Rem's words echoed in his mind.
Makoto felt confused. A part of him knew what he was doing might be selfish—but at the same time, a seed of doubt was growing inside him. Why should I even try to save them? he thought. I could just escape and live a life of luxury. With my knowledge of the modern world, I could come up with inventions, make money, and become rich—
SLAP.
A loud smack rang out through the room.
Makoto had slapped himself across the face.
"What am I doing, thinking like that?" he muttered. He didn't know exactly why he was helping them. But one thing was certain: even if some of them were hostile toward him, he couldn't turn his back on innocent people dying. Not when he had a chance to save them.
If there was even the tiniest flicker of hope, he would hold on to it. No matter what. He'd grip it so tightly his hands would bleed from the pressure if that's what it took. He couldn't explain it, and maybe he didn't want to—but right now, his only priority was saving everyone in the mansion.
With that resolve in his heart, he stepped forward and opened the door to his room.
To his surprise, he found Beatrice and the others gathered in the library. He smiled—not with confidence, but with the one thing he still held onto...
His hope.
"So, pray tell... what is your plan, I suppose?" the blonde spirit asked, more composed than usual.
Truthfully, Makoto hadn't expected everyone to show up. At most, he thought Emilia and Puck might come. But seeing both Ram and Rem there… his fragile hope strengthened.
"I'm glad all of you came," he began firmly. "The plan I'm about to share is risky. It's based mostly on speculation, gambling... and luck."
Everyone tensed. Everyone but Emilia. The half-elf girl smiled softly. Her heart already knew—Makoto's plans, no matter how crazy, had always felt like the right ones. She believed in him so deeply that entrusting her life to him seemed more like a good decision than a reckless one.
But not everyone was so easily convinced.
Rem, especially, remained cautious. He looked harmless, but what if he wasn't? What if he really was part of the Witch Cult? She couldn't ignore the possibility.
Still, it bothered her that her sister—her perfect, no-nonsense sister—trusted him more than Roswaal. That trust didn't sit right with her. Why would Ram, of all people, believe in someone like him?
And yet... she did.
Makoto stood before them, the same hopeful smile on his face.
"My plan is simple," he said. "All I need... is for you to believe in me."
He began explaining.
"Wait, what?" Emilia was the first to speak up. "A-Are you serious? No way—will that even work?"
"I agree with Lia," Puck added. "This is sounding pretty reckless."
Makoto didn't flinch. His eyes didn't waver.
"Well... I'm pretty lucky," he said. "And I'll make it work. No matter how many times it takes. Even if I have to die and come back."
He said it lightly, almost like a joke. But for Makoto, those words were heavy. Real. He meant them.
He would use Return by Death as many times as necessary. No matter how painful it was.
"It all starts tonight," he continued. "It took me a while to prepare everything, but please… trust me."
To any outsider, his plan sounded like the ravings of a lunatic. But for some reason, it also felt right. Like maybe, just maybe… it could work.
"Fine," Ram sighed, crossing her arms. "If anything happens, you're the one taking responsibility. Make it work, Naebaka."
"I still don't trust you," Rem added coldly. "But if my sister's trust in you is that strong… I'll go along with it. For now."
"You really are a pain in the head, I suppose," Beatrice huffed, turning away. But deep down, even she was starting to believe in him. Not that she'd ever admit it.
Makoto bowed deeply.
"Thank you all for trusting me," he said. "I promise—not a single person will die tonight."
Author's Note:
Next chapter will finally wrap up this long and (maybe) boring arc! I seriously can't wait to show you what I've been working on.
Here's a small spoiler: Makoto is not going to be in Emilia's camp.
You may have also noticed that Roswaal's gospel (or "Teacher's Book") contains different things from canon. That's intentional. Re:Zero is one of the hardest anime/light novel series to write a fanfic for if you want it to actually make sense. You basically have to read the entire novel series to keep everything consistent—and I'm still just starting Arc 6!
So yeah, don't expect all canon events to play out the same. That said, I do plan to include some canon elements—it's a complicated balance. I honestly don't know if it'll turn out good or bad, but I hope you'll support me either way.
Also, I'll be blunt: OCs are needed in this fanfic. I'll try not to overdo it, but I want to create original characters that actually fit into the Re:Zero world. I'll do my best.
Anyway, the next chapter will definitely be a long one as I wrap things up. I'm kind of bored with this arc now, so it's time to move forward!
Thanks for reading, and please continue to support me!