The Greed of a Pig / Disgrace in the Extreme

It's Re:Zero time again this week! Last time, Natsuki Subaru got those evil eyes! What on earth will happen to him this week?! He dies!

Beyond saving....

Last time, Natsuki Subaru watched through two loops in which the mansion and village were destroyed, and got a lot off his chest. This time, he also runs into Russell-san, whom he did not meet last time. He's quite an important person in the Royal Capital.

That Russell-san from earlier is friends with Roswaal and Marcos-san, the captain of the Royal Guard Knights. The three of them are basically bad friends.

Crusch-sama looking so handsome in the OP is incredibly cool, isn't she...?

Reflecting on last time, Natsuki Subaru thinks about how to deal with the Witch Cult. The Witch Cult's existence and its operating policy are famous worldwide, so once Emilia declared her participation in the Royal Selection, it was fairly expected that they would make a move.

Crusch-san may seem cold during her negotiations with Subaru, but a major factor is that, to begin with, Subaru's explanation isn't convincing. More fundamentally, he has no credibility.

Rem's "...There isn't" just now was an ordinary lie. Rem has suspected Subaru of being with the Witch Cult before, but there was no point in saying so.

Because of what happened last time, Subaru's top priority right now is “kill Petelgeuse.” Revenge is sad—it creates nothing.

Wilhelm steps in here because he realizes that Subaru, having been hit where it hurts, is about to impulsively lash out at Crusch-sama. Rem stops him too because she knows that if he fought Wilhelm, he would lose.

Priscilla's lavish mansion is gaudy and glittering gold everywhere—completely her style. This is the residence she had built while her husband, Leip Barielle, was still alive, despite him complaining endlessly about it.

This is omitted in the anime, but Al, like Subaru, was transported from Earth. So Priscilla, his master, says words Al uses in hiragana, like “chansu.” A small thing she has in common with Emilia.

Incidentally, Priscilla is stronger than Rem in a straightforward fight, so that kick just now is seriously dangerous.

I mentioned this last time too, but the gesture of grabbing other passersby by the shoulders and moving them aside isn't in the original novel, so as the original author, it was a great bit of direction that made me go, “Whoa,” watching it.

Saying “I'm really in trouble” sounds like it would let the other side take advantage of you, so it doesn't sound particularly good as a negotiation tactic.

Mimi is the mascot of Anastasia's camp, so after being doted on by everyone in the camp, she grew up free-spirited. But even if there were thirty Subarus, they wouldn't stand a chance against her.

Anastasia-sama is dressed awfully warmly, but that's because, for various reasons, her body temperature is low.

“What you've done doesn't just disappear” is an ironic one for Subaru, who has Return by Death.

“I don't get it” >> collateral damage

The point is that there are lots of reports saying Witch Cultists have appeared here or there. The Witch Cult really are a dangerous bunch, so there's no benefit to leaving someone you find suspicious alone.

The oil being out of season is because, with the start of the Royal Selection, the border with the northern Holy Kingdom of Gusteko was temporarily closed. Otto intended to take oil to Gusteko, but he could no longer do that, leaving him with a mountain of inventory.

Last time, they set out earlier than when they heard that the fog would appear, so they happened to run into it at the moment it emerged. Thanks to the Witch Cult and Petelgeuse, everyone had probably conveniently forgotten about the White Whale.

In terms of sheer combat strength, the White Whale is probably among the strongest opponents Subaru has fought.

There are a few people in the Re:Zero world who could kill the White Whale alone, but ordinarily it's an opponent you fight with hundreds of people.

Incidentally, Otto has been working as a traveling merchant for over five years, so if Subaru challenged him one-on-one, he'd get completely beaten down without being able to do a thing. Even so, Otto is still a non-combatant.

Otto is normally more level-headed than this, but because of the influence of the Divine Protection he possesses, he feels more fear of the White Whale than necessary, and Subaru's words here become the trigger that makes him shove him off.

Otto's ground dragon is named Furfoo. Since a Witch Cult dagger is stuck in the dragon carriage Otto fled in, you can infer the result, but whether Furfoo came back of the ground dragon's own free will, or Otto said something at the end, even the author can't really say.

Even after getting this battered, he still came back sooner than in the previous two times, which means he makes it back before anything happens in the village.

"Ram has no little sister" is a Misaka Kaori from Kanon reference.

Improper as it may be, the anxious Emilia here is gorgeous the whole time.

The curse-like words Subaru says to Emilia here also feel like a wish, and they also feel like something he's saying to himself.

Once you're prepared for the penalty, it's no longer a penalty.

Up to this point in the loops, I had avoided depicting Emilia's death itself, but that was because here I wanted to properly show Subaru causing Emilia's death through his own confession.

If I remember right, I think I wrote this episode as a Christmas present on the web...

Looking back on Subaru in this loop, you can really see how he just keeps stepping on everyone’s landmines one after another.

A world where only that one wish comes true.

The first-ever appearance of the "Unseen Hand" in Japan.

The reason Petelgeuse-san bites his fingers and harms himself is because he sees pain as proof that he’s alive. For various reasons, he wants to regularly feel that sense of being alive. That’s why Petelgeuse-san engages in self-harm.

Ah, he’s one of the guys who could take down the White Whale solo.

The smiling faces in the background are probably best imagined as something like Memory Snow.