Puck's sleeping body.

"Don't you people get sleepy when you're fatigued, too? When a spirits' mana, the source of their energy, is depleted, they experience something similar..." Puck said while yawning.

"Did you two stay up all night or what? I bet you were up late talking about who you like, right? Let me in on the fun! Who I like? It's embarrassing to say, but--" Subaru was stopped by Emilia.

"The one I like is Puck, and thr one Puck liles is me. There. That conversation's over." Emilia said.

"Your love is mutual?! Then where do I fit in?" Subaru asked in shock.

"Nowhere. Lia's head-over-heels for my charms. You aren't a bad guy, but compared to me, you've got nothing... You should give up on Lia and--" Puck and Subaru now got pinched in the ears by Emilia.

"Don't get carried away, you two. If you keep this up, I'll get mad!" Emilia said and now tightens her pinch.

"Ow! Ow! You are mad! You are mad!" Puck and Subaru cried.

"I missed those moments, where we get along with him, right?" Emilia asked.

"Yeah. I hope he'll remember us even he is back to their world." Puck said.

"But according to the gods, they have cleared Subaru's mind and let him forget everything he knows in our woooooorld." Roswaal said.

"Subaru..." Puck uttered in sadness.

"Whoops! I should get going, or the maid sisters will be angry. Bye." Subaru said and now leaves Emilia and Puck.

"What's wrong? You don't look happy." Puck said.

"I just feel... sort of uneasy. I can't really explain it..." Emilia replied.

"Well, I can't blame you for being confused. This has gotten to be a bit of a problem." Puck said. Subaru in the hallway breaks the vase and Rem was surprised by what he did.

"Don't worry! Don't worry! Forget about it! It's fine!" Subaru said.

"A problem?" Emilia asked.

"Relax!