Re:Zero - The Curse of Repeated Sins

"I died... for the second time, damn it... And what should I do?" Arthur asked himself, finding himself in an unknown, dark space, just as the same blue, semi-transparent panel appeared before him at that moment. -[Achievement unlocked! "First death"] -[Level: F] "Great, what now? Will I be transferred to the next world?" the guy began to speculate, as the image on the panel started to change. Now I could see what happened after my death, namely: *** "Hey, buddy, looks like he's dead...," concluded the punk, retrieving his second knife from the dead man's hands. "Hurry up and take all his stuff, I'll deal with this one myself," Ambal, the two-meter tall guy, rushed towards the newly arrived Subaru and swung for the first strike. "Whoa, turns out he had more than one Metia..." While the gang leader engaged in an uneven fight with the black-haired guy from Japan, the punk rifled through Arthur's belongings. "So, what did you use to deflect my attacks?" Tearing off the sleeve of the gray jacket, the punk anticipated the moment he would acquire a piece of armor, but to his surprise found nothing on the arm. "Strange, I was sure I heard the clanging of metal during the fight, did I imagine it? Then how did he block my strikes? Something's off with this guy and his boss!" Turning back towards his boss, the punk noticed that his entire team had been neutralized. "You!" the blue-haired one exclaimed angrily. "I'll get you for this!" Seeing the opponent's two knives, Subaru's enthusiasm cooled down; for the first time, the guy felt the smell of death and his body froze. Luckily for him, a silver-haired half-elf appeared behind the guy. "Cease this at once! Kindly return everything you've stolen." With the arrival of the half-elf possessing magic, the fight became one-sided, and a couple of seconds later it was over, as Emilia defeated the thugs from the alternative world, and Subaru luckily got his stolen items back. "He's dead, meow." This was the conclusion brought by the girl's summoned cat spirit, Puck. Glancing at Subaru's belongings, Arthur immediately realized that he was another person transported to this world, just like himself. Leaning over the body, he prayed for the deceased soul. After that, upon hearing the sounds of the fight, the guards arrived, the thugs were arrested for murder, and Emilia and Subaru had to stay to give their testimonies. The events thereafter unfolded without any changes; by evening, they reached the outskirts of the city, where all sorts of riffraff resided. And at night, they found the shop of an old man named Roma, a well-known giant seller in these parts, where they died. But before Subaru's death, he managed to make a promise to himself. "Wait, I must save you!" Dying, the guy reached out to the girl's hand, and in the next moment found himself in front of the trading stall. "What's wrong, kid? You look like you've seen a ghost," asked the beefy green-haired merchant, offering yamloks (apples in the world of Re:Zero). That was the last thing I could see, then the bright sunlight blinded me. I was alive again, back to where I started. "Got it," Arthur said with a smile, and then headed to the place of his death. The whole path, which previously took just under thirty minutes, the guy crossed in less than seven. Entering the same alley, Arthur watched as Subaru defeated all the enemies. "You?" the Japanese guy exclaimed in surprise. "Sorry, do we know each other?" For his survival, Arthur had to pretend he didn't know him. "Were they here all the time? Well, I must thank you. I'm sure if it weren't for you, I'd have met a sad fate." Arthur's gaze scanned Subaru's clothing, and Subaru felt it. "Say, were you summoned to this world by any chance?" "You too?" Subaru smiled, feeling relieved knowing he wasn't alone. "Do you ever get the feeling like all of this has happened before?" "Sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. By the way, if you don't mind, could we switch to 'tu'?" Arthur approached Subaru. "Sure, my name's Subaru Natsuki, and yours?" Dropping all formalities, the guys exchanged names and shook hands. "Arthur..." The Japanese addressed his newfound companion from the other world. His facial expression said it all. "Do you want to ask me to help you with something?" "Yes, I know we've just met, and I shouldn't be asking for this, but could you help me fulfill a promise?" "Sure." Black replied easily, without asking any questions. Listening to Subaru's request in full, Arthur learned that the guy promised a half-elf named Satella (Emilia) to find a stolen item (insignia). The insignia looked like a small triangular badge with a dragon emblem, and in the center was a small red gem. Immediately after that, the guys set off to the edge of the city where their first trial awaited them.