The provided chapters detail the initial experiences of Natsuki Subaru, a seventeen-year-old hikikomori from modern Japan, after being inexplicably transported to a fantasy world.
**Chapter 3-6: The First Death and a Glimmer of Hope**
Subaru's narrative begins abruptly with him experiencing a brutal, fatal injury. He finds himself on the ground, bleeding profusely from a severe abdominal wound that nearly bisects him. Overwhelmed by pain and heat, he realizes he is dying. In his final moments, his fading consciousness registers the presence of someone, likely his killer, and he weakly wishes for the safety of a girl whose voice he faintly hears. As his life ebbs, he weakly grasps a hand that seems to grip back, and with his last breath, he vows to save "her." He then dies.
**Chapter 7-13: Arrival in a New World and Initial Assessment**
Subaru awakens to find himself in a completely unfamiliar world, dressed in his familiar grey tracksuit. He is penniless, his modern currency worthless, and surrounded by people with fantastical hair colors and attire, riding lizard-drawn carriages. He quickly deduces he has been summoned to an isekai (another world) setting, characterized by medieval-level technology and the presence of demi-humans like dog and cat ears. As a former hikikomori, Subaru is ill-equipped for direct social interaction but possesses extensive knowledge from fantasy tropes. He assesses the world's civilization, currency, and inhabitants, noting the absence of familiar animals like dogs and cats. He laments his lack of useful skills or equipment, possessing only his phone (low battery), wallet, snacks, and worn-out clothes. He feels utterly unprepared and wishes to return home.
**Chapter 14-20: The First Encounter with Danger and Unexpected Rescue**
While exploring an alley, Subaru is confronted by three thugs intending to rob him. He initially tries to bluff his way out, drawing on his fantasy knowledge, but his attempts at bravado quickly fail when they reveal weapons. He attempts to fight back, surprisingly landing a few blows, but is quickly overwhelmed by the presence of a knife. Just as he is about to be defeated, a small, energetic blonde-haired girl bursts into the alley, briefly distracting the thugs before escaping over the rooftops. Subaru is left to face the thugs alone again, but before they can finish him, a beautiful silver-haired girl with a white coat bearing a bird emblem intervenes. She incapacitates the thugs with ice magic, revealing the existence of magic in this world.
**Chapter 21-31: The Mysterious Girl, Pack, and the First "Return by Death"**
The silver-haired girl, who introduces herself as Satella, reveals she is pursuing the girl who stole her insignia. She heals Subaru's wounds with magic, though he is still weak. She is accompanied by a large, talking cat named Pack, who can shift size and speaks with a peculiar accent. Satella, despite her initial reluctance and insistence that she is only helping for her own convenience, heals Subaru and allows him to rest on Pack's belly. She questions Subaru about the insignia thief, but he has no information. After a brief interaction where Subaru offers to help her, he collapses again, only to wake up later with his wounds healed and his tracksuit clean. Satella explains she healed him and kept watch because she needed information. She reiterates her need to find the thief and asks Subaru for help, which he reluctantly agrees to, driven by a desire to repay her kindness and a lack of other options.
**Chapter 32-42: Partnership and the Search for the Stolen Insignia**
Subaru and Satella begin their search for the thief. Subaru's lack of local knowledge and inability to read the local script prove significant hindrances. Satella, though initially dismissive of Subaru's usefulness, is somewhat taken aback by his earnestness. They learn from a vendor that the thief might be in the slums. Satella explains she cannot rely on the city guards due to unspecified reasons. Pack, a spirit, reveals he can only manifest for a limited time each day. Subaru, despite his social awkwardness, offers to help Satella find her stolen insignia, which he learns is a badge with a jewel. He proposes a trade: his modern smartphone, a "magic tool" that can capture images, for the insignia. Satella, though initially skeptical of Subaru's usefulness, agrees to the exchange, impressed by the phone's novelty and the fact that Subaru is willing to trade his only connection to his old world.
**Chapter 43-56: The Thieves' Guild and the Negotiation**
Subaru and Satella arrive at a "stolen goods repository" run by a gruff, muscular old man named Rom, who is revealed to be a giant. Subaru, after a brief and violent encounter with the same thugs from before (whom he easily defeats this time due to his prior training), negotiates with Rom. He offers his smartphone in exchange for the insignia, which Rom confirms is likely to be brought in by a girl named Felt. Rom agrees to facilitate the exchange, and Subaru learns that Felt stole the insignia for a client who offered a substantial reward in "holy gold coins," a currency far more valuable than regular gold. The client is expected to arrive soon at Rom's establishment.
**Chapter 57-74: The Confrontation and the First "Return by Death" Loop**
The client, a beautiful and alluring woman named Elsa, arrives. She is a formidable assassin. Subaru, witnessing the scene and recalling his earlier death, is filled with dread. Elsa attacks, and Subaru, despite his efforts to warn Satella, is fatally wounded again, experiencing the same agonizing heat and bleeding from his nearly severed abdomen. He dies, but not before seeing Satella fall beside him.
**Chapter 75-130: The Cycle Repeats and the Search Continues**
Subaru awakens once more, finding himself back in the alley, alive and uninjured, with his tracksuit clean. He realizes he has "Returned by Death," a power that allows him to reset time upon death. He is initially disoriented, believing his previous experience was a dream, but the memory of Satella and Pack, and the fact that his wounds are gone, confirms his new reality. He encounters the same thugs from his first attempt, defeats them more easily this time, and heads back to Rom's stolen goods repository. He learns from Rom that Satella is likely searching for Felt, the thief. Subaru, driven by his desire to repay Satella and a growing sense of responsibility, decides to help her find the insignia. They search the slums, and Subaru's modern knowledge, though limited, proves somewhat useful. He learns about "mana" and "gates" from Pack, a spirit who accompanies Satella. After a difficult search, they learn the insignia is likely at Rom's. Subaru, using his smartphone as leverage, negotiates with Felt for the insignia. He learns that Felt stole it for a client and that the insignia is worth a significant amount of holy gold. The client, Elsa, arrives again, and Subaru, remembering his previous death, tries to warn Satella. However, he is fatally wounded once more, triggering another "Return by Death."
The chapters establish Subaru's core predicament: he is in a dangerous new world with no apparent skills or purpose, but possesses the unique ability to "Return by Death." He is trying to navigate this world, understand its rules, and repay the kindness of those who have helped him, particularly Satella and Pack, while grappling with his own insecurities and the trauma of repeated deaths. The narrative arc of these chapters focuses on Subaru's initial shock, his struggle to adapt, his first encounters with danger and magic, and the revelation of his unique ability, setting the stage for his future endeavors.
