Arc 2: Curses and Blessings
Chapter 8: The Beasts of the Forest
The forest was a dangerous place, the sounds of leaves and twigs being crushed under their paws echoed as they crept their way towards him. The trees and bushes moving to the cold breeze. Their path lit, only by the moon. They pressed forward. Growls and howls on one target. In one swift move, they jumped. Another group of Witchfiend dogs has appeared, altogether from different directions they attacked.
Haru: "this is getting repetitive... how many are of these are there?" he sighed,
He held up his hand as threads came out of his fingertips, attaching themselves between the tree lines. Waiting for the right moment, waiting for the perfect time to straighten the loose strings. And there it was, he closed his hand. In an instant, the threads straightened and split the dogs into pieces.
Their bodies bouncing off the floor with blood spreading everywhere, the sound of their flesh-ripping wrang in his ears.
Haru: "that's o-one thing I'll never get used to... " he muttered while bringing both of his hands to his ears as he tried to yawn off the repeating noise.
'gross... why are they so big?'
Staring at the splattered blood and meat around him, he was in a state of disgust. Their size was not at all what he imagined or recalled from the novels. They were larger than what was described to him.
But with the threat out of the way, he pressed forward. Katana in hand, his footsteps light, his breathing halted. Listening and paying attention to everything going on around him. His eyes shifting from one area to another until finally, his eyes spotted something.
A hand peeking out of the bush, pale and still. Sheathing his katana, he quickly ran towards it. Lowering his body as he scoops the body into his arms. Holding their head gently with his hand to provide at least a bit of comfort as he ran to a safer spot,
Haru: "h...hey... can you hear me?..." he muttered,
The woman didn't respond, the only sign of life coming out of her was the slow rising of her chest which indicated her breathing. Her arms and legs were scattered with cuts and bite marks, barely alive.
Haru: "this is brutal..." he says,
Finally arriving at a more lit up area, he looked back at her pained expression. Her pitiful state made him worried about the condition of the other villagers, but this wasn't the time to panic. He had to be calm,
He looked around if the others could be nearby, surely they weren't far, right? At the same time, he listened for any incoming footsteps that could attack while he was helping the woman. Assuring himself that he was safe for now, he sat down and wrapped her wounds in bandages.
Haru: "sorry... I haven't learned how to r-remove curses yet... this is all I c-can do right now, just hang on for me." he added,
He wasn't respecting a reply but the sign of relief that spread across the girl's face calmed him down a bit. "I'll take you somewhere else, for now, o-okay? some of the other villagers are still in here.." he says, with an anxious expression
He stood up and held the girl in his arms, keeping her close to his chest. He lifted two of his fingers, prepared to cast his steel threads at any moment. His eyes were wary of any possible threat that could attack them.
Haru: "sorry lady... this might be a little rough," he apologized, With that, he continued onward.
The journey deeper into the forest was quiet, too quiet. Which made the rustling in front of him make him stop in his tracks. It was too good for him not to encounter any demon beasts ever since he picker her up,
Haru: "please don't be a mabeast..." he muttered
He crouched down, his hand on the back of her head as he slowly raised his fingertips on the opposite hand. Casting Unique Skill: Sticky Steel Thread as the threads came out of his fingers. Prepared to attach themselves to the enemy that would greet him.
Quiet mutters, repeated over and over. The rustling never stopped. He barely understood a thing until he stood directly in front of it. The unrecognizable mutters soon made sense,
"It hurts..."
The knight stopped. He pulled back the threads and peeked in the bush. A man with his back against a tree with his legs bleeding in various areas. His eyes were teary with blood trickling down his forehead. In his arms was a young lady holding on to his shirt in pain, biting on to her own lip trying to ease the pain in her arm.
Haru: "you..." he mutters
The duo looked at him in shock, their expressions twisting into relief that help had finally arrived. They both clung on to him with the little strength that they had,
Villager: "Haru-sama... I'm so glad... I'm so glad!" the man cried out,
The knight forced to kneel by the weight of the villagers that clung to him. He cast Unique Skill: Multi-Layered Barrier around them as he attended to their wounds.
Though the barrier wasn't as big as it normally should be, it was enough for them to be protected for now. He gently laid the girl in his arms against a tree as he brought out another roll of bandages from his shadow. Stretching it open as he wrapped the man's legs in white cloth,
Haru: "sorry... I took so long," he apologized,
The man's face twisted in pain as he tried to silence his own groans, he managed to give the knight a pained smile. "y-you're here now... it's a-all good Haru-sama," the man stuttered,
Giving him a reassuring smile, he neatly tied up the bandage knot and moved to his head. "you were fighting real hard weren't you... it's crazy h-how hurt you are," he says. Gently wrapping his head as the blood slowly seeped through the layers of clean cloth.
Villager: "hk, a-all that fighting... yet I couldn't g-grab Petra-chan and her f-friend in time..." he muttered, his eyes fluttering as if he was about to cry.
"t-this isn't y-you're fault...! b-blame the beast that took t-them in the first place... " the young lady cried out, her hand cupping her arm preventing the blood from spilling out.
He quickly finished off his knot and turned to her. Repeating the process as he cleaned off her wounds. "sorry..." he apologized,
Villager: "don't apologize Haru-sama... just.. promise me you'll r-rescue them, o-okay...?" she muttered,
He looked at the woman who had light in her eyes, just looking at her gave him a bit of strength. "I will, I promise you I will," he replies,
"w-what about the rest... did they make it back to t-the village? they were pretty banged up too..." the man mutters,
Haru: "ah, yeah... don't worry, the others are safe, I'll be sending you to t-the mansion so just h-hold on, someone can help you there," he explains
The two didn't question him, as relieved smiles stretched on their faces. They were finally able to relax, even bringing the other unconscious girl in for a hug as they held each other close. All of their faith and trust was put on him. From the stories of the kids the other day, they were partly aware of the power he possessed that allowed him to teleport.
Though their complexions were worrying, they both maintained calm about their current situation.
Haru: "I promise, I'll find both of them and we c-can all have some cool get-together when this is all over." he says, taking off his knight robe as he wrapped it around them.
"do your best Haru-sama..." the duo muttered as they watched the knight stand up and take a few steps back. "leave it to me," he says with a smile.
Slowly walking out of the barrier as the duo waved him goodbye. He prepared to send them off. But when a sudden warning hit, he brought his hand to his head and sighed, "took them long enough,"
The barrier reacted to the non-hostile humans who have just entered. Sending a reaction straight to him as he confirmed their numbers. Exactly five have entered and one left, Preparing himself for the incoming magicule drain, he takes a deep breath. Then he casts Unique Skill: Spatial Travel and the two summoned Barriers and all those in it sank into the ground and appeared elsewhere.
His only proof of the Skill working was the number of magicules that got taken out of him. Including the trio who had disappeared in front of him,
Haru: "I just k-know Beatrice is going to b-be mad, I can s-see her face already," he giggled
The drain was enough to make the average man pass out, he drops to the ground in a cold sweat as he tried to catch his breath,
Haru: "this is w-way more than what I p-prepared for..." he muttered
Suddenly, his ears picked up inaudible growls coming from all around him. He turned his head to see red eyes peeking out of the shadowy bushes. Snarling with bloodlust seeking to kill the white-haired knight in front of them, all at once, they attacked. "you waited for them t-to leave huh," he muttered
Haru: "shit, I'm too low on m-magicules... to be f-fighting more of you shitdogs! " he shouted
With his trembling knees, he unsheathed his katana and stood up. Taking his stance as he prepared to charge at the group of wolgarms running towards him. With a deep breath, using as little magic as possible. He spread it around his body to enhance his movements. Before Kicking off the ground as he ran towards them,
His sword strong and firm, its tip directed towards them as he swiftly cut through the demon beast's limbs and heads. Using his blade he shielded himself from the clawed attacks and the sharp teeth of the beasts that came right after him,
Using this time now to catch a breath, he jumped up. Turning his body in the opposite direction just in time to avoid the numerous beasts that charged underneath him. His body suspended mid-air as if he were standing on an invisible flooring that prevented him from falling.
He extended his hand and recalled one of the most used spells in the novel series. A spell that shot fire out of the caster's hands. Be it an inferno or a simple bullet, he could turn it into his own skill once he's understood it.
'p-please tell me the skill can grant affinities!'
With the spell in Mind, he prepared to cast.
Haru: "Ul G-" his spell casting was interrupted,
A sharp pain coming from his leg made him squeal in pain. His katana flew out of his hand, stabbing the ground as it lands. As if he were pushed by an external force he crashed into a nearby tree. His head hitting it hard as his world went in circles for a few seconds. As his vision refocused he saw the force that pushed him. A large demon beast, slightly larger than the past he has fought was biting down at his leg.
Muffling his own groan as he bit on to his lip, he planted his hands on the ground and shifted his weight to kick his leg up with the beast still attached, and slammed the beast into the tree. Its mouth opened wide, releasing him from its hold. The impact rendered it dazed giving him time to reach his Katana in time.
He ran forward in a panic, the pain from his leg didn't bother him as he kicked his katana off from the ground. The group of beasts who were underneath him now surrounded him. Remembering the lessons he took about what to do when surrounded by enemies, he took a stance that allowed him to twist his body freely to cut at each demon beast that could come for him. His master taught him well.
Haru: "t-this is... exhausting," he exclaimed,
The demon beasts lowered their heads, a stance used by his wolf companion when it was about to charge at their prey. He looked at each of them in the eye, dominance was one of the ways he could get rid of an entire group that circled him.
Clicking his tongue, his body tensed up as he activated Coercion. The air around him tensed up and became cold. Slowly the demon beasts gave in. They each lowered their heads, giving him the opening to kill them one by one.
He took this chance and ran forward, tilting his katana at a degree that would cleanly give a finishing blow to the beast without having to bring it back up for another slash. The beasts died without even having to put up a fight.
Panting, he wiped the sprayed blood from his forehead and turned towards the once grounded beast.
Haru: "crap... you're up already?" he exclaimed,
The beast growled at him and ran forward. Before his katana's tip could reach the beast, a spiked ball came and smashed it to pieces. It's head exploding everywhere as he watched the ball return to the shadow from where it came. Then emerged his companion,
Rem: "T-They all got teleported back. Thank you for buying time!" she exclaimed
Running towards him with a relieved expression, they had finally reunited. They both stared at each other in shock,
Haru: "Rem!" he exclaimed, glad to see her finally come
Finally catching up to him, she brought her hands to his face. Stretching his cheeks and pinching his ears just to get a reaction out of him. "what's w-with you... are you okay? Rem-san?" he asked her,
Rem: "there were no witchfiends on my way here, b-but you shouldn't be worried about that! how about your leg? did you see anyone else in the forest that could be assisting th-"
Her worried shout came to a halt as the group of wolgarms charged from behind her, racing at high speeds just to get a bite of the unscathed maid. Noticing this, he grabbed her head and brought her closer to his chest. Though confused, her body barely put up a fight against him.
He quickly pushed her out of the way as he attacked the wolgarms behind her. The two exchanged a brief look before he jumps into action.
Her eyes were unable to keep up with all the things going on around her. She could only watch as he threw his katana toward the beast as it pierced through its mouth. Before he suddenly stepped forward and disappeared into the ground.
Rem: "H...Haru," she muttered, confused at what just happened. Everything was a blur,
Suddenly he came out from behind the whole pack, his back turned toward them as he arched in their direction. Doing a flip in mid-air, he extended his arms backward in an uncomfortable position as thin threads suddenly came out.
Making their way towards the beast, they all get engulfed in a thin white layer of threads.
Haru: "watch me, Rem." he muttered,
He pulled his arms back and the threads sliced through the wolgarms. Shooting blood everywhere in a crimson red explosion. Scattering around the forest as he landed back on the ground safely,
Haru: "I p-promised Ram I'd protect you u-until we get back, I'll watch you and you watch me. let's help each other!" he exclaimed
She looked at him and shook her head, "right... forgive me for not paying attention!" she shouts,
Still shocked over what happened, he looked at the dead bodies of beasts in front of them. A slaughter of demon beasts, with him, this almost reckless and dangerous act felt like a simple task.
Haru: "ahh crap... I put up such a show and w-wasted so much m...mana," he muttered as he rocked back and forth towards his katana, pulling it out of the beast as he rubbed the blood off using his pants.
Rem: "yeah... that was quite a show Haru-kun, a great one," she laughed,
He did admit he went over the top with the flips and tricks, but one thing gained from this was the assurance that they were under the protection of one another.
In the Forest where Demon Beasts lurked, their numbers were enough to overwhelm them. Their size was big enough to bite off each of their limbs and tear them apart. They were feared enough that protective barriers had to be installed just to keep them away.
But for the first time in a long time, they were being slaughtered with relative ease. Each and every beast that emerged from the shadows got sliced into pieces or smashed to bits. Even the slightly larger ones that dominated the rest, were killed. A pile of dead, chopped up monster meat yet the shaman that cursed the villagers was nowhere to be seen.
The tides turned where they had to switch from both offense and defense since they lacked the mana and physical strength to continue. Running back to the village barrier would be risky, they'd be leaving behind two young girls who were still missing, and they would soon die of weakness due to the wolgarm's curses. Exhaustion would never be avoided, there were more dogs than expected.
Haru: "Rem! just run!" he exclaimed,
The two were covered in red, from both their wounds and the beasts they've just killed. Accumulating a number of injuries that would be life-threatening to anyone else. Just barely closing it off with a drop of the healing potion, Too bad it didn't replenish mana,
Haru: "Hey! Rem!" he shouted once more,
The maid didn't pay attention, she was so focused on killing that even he got scared for his own safety. Pulling back her Morningstar as he smashed the dogs from behind them, with every beast that dropped dead, another would appear. Their numbers were questionable, it was like an avalanche of beasts chased after them,
Haru: "y-you moron!" he exclaimed,
He dashed towards her and pushed her away from the incoming avalanche by a hair strand. Receiving the attack instead, he gets thrown to the other side of the forest. Rolling over, his body getting scrapes from the pebbles on the ground before coming to a full stop. With his head smashing into a rock, causing his head to spurt out blood.
As he questioned how many more times he was going to hit his head, he shook himself awake.
Haru: "augh..." he groaned,
Exactly after finding the two missing kids and sending them away to the mansion through Spatial Travel, every beast in the area went for them. Even after fighting hard just to get to the unconscious girls, the fight wasn't over. Overusing and combining two Unique Skills that were already hard to pull off thrice nearly knocked him out. But their safety was the number one priority right now.
As he shook his head to get rid of the dizziness, his eyes landed on Rem. Her head tilting back with her eyes closed, standing up in the middle of the whole mess. The chaos around her didn't bother her. He simply watched her as his eyes widened in surprise,
Haru: "R...em,"
Slowly, she looked back at him. The two met eyes, staring into each other like they were the only ones there. Suddenly a horn appeared on her forehead, evolving into something he was all too familiar with. She started to giggle until she bursts out laughing. Stumbling over her own feet as she took a few steps forward.
"witchfiend..." she muttered, her eyes downcast.
Haru: "c-crap... why now?" he wondered,
Her head then shot up as she glared at the beasts in front of them, her grip on her Morningstar tightened. With that, she broke into a run towards them.
Rem: "witchfiend!... witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend! witchfiend!" she repeatedly yelled,
A grim reminder that he'd been living with twins who could easily turn into a beast at will. The light in her eyes disappeared completely,
Haru: "fuck..." he cursed,
She threw the spiked ball towards the demon beasts. Smashing them all flat as she swiftly killed the dogs. He could only watch as she loses herself to a maniacal demon. Killing them all one by one, leaving no space for error.
Rem: "witchfiend!" she exclaimed,
As another group surrounded her, she killed them with ease. He watched her in awe at how strong she was. Who would have known such a small body contained such monstrous strength?
He thought of more positive things about the Oni in front of him to the point where he completely forgot about his own situation. He looked around and saw a couple of demon beasts surrounding him as well.
Haru: "d-damn it...!" he muttered,
He forced himself up as he prepared to fight the dogs coming to him. Pulling his katana up as he cut through the first dog, splitting its head in half, still connected to the rest of its body as it tried to stumble away.
He turned his head and attacked another, turning his wrist so his katana would be on its flat side. Using the adrenaline surging through his body, he ran towards the dog. With just enough speed and strength he dodged the bite and sliced through the dog.
Ripping the dog open from in between its top jaw to its bottom jaw. He continued pushing his arm and sword deeper into the beast as the blade made its way out of the Demon Beast in a straight line.
Haru: "t-that's disgusting..." he gagged,
The sight wasn't as clean or pretty as he expected it to. As much as he wanted to gag, he shook away this feeling and turned to his blue-haired companion who just about finished killing the group that ran to her.
Standing with her back turned towards him, she stood completely still. "Rem?" he muttered.
The maid turned her body and threw her Morning star at him. His eyes followed the ball as if it were in slow motion, but his body barely moved in time to react to the sudden attack, he would have come out unscathed. Only managing to move just enough for the ball not to completely smash his left shoulder and arm.
As he felt the pain of the spikes on his left shoulder, his katana flying out of hand as he jumped back and cupped his wound with his palm. Keeping his gaze on the blue-haired maid who was obviously intent on killing him,
Haru: "Rem... stop, snap out of it!" he shouted,
The maid pressed forward, paying no mind to his plead for her to stop. She was barely in control of her own body, step by step she inched her way towards the fallen knight. His arm was numb and the amount of blood he was losing was worrying.
Haru: "tsk... Rem! wake the fuck up!" he exclaimed while looking around for his katana.
As another spiked ball was thrown at him, he rolled over towards the katana to dodge the attack. Holding it and pointing it towards her, though hesitant he could only hope that the situation wouldn't worsen.
Haru: "wake up, Rem!" he shouted,
'this isn't good... why is she attacking me?' he thought, Slowly creating more distance between them. He watched her every move as he maintained eye contact with the blue-haired maid.
Waiting for her next attack, a loud howl came from the depths of the forest. The two turned their heads toward the source in surprise, only for the maid to run towards the sound. Disappearing into the deep greens of the forest once more.
Haru: "complete idiot... this is how people die in novels!" he remarked,
He forced himself up as he ran to follow her. Using the sounds of the howls of the beast as his guide to where Rem could be heading. He ran as fast as his legs could handle at the time, so he reached for his used potion and poured the remaining half on his body.
The numbness in his shoulder returned and his headache slowly went away. He jumped up in his run and sprinted faster. Passing by the dead bodies of demon beasts as he slowly arrived at a cliff. His eyes widened, hoping that the blue-haired maid didn't jump off. Anything but that, the fall was deadly.
Haru: "Rem..." he muttered,
Gulping down his worries, he was relieved to see the maid safe and sound on the ground. A weapon in hand still tapped into her oni form she killed off the demon beasts surrounding her. Laughing maniacally in a frenzy, she was the beast of the forest itself.
The young knight took a few steps back, preparing to jump down the cliff to support the maid in her endless slaughter. Until a voice called out to him,
"you shouldn't think about going down there, Ru-san." the man said,
His eyes widened, he felt shivers down his spine. "h..huh?" he muttered. He turned his body and met eyes with the Wolf-Human who towered over him. In all black clothing wielding a kunai in his hands. A desperate look in his eyes as the two stared at each other,
Haru: "Halibel-san... are you..." he says, feeling his throat close up.
Halibel: "ah... I knew you were skeptical of me from the start, but it still pains me to see your reaction." he replied while taking a step forward.
Haru: "then would you mind explaining then? you're working with the Shaman aren't yo-"
The Wolf-Human sprung into action and threw his kunai, the sharp blade cutting his mildly wounded arm. Before he could move to attack the man, Halibel charged towards him and kicked him towards a tree.
Feeling his chest almost crack at the intensity of the simple kick, bile mixed with blood sprayed out of his mouth. By instinct, he sank into the ground and disappeared.
Halibel looked around for where he could have gone before he noticed the thin nearly invisible strings come towards him. Before it was quickly cut off with his kunai at immense speed.
Halibel: "come on, Ru-san. Don't make this any harder for me..." the man replied,
Blocking the blade that came directly for his throat, the two met eyes. Before engaging in a short-distance battle,
Haru: "I should be saying that to you... you'd definitely give me an easier time asshole!" he exclaimed,
With precise and accurate form, he slashed at his neck. Only for it to be blocked with the kunai. He threw his leg in for a kick, only for it to be stopped by his hand. He even tried to summon the fiery flames of Hell to the forest using a magic circle. Just to be stopped when he gets thrown closer off of the cliff.
Halibel: "I'm on strict orders to give you a hard time. And I must say, your future is nothing more than terrible. I will determine your fate tonight, I'll even admit that it's far more humane than what you will go through." the man adds,
His body aching in various areas, he's never felt this much pain since he first woke up in the reincarnated world. With barely any strength, he stumbled over himself as he used his arms as support to stand. Glaring at the man in front of him, he broke into a giggle.
Haru: "ah crap, I'm never getting a break aren't I?" he laughed,
Halibel: "sadly... with him around, it'd be painful to imagine a peaceful time." he muttered,
The young knight extended his fingers as his katana appeared below him. The Wolf-Human was even surprised at the unique power he had. "too bad, I know what my future holds. And I'll know whatever bullshit that man will pull off, I'll know his name soon too." he remarked.
Halibel: "but you didn't expect me to come for you, right?" he says,
His eyes widened at his words, 'w-what the hell.' The two continued to glare at each other as the knight took a few steps back. "ah... exactly, you and everyone else so far can't be trusted. I'm just making the most with what I have and who I'm with," he says
As pebbles from under his shoe fell to the bottom of the cliff, he thought of a plan.
Halibel: "you're quite an incredible liar and manipulator then. Your future will always be uncertain! Remember that Ru-san!" he shouts,
As he took a step forward to attack the knight. He gets flung back by an invisible force that stopped him from getting closer, he touched the field with his furry hand as he tried to wrap his head around what it was. "you can't get out of there so don't even bother."
Haru: "I don't know who your boss is yet, and I couldn't care less what he wants with me. I want one thing and nothing more. I'm going home. And if you're in my way, I'll kill you. " he adds, his eyes turning into a deeper shade of grey as his monster aura leaks out.
Halibel: "It looks like you're going to die before you reach that dream of yours. You lose, " He says a satisfied expression stretched on his face as he smirked.
Haru: "huh?" the knight muttered. He looked down and was shocked at the kunai lodged into his stomach, blood spilled out of his gut as he took a few steps back. He cupped the wound with his hand and blood came out from the corners of his mouth.
'ah, shit... I totally missed that,'
His eyes focused on Halibel who was still trapped in the barrier. "no... I still win," he muttered.
At the same time he tilted his head to fall, he teleported the helpless yet powerful enemy away. Using up the remaining magicules he had as he fell headfirst towards the cold ground where beasts lurked. Blood leaving a trail in the cold night sky as he slowly lost his consciousness.
'...this would have been such a cool way to go.'
Thinking of dying from jumping off a high place must feel amazing, he thought. The feeling of the cold air against your face and skin as you fall, thinking about the painful and beautiful things life had to offer. Before going into an eternal slumber, your soul would be at peace at last.
Haru: "too bad..." he muttered,
He wasn't going to die in a place like this, as he fell, he grasped on the kunai tightly before he yanked it out. Squealing in pain as he held on to it tightly.
He tilted his head and scanned the ground for a blue-haired oni. As soon as he spotted her familiar hair, he shouted. " hey oni! keep it together! don't look at me like I'm an enemy, you know me! and you're never going to forget who I am! Now wake up and let's deal with this together Rem!"
As his words entered her ears, she began to run out of instinct to catch the falling knight. Spreading her arms open with the intent to save him. "sorry for this." he muttered,
A swift thin blade cut through the air. Along came the sound of their body dropping to the ground as he pulled her in for a hug. Her unconscious body laying on his chest as he combed through her hair. "o-ow... she didn't c-cushion the fall at all..."
Stuck in a terrible dream of the past, a story that not everyone was aware of. The story of the destruction of her village and the origin of her hate for those who destroyed it. Her life was never the same after, the fiery flames that scorched her family was forever burned in her head.
As the endless guilt of the incident continued to dwell within her, she hid it behind baseless reasoning. Using that as an excuse for all of the things she's done, she was nothing more than an idiot.
Haru: "you must be thinking about it... huh, Rem?" he says,
As the sounds of leaves crunching and continuous panting flooded her ears. She slowly opened her eyes to see white strands of hair blocking her view. Nuzzling her nose against it to push it away, she only managed to mutter two words. "Haru-kun... what?"
Her voice still weak and frail, completely confused at what was happening.
Haru: "you're awake? I'm glad.." he sighed in relief,
Her eyes widened as she questioned what was going on. "w-why... why didn't you leave me alone?" she wondered,
He couldn't offer her any response. Instead, he fixed his hold on her to make sure she was secure. With no strength left in her body, she rested her chin on his shoulder. Biting on her own lip to not let any of her cries escape, but soon enough her burden would be too heavy.
Rem: "for you to s-stop me makes everything pointless... p-put me down! no one else n-needs to get hurt anymore!" she exclaimed,
She continued to sob into his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck as the two walked through the forest. Their final task left unfinished as the Wolgarm Pup disappeared as soon as he arrived to rescue her.
Haru: "sorry... I had to get you out, I was in terrible shape myself," he muttered,
He stopped in his tracks as soon as he heard the familiar growl, taking cover behind a large rock that blended in with the surrounding trees was the quickest thing he could think of. Mana was already out of the question, "it's... it's all my fault, I'm sorry..." she weeps, before gently being laid down against the rock as the two take cover.
Haru: "there are things that just can't be avoided... don't blame yourself for this," he muttered,
Rem: "then who else is to blame?! no one else has to get hurt... I j-just have to take responsibility! I-If I don't... how am I supposed to live up to her? I haven't c-changed in the slightest... I committed the exact s-same sin as I did back then!" she exclaimed,
Her hair covering her eyes as tears dropped to the floor, her shoulders shaking in anger. "rem..." he calls out to her,
Rem: "a-and... I even hurt you... I nearly k-killed you, even a-after we promised each other we'd talk I put you in s-so much danger!" she cried out,
Covering her face with her palms as she cried into her hands. Her breathing uneven as she tried to calm herself,
Haru: "Rem... look at me,"
Hesitant at first, she looked up at him. He extended his hand and wiped the tears off her cheek gently, his soft touch was enough for her to catch a breath.
Haru: "idiot."
With a flick of a finger, her head gets tossed back. In a confused state, she rubbed her forehead with her fingers as she looked to him for answers.
Haru: "you're such an idiot... is that really how you see yourself?" he says,
His words confused her more, "what..." she mutters,
Rem: "I-I do realize that I'm a p-powerless... and incompetent demon clan reject... and that no matter what I do I'll never be able to match my sister..." she cried out,
Continually degrading herself to become less than what she actually is. It's the same as what happened in the novels, though it looked and sounded depressing this was her character development Arc.
'this hurts more to hear than to read...' he thought, feeling his heart shatter at her words. As if it weren't enough, she continued.
Rem: "I'm merely her replacement... that's all I am. I've always been inferior and good for nothing... so why? why was I the one to keep my horn? why couldn't nee-sama have kept hers instead?"
Haru: "Rem..."
Rem: "Why was s-she only born with one horn? Why did... why did we have to be twins?" she sobbed,
Turning her head from the young knight who looked at her in pity, she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "sorry... please forget that I said that,"
Lifting her chin up with his finger, he clicked his tongue. "Rem-san, stop putting your sister on a pedestal. It seems like you had it rough back in the day, but you don't need to be Ram's replacement. You two are different people am I right?" he says,
Rem: "w-we are... but that isn't it!"
Haru: "Rem. reverse the roles and I doubt she'd do any better." he cuts in, she stared at him in surprise as the two went into a short heated argument.
Rem: "you're wrong! nee-sama's true self is more... i-if she had her horn, you wouldn't say that!" she shouts,
Haru: "but she doesn't have her horn, right? accept it or not that fact is never going to change. Even if you're the only one who has their horn left... you shouldn't push yourself too hard. All in the name of being your sister's replacement? bullshit, it pains everyone to see you be this way." he says,
Turning her gaze away from him was the only thing she could do, "hng..." she choked, trying to keep in her cries.
Haru: "Rem, you and Ram-san are sisters. It's normal for you to worry about one another, so be there for each other! help each other, work together! but even if you two are twins, you have your differences. You can grow individually and be Rem, and you can spend time with your sister and complete your twin bond. If you're gone, who else is going to fill in that position?" he says,
Her head shot up with his words, as the two looked at each other with tears flowing out of the corners of her eyes. He held out his hand and pulled her in for a hug. With a gasp, she held on to his uniform and sobbed.
Haru: " Remember, you aren't Ram's replacement. You're Rem who just so happened to share a horn with your sister. You two need each other, lean on her if things get too heavy and you two can deal with it together. If the load is still too much... then lean on me. How about it?"
Nuzzling her face against his chest as she giggled, "I'm very weak... s-so I'm sure I'll end up leaning on you..." she says,
As he ran his fingers through her hair, he broke into a giggle himself. "there's nothing wrong with that, I'm glad you will. Tomorrow, when all of this is over. Make up the time you lost trying to be her replacement and start spending more time with her, okay?"
Rem: "when you phrase it l-like that... how can I say no? I promise," she says,
As the two pull out of the emotional hug, the growls got louder. The two looked to one another and nodded their heads,
Haru: "can you stand?" he asked,
Forcing herself to get up, using her legs to support her body as she tried to stand. Only for it to fail as she fell back down, "I c-can't.." she muttered,
Haru: "I thought so.."
He kneeled in front of her and pulled out the blue glowing potion hanging out of her pocket. "I knew you wouldn't use it," he says,
He opened the cap and spilled the fluid over her as her body glows in color. Her wounds closed up and she finally had the strength in her legs return. In a shock, she stood up and looked at him in surprise. "that's amazing... but what about you?" she says,
Haru: "ah don't worry, I'm saving it for later." he replied,
The two then came out of hiding and confronted the rustling, in front of them stood the Witchfiend Pup in true beast form. As the other Demon Beasts stood by its side preparing to attack. With their weapons in hand, the two waited for the first attack,
Rem: "is that the demon pup?" she asked,
Haru: "yeah. I have your back, let's do this together and kill it!" he exclaimed as he pointed his katana at the beast,
Rem: "yes! Let's do it!" she shouted back,
With that, the wolgarms who stood by the pup's side charged. The first counter-attack started with a kunai being thrown at one of the demon beasts, killing it instantly. As the two dashed forward, they sliced and smashed through the beast with ease. Exchanging each other a smile of reassurance as they pressed for the alpha.
They looked to one another as if sharing a plan. The two understood right away as they both broke out separately, with Rem taking the left side and the young knight taking the right.
He held out his hand and lowered his body. Running directly towards the fallen Wolgarm who died to the kunai he threw. Using his new battle experience and knowledge, he used his new skill.
Unique Skill: Drain
The remaining Magicules residing in the demon beast instantly gets sucked away. Energizing his body as he started to run faster, this skill was most likely the most useful one he's acquired.
'aah! Thank God this beast drained me by the cliff! without that, I never would have learned this!'
As he turned his body, he opened his hand once more and summoned the thin threads once more to trap the Wolgarm in place,
Haru: "Now Rem!" he shouts,
She turned her body and jumped up, throwing her Morningstar toward the Beast's torso. Shouting with all her might as the final hit was about to be released. The young knight sank into the ground and ascended behind the beast. His katana tilted at an angle that could easily decapitate the dog with a swift move.
"This is the end, Wolgarm!" the two shouted,
As the two attacked together, the sound of her chains and the sound of his katana cutting through both the air and its skin echoed throughout the forest. As the two landed, so did the monster's head. Rolling on the ground as blood spread everywhere.
The two panted, taking deep breathes just to relax. "hey..." he muttered,
Rem: "we did it!" she exclaimed,
The two ran to one another as she grabbed him by his hands. "Haru-kun that was amazing!" she shouts as she swung him around.
Haru: "w-wait I'm getting dizzy!" he exclaimed,
With a triumphant expression on their face, the two laughed off their exhaustion and teleported back to the village. He pulled out a Healing Potion and spilled it over his body. Closing all the abrasions and wounds he accumulated, leaving only smears of blood on his uniform that would go away with a quick wash.
Soon enough, they were both confronted by the villagers who waited for their arrival. As the sounds of cries filled their ears, the two exchanged a smile and a thumbs up. The threat was eliminated.
Accomplishing the biggest task of this Arc was over, he no longer had to worry about any curse that would kill him or any enemy that would potentially disturb them. It was a smooth ride for at least a month before all the big events would take place.
So, he finished his last rounds around the village and fixed the broken barrier by copying the magic used in making several other working barriers scattered around the village. Soon enough, the carriages used by the villagers arrived. Who would have known they'd finish the treatment this quick?
Otto: "Haru-san! I'm glad you're okay!" he exclaimed,
He ran towards the seemingly injured knight and pulled him by the collar, "t-that teleporting thing was s-scary!" he shouts,
Haru: "a-ah Otto... you came back?" he asked,
With a sigh, he crossed his arms. "of course I did... I wasn't just going to lay around by the mansion and wait for you to return... I rushed back here as fast as I could.."
Rem: "Otto-kun... was it? how are the villagers?" she asked in concern,
As the anxious expression on his face shifted into one of relief, he gave them both a smile. "they're safe, thanks to you two. Ram-san and Emilia-sama took care of their injuries and curses too I believe," he says,
The knight tilted his head at the merchant's words, "... did anyone else help?" he asked,
Otto: "now that I think about it... someone else was there but... I haven't really met her yet,"
'it must be Beatrice, I really owe her for this.' he thought,
The parents, the village elders, and the adults who came along to the mansion exchanged their gratitude towards the two heroes. Even if they accepted it humbly, all their work was credited toward the princess who healed the majority of their injuries.
Though surprised, they were thankful for her hard work behind the scenes. Soon enough, they'd support her in her dream of becoming the ruler of the Kingdom.
Rem: "Haru-kun..." she muttered,
The carriage was oddly quiet, the two were given a ride home by Otto who controlled the reigns. It was a dark and cold night, and they were both exhausted. With the lingering thought that he almost got killed by a skilled Wolf-Human assassin and that he had to report to the Station the next day, he barely has any time to rest.
"hm?" he hummed in reply, his body not moving an inch. Still in his position when he first entered the carriage,
Rem: "are you okay? y-your sleeve is drenched in blood...!" she exclaimed, her tone shifting mid-sentence.
Their eyes shifted towards his arm drenched in red liquid. Though barely visible through the black uniform, its difference in color gave it away. He was confused, he just healed himself earlier and made sure he had no wounds before coming to the carriage. He swore he didn't notice that much blood on it earlier, did he miss a spot?
Haru: "oh... this must have been from earlier, it's nothing." he says,
He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "w-what were you saying earlier?" he muttered,
She looked at him and took a deep breath. "I just wanna say... thank you," With light shining in her eyes, she looked at him with a gentle gaze. He turned his head and met eyes with her before giggling, "you're welcome, Rem-san."
Haru: "and, let's stick to our promises okay? I look forward to getting to know you more." he smiled,
The two exchanged smiles and time came when they finally arrived at the mansion. Instead of letting the gray-haired merchant drive back to the village alone. He was greeted with a cold invitation from the Mansion's head maid who waited for their return.
Ram: " Thank goodness, you made it back!" she exclaimed,
As she was taking the first step down the carriage, she was quickly tackled down by a worried pink-haired maid. Giving her sister a tight hug to welcome her home, she was finally at ease.
Rem: "nee-sama... I'm home, I'm s-sorry for worrying you" she cried out, giving her sister a hug back.
The two young men stepped out of the carriage and watched the two sisters reunite. The sweet heartwarming sight made the young knight feel a warmth in his chest. "jeez... this didn't happen in the book," he sighed,
Otto: "I thought you couldn't read?" he but in,
At the same time, he silenced the merchant. The two sisters had already gotten up and walked towards them,
Ram: "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear what he said, but Bakaharu... you saved the villagers and even eliminated the threat... you even took care of my sweet sister, You aren't that bad after all." she bowed,
A shocking action especially coming from such a cold character, he couldn't ask for a more sincere greeting coming from her. Even if it didn't sound as impactful, he took this to heart.
Haru: "I promised you I'd t-take care of her," he smiled,
Ram: "Actually, Bakaharu you're leg is still bleeding. How careless, didn't you even bother to clean yourself up before coming back home?" she clicked her tongue,
He looked down and raised his eyebrows, "aren't you supposed to o-offer to treat it... I'll get cleaned up then." he replied. With a scoff coming from the eldest sister they all went inside the mansion.
Ram: "I'll have to alert Roswaal-sama about his stay in the morning, but I won't respect him so easily. He's freeloading," she adds,
Otto: "Ram-san i-isn't that a bit much?!" he cried out,
The group brushed off the friendly banter and made it in. A medicine kit already laid out on the table as he walked into the lobby,
Ram: "since you brought it up earlier, I must say I was going to treat your wounds. Come here Bakaharu, I'll clean up your mess and you can go to your room. good work today," she ushered him towards the table,
Haru: "n-no... it's okay, I have my own bandages in my room. I'll go ahead," he says as he walked in a different direction,
With worried eyes following him as he walked up the stairs, he suddenly stopped in his tracks at her question. " are you sure you're okay, Haru-kun?" she asked him,
With an awkward pause in between, he finally answered. "sorry, I reek of blood so I'm gonna take a shower." he answered back. He gave the trio a bow before continuing up the stairs,
Haru: "actually, let's call it a night... sorry, I feel really exhausted right now. I have to report to the station tomorrow too so I might get up early, don't be alarmed. "
Giving them no time to answer back, he left for his room." too bad... Emilia-sama isn't awake anymore, must have drained herself from using magic," he thought.
Haru: "I'll just visit Beatrice tomorrow," he says as he shuts the door.
He quickly ran to the mirror and took off his uniform. "it's not as bad as I thought it would be..." he sighed in relief,
He did expect some wounds to not completely close with the potion and he was right. But it was nothing to worry about. He took off the blood coated bandages that never left his arms as he walked to his personal comfort room to clean himself up.
As he let the refreshing water run through his skin, he began to notice the never-ending stream of blood that ran down his body. Finding its source as he searched his arms and legs for a cut that didn't completely heal.
Haru: "Rimuru-sama's potion always worked, and this is just a percent lower than what he usually gives in battle... why isn't it completely working now?" he wondered,
He wiped off the excess blood and water with a towel and wrapped his limbs with bandages. It was a regular thing to do for him, and the others thought nothing bad of it. "I still need to claim my other uniforms tomorrow... jeez, please don't leak through the bandages and stain my last pair," he says as he finished off the last knot.
He topped off his bandages with a new shirt and pants he bought the day earlier and sat on the edge of his bed. For some reason, it hadn't occurred to him that the task was finished. He couldn't believe he actually did it. Though it went more off route than what he was informed of, he managed to successfully pull off the second arc while achieving the same results.
Haru: "Halibel-san..." he says,
He did admire his skill and mastery as a shinobi, but things just wouldn't add up. Who exactly was he? and Why was he trying to kill him? As he thought back to the conversation they had before the battle, he was left with unanswered questions.
If the events wouldn't play out the same as in the novels, then he'd have to keep taking risks and hope for the best.
'if he weren't so bad... no, If I didn't follow the route I would have loved to train with him, but did he have to use such a small kunai? why wouldn't he just use a sword?' he thought,
He could barely keep his eyes open anymore. As he pulled the ends of his blanket to cover his body, he flipped around the bed and laid still in the most comfortable position. Slowly, his eyes began to shut as he yawned. "tomorrow... is gonna be a long day," he says as he drifted off to sleep.
TO BE CONTINUED