Blood Stains

Nine hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

His eyes, reddened with hatred, were only able to focus on the defenseless girl surrounded by the mabeasts who had betrayed her. Subaru knew he was weak, utterly useless. So, although he had a great thirst for revenge that could cloud his eyes with hatred, he was not capable of doing anything but watching from a distance. If he couldn't take the girl's life, he would at least watch as the treacherous mabeasts did it.

Licking his lips, Subaru watched and watched. It was only a matter of time. The girl's life... No, the life of Meili, the Mabeast User and assassin, was about to end at a young age. And Subaru, who had been the victim of one of her beasts, was silently favoring the mabeasts who wanted to kill her. However, it was precisely a Guiltylowe, the same species that killed him, who appeared to aid the girl.

Emerging from the shadows, the chimera attacked one of the centaurs from behind, beheading it in the process. Frustrated, Subaru cursed the mabeast for interfering with Meili's death. Clenching his jaw tight, Subaru watched furiously as the shadowy mabeast then dispatched one of the bears with flowers growing on its body.

But the gesture of anger suddenly turned into a smile corrupted by hatred and madness, as he observed how three centaurs and a bear surrounded the Guiltylowe. The bear tore off part the Guiltylowe's back with a claw attack, and the centaurs took advantage of this moment to incinerate it alive. By the time the imposing mabeast fell to the ground, charred, Subaru was already laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha... You deserved it... Ha, ha, ha..." Guffawing, Subaru sneered at the Guiltylowe. Whether that was exactly the same one that fed on his tortured torso during his first death in the Priestella cycle, or not, he really didn't care. Whether it was the same or not, Subaru still savored its death as if it were just another revenge he had pending.

Being once again accompanied only by the mabeast that served as her mount, Meili finally began to show signs of despair. Was she crying? Subaru was not sure, for the distance and the darkness of the night prevented him from determining this. Even so, within himself he rejoiced at the thought of the conceited child crying out of despair.

Finally, the moment Subaru had most waited for arrived. Completely overwhelmed, the hippo-shaped mabeast fell, and so did Meili. Seeing the girl slip off the back of the mabeast she had been riding, Subaru's laughter took on a more deranged tone than before.

However, his glee was once again frustrated, as the Wagpig, a name that Subaru did not know, got back on its feet. Facing with its enormous body the Gabaou, or centaurs, as Subaru had been calling them, the Wagpig prepared to protect its mistress until it gave its last breath.

"Shit!" Irritated, Subaru watched as Meili scurried away from the treacherous mabeasts, while her mount made sure to prevent her from being attacked. "Wait…" But then, Subaru realized. The girl was heading in his direction, apparently without knowing it.

With his mind increasingly clouded by hate, a hatred so strong that it made him feel as if he did not fully control his body, Subaru forced himself to stand up, leaving his saviors behind. They did not notice his departure, because the healer was completely focused on saving the life of the mage.

His feet hurt, they hurt a lot. Every step felt like he was undergoing the attack of the mabeasts again. Each step was as if thousands of knives were being driven into his thighs and calves. His wounds had just been majorly healed, but the sensations still lingered. That's why, partly, the healer had said he would have to wait up to a week to walk normally again. But Subaru was not going to miss the opportunity.

He was weak, very weak. However, Meili was still a child. If he, with his nearly grown-up man strength, caught her off guard, without the support of her mabeasts, he was likely to defeat her. Is this the right thing to do? She is a child... Am I going to murder someone? Am I going to murder a little girl? Something inside him kept asking these questions. However, his hatred and anger were stronger... The haze of anger and hatred that covered his mind was dense enough to keep him from thinking clearly.

She is an assassin... She is dangerous... She can control mabeasts... She allowed my torture... She caused my death... She caused me to be devoured while still alive... Refuting the nagging questions that kept popping up inside his dazed mind, Subaru kept walking, ignoring the pain.

He remembered that day, that moment... He remembered Elsa standing on the roof of a house... He remembered the mabeast that blocked his path... He remembered... He remembered his torture... He remembered his death... He remembered the sound of her ribs being crushed by the Guiltylowe's fangs... He remembered Meili's words... "Don't forget to chew," she had said, in her stupid childish voice. Subaru wouldn't forgive her... He would not forgive her... He would not forgive Elsa... And above all, he would not forgive the bastard who hired them...

Like a zombie being moved by hatred and anger, Subaru approached Meili. The girl was crawling erratically on the rocky floor, her body was covered with wounds and even one of her arms was burned. She had suffered injuries during the fight between the mabeasts, which made her a more suitable prey for him; a suitable prey for the weak Subaru. Now he was only a few feet away from her and, apparently, she hadn't noticed him yet. Impatient with a thirst for revenge, Subaru lunged at her.

"Onii-sa-?! Arghhh!" Meili felt him coming, but her current condition prevented her from doing anything to avoid him. Her target, the person she had been hired to assassinate, now had her by the neck. She and Elsa had been careful as the client said, so what had gone wrong? The fear that the girl had been feeling, after being betrayed by the desert mabeasts, increased.

Meili tried to take the knife she had stored in her dress. It had been a gift from Elsa. "At some point you might need it... In case you don't have your mabeasts around", those had been her words as she gave it to her. At the time Meili had thought it was a stupid gift. Why would she move away from her boys? But now she was grateful for the foresight of her partner… her Onee-san.

She managed to take the knife and, without hesitating for a moment, drive it into one of her target's arms. But he, as if he did not feel the pain, continued to press her neck, now with more strength than before. She took it again, pulled it out and stuck it again… But once again it was useless. She was running out of air, her body was losing strength with each passing second.

Meili tried to pick up the knife again, but her fingers failed and it fell to the ground, sliding out of her reach. Frantic, Meili cursed her luck and began to use the only thing she had left to defend herself. She dug her nails into her target's arms, tearing off the cloth bandage on one of them in the process.

Bite wounds, claws and nail marks appeared before her eyes clouded with tears, so she began to stuck her nails into those wounds without hesitation. Like a feline skinning its prey, Meili dragged her nails through the old and new wounds. Like shreds, the skin on her target's arms was ripped away, leaving the muscle exposed. And yet, the strength applied to her neck only continued to increase.

Kicking and wallowing, Meili struggled even harder to break free, but it was no use. She, the girl who had learned that murder was the only way, had been left without that option. Killing had become a habit for Meili, whose problems had always been solved that way; but this time she had run out of that way out, she had run out of options. The path of murder had been completely blocked.

The little girl could see her life flashing before her eyes… She remembered when the mabeasts adopted her, she remembered when Elsa came for her… She remembered how Mama trained her… Her short life was fading, her life was about to end abruptly. Elsa, Onee-san... Meili thought of her partner, begging for her to come and save her. But this time she was alone, completely alone. No one would save her...

Meili, only seconds away from her consciousness vanishing, looked her target directly in the eye and saw hatred such as she had never seen before in her life. However, she could also see fear, a lot of fear... The tears of her killer fell on her face, mixing with the blood that had also fallen on her... Now I understand, this was the only thing the path of death and the murder led to... I'm sorry Elsa Nee-chan... I'm sorry Mama... I failed... With those last thoughts emerging deep in her dying brain, her life was finally taken away by the hands of the one who had been her target...

Subaru could barely see through the tears that were clouding his gaze. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop… A part of him kept begging him to stop. But Subaru would not listen to it. He was doing nothing wrong, that was the way… Ignoring Meili's resistance, ignoring the pain he felt in his arms, Subaru remembered the torture once again. That painful memory was the fuel needed to stoke the hatred and wrath required to accomplish that task.

More strength! Stop! More strength! Stop! Much more strength! Stop now! Much more strength! Stop it! Much more strength! Stop it! Much more strength! Stop it now! More, more, more strength! Stop, stop, stop! Enough! More, more, more strength! Stop it, stop it, stop it now! Kill her! Don't kill her! Kill her! Don't kill her! Kill her! Don't kill her! KILL HER!

Subaru felt something give against his hands and then everything stopped… Feeling fear running all over his body, Subaru looked down at his hands. There lay Meili's neck, which was abnormally stretched and its skin was molded by the marks of his fingers. With blood pouring out of her mouth and her blank eyes bulging out of their sockets, Subaru realized that he had finally ended the life of Meili, the Mabeasts User.

An instant later, without releasing the shattered neck of the girl's corpse, Subaru throw up on her the little yellowish bile that was the content of his stomach. From his already watery eyes, more tears began to flow. Going into a state of shock, Subaru stood over the girl's dead body, over which he cried and vomited non-stop; the conflict in his mind had been completely derailed by the emotional shock he had just suffered. Once again, death had been the way...

Ten hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

He had killed. Subaru, throughout his life, had never taken anyone's life. In fact, before he came into this world, Subaru had never really fought anyone. And so he would have preferred to stay for the rest of his life. However, Subaru had not even an hour of having arrived in that world, and had already been involved in a real fight...

"… Let go of her, Bro." Subaru was unable to determine how long it had been since Meili's life vanished between his hands, and the moment Ricardo approached him and said those words.

Seconds? Minutes? Hours? For him that time had been nothing but a bloodstain in the middle of his life. A life that he could not consider worthy, but at least, until that day, he would never have considered himself a violent person, let alone a murderer. He had not lived a worthy life, yet at least he had never been a complete scumbag. But now it was too late, he had already soiled his hands. And with the blood of a little girl, to make matters worse.

Having been brought back to reality by Ricardo's words, Subaru was confronted with a grotesque image, one that he had been ignoring up to that point. His hands were still on Meili's neck, which was unnaturally stretched out and had black finger-shaped marks on its surface. Her eyes were protruding and completely stained with blood. Her face, devoid of life, was pale; a paleness that could be reached only after death.

And the arms, not the girl's, his... They had fingernail marks. Both forearms were covered by multiple puncture wounds, ranging from the elbow to the wrist, proof that the girl had not given up on live until the strength from his hands grip broke her neck. Or had she died from lack of air, and the break in her neck happened later? Subaru didn't know, and just thinking about it made him feel deeply nauseous; the corpse had already been desecrated by his tears, his blood and his vomit, but he did not wish to sully the image of the assassin girl further.

Subaru had then tried to release the girl's neck, but it proved impossible. A part, something deep inside him, refused to release her, as if having ended her life was not enough. The fog of hate that had blinded him had already dissipated, leaving behind only regret and pain. And yet, that part of him remained clinging to vengeance, as if all that gave it life was the hatred he felt for the perpetrators of the torture that started that cycle of deaths.

It wasn't until Ricardo, almost by force, helped him loose the girl's neck, that Subaru was finally able to begin to calm down. However, every time he tried, the image of Meili fighting for her life appeared in front of his eyes, making his body tremble, his eyes water and his mind breakdown a little more. The image of the girl dying by his hand would never cease to haunt him, of that he was sure...

Like a zombie, Subaru answered Ricardo's questions. He wanted to know about the whereabouts of Anastasia and her triplet bodyguards, so Subaru cut to the chase and told him the truth. Ricardo seemed doubtful, but Subaru would not bother to repeat it. When they met Anastasia again, it would be proven that everything he had said was true.

So, in silence, Subaru followed Ricardo and the rest of the surviving mercenaries. Several had died during the siege, but living up to the name of Fang of Iron, one of the most effective mercenary groups on the continent, the vast majority came out of the event alive. Of course, many had suffered terrible injuries; there were even some who had lost a couple of limbs. But Subaru, who was not even willing to think about repeating the loop, ignored the guilt that was building up inside him and kept walking.

His injuries had been re-treated, but, as expected, the pain had not completely disappeared. For the same reason, he was now being helped by one of the many mercenaries, who was lending him a shoulder so that he could walk. And just as the pain hadn't completely disappeared, neither would the scars. The multiple fingernail marks on his arms, both his and Meili's, would remain with him forever, as a reminder of his sins.

They walked for a while longer, until they returned to the dining room where everything had started. Even Subaru, whose state of mind prevented him from paying attention to his surroundings, was dumbfounded by the state the place was in. Someone called out Julius' name and Subaru noticed that the same healer who had treated him, ran to the remains of the dining room.

Being almost dragged away by the mercenary who was helping him walk, Subaru approached the place, where he could observe a very wounded Julius being healed. He was alive, or at least that was his understanding of the situation. One of the mercenaries removed the knife that the knight had stuck in his abdomen and the healer's hands began to emit light more intensely than before.

Subaru, assuming that Julius would be saved, ignored the scene and began looking for something with his eyes. Not that the life of Julius, the person for whom he was able to find the guts to reveal the information he knew about Elsa and Meili's attack, didn't matter to him. It's just that… That part of himself, that part within him, needed to confirm Elsa's death. If he didn't make sure Elsa was dead too...

Was that his priority? Self-loathing washed over him, realizing his true thoughts. Had revenge become so important to him? A short glance at his memories of him being tortured and devoured, of the suicide and the previous deathbed alongside Anastasia. Recalling all the emotional and physical pain he went through during that cycle of two deaths, convinced Subaru that the desire for revenge was only an expected outcome of events he had not provoked...

"She's dead…" When those words reached Subaru's ears, he was startled and looked in Julius's direction once more. Ricardo was kneeling beside him and it seemed that he had just regained consciousness. "The Bowel Hunter is dead, I made sure of that…" Julius said something else and Ricardo responded, but Subaru had already stopped listening to the conversation by then.

With his gaze fixed on a spot on the ground, a broken smile began to crept across his face. Right where his eyes had settled, there was a piece of black cloth, totally covered with blood. As rivers of tears ran down his cheeks, the smile on his lips widened even more. The woman who caused his first death… The woman who carried out the torture that broke him mentally… had died. The little girl and the woman, both assassins had perished.

"Ha, ha, ha..." Distressed and relaxed in equal measure, Subaru stared at the piece of cloth with his broken smile, letting out a laugh devoid of sanity. Was he happy? Was he ecstatic? Was he angry? Was he melancholic? It was difficult to define... But if he was sure of something, it was that he was relieved. Never, in all his life, had a death made him feel this way. "Finally..." He whispered, knowing that he would never be tortured by that woman again, knowing that his abdomen would never be cut by her knife again, knowing that he would never have to hear her voice again.

As he stopped laughing, Subaru noticed something. Near the fabric was a stone, an emerald-colored stone that was tied by a rope, turning it into a kind of makeshift pendant. Subaru recognized it immediately and, with his feet wobbling, tried to get closer to it. The mercenary he was leaning on tried to stop him, but he ignored him.

Taking a couple of steps, Subaru ended up falling to the ground. But Subaru didn't care. Stretching out his hand, he tried to grab it, but someone was faster than him. Slightly annoyed, Subaru looked at the person who had gone ahead of him in taking the emerald ore. It was Julius, who had apparently managed to cope with the effects of convalescence better than he had. Ricardo, as expected, was close to him.

"I'm glad to see that you're okay, Subaru. You even have time to think about precious stones." Subaru wasn't sure if Julius was being sarcastic or not, but apparently he didn't mean any harm, so he decided not to think about it anymore. Reaching out in his direction, Julius offered to help him get back on his feet, an offer Subaru did not refuse. "Here. For some reason you wanted it, right?" Once Subaru was on his feet, Julius offered him the emerald stone he had picked up.

"Thank you..." Subaru received it, but just touching it caused his hand to start shaking violently. Feeling the profound effects of his trauma, Subaru was compelled to return it to the knight. Julius, perplexed, took it back.

"Is something the matter?"

"Have you ever heard of a magic ore capable of keeping a person alive, no matter what happens to their body?" Subaru asked the question that he had had in mind since he saw the stone...

Subaru was not interested in the possible value of the stone. The reason he wanted to take it was because he had faith that it could give him some clue that would lead him to the last missing actor; the person who hired the assassins. The person he most wanted to get revenge on. Now that he had killed Meili with his bare hands, he couldn't just back out. And with the death of the only people who could lead him to the client, that stone was his only clue.

"Hmm… I didn't expect that question, to tell you the truth. To be honest, I have never heard of a magic ore or Lagmite with that kind of magic. The closest thing would be the curse known as Cursed Doll. The same one that gave Elsa her apparent immortality. Do you think Elsa got her ability from the stone? I am quite convinced that it was the curse of the Cursed Doll that gave that woman her supposed immortality. Moreover, Elsa herself confirmed it; although it is true that her words are not to be completely trusted…" Julius had misunderstood his words.

Subaru knew that the woman was considered immortal, but he only knew because Julius had mentioned it only an hour ago, shortly before the attack of the assassins. But Subaru hadn't asked the question with that in mind. Although, of course, Julius could not have known that he was actually thinking about what happened during the torture.

"No, I'm not talking about that... So there's no way to imbue a magic ore with that curse you mentioned or some similar magic?" Subaru, eager to get a clue, decided to pose the question differently.

"Hmm... I'm not saying it's not possible. I have just never heard of anything like it. Only a mage with incredible power could accomplish such a feat. Perhaps the Royal Court Mage, Roswaal L. Mathers, might know something about it. But he is someone... how should I put it... eccentric. Besides, he's not exactly accessible. Especially in the last few months, since he is said to have gone into a deep state of depression."

"I heard from the lady that that's no longer the case!" Ricardo said, interrupting Julius. "Supposedly his condition improved a few weeks ago. He even took it upon himself to deal with the Witch Cult, which attacked his territory after the revelation of the half-demon candidate. Of course, that was to be expected..."

After Ricardo's comment, the three of them fell silent. Subaru knew anything about this Roswaal guy. But apparently it wouldn't be of much help to ask him where the emerald stone came from; furthermore, he didn't want to ask Anastasia to help him contact the man, just out of his desire for revenge. From the beginning, he assumed that the stone would not be a very solid clue, but at least he had to try.

What did get his attention was the mention of the half-demon candidate and the Witch Cult. The first was Emilia, of that he had no doubt. So Emilia was related to this Roswaal? Was he her knight? Could a magician take that position? Realizing that his train of thoughts had deviated from the main topic, Subaru shook his head slightly.

The second name that had caught his attention was the Witch Cult. Its mention could not be considered a taboo at the level of the name of the Jealousy Witch, but it's not that far from it either. The followers of the witch, those who wish to awaken her; that is the Witch Cult.

Subaru did not know much about them, but he had heard mention that they were an enigmatic group obsessed with the half-elves, because of their blood relationship with the witch. Subaru agreed with Ricardo, it made sense that they would attack the lands of the person who supports the half-elf candidate. And although the fact that they had attacked the girl who saved him the day he arrived in that world worried him a little, at least it reassured him to know that the person who was with her was the court mage; someone much more capable than him.

"Ricardo..." Leaving aside thoughts related to Emilia and the Witch Cult, Subaru tried his luck one last time; it really wasn't worth continuing to brush against his trauma just because of a clue as poor as the stone. "I guess you also don't know of a magic ore or Lagmite capable of keeping a person alive, no matter how much damage is done to the body."

"Sorry, Bro, but like Julius, I've never heard of anythin' like it. Still, maybe the lady would be interested in sellin' somethin' like…"

"Subaru." Interrupting his partner, Julius called him. His gaze had taken on a semblance of firmness. "The reason I came to you, ignoring the healer's recommendation, was definitely not to talk about the stone... You really don't know nothing about Anastasia-sama's whereabouts?" As expected, Julius had not been satisfied with the explanation Subaru had given Ricardo and he had approached Subaru himself in search of more information.

"How I told Ricardo..."

"Julius-sama, captain! Anastasia-sama's back, and she's accompanied by several of our people and some of Priestella's guards."

"Speaking of the devil…" Subaru whispered, feeling the pulse of his heartbeat speed up. As expected, Julius and Ricardo decided to go meet their mistress, but Subaru momentarily stopped Julius before he left. "Save the stone for me, please. One day I might ask you for it back." Julius seemed to have been taken by surprise, but after a moment, he nodded.

"As you wish, Subaru…" After saying that, he remained silent for a while, showing no sign of wanting to leave yet. After a while, Julius combed his bangs and smiled at him. "I'm glad I trusted you." Having said that, the knight finally walked away from him... For the moment, Subaru was unable to hold the stone due to it stoking the pain of his traumas, but a part of him, deep in his mind, hoped that one day he would be able to use it…

Subaru was feeling nervous about his reunion with Anastasia. After all that had happened since his arrival in Priestella, his feelings towards her had changed radically. Before, he admired her and wanted to follow her, but now it felt like something… different. Subaru couldn't name it yet, and he felt that calling it love would be wrong; especially considering his current deteriorated mental and emotional state. So for the moment he would ignore those feelings and focus on fulfilling his new promise.

Still, that wasn't the only reason he was feeling nervous. His short-sleeved shirt, under no circumstances, was capable of covering the notorious marks on his arms. The scars left behind by his sins were very evident, and he did not feel able to show them with pride; quite the contrary. Those scars, left by Meili, were proof that he had once again taken the path of death; even if it was not his own.

But Subaru's thoughts differed a bit as his gaze fell on her. Her beautiful white kimono was now ripped and stained with blood, and her white skin was paler than usual. Still, to his relief, the girl seemed fine. Next to her was Tivey, but there was no sign of his two siblings. Furthermore, she had arrived accompanied by several of the Fang of Iron reinforcements that Ricardo had contacted and some of Priestella's guards.

"They're in the bunker to the north, both're already bein' treated..." As if she had heard his thoughts, Anastasia said those words... no, Anastasia said those words to him. Unaware of when she had approached him, Anastasia was now in front of him.

"H-How…?" With his pulse rising again, Subaru choked on the words he wanted to say.

"How did I know ya wanted to ask me that? Simple... I'd see it in your eyes." Smiling tenderly, the girl answered him. After a moment, the girl frowned slightly and looked at him up and down, as if analyzing him; which led him to hide his scars immediately. Without saying anything about it, the girl smiled again, and then give her verdict. "I'm glad ya're okay, Natsuki-kun."

Unable to resist any longer, Subaru pounced on her, wrapping his arms around her. The painful images of her death, his torture, and Meili's murder continued to float through his mind. The scars that had been etched into his flesh and spirit were very deep, and made him want to re-isolate himself from the world within his mind. But he knew he couldn't, he had to move on. He had goals to achieve and promises to keep.

I feel that… at least it was all worth it. He thought, as he hugged Anastasia a little tighter. The girl, instead of reacting negatively and pushing him away from her, responded by gently patting him gently on the back, as if she were… comforting him. Without realizing it, Subaru had started crying again; once again, he was venting some of the pain and frustration that had built up inside him since the torture.

"He predicted the attack, didn't he?"

"He was the one who killed the child, right?"

"Isn't that the one who just started laughin' out of nowhere?"

"Right, and on the way 'ere he seemed to be in a trance."

"Without him we wouldn't have won today."

"He seems like an interestin' person to me..."

"For me he's very suspicious."

"Why does the lady allow that lunatic to touch her?"

"I think he has serious problems in the head..."

Ignoring the looks and comments of admiration, interest, reproach, dislike, suspicion, anger and other emotions caused by his actions and behavior throughout that day, Subaru held on to Anastasia. With her delicate body in his arms, feeling her warmth, her heartbeat, her breathing... Feeling those signs of life in her, Subaru could tell himself that everything had been worthwhile, and that he would definitely reach that happy ending he had sought since he left everything in the hands of Reinhard, the Sword Saint.

"Natsuki-kun…" After some time, Subaru finally released the girl. He, trying to hide the embarrassment he felt, listened to her while looking in another direction. "It's clear that we cannot stay here in Priestella. Even so, I've to resolve several issues related to the Hoshin Company, so I'll have to go all the way to Kararagi. Julius will return to the capital along with Hetaro, to have his injuries treated by the best healer in the kingdom. So if you wish, you can go back with them and return with your colleagues. Although, ya could also come with me to Kararagi. There ya could meet the entire design department, which would be especially useful to bringin' forward the start of the Reinvention Project operation. Though I'd understand if ya don't feel up to it..."

"I'll go with you! I told you, didn't I? That together we would make Reinvention Project a success. I couldn't do any of the things we came to do in Priestella, so I refuse to return to the capital depressed and defeated. I will go with you to Kararagi!"

Subaru, having decided to accompany Anastasia to the headquarters of the Hoshin Company, left behind the Priestella's cycle of death. However, the scars etched on his mind, body, and spirit were extremely deep. And as much as he tried to hide it, he had changed because of it. For better or for worse... Now, within him, the burning desire for revenge grew stronger every day that he waited for a clue, leading him to the identity of the person who hired the assassins or the person they both considered their Mother.

Still, Subaru knew it was only a matter of time before "the client" made a move again; he just had to be prepared to deal with what transpired once it happened. Could his mind handle more? He wasn't sure, but for someone as weak as he was, no matter how hard he tried, sometimes death would be the only way...

"Whoever you are, I'll get back at you, you son of a bitch... You'll see..." Making one more promise, Subaru left Priestella, the city that broke him into thousands of pieces.

END OF ARC I

Hi, Geisterivain here! I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your support. I'm glad to see that a hundred people consider my story worth reading. I also appreciate a lot the comments, it's always interesting to know your thoughts about what I'm doing with the fic. Especially considering that I'm making some minor changes in this translated version; such as the use of Kararagi's accent, which I couldn't replicate in Spanish. At last, I just wanted to add that this may be the end of this arc, but I'm not taking any breaks hehe… So I will continue with the biweekly updates. Ok, thanks again and bye, I hope you're doing well during the quarantine!