Re:Zero - Starting Life as a Shinobi in Another World

Rem slowly opened her eyes. In front of her stood an old man in black attire with a white beard. Next to him were two people with black hair and swords.

The old man spoke with a contemptuous, toothless grin: "Subaru, you will either accept your punishment or swear allegiance to the clan."

Rem thought, "Subaru?" Was this a memory of Subaru's? She had heard of such a thing before, but performing advanced water magic required a lengthy ritual. Subaru hadn't managed that. "Perhaps," she thought; transmitting memories through sexual union was nearly impossible, but possible.

"Allegiance?" Rem couldn’t see Subaru from his perspective, but she could hear the hatred in his voice. "Listen to me, you scoundrels," Subaru yelled. "If you have a brain the size of a nut, kill me, or else I’ll slit all your throats at the first opportunity."

Subaru’s voice was filled with anger and hatred. "But first, I must make you pay for this."

The old man narrowed his eyes, and the two sword-bearing men stepped forward. They took wooden sticks and began to beat Subaru. Each blow echoed with the sound of breaking bones. Even though Rem was only seeing the memories, she could feel a hint of the pain; it was as if her own bones were being shattered.

Subaru’s face was cold and filled with hatred. Every strike was aimed at breaking his resolve, but he didn’t make a sound. The old man, with a mocking smile, asked, "Are you holding up? Is it will or pride?"

Subaru responded with a bloody grin on his face. "Rather than doing something to please you, I would cut out my tongue," he said. The coldness and hatred in his voice seemed to freeze the air in the room.

As the sticks continued to hit Subaru’s body, the old man’s smile widened. "You will soon comply," he said, but Subaru’s gaze challenged him.

Every blow increased Subaru's pain but did not break his will. His eyes remained determined and full of hatred. "This pain," he thought, "only fuels my hatred for them. They will pay the price."

Finally, Subaru lay on the ground covered in blood. The old man calmly said, "Throw him into the cell; his punishment will be decided tomorrow."

One of the men grabbed Subaru’s restrained arms and dragged him to a dark room. As Subaru fell onto the stone floor, he took a deep breath and let out a painful groan, but the hatred in his eyes was undiminished.

The dark cell was filled with the sound of dripping water from the walls. Subaru’s breathing, though strained, was steady. He could feel the pain in his arms and legs but was still focused on the old man’s words. A devilish smile formed on his face. "Time for some fun," he said.

A guard entered the cell. "Hey, you—" he started to say, but before he could finish, he didn’t see Subaru. Suddenly, he received a powerful blow to the throat. When the guard touched his neck, he looked at his red-stained hand. "What..." was the last thing he saw before dying, as Subaru’s kick was the last thing he witnessed. Subaru watched coldly as the guard fell, his eyes filled with surprise before they extinguished with his life.

Subaru calmly observed the lifeless body on the ground. Then, he exited the cell and began to move down the dark corridor. The rage and thirst for revenge inside him drove him step by step towards victory. "Now it’s your turn," he whispered. "You will pay for this nightmare."

Rem woke up in a sweat. Her heart seemed to be pounding in her ears. The nightmare she had seen made her feel as though Subaru’s horror and pain were her own.

She sat in bed for a while, trying to regulate her breathing. It was difficult to shake off the effects of the memories and emotions. The hatred and anger Subaru had felt remained vivid in her mind. Taking a deep breath and looking around, the darkness of the room only amplified the effects of the nightmare.