~The Next Day~
As he was seen walking around the manor, Akira looked as if he didn't get any sleep last night. Truth be told, he had a bit of a nightmare that kept him up. The fact that his room in the manor was on one of the higher floors didn't help as it brought back a memory he wasn't very fond of.

"I swear, I can never catch a break."

"Akira-san, good morning."

When he looked in the direction the voice came from, Akira saw Ram walking towards him. The moment the pink-haired oni stopped right in front of him, Akira merely gave her a small wave as he was beginning to walk away. Seeing this, Ram decided to follow the boy as they had much to discuss.

"How is Subaru?"

"He just woke up and finished speaking with my sister. It seems as though she has finally opened-up a bit. Thank yo-"

"Give your thanks to the idiot. He was the one with every intention on saving Rem. I merely wanted to tie up some loose ends, so we cooperated. I didn't save anyone. Not by a long shot."

As Akira said this, he was walking out to the garden of the manor as Ram was left looking at the boy in confusion. Just when you think you got to know him better, you suddenly find yourself starting back at square one. If there was a word to describe Akira, it would be an enigmatic. However, Ram simply bowed her head as she sent the boy off with a two words.

"Thank you."

BZZZZTTTT

"Thank you for everything, Akira-kun."

A frown was forming on Akira's face as he was remembering the nightmare he had. Shaking his head, he merely kept walking as he tried his best to conceal the expression on his face. He didn't want to remember it. The time where actually wished he could save someone and was forced to only watch the result of his lack of action.

"Don't go thanking people carelessly......"

~At the Garden~
As Akira finally made it to one of the gazebos, he merely sat down as he was currently doing more of his daily routine. He was doing multiple calculations all at once so he could get a better understanding of his ability. Once he reached a satisfactory state, he planned on going to Puck to learn what magic he had an affinity with considering the fact that he also possessed a gate.

"Akira-san, there you are."

When the white-haired boy opened his eyes, he noticed Rem was standing before him. Truth be told, he still had his reflection up seeing as the maid did try to kill him. Unlike Subaru, Akira wasn't quick to forgive Rem for this. However, the boy was surprised the moment he saw the blue-haired oni bowing her head.

"I understand you may not be fully ready to accept me like Subaru-kun. You have every right to dislike me as I did attempt to take your life. That's why, i'll let my actions starting now prove to you that I no longer wish to do so ever again!"

"......Rem. I heard a bit about what happened to you in the past. However, I only heard one side."

As Akira said this, he simply motioned for the maid to enter the gazebo. The moment she walked into the area, Rem stood across from Akira as they were looking directly at each other. She could already tell what Akira wanted to discuss. With a sigh escaping her lips, Rem finally spoke up.

"As you know, my sister and I are part of the oni clan. Twins are a taboo amongst oni culture as they are each only given one horn. The reason my sister and I were spared was because of the immense potential my sister displayed."

"......."

"Over the years, my sister's power only grew greater and I struggled to keep up with her. Now matter how hard I tried, it felt like nothing I did was good enough and I could never match up to her in demon power. Then everything changed once the Witch Cult attacked our village."

As he was listening to every word Rem spoke, Akira noticed the look on the maid's face. It was a look of pure, utter disgust. However, while it was aimed at the Witch Cult for what they did, he could tell who the real target of that face was. Soon he noticed how the maid began to hug herself as she was slightly shaking.

"The entire village was engulfed in flames and the people I lived with were dying left and right. Soon their sights turned on me and they were about to make me join my brethren, until Ram saved me. She had been fighting against the cultists by herself. Just when she let her guard down.....one of the cultists cut off her horn right in front of me. It was after that moment that Roswaal-sama came and took my sister and I in at the manor."

"Stop it, Rem."

"Do you know what the worse part about that was? I know how precious a horn is to an oni, yet all I thought when I saw my sister lose her own horn was, 'It finally broke'. Because of me my sister lost her horn and her power, yet all I did was smile at her misfortune! From that day onward I had sworn to do all the things that my sister could do. She is far more amazing than I am. She can do even more. I'm only imitating what she could do. If I can't even do that, then i'm worthless!"

"Stop making the same face as I did back then..."

"Even if I overdo things, it will never be enough! I have to try hard because nothing I do is enough! The reason I continue to live is to atone for thinking that way on that fiery night. I'll risk my life to walk the path my sister would've walked. The path I took from her! Because I am inferior to her in every way! I'm nothing but a replacement!"

"Stop making the same mistake as me, you fucking idiot!"

As Rem looked upwards, her eyes were full of tears and her breathing was uneven. While Akira managed to keep his neutral express, he was actually clenching his right hand so hard that he began to drew blood from it. The boy merely sighed as he turned around.

"You're a bigger dumbass than I thought."

"Wh-what are you on about, Akira-san? This was the only way I could atone! I took everything from Si-"

"You're not as replaceable as you assume. If that were the case, why didn't your sister abandon you to save her own ass? Why did she wholeheartedly go out of her way to save you from destroying yourself when you tried to rescue Subaru? Just face the facts, Rem, the only one who believes you're replaceable is yourself."

As Akira said this, he turned around as he walked towards Rem. The blue-haired maid saw the look in his eyes. It wasn't his usual stoic expression or his scowl. No, it was a look she never would've expected from Akira. It was a look of sympathy.

"Ram told me she relied on you ever since she lost her horn. But, I don't think she ever blamed you for the lost of her horn. You say you're replaceable, but your sister seems to say otherwise. You're so focused on atoning, you couldn't even see the most obvious detail that makes the statement of you being replaceable obsolete."

"How could you understand, Akira-san? You're strong, smart, it's almost like you have no weakness. How do you unde-"

"Because I lived it. I lived in the very position you claim to have. That's why i'm the only one who can call you on your bullshit without sounding condescending and pretending to understand. Unlike me, you at least have someone who loves you enough to come to your rescue. I won't tell you how to feel, nor will I say some cliche shit about how everyone here values you. But I can at least say this.....have more faith in how much your sister loves and values you before calling yourself replaceable."

As Akira was walking out of the gazebo, he could hear Rem sobbing as she fell to her knees. He hated this more than anything. Seeing someone feeling the exact same way he did back in his own world. That was the only reason he even bothered staying and talking with her. Soon a sigh escaped from his lips as he scratched the back of his head.

"Rem, there was a fairy tale often spoke of in my homeland. There was a red ogre and a blue ogre. The red ogre wanted to befriend the humans and invited them to play. Yet his heart was destroyed when he saw that no one came to visit him. To mend his friend's broken heart, the blue ogre decided to pretend to be a villain and attack the village. By doing so, the red ogre would stop him and be viewed as a hero."

"........"

"The plan went off without a hitch. The blue ogre was defeated as the red ogre was loved by the village. The red ogre happily played along with the children, but noticed that the blue ogre visited him less and less. Soon he found out that the blue ogre left, because if he stayed by his side for too long....the red ogre would be viewed as a bad ogre again. Afterwards, the two never saw each other again. So Rem, which ogre would you befriend?"

As Rem was deep in thought, she couldn't help herself. She couldn't help but draw a comparison to both of the ogres with herself and Ram. She thought deeply about it. She understood how the blue ogre felt. Wanting the person they love to be happy even if it meant costing themselves.

"The blue ogre. But Akira-san.....who would you befriend?"

"Neither. I wouldn't want to save either of those idiots. They were so focused on satisfying their own desires, they neglected to see the truth. The truth was simple.....they didn't need the approval of humans or anyone else to be happy. The reason I don't want to help the ogres.....is because they're strong enough to help themselves as they are. They don't need me to save them because they already have each other.

"Akira-san........"

"Rem, instead of pitying yourself that misfortune fell on Ram because of you....take pride in the fact that BOTH of you lived through that fiery night. So what if she lost her horn, would you prefer if she had lost her life instead? Rest easy, you did enough, Rem. You don't need to prove that to anyone."

As Akira finished talking to Rem, he was about to walk away until he heard the blue-haired maid softly calling out his name. When he looked at the oni, he couldn't believe what he was witnessing. A look of gratitude coupled with eyes that refused to shop shedding tears was directed at him.

"Thank you.....thank you.....thank you! I'm.....so tired. I tried so hard by myself........thank you. Thank you, Akira-san!"

"She's crying her eyes out, but still smiling so brightly. Just because someone finally told her she did enough. I wonder......."

"If you wanna thank me, then just keep on doing your job as the maid of this place. I'm feeling thirsty after that long-winded rant."

"....would I have the same expression as her, if someone had reached out to me as well?"

~Nighttime~
"Did you find the one who was controlling the maaaaaaabeasts?"

"Yes, but the trail has already vanished."

As the two of them were in his study, Roswaal decided to discuss a few things with Ram. He learned that one of the children that Akira and Subaru had brought back to the village had disappeared the next morning. As he gazed through the window of his study, Roswaal couldn't help but let his mind wonder.

"Is this connected to the battle of the throne, as weeeeeeell? The Bowel Hunter, a mabeast master....we've gotten involved with some bizaaaaaaarre characters."

"But no matter how many characters appear, you aren't the type of man to lose heart. Are you?"

"My, how audacious you've become. Come here."

As Ram walked towards the lord of the manor, she sat down on his lap as Roswaal looked at her. He could tell that the oni used a lot of mana. As he placed two fingers upon the scar where Ram's horn use to be, Roswaal spoke softly.

"May the stars protect you."

"I must win the battle of the throne, no matter what it takes. For the sake of my goal. For the coming day I kill that dragon."

~????~
"Hahahahahahahahah."

Somewhere, on a plain beyond Lugunica's understanding, was the sound of laughter. The source of this noise was a creature that took on the form of a barefooted girl with thin wings, a tentacle-like tail, pointy ears and a hole in her forehead. She wore a large and curved, translucent hat as her dress seemed to be made from a collection of trash.

This creature was seen laughing to her heart's content. Her mouth was split into a grin as she was noticing some drastic changes in the higher phase. Telesma was slowly, but surely being drawn from the phase known as heaven and making its way to an unknown source in Lugunica. With a grin plastered on her face, the creature continued to laugh.

"It seems like something interesting is about to begin-desu!"