Re:Circuit (Redux)
Reviews section:
User DrackNath: is not that Subaru is Wimpy… but rather he is a normal regular everyday person out of his element.
User Guest-sama: Pairings are still up in the air XD
User Sheploo: I get it… XD
As Usual please review! It is my lifeblood
Chapter 8: Of Men and Monsters
The moonlight was obstructed by the tree canopy, bringing a deep, black darkness over the forest. As they stepped around the trees obstructing their path, plowing forward through leaves and branches, their bodies picked up scratches that oozed blood.
Plunged into a world with just a little moonlight trickling through to light the way, there was only one thing they had to search for.
"—"
Rem stopped, looking all around as she sniffed the air. Her motion was like that of a police dog, and we were indeed relying on Rem's sense of smell to guide them through the forest.
I kept from speaking to her so as not to disrupt her concentration, but my unease was intense. I trailed after her small back as she stepped ahead of me, the long silence whittling my mental state down further, when…
"—I smell something alive… It is close."
Rem sent a sharp gaze to her left as she murmured, and I followed suit. But I saw nothing there but darkness, the same as all the rest. Seized by impatience, I patted Rem's shoulder.
"Is it the kids?"
"I do not know, but it is not an animal smell."
"That's enough to go on," I said, nodding to Rem as I rushed forward. She ran right behind me.
Even Rem's expression brightened a bit from having a solid lead that cut through the darkness.
She subconsciously picked up her pace.
Although, as their expectations increased, so did their unease. That fact was probably part of why Rem was unwilling to say for certain if the scent belonged to the kids.
Rem drove forward, shoving aside foliage to make a path. I chased after her. But my mind was crystal clear. My eyes had begun to acclimate to the darkness, so I started to make out the outlines of the forest, too—and the next moment, the forest opened up, and we arrived on top of a high little hill.
Moonlight shone down on the green slope in the gap in the forest like something out of a dream. And there—
"It's the kids!"
There, lying on the ground, were the children, arms and legs spread as they slept.
Rem and myself rushed over together to check on whether they were safe. There were six on the ground in total. They weren't conscious, but they were breathing, and their bodies were warm to the touch.
"They're alive. They're alive!"
"We made it in time!" I shouted with joy. But Rem, standing beside him, had a stern look on her face. Tears flowed as I hugged them.
"No, they are still breathing, but they are heavily debilitated. At this rate…"
"Debilitated…? The curse?!"
When I looked closer, I noted that the children all had pale faces; their breaths were short and ragged, like even that drained their strength. Their brows were covered in cold sweat as they slept with pained expressions, like they were seeing nightmares.
"After we finally found them… Rem, let's see if I can do something about it shall we?"
"What are you-?."
Concentrating, I used the prana in my body as I gently moved it to the kids, my od washed over their gate, flushing the curse away from it. Their semblance began to gain color once more.
My own brow was covered with sweat as doing this required the outmost of concentration
Rem said nothing, as she was in awe at this novel technique of dealing with actual active curses; instead of questioning me, she infused her palm with a pale light—the light of healing mana—and began to treat the children.
While working on the others I watched as the wave of healing began to bring peace to more of the sleeping children. At the rate they were calming, they could bring the kids back to the village safely to their parents.
But just as I was mentally putting plans in order, a girl lightly opened her eyes and called my name.
"Suba…ru?"
Her gaze looked troubled, perhaps because her mind was so hazy, so I took her hand.
"You're awake, Petra? Okay, good girl, you're a strong girl. We'll be taking you back real soon and making the reason you're suffering go bye-bye, so right now you need to just rest…" I said with a tender smile.
I seen hell…
I seen the images of kids burning alive in that dream, of mothers losing their children, entire families burned alive, swallowed by a dark black mud coming, of all things, from a dark hole in the sky… the crying, the anguish, the feel of loss, the pain of the living, the sorrow of the dead.
I did not wish for anyone to experience such sadness.
I am not a hero. I know that, it is painfully obvious…. I have died 4 times so far… but still.
I would not allow myself to falter, not just for the voice, he is a good teacher, if a bit of an ass, but because I don't wish to feel the regret that I felt from those dreams.
The voice made a deal with "The world" in exchange for the power to save people.
The world used him as an instrument to kill people, and he killed, over and over, unable to stop. As he saved people he killed people in tandem. Sacrificing the few for the most, a betrayal of his dreams.
I saw how it broke him.
I do not wish to feel that regret…
Yet… little Petra pulled me close… still tired and in pain from the curse that had ravaged her small body.
"There's one in… Still… The forest…"
Petra was trying to tell him something with her halting words.
The information nuggets gave me a bad feeling, so I called out to Petra once more. But my voice never reached her; her eyes had closed and she'd lost consciousness again.
"Aw, crap… She's right. I don't see the youngest one here."
I knew the faces of all six of the children sleeping there from spending time with them during the day. Setting aside myself and the puppy, it left the shy, withdrawn girl missing.
"Damn it all!"
I stood up, tearing at my hair at the turn for the worse.
Rem, who'd seen and heard the entire exchange with Petra, widened her eyes, apparently alarmed at my behavior.
"P-please wait. It is too dangerous. If she was taken away by the demon beasts, there is nothing—"
"I know what you're trying to say. I know. I know all too well, but you heard it, too, Rem. Petra said to go get the last one of them before anything else."
Petra was suffering to the brink of tears, weakened to the point that breathing was a struggle. Even so, she'd expressed concern for her friend rather than saying the words save me.
She was a weak little girl, but the life of her friend came before her own.
"…I want to do what Petra asked me to. If we're gonna pick one up, we might as well do our best to pick 'em all up."
"You are too greedy. If you pick up too much, you might end up dropping everything on the floor."
"You're here to make sure that doesn't happen, Rem."
Rem looked daunted by it all. Seeing her so surprised, I spread my arms wide to make her look at me.
"I can't do much here, either. I can't use healing magic, and there's no way I can bring the kids back by myself. If so, I should use myself as effectively as I can, right?"
"What does that have to do with m—"
"You need to save your strength to carry the kids, Rem. The young men from the village will…probably be coming in after us soon enough. Just hand the kids over to them and come after me."
The villagers had to be well aware that demon beasts were in the forest. Furthermore, they'd no doubt girded themselves with gear and plenty of light sources. All Rem needed to do was hand the kids over and tell the men to bring the kids to the mansion.
"While you're doing that, I'll go deeper in and look for the last kid… Hey, if it's the worst case, I'll come running right back. But if there's still any ray of hope, at least I can buy some time out there."
Rem, unable to accept my decision, grabbed my sleeve and argued vehemently.
"You do not know your opponent's strength. There is no guarantee when the villagers will come, and worst case, I may not be able to find you."
Perhaps she was worried about me. Perhaps it was just her nature not to go along with uncertain plans.
Thinking that it'd be nice if it was the former, I pulled Rem's fingers off his sleeve and held her hand.
"I'll be alright. I know you'll find me."
"What proof do you have of…?"
"I've got proof right here."
I smiled, pointing a finger at my own nose before pointing it back at Rem's face.
"Even if no one else notices, you'll notice my scent. I have the lingering stench of the witch... right?"
Rem's eyes opened wide in surprise. It was thrilling, really.
I laughed, like seeing this Rem before his eyes was taking revenge on that other Rem from times past. Petty? Yes, but I earned this!
"Subaru…how much…do you know…?"
"Ah, I'm pretty ignorant about tons of things. It's so bad, I'd never find the answers even if I repeated yesterday, today, and tomorrow over and over again."
I thought back on those days and how repeating them too much had worn him to the bone.
I then realized I've changed a lot to actually be able to laugh about it.
"Looks like you have some things you want to ask me, and I have a mountain of things I want to ask you. So when this is all over, let's talk it out till our throats go dry. It's a promise."
And, without waiting for Rem, I kept their hands together as he wrapped his little finger around hers.
Rem remained perplexed at the sight of their intertwined pinkie fingers as I moved the fingers up and down in a shake.
"There. Pinkie promise."
"Wh-what did you just…?"
"It's a ritual from my homeland for making a promise. It's a terrible ritual guaranteeing you'll get a thousand sewing needles stuck into you if you break it."
The encroachment of my space had already exceeded Rem's comprehension.
Rem was befuddled and confused beyond words when I snapped his fingers and flashed his teeth.
"I believe in you, Rem. So I want to act based on that trust. That's why we need to promise here."
"—"
"I told you, right? I keep my promises, and I expect others to keep theirs. Plus I've got Emilia's blessing on my side, so don't worry, be happy."
"H-happy…?"
Completely unable to keep up, Rem made a long, exasperated sigh as she laughed weakly.
I, seeing that Rem was continuing to laugh, kept his voice down as he laughed, too. Then Rem said, "A promise, then. There really is much I want to ask you, after all."
"Sure thing. It's a promise between the two of us that needed making. The same probably goes for the hair, too."
"The hair…?"
"The reason why you keep staring at my hair."
Rem was at a loss for words when Subaru pointed it out. Guilt also seemed to well into her eyes as he watched her open her mouth.
"Subaru, I…"
"It's alright. I'm not getting the wrong idea. You were always watching me while I did my amateur work because the shabby top of my head really bothered you…right?"
On the last day before he'd begun looping again, Rem and I had made a promise—a promise for Rem to cut my unsightly hair.
Now I understood the truth behind those words.
At the time, Rem had been seized by enormous distrust of Subaru, hence the intensity of her gaze toward him. Ram had simply been trying to cover for her.
That promise had been made on the basis of a lie. I knew that now.
But I would take the promise that began with a lie and make it true, smiling all the way.
"When I come back safe and sound, I'll put myself at your mercy. I'm counting on you to make me look so cool that Emilia will fall for me without even thinking."
"…Given what I am starting with, even I have my limits."
"Could you please put facts like that in a less direct and painful way…?" I said with a pained smile.
This was the Rem who had always left him behind. Her agreeing to go along with his suggestion made me happy then and there.
I made a satisfied nod at how the cheerful days I sought were being born anew.
Rem said, "I shall hand off the children and immediately catch up with you. Please do nothing rash in the meantime."
"Don't worry. After all, I'm possessed by a demon today."
"Possessed…?"
"Possessed by a demon instead of a god. Lately it's my favorite saying!"
I posed with two fingers standing above his head to act as pretend horns.
Regardless of what she thought about my frivolous behavior, she let his pose pass without comment.
"Please be careful."
With Rem sending him off and turning around, I went down the low hill, going deeper into the forest. I headed in the direction Petra had indicated just before losing consciousness."Well, Subaru Natsuki, let's do this."
Speaking to encourage myself, I ran, clenching the hand with which I made the pinkie promise for good measure.
—I didn't know if despair or hope awaited me, or something else.
One way or another, the morning of the fourth day seemed far, far away.
"If I am destined to die again… I will cut this destiny with all my might, as little as it may be…"
"Listen Subaru, your body is strong for someone of your world, at least in your age group, so I will help you with a technique that I managed to get as close as perfect, this is human reinforcement, this will enhance your power by quite a lot, however you need to be careful, if you reinforce over your limit… well, you should know right?"
I shivered a bit, but the voice helped me by guiding me, told me to use structural analysis on myself so I could understand how much I could take.
It was a bit touch and go but I managed somehow.
"Not the best, but it will do, at least now you have a higher defence" the voice said, but cautioned me to not get cocky.
I was glad he said so, cause knowing myself that is EXACTLY what I would have done and probably had to start this whole thing all over again.
The wind carried into my trembling nostrils the thick scent of beasts in the direction I was traveling. Whereas before the air was thick with the scent of grass and soil, it was now full of the stench of some wild animal in nature and the curses they carried.
I was unable to quash the feeling that something bad was on its way, stilled my breathing. I poked my head out through a gap in the trees. my breath caught when Isaw the cause of the wafting scent.
"—"
At the end of his line of sight, in a tiny clearing, I saw a tree that had fallen due to wind and rot. A slender white leg was poking out beside it.
When I craned my neck and peered in, I saw that the leg had tattered cloth over it, attached to a girl wearing her frayed brown hair in braids. I'd found her.
"—"
I held my breath and thought about this.
There was no doubt this was the girl in question. But the girl's body did not so much as twitch while she lay on the ground. She was not conscious, and of course, I couldn't even check to see if she was breathing from where I stood. I quickly scanned her surroundings, but it seemed like the demon beast that had left the girl here was not close by.
So the beast had dragged back his prey, then abandoned it? That didn't feel right. It didn't, but…
"…It's a golden opportunity… What to do…?"
"This is so obvious a trap that it hurts my sensitivities" the voice said.
He was right, but… even if it was a bait, I had to act, I made a promise.
"And how will you keep your promise if you return once more? Said promise will never had happened, think calmly, if this is an obvious trap, than the best thing is to use it against them, use the bait to bait them"
With every moment he waited during this ideal chance to save the girl, the danger increased, all the more so because I had, at best, a 60 percent chance of actually handling his potential opponent.
—Why was Subaru Natsuki the one here?
What if it had been Roswaal? Or Beatrice? Or Reinhard? Or hell… even the voice
If it were one of them, blessed with power worthy of heroes, the situation could be easily resolved.
But it was Subaru Natsuki who stood there. It was Subaru Natsuki who yearned for a miracle. And it was Subaru Natsuki who most assuredly could not bring a miracle about.
His rational mind pleaded for him to play the sure hand and wait for Rem. And yet…
—Emilia wouldn't hesitate.
I can't change if I keep doing the same things over and over…
The voice is telling me what I can do, if there is even at least a 1% chance at victory I will take those odds and work to bring a miracle.
The instant I thought it, my legs stopped shaking. My pulse, quickened by the decision pressing upon me, calmed along with my ragged breath.
I rushed through the grass, flying into the clearing in front of him, and made a beeline toward the girl in the shade of the fallen tree. He sat up her tiny, light body and checked to see if it had a pulse.
—Her breathing was frail, but he felt a faint, steady pulse through her veins.
"…I'm so glad."
I was truly relieved that he hadn't decided to abandon her.
Even the voice felt like he approved of my actions.
The faint breathing and pulse might have meant she was being affected by a curse as well. If that was the case, he needed to get her healed by magic and have the curse lifted without a moment to lose… however, upon using structural analysis …
"No curse? But how?" I thought to myself
The voice glared at the girl… there it was… that scent…
It was connected to her!
The beast was not acting alone…
The beast was showing tactics, that is something only people with reasoning could do.
"Aww… fuck me"
The sudden chill running up my spine made me gasp and look over my shoulder.
—The bushes rustled as a four-legged beast crossed the grass and stepped onto the bare soil.
It was a beast with short black fur. At a glance, it seemed similar in size to a Doberman from my world, but it was built twice as thickly as the dogs I had seen. The clawlike paws were sharp; slobber was dripping out from its fangs even with its maw closed. It made a low growl as its bloodshot eyes glared at me.
It was a demon dog, or rather, a demon beast. Such a name suited its malevolent appearance.
"…This is, uh…not what I had in mind here."
I didn't even realize my cheek was twitching as a smile and a dry laugh came over me.
The demon beast before his eyes was clearly not the little puppy-size one I had expected. In addition, the timing with which it had showed itself meant that…
"…You used this girl as a decoy and waited for her to lure me out…yeah… I called it"
My eyes roamed the area, but saw neither any sign of Rem catching up to him nor any avenue for escape from the demon beast. Indeed, the latter had already lowered its head, clawing the ground.
No time to hesitate.
"Tch… Shit, if you're gonna come, come!"
I stripped my jacket off, wrapping the well-tailored garment around my left arm, injecting it with some reinforcement, making it slightly stronger than leather armor.
In a confrontation with a wild animal, the thing you had to worry about the most was its sharp fangs. Wrapping thick fabric around your arm to limit the damage was the least you could do against a four-legged beast, not only that but due to reinforcement he now was at least more certain of preventing injuries… I remembered seeing police dog training on TV in my old world and instantly copied that. I thrust my left arm out, glaring at the demon beast as it tried to figure out when best to leap at me.
The way the demon beast kept its center of gravity low, not moving a muscle, unnerved me.
"Hey, what's with the laid-back attitude here?! Hey! Come on! C—"
It vanished.
Suddenly, the demon beast that should have been right in front of him melted into the darkness.
Fright froze my throat as an indistinct black cloud headed for my outstretched left arm. The next moment, he felt sharp fangs punch through the thick fabric, with the demon beast biting deep into it.
"That—!"
I smirked, the reinforcement spell is SOOOO GOOD! I am gonna dedicate myself to mastering this even better than the voice did!
"—Didn't hurt!"
I poured. As a result, the demon beast clamped on at an angle was now completely unable to move.
Its two red eyes met my devilish gaze. I bathed in the beast's overwhelming enmity as I said, "You bit me, you mangy mutt—!"
Wrapping my whole left arm around the demon beast, I whipped my body around, hard. Centrifugal force sent the demon beast floating into the air, spinning it backward toward the fallen tree—and slamming against an outstretched branch.
"—!"
The sharp branch ruptured its hide, making a dull sound as it rend the beast's flesh. Its dying howl echoed throughout the dark forest.
The demon beast, impaled through its back, kept my wrapped arm clamped in its maw for a while, but it finally relented as it stopped moving.
I, for my part, fell to my knees.
"I…won?"
Seeing that it was not breathing, I murmured as I yanked the demon beast's fangs from his arm.
Even without Rem's strength, I had been able to get out of that crisis. I took the time to retie the jacket around his arm, using it as a makeshift armor due to its reinforced properties.
I made sure my arm could still move before walking back to pick up the girl for real this time.
" I'm alive. Crap… probably tripped another flag with that. Anyway, gotta get back to the vill—"
I cut my words off there because I noticed that the grass had rustled once more. My hair stood up as my entire body was gripped by the sense that something bestial still lurked.
The scent of the curse bearing beasts increased!
I looked back. Then realizing what was going on murmured, "Oh come on…"
Red eyes flared through the dark forest—a horde of them gazed at him through the trees ahead, their numbers virtually beyond count.
Not that I really wanted to count, but all the fingers and toes in my person put together probably wouldn't cut it.
Before I knew it, I had thrust my arms out wide. Not to surrender to the countless points of light—but to shield the little girl behind him.
"—"
She was the culprit, I needed her for information, and also… to keep my word to Petra.
The beasts were unimpressed by my silent resolve. The red points of light ignored my wishes and leaped at me all at once.
"Ooo—!"
Grabbing the sword I slashed at the beast, cutting its body perfectly in two with nary a strain.
I twisted my body as I partied the claw of another one, this is getting harder, there are too many!
I killed about 3 or 4 as slowly they were rendering appart with their claws and teeth, slowly ripping me.
All the while I stubbornly refused to back down.
It was then… one of them rushed when I was blinking due to sweat and blood in my eyes.
"—"
No good! Can't doge cant parry!
—when the head of the demon beast before my eyes exploded like an overripe melon.
Bludgeoned to death at point-blank range, its fresh blood showered my face. The demon beast's headless body sailed forward and crashed into me. Blown backward by the force, I back rolled and, feeling unpleasant from the pain and blood, shook my head and stood up.
—What just happened?
A blue-haired girl had descended onto the field of battle, one hand lightly grasping the hem of her skirt as it made an elegant twirl, the other wielding a malevolent iron ball.
"The children are safe and are returning to the village. I see your efforts to buy time have gone well."
A demon beast leaped toward her slender body.
"—Hah!"
Using the white kukiri knife I got from Elsa, I decapitated the beast that was attacking her from behind.
We nodded at each other and begun to do our retreating fight in earnest.
The destructive weapon, which ought to have been slow and unwieldy, turned with incredible force, following the arc of the swing of her arm to utterly pulverize everything in its path. Its might mowed down branches and snapped tree trunks before slamming straight into the demon beast's body. The weapon connected with such power it split the torso in two, turning it into fertilizer for the forest.
And, as the comrade beside it fell in a single moment, the other soared to angrily sink its fangs into Rem's left flank—but just before it reached her, Rem smashed her left fist into its snout from above, pummeling it out of the sky. The might of her fist caved the beast's skull in, slaying it instantly with a blow powerful enough to bury its head into the soil.
Her skill was crystal clear. I had thought he appreciated Rem's destructiveness, but now he truly knew. That made my head hurt.
"Y-you're so strong!"
"Are those appropriate words to speak to a girl, Subaru?"
"That's the only thing a fledging like me can say! You're really out there!"
Ecstatic that Rem proved to be far more reliable than I'd imagined, I leaped as if to embrace her.
I then skirted around right behind Rem as the remainder of the pack spread out and surrounded them.
Having lost six more of their number, the pack moved sluggishly. The beasts crouched, awaiting their next move; I could tell that there was bitter enmity in their eyes.
"…Incidentally, Rem, do you plan on wiping them out by yourself? I can help, but don't expect too much"
"There are too many of them. Even if we fought together, they can overcome us with numbers."
"Well that figures. In that case…"
Before the beasts could recover their bearings and come leaping at them, we had the same thought. Our eyes swept the surroundings before settling on the same place—a weak point in the encirclement with only three of the beasts.
I yelled in concert with Rem's attack.
"There!"
The iron ball ripped through the air, with the howl heralding the slaughter. A moment before reaching the cluster of demon beasts, the iron ball smashed into the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dirt. I sensed that the cascade of soil had thrown the beasts off.
Rem was the next to yell.
"Now—!"
I ran like my body had been shot out of a cannon.
The blow from a moment before had opened a hole in the barricade, a narrow area that he could break through—
As I flew through the gap, the demon beasts howled at how they had left open a path. But when they rushed in pursuit, they became easy prey to the iron snake lashing behind them.
"Whoa, traumatic sound alert—!"
As I sprinted full force, I recalled the sound of the dancing chain sending his stomach flying off. Behind him, the iron ball swung ferociously, making numerous bloody flowers bloom fresh in the dark forest.
I vaulted over a tree root, getting smacked on the cheek by a branch as I yelled, "Rem, I can't see where I'm going!"
"Straight…straight ahead. This will be settled when we pass through the barrier. Head for the bonfires in the village!"
Straight ahead, she'd said, but I couldn't even tell which way was the front. I never imagined that the darkness, leaving me able to see only a little ways in front, would ruin his sense of direction to this degree. Nor could I grope ahead with my hands when I had a little girl weighing down sais arms.
I was out of breath, full of anxiety that I had lost his way or that the beasts were about to catch up to me.
The fabric of my jacket was drenched in blood. I could picture in my mind how blooddrops were falling to the earth, leaving a perfect trail that led his pursuers right to me.
I saw what looked like the same scenery over and over, as if I hadn't made a single step of forward progress. A sense of irritation burned in my chest; I felt like he was about to fall to my knees. Yet, all the while…
…he heard the sound of a chain whipping behind him.
"Aww, shit! My side really hurts—!"
Forward, forward—!
Then the darkness before me suddenly lifted.
My field of vision broadened and, as my eyes instinctively narrowed at the suddenness of it, he saw man-made light off in the distance.
"Rem! I see light! Someone from the village is…at the barrier!"
I looked back in joy at the appearance of a literal ray of hope. But a moment later, my eyes silently went wide.
I could describe the sight of Rem fighting to protect him from behind only as heroic.
Her perfectly sized maid outfit was ripped and gnawed to shreds; the white flesh below it was marked with countless cuts. Her vivid blue hair was all a mess, and there was too much fresh blood in it to make out the original color.
I saw Rem in a ferocious battle worthy of legend. And at that very moment, the same Rem was fast approaching me as she reached out to me with a hand.
"Rem—?!"
Rem's outstretched hand shoved on Subaru's back, adding enough forward momentum to send him sprawling. I instantly protected the girl in my arms from the shock, but in exchange, I was unable to protect myself as I hit the ground face-first, banging up my body.
I felt the pain and tasted the dirt in his mouth; he wanted to ask Rem why she'd done something so violent just then—but he was at a loss for such words.
"…You're kidding me…"
I murmured as, right before his eyes, the soil was sweeping from right to left.
Wind enveloped the earth, sand and mud rose in a vortex, and trees were torn from their roots as the very terrain of the forest changed. Faced with the violent scene before me, I caught his breath when he shifted his eyes to the point from which the flowing soil originated.
—For there, I saw the little demon beast, surrounded by a golden glow as it unleashed magical power.
—Demon beasts were enemies of mankind that possessed magical energy.
This was no curse. Curses couldn't be wielded the way that energy could. In other words, it was using magic.
"—R-Rem?!"
When he belatedly understood what was happening, Subaru realized that Rem was no longer behind him. He also realized that Rem had shoved him to protect him from the river of dirt.
And in exchange…
"—"
…the dirt and stone had launched her uniform-clad body high into the dark sky.
The ground gave Rem a rough welcome, buffeting her small body like a fallen leaf. The way blood scattered from her and how she flew helplessly in the air proved with crystal clarity that she'd taken more damage than she could bear.
Rem was unable to soften the blow when she made a hard landing. The saving grace was that she hadn't cracked her skull on the ground left bare by the flow of the soil.
"Re… You idiot! How can you…? What have I been…?!"
Doing this for, I was about to yell, but in that instant, my spine froze.
No doubt they'd all felt it, too. The little demon beast making the current of earth and the pack chasing after them…they all stopped moving.
I could feel it. I was sure of it. What hovered in the air was the heavy presence of death.
—Slowly, Rem's fallen body rose up.
Even though she'd taken such a spectacular blow, Rem didn't show any sign of injury as she stood up. Indeed, as far as he could see, all her wounds had closed.
The incredible healing energy emitted a high temperature, and her very blood boiled, rising as red steam.
Rem turned her head, slowly looking around the area. Her eyes had lost all trace of reason. Her face, covered in blood spatter, twisted into an ecstatic smile.
Then, I saw.
"—A demon, indeed or rather an oni, been a while since I saw one like this."
—With her headdress now off, he saw a white horn grow from Rem's forehead.
"Ah-ha…ah-ha-ha—"
She laughed. It was loud laughter like that of a little girl but overflowing with naked cruelty.
Twisting herself, Rem's body moved like the wind as it charged the demon beast pack. Faster than the unmoving demon beast in the vanguard could react, Rem smashed it with her heel. She kicked its body at the demon beasts ahead of her, slowing them down as she swung her iron ball, leaving a large quantity of bloody blossoms and beast corpses behind it.
"Demon beast! Demon beast! Demon beast!—Witch!"
Rem continued to yell with each overpowering blow as she slew one demon beast after another.
Blood scattered, skulls caved, and innards and gray matter scattered around the forest with great force.
I fell to my knees, forgetting all about my pain as I took in the scene.
I didn't have the courage to raise his voice. That ought not have been so, but somehow, I knew that if I appeared on Rem's radar right then, I'd be killed in a heartbeat.
Rem's behavior was so far off that I couldn't imagine that I was wrong.
I was taking in the fact that Rem had gone berserk. But the demon beasts didn't simply sit and wait for death.
Unfrozen after the initial shock, the demon beasts surrounded Rem to take advantage of any opening. The corpses slain by single blows grew in number as they whittled Rem down by fang and claw.
The horde was endless. By now, she ought to have crushed at least the number that had initially pursued them, but the numbers of red eyes had increased along the way; they came in waves that seemed as constant as the tides.
"Even if she's in her Ultimate Mode, there's no way she can hold out against enemies with infinite spawn…!"
The circumstances had undergone a dizzying change, but I and the others were still at a steep disadvantage.
Grasping the situation objectively, looked back when I felt another spike in magical energy.
The demon pup kept its distance from the melee between Rem and the pack while deploying a magic circle. It was sucking the air dry of its mana, preparing to release yet another force to warp the space around it.
Rem's face whipped up, apparently sensing the vortex of energy, sending the iron ball flying high so that she could whirl it to dispose of the new menace. But when Rem stopped moving, the pack of demon beasts seized their chance, leaping at Rem's back all at once.
"—!"
It was instantaneous. I was reaching for Rem's back before a single thought entered my mind.
Rem's breath caught at the impact that pushed her out of the way. Her face stiffened in shock and unrest. Her empty eyes regained the luster of reason, her monstrous smile dropped away, and her emotions spilled over.—Ah, you can make a face like that, too, he thought in a corner of his mind.
"—Gaaaaah!"
With a swing I cut down 3 beasts that tried to get her, then I covered my body using reinforcement.
A bit too much, my arm begun to swell up, I did a bit too much, but it's fine, nothing lethal like it blowing off.
I screamed. My right leg, hmy left flank, and my back felt fangs sink into them simultaneously. My vision was dyed red. I couldn't register the pain.
However my vitals were safe, as long as I take hits on "good" places, the chances of me dying is reduced.
"Subaru—!"
Still, paik is pain…
I thought I heard a shriek.
Even though I tried to lift my face toward it, my body no longer moved as I wished. My balance was wrecked. I collapsed to the ground as such wounds demanded. Right before him, a maw lined with fangs was rushing at him. It went for his windpipe. Also right before him, the iron ball rent the earth and smashed it. Blood scattered. Was it his blood, or…?
My mind was wandering. I didn't know when it would vanish altogether.
I felt my life drain away. I, too, thought it was a stupid thing. I put the cart before the horse. What was the point of redoing it all now?
Pain. Suffering. Everything was so far away—invisible, inaudible. Dwindling.
No… there was a point.
Slowly… I was breaking out of that old crusty mold.
I actually did something for no other reason than that it being something that was the right thing to do.
I would have no regrets.
"Don't die! pease don't die!"
Unknown
A new blade sunk in the ground, a man stood tall, even with the many wounds he had.
A silent prayer, as he looked into the setting or rising sun, in a world full of blades.
His eyes held such sadness, someone who has been betrayed over and over again.
He continued to do the right thing and save everyone.
Yet none would raise their hands to save him.
A broken man, beautiful soul.
He was pitiful.
Yet… as I watched him, I envied him, because…
He lived his life doing what he thought was the right thing to do.
Even if betrayed, he never strayed from his path.
One could say that he was…
"... the bone of my sword"
A fire expanded but held no heat.
The man, in red clothes and black armor looked at me.
Those steel grey eyes.
They held much pity.
A golden object flew from the wasteland, shooting itself into my body.
I felt so pain, just a warmth that permeated my body… and the scent of apples.
The man gave me a smile, it was beautiful, it was sad, it was kind.
And then…
I felt a soft hand… and I woke up.
On my left was Emilia, sleeping on a chair, she must have been up trying to help me by healing me.
I looked down and saw my body had a lot of scars, most of them barely visible and would fade with time, thanks to reinforcement! I really need to thank that voice for teaching me such a godsend spell…
Still…
"Seems like I am in her debt yet again uh?" I said as I saw my mostly healed body.
"I wonder about that. This time, Lia might think of it as giving you a hand because your hard work brought results."
I turned in the direction of the faint murmur. Puck crawled out of Emilia's hair and hovered in the air beside her.
"Heya. Good morning, Subaru. Those will hold you back a bit huh?"
"Maybe not. Feels a little stiff, but I'm not gonna complain about having my life saved. I'm a guy, so I don't plan on whining just because my body's scuffed up, either."
I didn't intend to turn them into marks of honor from the field of battle, but the deep feelings inside him associated with the white scars would no doubt never fade.
To me, what had happened to the source of his scars was more important.
"Guess it worked out like I expected, but…what actually happened after? To be honest, I don't remember a thing after the dogs went chompy-chomp-chomp on me."
"'Chompy-chomp-chomp' is such a cute way to put it. From what I saw when they hauled you in, it was more like, 'Chomp-munch-crunch-rip-yank-tear'…"
"If it was like that I'd be dead already. Five or six extra arms wouldn't cover all that."
"Mm, well, the extra damage you didn't get was why the maid with the blue hair was in a sorry state, but mostly it had to you with something you did, Subaru… how did you manage to make your body stronger to at least partially resist such attacks? From what I know you only have yin magic"
My throat suddenly froze over at the casual, carefree way he put it. Seeing me react like that, Puck added another thought.
"That's because changing to her demon form makes that girl heal wounds very rapidly. By the time she carried you back to the village, she didn't have more than scratches left on the outside, enough that she didn't even need recovery magic."
"Don't scare me like that, then… Anyway, Rem got back to the village, too, huh? What happened to the last kid with me?"
"You can rest easy about that. All seven children are safe. You really made the right call, Subaru."
Puck said out loud "clap, clap" as he brought his paws together without a sound. Subaru imagined Puck's paws were simply too soft for audible applause, and he twisted his lips at the sight before shaking his head, driving away such idle thoughts.
"Puck, have the curses been lifted, right?"
"Don't worry about that, either. Magic healed them a fair bit. They're as good as cured; you have my guarantee."
Puck thumped his own chest as he gave his grandiose seal of approval. Upon seeing that, I let out a deep breath, relieved at the fact that my actions had not been in vain.
My hand was still on my own chest as his eyes drifted back to the sleeping Emilia.
"And Emilia…? She pulled an all-nighter?"
"I told her to just be patient and wait, but she wouldn't listen. She even wore down her od to heal you, so could you let her sleep?"
Puck's words and demeanor made it easy for Subaru to imagine how Emilia had taken that.
In the first place, calling Puck out during the night was outside the terms of their pact. If calling upon Puck and Beatrice was what it took to lift the curses, Emilia wouldn't have hesitated even an instant.
Thankfully the teachings of the voice made it largely unnecessary, saving her strenght for my healing.
She helped others, even if it meant getting hurt. That was why I loved her.
"This is someone's house in the village, right? Is it all right if I take a look around?"
"Probably best to move around a little and see how well the healing took, anyway."
Having received Puck's permission, I slowly began heading out.
Along the way, before I stepped past Emilia, I lowered my head in a polite bow. As I bowed, I looked at Emilia's sleeping face, desperately holding out against my urge to tease her as I made my way outside.
I left the room, poking my head out of the building's entryway when I saw that the village was in an uproar. "Ahh, well, guess that totally figures."
The morning sun hadn't even begun to rise, yet numerous human silhouettes stood in the plaza at the center of the village.
It was a small village. The details of even the tiniest disturbance spread like wildfire. Women, children, and the elderly all had looks of concern as they huddled around the stout young men arguing in the center.
They were no doubt the young men who'd pursued Subaru and Rem into the forest. He saw that several were wearing bandages; apparently they'd had casualties, too.
I scanned the crowd, troubled that he couldn't find the face he was looking for.
"—So you are awake, Barusu?"
The voice came from behind. Subaru stopped and turned around. I could guess who it was from the way she'd said his name, but still, seeing her face filled me with relief.
A pink-haired maid—Ram—stood behind me.
Ram had the sleeves of her familiar servant outfit rolled up, and she was holding something akin to a basket in her hands. Judging from the large number of baked swee5potatoes filling the basket, she was in the middle of moving them from point A to point faint whiff of steam wafting from the sweetpotatoes sent my stomach into a small growl of heightened expectations. I belatedly realized that I was really hungry.
"How unsightly, waking up ready to eat after worrying others with such grave wounds. Perhaps you caught rabies from the bites?"
"That's not what these dogs are spreading. Oh, and hey, you worried about me?"
"Just eat."
"Hfwoh!"
I was teasing Ram for her rare slip of the tongue. So she stuffed a hot sweetpotato into my mouth. My throat blocked off by the scalding sweetpotato, I turned my face up and loudly wolfed the whole thing down.
"I thought I was gonna die there! Tasted good, though!"
"Of course it was tasty. They were freshly baked…no, steamed."
"Oh man, that I'm-so-awesome face ticks me off. Still tasted good, though!, but how about you actually brag when you can cook at least half as good as me?" I said with a grin.
"Yes, yes. Be quiet if you want another one."
When she handed him the potato, I accepted it, fawning over it like a child.
"Well, I should simply thank you outright concerning the incident last night. Well done."
"Sure didn't come easily… But why are you thanking me?"
"When the people of a fiefdom suffer harm, it calls the lord into question. At that rate, the children would have fallen to the Urugarum pack…and so, I believe your actions to have been correct, Barusu."
"Urugarum… Huh."
So that's what the black demon beasts were called.
"Beats having to fight Primate Murder anytime of the day to be honest"
Who… no, WHAT is that?! No, you know what? I do NOT want to know.
However Urugarum. As far as I knew, was also the name of a demon beast straight out of mythology. Somehow, the name seemed fitting to me. A single word conveyed that your life was in peril from even a single encounter with the creature.
It was then, when I took a deep breath of air that I noticed something wrong…
Or rather something missing
The magic scent of Rem… was gone.
Tracking down every magical scent around him he made it towards Beako who was in the shadows of a wall.
Beatrice beckoned me over.
She wanted to go somewhere else—meaning, it wasn't something she could discuss with me there. Though that unnerved me a little, I had nothing against Beatrice here. Following the girl, who was also my savior in my past run, then abruptly clapped my hands together.
"Come to think of it, you're here outside the mansion because you were healing the kids, right? Thank you."
"…'Tis nothing.I only did it because Puckie asked me to-kashira"
Of course, the reason Puck asked her to was because Emilia asked him to. No doubt Beatrice understood as much. Yet, knowing this, she used Puck as her reason once again. She just wasn't a girl who admitted things straight up.
I found himself growing impatient as Beatrice led him to a flower bed right by one corner of the village. With the villagers gathered in the central plaza to discuss the demon beast incident, I couldn't see even a single person randomly strolling around in such a far-flung corner.
"So, what did you bring me all the way out here to tell me?"
I spread both arms out as he spoke. For her part, Beatrice's reply seemed awkward.
"I thought it had the proper atmosphere to deter you from making boorish jokes."
Her gaze seemed to be wandering as she toyed with her skirt, like she was hesitant to say something.
What's with her? Is it that hard to say…?
As far as I was concerned, this plainly wasn't typical Beatrice behavior. She had the air of a little girl afraid of angering her parents.
Seeing that expression, I just couldn't bring himself to drag it out of her. I crossed my arms, leaning back on the wooden fence protecting the flower bed, and waited for her to resume.
The sight of me waiting seemed to spur Beatrice into a decision. She closed her eyes, then gently opened them, gazing straight at me.
"—In less than half a day, you will die."
I blinked.
"Seems some of the ulgrams managed to pierce the skin and curse you but with you having rested enough you should be able to wash the curses away far better than yesterday"
I nodded, as my circuits have rested quite a bit and no longer had that burning pain from overworking.
Beatrice raised her eyebrows in surprise at my reaction, apparently far more silent than she'd anticipated.
"You are less agitated than I expected. I thought you would be crying like a baby by now."
Beatrice still had that look on her face when Subaru smiled.
"It's about the curses… correct?" I asked.
Beatrice nodded.
"I can fix that" I said as I washed the Od over my circuits, there were quite a bit, but I managed to rid them of my circuits.
"I-impossible, that is impossible-kashira!" She said as she inspected me, she gave a half step back "how?" She asked.
"Uh? What do you mean? I used Od to wash the curses off my body, it's a rather simple way to fight off curses or debilitate them" I said.
"Where did you learn such a technique?!" She asked as she begun to shake me.
Seeing I would be unable to talk should she continue doing so she coughed demurely.
"Maybe it has to do with how I view my gate as opposed to how you people view it?" I half said, half asked.
She nodded for me to keep going.
"You see I see my gate as pipes were water flows… and the curses would be things trying to attach itself into the pipes, a foreign entity, therefore I imagine my Od as a cleaning agent and wash them over with it, using just enough force to rid of them, as too much might hurt my gate." I said.
Beatrice had her head tilted a bit.
So I drew her a graphic representation.
"This is rather interesting… to think you of all people found a way to battle even active curses… Gusteko will no doubt be FURIOUS about this news-kashira" Beatrice said with an amused smirk. "This will also help save a LOT of lives-kashira"
"Beako,' I said as I smiled tenderly at her "… I wish to sincerely thank you for telling me this way, I do not dislike this side of you"
Beatrice's face turned a deep shade of red as she saw my face.
"I-I guess even a smashed clock can be right twice a day-kashira"
"Beako, may I ask you a question? Where is Rem?"
"The blue haired sister, afraid that what I said was true, went back to kill all the mabeasts, in an effort to rid the curse from you, not that it matters anymore-kashira"
I knelt down to be at the same height as Beako "thank you, for caring" I said as I patted her head with a genuine smile.
I went back to the room, looking for the sword I had, once done I headed out.
"Not so fast Ram, you are not going in there alone" I said as I caught her trying to go out in her own.
When I called out her name, Ram looked back. The sheer coldness of her gaze made my breath catch.
I somehow imagined as much, but this was the Ram who had cried out in hatred during the loop she'd lost Rem. With the person she loved most, her little sister, in danger, would Ram come to hate everything but me, who had tried everything to save her sister …?
"—"
Just when I thought that, I realized it.
The hands Ram held crossed in front of her were shaking a little. She was biting her lip to preserve her neutral expression, desperately trying to keep her emotions off her face.
"She went for my sake… so how could I leave her be" I said as I begun to reinforce
The voice taught me a special trump card that will last for 20 minutes, any more and my body will burn from the inside out, I do not know WHAT that is, but I will save it for when I REALLY need it.
She glared at me, but then... relented.
"Very well, but don't drag me down," she said.
"You sure are not cute at all" I said with a deadpan stare.
"Huh, Barasu, you are mistaken, I am too cute for this world, if I were any cuter the world would surely be in peril" she said with a haughty look.
"Yes yes my queen" I said with a roll of my eyes.
She grumbled but we ventured forth into the forest for the sake of her sister.
It was going to be a fight between men and monsters.