Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 5/Synopsis

Prologue: And His Name Is—
The scene opens with Subaru bound to a wall as a mysterious madman is questioning him. Getting no response out of him the man proceeds to introduce himself as Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth.

Chapter 1: A Decaying Mind
Following his defeat at Julius' hands, Subaru was taken to the Karsten Mansion to be treated for his injuries, while at the same time learn swordsmanship from Wilhelm. Three days after first staying at the mansion, Subaru recalled Reinhard's visit the night before. Reinhard had apologized for being unable to stop them, calling it a senseless fight, informed Subaru of the punishment Julius received, and suggested for the two to meet and apologize to each other. Despite his suggestion, Subaru rejected his offer, as he believed the fight had meaning, therefore he didn't want Reinhard to deny that.

Returning his thoughts back to the present, Subaru was given a lap pillow from Rem, as he had hit his head during training. While resting, he asked her if he was pitiful, to which she answered that he was, nevertheless she still stuck with him because she wanted to.

Later that day, Subaru visited Kadomon, and after some small talk, asked him if something happened after noticing that the atmosphere was different. Kadomon told him to go read the board about the royal election that was put up, though when he learned that Subaru couldn't read anything other than I Characters, he decided to help Subaru read it, leaving Rem in charge of his store for the time being. Once they reached the board, Kadomon informed him that it listed information about the election, including some information about the candidates. He then told Subaru what he thought of the candidates, and when he reached Emilia, he noted that it was crazy for a Half Elf to be in the election, calling her a "Half Demon", causing Subaru to protest his words. Returning to his store, Kadomon was shocked that Rem sold more than he ever did in a day in a short amount of time, earning her praise from Subaru.

A while later, Subaru returned to his room to find Ferris lounging around inside. After some failed attempts by Ferris to tease him with cutesy gestures, the two began the treatment process, however Rem noticed that Ferris was acting suspiciously, causing her to join the process, eventually making him stop for the day. However, before he left, Ferris told Rem that it wasn't entirely a lie that he did what he did out of consideration for Subaru. Not understanding what the problem was, Subaru asked her what happened, which she answered by telling him that since the mana across his body had been receiving interference from Ferris, it made him prone to accepting whatever he said.

That night, Crusch invited Subaru to drink with her, as Ferris was busy with work. Subaru noted that she seemed to be busy, prompting her to explain the situation, but she stopped when she learned that he didn't know how Wilhelm came to work under her. The topic then shifted to recent events, with Crusch noting that she was receiving an increased amount of marriage proposals ever since the election began, causing Subaru to be worried about Emilia, though fortunately for him she quickly informed him that candidates were prohibited from marrying others to prevent unnecessary faction wars. Soon after, Ferris returned from his work, immediately expressing his jealousy over the fact that the two were together. However, through their help, Subaru managed to realize what he needed to do.

Chapter 2: Events in Motion, and Rem's Decision
The next morning, while Subaru was busy with his daily training with Wilhelm, Rem approached him, needing to talk with him about something important. Returning to the parlor, Rem explained the whole situation, mentioning that she received a powerful synesthesia from Ram, with Crusch adding that there were reports of suspicious activity on Roswaal's land. Subaru ultimately decided to go help Emilia, even if that meant severing the contract to heal him. Seeing his resolve, Crusch decided to lend him a Dragon Carriage, while mentioning that it would take two and a half days to reach Roswaal's land, which Rem explained was because of the mist. Not knowing what the mist did, Subaru tried to protest it, prompting Ferris to explain that the mist was created by the Hakugei, and that they wouldn't survive if they encountered it.

After saying their goodbyes to Wilhelm, the two left for Roswaal's land, stopping at the town of Fleur at nightfall to rest. Not wanting to put Subaru in danger, Rem used her Water Magic at the inn to force him to sleep, and left while he was asleep. He learned of what she did the following day when he read the letter she left him.

Chapter 3: A Disease Called Despair
He began to look for someone that would take him there, eventually finding a merchant who introduced him to another merchant, Otto Suwen. Otto was drunk but quickly returned to normal once Ketty told him that Subaru was the answer to his problem, and, after a very short negotiation, agreed to take Subaru to Roswaal's land in exchange for all the money he had on him. On the way there, Subaru was surprised to learn that Otto was supportive of Emilia, since he was used to being misunderstood just like her.

The following morning, Subaru and Otto reached Roswaal's land, however he refused to venture any farther, as his Earth Dragon was sensing danger, nonetheless Subaru thanked him for his efforts and left on his own. On the way to the village, he encountered a group of Witch Cult members, who bowed to him, and disappeared before he could comprehend the situation. Upon arriving at the village, he saw that all of the villagers had been killed, which left him with a sense of dread as he made his way to the mansion. His dread was on the mark, as once he reached the mansion, he found Rem dead in the garden along with the remains of the Witch Cult members she had killed. Making his way inside the mansion, he found Ram dead on the second floor, though he didn't find Roswaal anywhere. Spotting a secret passageway, Subaru made his way through it and ended up in a completely frozen room with a door on the far side. The moment he tried to open it, severe frostbite tore some of his fingers off, the frostbite continuing to assault his body, ultimately breaking his body apart, killing him.

Chapter 4: On the Periphery of Madness
Once he died, Subaru returned right in front of Kadomon's store, however the shock of everything in his previous life made him unable to think straight, and upon seeing that Rem was with him, alive, he grasped her arm, not willing to let go. His condition was bad enough that Ferris couldn't heal him, as he couldn't heal emotional injuries, and while an emotionless Subaru would make it easier to heal him, Ferris refused to do so, as he didn't see any value in healing someone who had no will to live. Crusch intervened before the situation got worse, asking him for a proper report on Subaru's condition, to which he answered that he didn't find anything worth noting, though Rem could sense that Subaru's witch smell had gotten stronger. In the end, Rem decided to take him back to the mansion, borrowing a Long Distance Dragon Carriage to do so. As she was about to leave, Crusch asked her how she was able to devote herself to Subaru that much, noting that they weren't a master and follower or a couple, prompting her to answer by telling her that he was special.

During the trip to Roswaal's Mansion, Rem told Subaru her feelings, mentioning that she had been happy to stay behind in the royal capital as she could keep him to herself, since he was always busy at the mansion. She continued by telling him that she was always filled with warm feelings by watching him interact with other people, adding that she could only find happiness and sorrow when she was with him. Seeing that the speed they were traveling at was putting a burden on his body, Rem decided to stop and camp out for the night, as night had already fallen. She considered forgetting about the whole situation and starting a new life with Subaru but decided against it when she thought of the consequences.

After waking up, Rem continued down the Lifaus Highway, sensing more synesthesia from Ram, until they were suddenly ambushed by a group of Witch Cult members.

Chapter 5: Acedia
Their Earth Dragon was beheaded, forcing their Dragon Carriage off the road and subsequently causing it to overturn, leaving it in a complete mess. Rem fought the Witch Cult members while in her Oni Form, who she overpowered at first, but from there she began to be pressured, managing to lessen their numbers down to five, however she was hit by a large ball of fire while attempting to chase after the member who escaped with Subaru, leaving behind only her apron.

Ignoring Subaru's desires, the Witch Cult members ran as fast as they could through the forest while carrying him, eventually reaching a cave where Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti was waiting. Taking a look at Subaru, Petelgeuse was intrigued by him, asking if he was "pride", then when he didn't receive a response, he remembered that he hadn't introduced himself, introducing himself to Subaru as Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. At that point he became excited, causing him to write meaningless symbols on the wall with his own blood all the while going on and on about various things. Satisfied, Petelgeuse moved on to destroying the bones in his left hand's fingers with his teeth, completely destroying his left ring finger. After he did so, he turned his attention back to Subaru, hearing the report on the situation from the member that brought him, and when he heard that Rem's status was unknown, he grabbed the member's hood and slammed him down onto the ground from behind, calling him sloth. Dissatisfied with her status, Petelgeuse ordered the members to find her, leaving him alone with Subaru.

Once they left, Petelgeuse turned his attention back to Subaru once again, wondering exactly what he was. He noted that while Subaru didn't come due to the Witch Cult's Gospel, Petelgeuse could sense the witch smell on him, referring to it as "love". Continuing on, Petelgeuse revealed that he knew the faces of everyone except "pride", but couldn't bring himself to think that Subaru had nothing to do with the gospel, though he came to the conclusion that his fate was in his hands as he wasn't listed in the gospel. Grabbing his face, Petelgeuse ordered Subaru to look at him, asking him various questions, yet when he refused to answer them, he decided to change the question order, and asked him why he was pretending to be insane.

Subaru didn't understand his question due to the disgust he was feeling, prompting Petelgeuse to repeat his question, pitying him for rejecting the "love" he was receiving. Soon after, the Witch Cult members returned to report that Rem was heading to their location, and soon enough a bloody Rem appeared in the cave. She told them that she was going to kill them, causing Petelgeuse to ask her how she was going to accomplish that with her injuries, proceeding to bob Subaru's head by grabbing his hair, inducing Rem's wrath. She began to massacre the members in the cave, making Petelgeuse act, and used his Unseen Hand to rip her body apart, mangling it enough that her previous wounds could be described as pretty. Forcing him to look at her body, Petelgeuse told Subaru that it was his fault she died, as he had been "slothful". Petelgeuse's actions brought Subaru's mind completely back to normal and he swore that he would kill him.

Leaving the cave to continue their objective, Petelgeuse decided to leave Subaru in the cave to die on his own, telling him that if the gospel mentions him then he was their ally, and if it didn't he was just a passerby. Once they left, he continued to curse the madman, however his stamina began to run out, gradually weakening him. Suddenly, he was shocked to see Rem crawl over to him, who proceeded to free him from the chains that bound him, and she told him to live and that she loved him before dying in his arms. Subaru freed himself several hours later, taking Rem's body with him to the village, which was already in ruins just like he saw in his previous life. Making his way to the mansion, he arrived just in time to see it collapse, the cause a supersized Puck which froze everything around, including Subaru, in a fit of rage over Emilia's death.

After he died, Subaru once again found himself in the strange place with the shadowy woman like figure, and once he realized it was a woman, he was filled with emotion, though he found himself unable to approach it. Sensing this, the shadow reached out to him, then when it touched him, it told him that it loved him.

Returning to his save point in front of Kadomon's store, Subaru collapsed, then was overcome with joy upon seeing Rem, who was alive and well. He began to confirm her warmth, noting it to be different than her dying body earlier, causing Kadomon to deem it as flirting, telling both of them to go away. As they left, Rem informed him that the witch smell had increased, making him wonder if his Return by Death was related to the witches. Seeing that she was worried, he told her to capture him if he looked like he was going somewhere, as he was far weaker than she was. This satisfied her, making him happy, however he was seething with hate and rage on the inside, intent on killing Petelgeuse.