Hey guys i tried using a different font and word size hopefully this fixes the "This is good but unreadable" issues, if the issue continues please let me know via dms or a review
Thank you -SomeGuyAlt
Chapter 1: Back to Zero
"My name is Natsuki Subaru" The boy proudly proclaims his name.
"And what is your name?"
"Emiya Shirou..."
[I take a look at the mysterious boy in front of me.
His shirt is almost destroyed on the left shoulder and his pants are in a similar state.
He carries a piece of clothing in his right hand. I take a look at it.
It's a black and white jacket similar to his shirt.]
…
[Could it be that he is from japan? I need to ask him]
"Hey Shirou, Are you from japan as well?"
"Yes…" The boy spoke in a faint tone.
[So i'm not completely alone huh?]
'That settles it
This guy was also affected by the grail.
But many more were affected?'
His mind froze just thinking about it.
"Here, sit down let's talk."
Subaru pointed at the fountain behind them.
"Sure…"
"Why are you badly injured? You look like you got beaten to the dirt, What happened to you?" Subaru asked Shirou about his injuries.
Shirou knew he couldn't tell the full truth revealing the existence of magecraft and the events of the holy grail war to a civilian would not only endanger himself but also him.
"I got caught in some trouble that i really don't want to talk about."
'Come on buy it.'
"I see, Are you the one who brought me here? or were you dragged here as well?" Subaru asked Shirou an important question.
"No, I was dragged here as well"
'But was it truly my fault?
I didn't react in time
The grail expanded and I couldn't do anything about it.'
[If he was not him then who?]
"Do you have an idea on why we are here?"
Shirou knew the truth but he knew he couldn't tell him.
He had to lie.
Lie to save others.
"I don't know."
Subaru's expression changed from excited to fully concerned, the longer he looked at Shirou wounds the worse they got.
Shirou was still bleeding and he looked like he was about to faint from exhaustion.
His wounds wouldn't allow him to stay conscious any further.
"Can you walk?"
But no response came, only a small nod from Shirou.
"Let's go, We need to find someone to heal you."
[Crap, Shirou looks like he is about to faint.
I cannot let another otherworldly co-protagonist die
Where are my overpowered abilities? When you need them.
sigh
Isn't this supposed to a starter town with magic and stuff.
Where is a healer when you need them?]
Subaru lifted Shirou, He started carrying him in his arms and walking around town desperately looking for help.
[What do i do?, What do i do?, What do i do?]
He wanders around the street looking for anything useful or anyone willing to help.
Suddenly the sound of carriage stopping is heard.
A child fell into the street. About to be stomped by the speeding carriage.
Subaru watched in despair as the carriage attempted to slow down in order to avoid the collision.
Subaru closed his eyes and waited, He did not want to see more blood so he waited for everything to be over, but suddenly his arms became lighter, Shirou was no longer there.
[That idiot!]
In front of him, Shirou jumped in without hesitation, He quickly wrapped the child in his arms and jumped out of the way, Barely dodging the collision.
"Shirou!" Subaru yelled at Shirou.
"You are badly injured, You could have died back there, What were you thinking?"
"I did what was right" Shirou replied to Subaru.
'And i have no regrets
This is the only path for me...'
Shirou puts down the child.
The child quickly ran to meet his mother's arms.
"Thank you!" The child said as he looked back at Shirou to give him a smile.
A guard approaches the duo.
"Hey kid that was a good reaction, Thank you for your service but let the knights handle it the next time okay, Also Why are you injured?
But no response came.
Shirou had collapsed onto the floor unconscious.
"Shirou!" Subaru rushed in to check on his friend safety
[Crap he is even worse than before]
"Where can i find a healer?!"
The guard was in a state of shock.
Subaru quickly became distressed. He grabbed the guard shoulder and shook it.
"Where can I find a goddamn healer?!"
The guard finally reacted.
"Walk four streets to the south in the street corner there's a Guard station, Now go!" The guard pointed his finger at the direction of the station.
Subaru wasted no time; he quickly enveloped Shirou in his arms and ran.
[Crap i should have paid more attention to him
How do i explain to guards that i don't have money
And that i'm from another world]
...
[There's no time to be thinking about that
I need to find help now!]
Subaru passes the first street and then the second street without trouble but suddenly.
[You gotta be kidding me]
In front of him a huge amount of carriage traffic was blocking his way.
[I need to find another way]
Subaru starts looking around for an alternative route.
He became more desperate as time went on, there were no alternatives routes and time was running out.
[Crap where do i go now?
I need to ask for directions]
In front of him a man was selling apples in his stand, Subaru decided to stop to ask.
"Hey, boy. Those are some weird-looking clothes, You're not from around here, are ya? and why are you carrying a corpse, did you kill him or what?"
"No, He is my friend and he is badly injured, I need to find a way to the guard station as soon as possible. Do you know of any alternative paths to the guard station?" Subaru told the merchant as he was trying his best to contain his impatience.
The merchant scratches his beard trying to remember all possible routes.
"Ah yes i remembered you need to go to that street and walk two streets and in the corne…." The merchant pointed at the street that Subaru tried crossing earlier.
Subaru quickly interrupted him.
"I know but it's filled with traffic and I cannot get through" Subaru clenched his fists unable to contain his frustration
"Wow, Take it easy kid, There's an alley that leads to the next street, It's a bit farther away but the traffic should be good enough for you to cross."
"It's right next to the Tatoes stand, all you need to do is head east" The merchant pointed out the direction of the Tatoes stand as he picked up a Tatoe and showed it to Subaru.
[Tatoes?
Is that how they call potatoes here?
Doesn't matter there's no time to waste
I need to move now!]
"Thank you sir, I promise I'll buy something the next time" Subaru quickly bowed to the Merchant.
"Take care kid" The merchant said as he went back to his appa stand.
Subaru ran towards the direction of the tatoes stand looking for the alleyway.
He finds it.
A pair of two connected alleyways connecting this street and the next.
[That's it!
Just two more streets]
Subaru sprints towards the alley.
He quickly passes the alley and turns around in the corner and heads towards the dark alley.
A voice is heard from above.
"Get em"
A group of thieves with knives blocks his way.
[Crap]
Subaru turns around, two more armed men blocking his way from behind.
Subaru is now completely surrounded.
[Not good
With Shirou and the bags in my hands i cannot fight
To make it worst it's a three vs one
I need to find a way to escape]
…
[I can probably dodge the guy in front of me and run pass him
He is fat and large therefore
He should have trouble with running and moving]
[The only problem is the that i need to dodge the first strike from his knife
But I guess, I don't have a choice do i?]
"Take it easy kid, just give us everything you got and we won't hurt you or your friend"
"Don't do anything stupid kid or you'll regret it" The robber sneaked behind Subaru as he swings his knife around his neck to intimidate Subaru.
"Sorry guys but I guess, I don't have time for this" Subaru replied to the thieves as he mentally prepared himself for what's to come.
Subaru ran towards the robber in front of him.
[Exercise i did back home please don't fail me now]
"Don't get ahead of yourself kid!" A robber yells at Subaru as he swings his knife towards Subaru, He barely dodges the strike by moving Shirou and the bags closer to his chest.
[No way i did it!]
Subaru ran past the thieves into the next street.
"Hey, Where do you think you are going?" A robber yells from behind as they start giving chase to Subaru.
[Where do i go?, Where do i go?, Where do i go?]
Subaru runs in despair trying to lose the thieves that gave him chase.
[If i get closer to the guard station or just by reaching it
I would probably lose them the moment i get close to it
If that doesn't work i can just call a guard for help]
"Get em", A robber yells from behind.
Subaru runs towards the other alleyway.
[Perfect just 1 more street]
He enters the alleyway only to find someone running at him at high speed.
[Another robber?!]
Subaru prepares himself for the worst.
"Outta my way guys!" A weird looking child with red eyes and blond hair yells at Subaru.
She quickly passes behind Subaru and jumps into the roof while holding some kind of jewel in her right hand.
"Who was that?" Subaru asked himself.
It didn't matter as long he reached the guard station everything would be fine.
Subaru was well aware of this fact so he ran and reached the end of the hallway and turned around the corner only to find.
A dead end, The exit was blocked by a large carriage.
[You gotta be kidding me]
Subaru turned around, The thieves were still behind him however their condition was much worse, They were struggling to breath
"End of the line you little rat" A robber said as he attempted to recover some breath.
The 3 thieves blocked the exit leaving Subaru fully cornered.
[Shit I cannot jump over it
I guess i have no other choice but to fight
I'm tired from carrying Shirou and the bags
But…]
[They are just starter enemies and they should be pretty tired as well, After all they are just a bunch of free EXP]
Subaru motivates himself and prepares himself for the upcoming battle.
[Breathe in and out
I can do this, I can do this, I can do this]
"Bring it" Subaru takes off his tracksuit and prepares to fight.
"With pleasure" One of the thieves replied to Subaru as he slowly took out a knife and swung it around his neck to intimidate him.
Subaru puts Shirou and the bags on the ground and moves both behind him, He knew couldn't allow them to touch them.
The taller robber approached him, The same one Subaru managed to dodge earlier, He looked pissed and without hesitation he swung his knife towards Subaru's chest.
"Die you piece of…" Before he could finish his line, Subaru managed to parry the attack and deflect it to the wall, Giving Subaru the perfect opening to attack.
Subaru moved his arm behind his back and punched his attacker in the jaw with all his might.
The attacker drops his knife into the ground.
"That's the first time I ever hit somebody!" Subaru was really excited, his first fight and he was doing quite well, however his attacker was still conscious and there were two other thieves he needed to take care of.
[Wow i'm doing quite great i wonder if this is my power or magic]
"Come on it's that everything you guys got?" Subaru taunted his attackers by wagging his finger.
"Wait!" The robber raised his hand stopping the other two robbers from interfering.
"You know what, you don't deserve death, I'm going to beat you with my fists that you will wish you were dead!"
"Let's get him" The thieves put back their knives into their pockets and prepare to fight.
"Alright let's do this" Subaru proudly exclaims to his attackers.
Subaru dashes towards the biggest of the three of them and punches him in the face.
His attacker fell into the floor.
The smallest robber runs towards Subaru however he reacted in time and kicked his attacker in the face
The attacker fell into the floor.
[Only one left]
"My adrenaline is surging, I feel like i can do anything!"
Subaru was overconfident on his victory, He rushed to punch the last robber but suddenly.
"Alright screw this" The last robber pulls out two sharp blades.
[Crap
I was sure he only had a small pocket knife]
Subaru panicked and fell into the ground.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!, It was all my fault! Seriously!, Forgive me! Please, spare me!"
Subaru bowed down for the first time since arriving in this world he truly felt true despair and fear for his life.
"Hey, What's wrong? Where did all that courage go?"
"Don't tell me you are scared because you saw a single blade" His attacker laughed at him.
Subaru looked around trying to find an opening for his escape.
His expression froze, the carriage that was blocking his escape route was already gone.
He was too focused on the battle that he didn't notice he had a chance to escape.
[I had the chance to escape?]
"Die" A robber kicked Subaru on the face sending him a few meters back into the dark alleyway.
The other attackers he knocked out were awake as well, They smiled and laughed at him while kicking him.
Subaru tried blocking the kicks but he couldn't.
[This is bad
Like really bad, I had the chance to run and i wasted it
I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die]
His mind was overheating trying desperately to find a solution but he couldn't find it.
He closed his eyes unable to handle the beating, He wished for a painless death but it couldn't be granted but he knew it would be over soon.
"That's enough" A feminine voice said, catching everyone's attention.
The mysterious silhouette clears itself revealing a girl with silver hair and pointed ears.
"And Who the hell are you?" One of the robbers asked.
"Stop it and I'll forgive you, it would be also nice if you gave back what you stole from me"
"Ha!, you can't be serious" One of the robbers laughed at her request.
"It's very important for me, if you give it back now I'll spare you and forget this whole incident, I'll turn the other cheek concerning the other belongings but I can't let you have that, So hand it over."
"You mean you didn't come here to save those kids?" A robber said as he was threatening Subaru with a knife.
The mysterious woman looks around.
"No i did not"
"Well, then you've got no business with us, little girl, If someone stole something from you, it was probably her, not us"
"Yeah what he said, now get lost"
"She ran that way, that way"
The thieves pointed at the end of the alleyway.
"Hmm so i need to go after her"
[No!, Wait please!]
The mysterious girl runs and passes the robbers leaving Subaru and Shirou behind, Leaving them at the will of their captors.
[No, No, No, No!]
She reached the corner of the alleyway and turned around.
She looks at the state of both boys, one is unconscious and badly wounded the other one is injured as well.
"But Regardless of that, I cannot overlook what's going on here" Her hand shines a white light, Ice shards materialize around her hand.
[Is that magic?]
She launches three ice shards against the attackers pushing them back by a few meters.
"You gotta be kidding me, I don't care if you can use magic" Two thieves stood up.
"I'm going to kill you" One of the robbers said as he pulled out a pair of blades.
"Don't get so cocky after all it's a three vs one"
The attacker looked back at his partners, the smallest of the robbers was knocked out unconscious.
The robber sighed and bit his lip in frustration.
"I mean two vs one, Do you think you can win this?" The attacker pointed at her with his blades trying to intimidate her.
He was desperate and the mysterious girl knew it.
The mysterious girl smiled.
"Indeed it's an unfair battle, Puck come here"
"Alright then" A mysterious voice is heard from behind her.
A flying gray cat with a small purple bag materializes behind her.
"Meow, Good morning gentlemen, Two against Two should be a fair battle don't you think?, The gray cat said as he materialized several ice shards above them.
"Crap, She is a spirit arts user" A robber slowly retreated in fear.
"Indeed, Leave now and I won't chase you" She threatened them to leave
"Shit, We are retreating"
"Wait, we can still win this!"
"Against a spirit arts user?, Fat chance we are leaving Chin"
"Sigh, Fine,
The robber put his blades back into their sheath and gazed at the mysterious girl.
"We will get you later, I swear i'll kill you someday"
"Put a hand on her and I'll hunt you and your kin" The gray cat threatened the robber.
The duo of thieves turned around and ran.
"Wait you forgot Kan!" A robber said and pointed at their fallen comrade.
The robber quickly turns around, grabs their partner and runs away.
Subaru was in a state of shock, He has never been in a life and death situation before, If it wasn't for her interference, He would be dead for sure.
Subaru recalled a feeling he hasn't felt in a long time.
Gratitude.
"You really saved me, thank you, I was sure I was gone for sure" Subaru said as he tried to bow to his saviour.
But his body refused to move.
"Don't move you and your friend are badly injured" The mysterious girl said as she raised her hand ordering Subaru not to move
She and Subaru looked at each other's eyes while Subaru was admiring her beauty, She was looking for answers in his expression.
"A-ha! You avert your eyes due to your guilty conscience."
[Wait what?]
Subaru blushed thinking she noticed his expression.
"Looks like my judgement was right" The mysterious girl said as she proudly confirmed her theory.
"Are you sure? I think that's a natural reaction to avoid rudeness and tension" The gray cat contradicted her statement.
"I don't sense any malice from him at all, Only confusion and gratitude"
She turned around and stared at the gray cat with a threatening smile.
"That's enough, Thank you puck" The cat retreats behind her.
"Now listen i want you to tell me everything you know, Starting by telling me who stole my insignia"
"I apologize but I have no idea in the slightest" Subaru waved his hands confused about what's going on.
The mysterious girl sighs, she grabs puck and starts petting him in order to avoid frustration.
"What do i do now? I cannot afford to lose that insignia"
She turns around facing the wall trying to hide her expression change from overconfidence to frustration and anxiety.
"Wait! Oh no, Did I really make a wrong turn, Did i really came here around here for nothing"
[She looks desperate maybe i should do something for her after all, if she didn't show up
Shirou and I would be gone for sure]
"If I were you, I'd hurry after her before she gets too far, I'll gladly help you if you want" Subaru tried to calm her down by offering his help.
He tried to stand up once more but unfortunately his legs did not respond and he fell into the ground.
[Ah my legs!
It hurts, It hurts, It hurts]
"You shouldn't have tried to get up in that state of yours, I recommend you resting for a few hours" The mysterious girl said as she turned around to see the terrible state of the boy in front of her.
She tried to calm herself by slowly breathing in and out, Subaru could immediately tell she was in a hurry as well.
"Puck, What should we do, I know it's none of our concern but, I have that kind of feeling that he won't die from that but, The other boy has some serious injuries but i think they'll be fine right?"
"Hmm let's see" The gray cat, Puck approached Shirou and checked out his injuries .
"I think we should do something"
"Oh come on they will be fine it's not like he will die from bleeding like that," The mysterious girl said while turning to her cat; a dignified frown present on her face as she appeared to be struggling not to glance back down towards the downed boys.
"You say that but the boy injures state otherwise, He is in a fragile state but he should be fine for now, however." The floating cat looked amused as he kept floating over the two boy's with his tiny paws crossed.
The silver-haired girl looked agitated for a moment as she tried, and failed, to keep a stern expression.
"He is going to be fine they are lot of healers in this city, We can ask for help and let the guards deal with it"
"Uh-huh, yeah, right, It's a really good idea leaving him alone in a dark alleyway with another kid who can barely walk, Imagine what would happen if the thieves come back?"
"I don't know why you are denying it after all, You look like you really want to save them"
The cat smiled at her with a huge smug grin on his face, The mysterious girl was furious, She was in denial like a twelve year old refusing to eat candy because of its pride.
"I'm not going to save them, understand?"
Before Subaru had the chance to talk, He felt a sudden blackness taking over his vision.
[Man... she's even
super cute when she's mad]
[That's another world's
fantasy for you]
…
[I'm going to take a nap]
Subaru closed his eyes and allowed darkness to take him.
[Whoa, hang on.
Where i am?
Wait this feeling...
Am I on somebody's lap?]
"Hey are you awake?" A feminine voice called out for Subaru.
[This sensation feels familiar
This is not right
Its hairy and annoying]
Subaru slowly opened his eyes and looked up, The gray cat, Puck had grown in size and was giving Subaru a lap pillow.
Subaru freaked out and retreated to a wall.
"Hey, We were just trying to make you happy and comfortable, until you woke up"
"There's no need to freak out, What's wrong?, have you never seen a spirit do this before?" Puck spoke in a feminine tone like he was toying with him.
"No?, And why are you talking in high pitch?" Subaru asked Puck.
"Oh this? I wanted to see your reaction to me turning
myself bigger and it was totally worth it!" Puck laughed at Subaru's shame and went back to his original size.
"Sigh I apologize for my reaction" Subaru bows at his saviour and puck.
"Heh, Dont worry about it, It was just a joke afterall"
"Oh wait, I forgot how is Shirou?" Subaru asked about his friend's safety. He was concerned and worried about losing the only person linked to his world.
"Oh the other kid? We healed his wounds as well but he hasn't woke up yet" Puck pointed at Shirou, He is no longer bleeding and his wounds have been healed.
"See? He is fine"
"Ah thank you, i was trying to get him to the guard station so someone could heal him"
"Until i got caught by the three thieves and i had to run, i ended up on a dead end after a carriage was blocking my way, i had no other choice to fight but one of them pulled out two blades and…"
[Sigh]
"You came here and saved me, I really thank you for it, if you didn't show up, Shirou and I would be dead for sure" Subaru bowed at his mysterious saviour.
"Don't get the wrong idea, I did what i had to do" She looks away in embarrassment, She is not used to being flattered.
[Heh she's a tsundere]
"Anyways, I only stuck around because there are some things i want to ask you something important"
"I took my time to heal you and your dying friend, I forced Puck to be your pillow, All of that was for my benefit, now that you are awake and well i need you to repay me such favour"
"Now then"
She stood up and quickly approached Subaru.
"Do you have any idea on who may have stolen my insignia?" She glared at him in order to read his expression, she was trying to see if he was lying or not.
"No sorry i don't know a thing"
"Hmm, maybe a description will help, listen my insignia has a red jewel in the center and it's this big", She attempted to make symbols with her hand trying to represent how big the insignia was.
"I'm sorry, but no matter how many times you ask, I don't know who stole your insignia", Subaru replied to his mysterious saviour.
"Very well i'm still satisfied on how things turned out, Next time don't wander alone in deserted alleyways, because i won't be there to save you"
She closed her eyes and started to breathe in and out in an attempt to try to control her stress.
"Goodbye"
[Damn she is really a true tsundere
She just saved me and now she is kicking me out]
She quickly turned around and walked away to the street in a hurry.
"Sorry. She's so insincere sometimes, don't think badly of her, okay?, She just has a big heart" Puck commented about her personality.
"I don't think she is insincere, She took her time to help me and Shirou after being in such a hurry to find what was stolen from her even though I'm a stranger."
[I should repay her
It's the right thing to do]
Subaru grabs his bags and lifts Shirou in his arms and runs after his mysterious saviour.
"Hey wait up" Subaru yelled from across the street.
"What, Oh it's you i'm sorry but i cannot waste anymore of my time with you okay?, I'm on a hurry"
[Damn she is stubborn
But i have to help her, it's the right thing to do]
"You said you lost something important right then let me help you find it"
"Are you sure?, You said you didn't know how it looked and you are carrying an unconscious boy in your back"
She pointed out the obvious of the situation, Subaru cannot waste her time any longer, However she did not expect the boy to return to her.
She was curious about what the boy was about to say.
"I'm sure, I remember when i was running away from the thieves i saw a little girl, She had red eyes and blond hair and she was holding something in her hand"
"I think that's the person you are looking for, Because the thieves recognized her, so please let me help you. When i see her again, I'll know" Subaru tried to explain, what he saw and his usefulness
Her expression changed, She was now displaying a bit of curiosity for the possibility of finding her insignia.
"You are strange however i won't be able to offer you a reward"
"That's fine, I don't need one, you saved my life and my friend's life just please allow me to repay you for the favour" Subaru extended his hand offering her a handshake.
"I told you I already got what I needed, you don't need to do this, you are free to leave", She informed Subaru in an attempt to make him leave, She really didn't want to waste more time.
"In that case, I'm going to help you for my own sake", Subaru said in an attempt to change her mind.
She did not expect that answer.
"I think you should accept his proposal like i said earlier, I don't sense any malice from him and if he fails he can be used as a shield" Puck said trying to convince to add Subaru to the search
"Hey im not a shield come on"
Puck laughed at Subaru's reaction.
"Sigh"
"Very well, If Puck agrees with your proposal then i should accept it" She took Subaru's hand and accepted the handshake.
"Puck, can you please carry Subaru's friend?"
"Anything for you"
Puck's arms suddenly grow larger, He fully envelops his arms around Shirou and lifts him.
"Ready when you are"
"I'll never get used to seeing that" Subaru said as he was looking at a flying gray cat extending and bending his arms like spaghetti in order to carry another otherworldly boy.
[This day couldnt get any weirder]
A few hours of searching later.
Subaru and the mysterious girl and Puck looked around the entire town.
They asked for information about the mysterious little girl with red eyes and blond hair but unfortunately they came empty handed.
Subaru sighed, He was extremely tired after all he was not used to walking long distances.
"Isn't this town too huge to find a single person?" Subaru vented his frustration.
"This town is the capital of lugnica, how could you not know that?, You are not from around here, am I right?" She looked at Subaru with suspicion. There's no way he doesnt know where he is.
She asked herself about the boy's origins
Was he from another country?
How did he get here?.
Her curiosity was overflowing. She took a choice and decided to ask him but suddenly her spirit decided to speed up the progress by asking the mysterious boy his name first.
"Oh yes, You are right we haven't introduced each other"
"Shouldn't we all introduce ourselves, My name is Puck, I'm her spirit" Puck extended his hand offering a handshake as he introduced himself.
Subaru stood up and turned around to face her, he proudly exclaims his name.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru, Nice to meet you"
He prepares to make a pose but something else caught his attention
Shirou was waking up.
"Shirou!" Subaru ran, Ready to assist the otherworldly injured boy.
'My body is warm, the fatigue from my body has vanished completely
My senses slowly kick in,
I slowly open my eyes'
Shirou looks upon the sky, He immediately notices something is wrong.
A familiar silhouette quickly interrupted his gazing at the sky.
"Hey Shirou, You are finally awake" Subaru extended his hand offering Shirou his assistance.
Shirou stood up now on his own and started looking around.
He was truly in another world. It was not a dream .
'I thought it was a dream or some kind of illusion
The grail...
Where the hell am I?'
" Where I am" Shirou finally reacted and he was pretty confused. He knew he had to ask Subaru about what's going on.
"We are on Lugnica Capital, You fell unconscious but that girl over there managed to heal you", Subaru pointed at their saviour, the mysterious silver haired girl and her flying cat .
Subaru approached Shirou and whispered something in his ear.
"There's a lot of things i want to ask you, I'm sure you want me to ask me some questions as well but for now let's stick together and repay her the favour for saving us"
"Just play along, alright?"
"Okay?" Shirou was confused, He didn't quite understand What Subaru just said.
"Hey, What are you guys talking about?" Puck spoke from above as he was spying on the conversation.
Shirou stepped back in confusion unable to believe what he just witnessed.
'A floating cat?
What the hell is going on here?
Is he that girl's familiar?'
"Oh right i forgot Shirou allow me to introduce you to people who saved you, This little floating cat is Puck, He carried you while you were asleep"
Subaru grabbed Puck on his hand and started petting him.
"Nice to meet you, Meow" Puck greets Shirou.
"How did he..?" Shirou said he couldn't believe a small cat was able to do such a feat.
"Oh yeah i just did this"
Suddenly Puck arms begin to expand and envelop Shirou lifting him in the air.
"Pretty cool, Right?"
'What the hell?, A familiar right outside in the public eye?
Does This place have no magic institution at all?
It doesn't make any sense
There's always something preventing people from learning about the mystery of magic in order to keep its mystery.'
…
'Maybe this world is an exception?.'
Shirou gets slowly lost in his memory creating questions without answers.
Puck releases Shirou from his grip, making him fall into the ground.
"Whoops sorry Shirou"
"You guys are weird" The mysterious girl said as she took another look at both boys.
"Your clothes, Your hairstyle and Name, Everything about you two is odd"
"You guys don't appear to be around here, it appears you two know the language
but don't know how to read and write, Where are you guys from?"
She couldn't wait any longer, She had to satisfy her curiosity.
"Oh me and Shirou are from a small island in the east" Subaru tried explaining himself.
"That's weird, there are no islands in the east unless you were from beyond the great waterfall" She did not expect that answer as far as she was aware there were no other countries in the east and she was sure the augria sand dunes was not a country.
"Great waterfall? Both boys asked the mysterious girl.
"Yes, The great waterfall is also known as the limit of the world, Everyone who claims to be from beyond the great waterfall is always a liar but, But you guys don't appear to be lying at all"
"Strange" She stared at both boys curious about their origins.
Shirou noticed her interest.
'Not good
I need to talk to Subaru'
"Psst, hey Subaru come here for a second" Shirou whispers at Subaru.
"Excuse us for a second" Shirou told the mysterious girl, The mysterious girl was impatient, He knew it needed to be fast.
Shirou grabs Subaru and takes him to a corner to talk.
"Maybe we shouldn't reveal a lot of details about our world"
"Huh, Why not? Subaru was confused about Shirou's suggestion.
"Simple two things could happen, One: We could be killed and dissected for research.
Two and the best case scenario, They think we are crazy and they leave us alone"
"It's better if we avoid talking about our world, For your safety and mine"
"I see but we should still help this girl find her missing insignia" Subaru pointed at the mysterious girl. He couldn't leave her yet, He promised to help her find her insignia.
"Very well, Let's do it, It's fair afterall she saved me" Shirou replied.
Subaru and Shirou turned around.
The mysterious girl was impatient and frustrated, She was walking down in circles to lose boredom.
"Hey, We are ready to keep looking for your insignia, Shirou agreed to help you, Lets go um" Subaru froze in the spot unable to remember the mysterious girl's name.
[What was her name again?]
"Um sorry for being rude but what's your name?"
The wind suddenly stopped.
She looked away as if she was lost in her thoughts.
She calmly spoke.
"You can call me"
"Satella"
She was looking at both boys expecting a huge reaction from revealing her name but nothing happened.
"Nice to meet you Satella, My name is Emiya Shirou" Shirou extends his hand suggesting a handshake with her.
"That's a nice name", Subaru complimented Satella.
Satella
gasps unable to believe what just happened.
She is a half elf, She just used the name of ██████ The witch of ██████ a person who shouldn't be mentioned since it was considered a taboo yet there was no significant reaction from them.
"And just in case you forgot my name is Natsuki Subaru" Subaru does a pose, He looked like was expecting a reaction but nobody paid attention to his pose.
[Crap i ended up looking as an idiot]
'What the hell is Subaru doing?
Doesn't matter at least, She finally stopped showing interest on us for now'
Subaru knew he had to break the awkward silence.
"Anyways let's go back to asking around,I have a good feeling about this", Subaru said with a tone of shyness. He turned around and pointed in a random direction.
Shirou raised his hand.
"Um Subaru, what exactly are we looking for?" Shirou asked Subaru, He wasn't told what the insignia looked like.
"I'll explain to you while we walk okay?"
15 minutes of walking later.
"Hey isn't that a lost child over there?"
Satella pointed at a young girl.
She has green eyes and green hair.
She appears to be quivering fear and her eyes are covered in tears.
The lost girl attempted to call for help but her shyness and fear prevented her from doing so.
"I think so" Subaru said as he looked at the lost girl.
"Yes she is" Shirou said as he slowly approached the lost girl.
"Hey are you lost?"
The girl retreated to the wall in fear.
"Hey, Don't worry we are not here to harm you, We are just here to help you find your parents"
Shirou turned around and made a tiny gesture calling Satella and Subaru for assistance.
Satella quickly approached to assist Shirou.
But Subaru stood still.
"Um guys what about our questioning"
Subaru tried explaining the importance of the position they were in but it was too late.
Shirou turned around, he was carrying the lost girl in his arms and Satella and Puck were playing with her.
They looked like a married couple with their daughter. Such an image made Subaru feel a feeling he is too familiar with.
Jealousy.
[Damn it Shirou
I saved your life and this is how you pay me?
by stealing the main heroine?!]
Puck and Shirou and Satella laughed like they completely forgot about his presence.
[Just Breath in and out]
Suddenly Subaru remembered something important, actions based on emotions had consequences.
[I need to control my emotions
Take it easy Subaru, They just met, There's no way
I cannot start with the wrong foot]
…
[I know what i have to do]
Subaru approached the lost girl.
"Here let me show you a trick" Subaru pulled out a grooved-edge ten coin.
Subaru does a trick with the coin by pressing his hands together and slowly putting the coin behind the lost girl ears.
The lost girl and Satella gasped unable to comprehend what just happened.
'Oh I remember when Fuji-nee teached me that trick'
The lost girl smiled. Her remaining feelings of fear and insecurity were erased by his trick. She was finally at peace.
"Here you go, You can keep it" Subaru put the coin in the lost girl's hands.
"Thank you sir" The girl said as she smiled at Subaru.
"Ok Now, Can you do me a tiny favor and explain to us how you got lost?" Subaru took the opportunity to ask.
"Sure" She started explaining how she got separated from her parents after she got distracted with something else.
A few minutes of searching for the parents later.
"Mommy" The girl called out for her mother, Shirou put her on the ground, She quickly ran to hug her mother, The family was finally reunited once again.
"Thank you" The mother said as she was cleaning her daughter's tears, Satella smiled, She felt relieved.
"That's a beautiful smile, you should consider smiling more often." Subaru complimented Satella, She quickly started blushing red.
"Anyways let's go back to looking for the insignia okay?" She tried to hide her shame but her face stated the opposite.
After a few minutes of walking and asking for information later, Subaru and Satella and Shirou stop next to a fountain-bridge to rest.
"So what benefit you got from helping that little girl, Go on tell me" Subaru snaps his fingers
"That's easy, We did the right thing" Satella crossed her arms confident in her response.
"I agree with her helping others in need, it's not wrong" Shirou said, Subaru was the only one who disagreed on helping the little girl.
'Even if my ideal of saving everyone is impossible
I know, It's not wrong to follow such dream
Ill live without regrets, i won't allow my ideal to burry me
I won't end like him'
'i'll carve my own path
Starting from here'
"Why are you both staring at me like that?" Subaru asked as both of them were looking at him with a look of pity?.
"It's because you were the only one who hesitated before helping her" Shirou answered his question with sincerity.
"It doesn't matter anymore we helped the girl and she found her parents, the good
deed for the day is done" Subaru tried to change the topic.
"but since you helped the little girl, isn't your one good deed over?" She was right and Subaru knew it, He screwed up now she had a valid reason to refuse the proposal.
However Subaru still wanted to help her, She saved his life the best thing he could do to repay the favour, It's helping her find her insignia.
"It doesn't hurt to do more than one nice thing in a day, does it? My plan is to get a week's
worth of good deeds" Subaru exclaimed proudly of his actions.
"I agree with Subaru helping others, no matter how small the action, it's not wrong" Shirou said as he thought about a certain conversation he had with Archer.
"See, Shirou gets it" Subaru tried to change the topic.
"You are a strange person Subaru but you are not a bad boy, though"
"That hurts Satella-tan but i don't think that there are that many differences
between us"
[After all she stopped to help me and Shirou]
"Well, you may think that but all of your guesses would be wrong."
Satella looked down and her warm expression faded away.
"Because... I'm actually half-elf."
Her tone in her voice carried feelings of regret and guilt.
"It makes sense now."
She patiently waited for their answers.
But a bit of her already knew, What would happen.
They would run away.
They would call her half-devil.
They would leave her just like the rest.
"From the moment I saw you…"
She prepared herself to leave.
"I thought you were cute!, Elves are always beautiful, aren't they?" Subaru praised her beauty.
Satella entered in a state of shock.
She did not expect that answer.
For the first time someone outside her father's Puck had praised her and acknowledged her.
"Wait wha...? But, I said im a half elf"
"Yes we heard you" Shirou and Subaru replied to her.
She was confused.
Her face slowly turned bright red unable to accept the reality of what just happened.
She turned around and crouched down.
She covered her face trying to hide her shame.
"This really takes me back" Shirou smiled as he remembered, he had experienced something similar before with Rin..
The girl that captured his heart.
'Rin…'
The person who accepted him the way he is.
The person that he promised her not to become like him and the promise of always being together.
'What I should do?
The longer i remain in here, the less likely i'll forget about my promise to her'
Shirou decided to stop thinking about it after all he needed to take care of the present first.
[Did I just make her blush?]
Subaru smiled prideful of his actions.
"Yes, you idiot" Puck materializes out of nowhere and gently punches Subaru in the face.
"Hey what was that for?" Subaru stopped Puck and grabbed him in his hand, Puck tried to break free but Subaru started to pet him, Puck couldn't resist bit by bit he slowly fell asleep.
"Subaru, you are such a dunderhead" Satella stood up and turned around, Her face was red like a tomato.
"Anyways, Let's get back to the search, I'll head towards the market where I lost it. There may be something that i missed", Satella started walking away faster than before, She couldn't hide her shame any longer.
Shirou grabbed Subaru's shoulder and did a thumbs up.
"Huh, What do you need? Shirou"
"Good job" Shirou smiled at Subaru congratulating him for his actions.
"Lets go, Satella is waiting for us"
After a few minutes of walking later. Satella and Subaru & Shirou arrived at the market where she lost the insignia.
"And then she told me, it was around here", Subaru explained to the appa merchant about the lost insignia
"You know when i saw you, I thought I had a customer but you are the same kid from earlier"
The merchant stared at the trio with his arms crossed.
"Oh don't worry we'll buy an appa" Subaru exclaimed at the merchant.
"Subaru, Sorry to interrupt you but I actually don't have any money, either." Satella said as she looked inside puck bag for money.
"What about you Shirou?"
"Unfortunately i don't have anything, Sorry" Shirou apologized by bowing his head.
Subaru became slightly frustrated.
[Dammit
This guy surely knows something
The robbery took place right next to his stand
There has to be something but how can i make him talk]
"Hey mister"
A familiar voice was heard from behind.
The trio turned around, It's the little girl they helped earlier with her mother.
"Hey Plum" Shirou greeted her.
[When did Shirou learn her name?]
"What brings you back this way? Subaru asked Plum, He was curious on why she would return where she got lost earlier.
"It's my husband's shop, so we just wanted to stop by." Plum mother replied to Subaru.
The trio jaws dropped into the ground, They did not expect them to be related.
"Your husband?" Subaru couldn't see the relation between the merchant and them
The merchant sighs
Suddenly his daughter ran to give him a hug.
This whole situation has turned for the worse. He is aware that he cannot swear or act rude in front of his daughter and wife.
"Hey, there's my girl. How have you been?" The merchant started petting her hair.
"Oh im fine, Thanks to them" She pointed at the trio.
"Now wait a second, how exactly do you know them?"
"Oh I got lost and they saved me"
The merchant gasps
He couldn't believe what he just heard, His daughter got lost and they saved her.
His heart suddenly felt a feeling he has forgotten long ago
Gratitude
"
Thanks again, lady. Here!" Plum gave Satella a little pink flower insignia.
"And for you!" Plum took a weird looking purple fruit from the stand and gave it to Shirou.
"And finally for you!" Plum took an appa from the stand and gave it to Subaru
"Please accept those tokens as her way of showing gratitude for what you've you very much." The mother said as she smiled at her husband with an intimidating look.
The merchant clears his throat.
"You helped my daughter and I wanna show my appreciation, so ask me anything." The merchant said as he tried avoiding eye contact with his wife.
Satella smiled at Subaru with a lot of confidence.
She was prideful of her actions
"There, you see? A little bit of extra effort on our part came back around and worked in our favor!"
Subaru and Shirou just awkwardly stared at her.
"Why are you two staring at me like that?" Satella was confused. Did she say something wrong?
"Anyways let's separate for now, let's meet each other at the fountain in 1 hour from now" She tried to change the topic, She couldn't understand what she did wrong but it didn't matter she would worry about that later.
1hr of walking and asking questions later. The trio finally reunites again.
"So how did it go?" Satella asked Subaru.
"I got nothing so i went back with the merchant with an illustration to see if he could recognize her and he told me her name is Felt, She is well knows in the slums"
"What about you Shirou? Satella asked Shirou.
"I helped some people in the market carry some stuff and they gave me a few coins, they also told me, she may be from the slums"
Satella sighed
"Very well, let's go"
"I cannot waste time any longer the longer we sit and do nothing the less likely my chances are of getting my insignia back."
She was very frustrated.
It would turn dark in a few minutes, the afternoon wouldn't last forever and she knew it.
She would lose her chance to get it back.
20 minutes of walking later, The trio arrives at the slums.
The air, The atmosphere and the people living here.
Everything about this place felt wrong.
They knew they were not welcome but they had to keep going.
"Maybe we can ask someone around here" Satella looked nervous for some reason.
"No one would sell out their own, especially to a couple of strangers" Puck tried to discourage Satella.
"Maybe we should come back later", Subaru said agreeing with Puck
"No we cant, We have to find before it gets dark" Satella decided to persist, She would not give up just yet.
"Maybe we can use some money to get some information" Shirou pulled out a few coins from his pocket, The coins he gained from helping someone in the market.
"Maybe. Although we would need to find someone who is willing to change information for money first"
"Whatever it is you wanna do, I suggest that you decide quickly. Cause I've just about run outta time here", Puck yawned and stretched he looked quite tired.
"What do you mean by out of time?" Subaru asked Puck.
"I'm a spirit taking a physical form requires mana" Puck yawns.
"When it turns to almost night, I return to the crystal where I was summoned to save mana and prepare for the sun to emerge. On average I'm more active from nine to five." Puck almost falls asleep on Satella's shoulder.
'I see so it's like a servant but why would Puck remain in physical form during all that time.
I don't get it, He could easily stay in astral form all the time and only manifest when needed but. Why? He didn't?'.
"You sound like an office worker, Puck" Subaru made fun of Puck.
"We will be fine without puck, We need to keep going forward in this" Satella removed her necklace and placed it on her hands.
Puck left her shoulder and slowly rested in Satella's hands.
Puck was disappearing, his body was turning more transparent as time went on.
"He looks like he is dying" Subaru stared at Puck slowly turning more dim.
'No way, He is disappearing just like a heroic spirit.
Could this world spirit be similar to the ones back home?'
"Psss" Puck called Satella, She slowly moved her hands to her ears.
"Don't be too reckless, If it comes down to it, Use my od"
"I'll be fine, Good night, Puck" Satella pets Puck for a final time.
"I'm leaving everything to you guys, please keep her safe"
Puck suddenly vanished into thin air. Leaving behind nothing only certain blue particles floating in the sky
'That settles it
Spirits here are similar in some way to servants
They require mana to stay in physical form.
They require a master or in this case an user to supply mana
But the crystal part is new, is it some kind of catalyst?
Just where the hell did the grail send me?'
Shirou decided to think about it later.
He cannot drop his guard right now.
He needs to help Subaru and Satella first, Questions can be answered later.
Meanwhile Subaru and Satella watch the blue orbs that Puck left behind merge together into the crystal.
'Definitely some kind of catalyst'
A few minutes of walking later.
"Um Tella-San i have a tiny question?
"What?, We don't have time to, can you wait for later? Subaru stepped back.
She was extremely frustrated.
She lost puck. It was going to be night in a few minutes.
Nothing has gone the way she intentend.
[I should do something to cheer her up
Come think, think think
Oh i know what to do!]
…
[Shirou holds my hand like if he was preventing me from going forwards
He approached me and slowly whispered something in my ear.]
"I know you want to help her, but it's better if we let her be for now"
"But why?"
"She reminds me of someone that I used to know, trust me it's much better if we remain silent for now but if you really want to help her, you can suggest something to her but don't make it sound like an order that would only make her angrier."
Shirou gently hits Subaru in the back.
Subaru slowly approached her and shouted out.
[Its now or never]
"Hey, wait up"
Satella turned around.
Her eyes carried a sense of sadness.
She stared up into the sky avoiding eye contact with Subaru.
"What do you need Subaru.? The tone in her voice was low and shy like if she was hiding something but it did not matter.
Subaru immediately noticed what was going on.
The five stages of grief.
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.
[I'm sorry, Shirou but i'll have to intervene.
I didn't go to therapy multiple times for nothing]
"Hey tella-san you look a little upset but don't worry, Shirou and I will do our best to support you!" Subaru smiled at her.
His warm smile, managed to calm her down a little but not enough.
"And if things go wrong we can always ask for help, There's always people willing to help." Subaru extended his hand.
"So let's do our best!"
Her expression suddenly changed.
The empty eyes that were devoid of life disappeared into thin air.
"Subaru…"
"You are right, How could i be so blind"
Satella closed her eyes and tried to chant something.
"What are you doing?" Subaru asked her, He did not expect such a sudden change of behaviour.
"I'm contacting the lesser spirits."
"Lesser spirits?" Shirou asked, wondering what kind of spirits this world has to offer.
"They're beings that haven't quite become full-fledged spirits yet. When they gain more experience and self-awareness they become full spirits just like Puck"
Satella quietly began to chant something.
Shirou decided to pay attention to her chant.
Subaru just stared at her and admired her beauty.
"Oh spirits from beyond, aid me in my search.
Turn my despair into success, erase the bad feelings from the bottom of my heart.
Please answer my call and create a miracle." She chanted in a low tone, unable to be heard by anyone, however Shirou was reading her lips.
Suddenly spheres of light began to materialize around her. Satella remained still
Subaru's cheeks slowly turned red, he was blushing, It was in that very moment that Subaru fell in love with her.
Shirou just stared at the lesser spirits in shock, He may have learned the basics about magic but it was always fascinating learning and seeing something new.
"I found it" Satella said, breaking the silence.
The lights began to dim slowly disappearing into the dark.
"Let's go, we don't have all day." Satella called out for both of them.
The trio began walking deeper into the slums and the sky kept getting darker and darker.
"This place looks so lifeless and desolate" Satella looked around, The houses were half built and most of them were destroyed.
"Hard to believe, She lives around here, Are you sure she lives around here?" Subaru questioned her.
"I know, but the lesser spirits specifically said they saw someone who looked like Felt headed in this direction." Satella pointed her finger at the direction where felt is,
"I don't know how lesser spirits work but we shouldn't drop our guard, something about this place feels off" Shirou replied to her. However he was not wrong.
"Don't worry about it, we will be fine, i'm able to fight without Puck help"
The trio continues walking in front of them, a man walks in the opposite direction, Subaru and the mysterious man gazed at each other.
"Excuse me, Do you know if a girl named felt lives somewhere up this way?" Subaru decided to break the silence and ask.
"Oh felt? You're lookin' for Felt?, There's nothing that way except Old Man Rom's loot house. She is probably there, Hah, I guess she must've stolen something pretty important for you three of you to come out here.
"Well, I wish you luck on bargaining to get it back, Live strong okay? The man made a symbol with his hand.
[Does high fives exist in this world?
Should I do it?]
Subaru looked back at Shirou looking for answers on what to do.
Shirou just nodded at him.
"Thank you sir" Subaru replied to the man as he clapped his hand.
"Wow, that's a nice gesture, thank you" The man said as he walked away
"You guys are weird, anyways let's go" Satella said, she did not want to waste any more time.
The trio began walking towards the loot house only to be stopped by a rising darkness.
"It's getting too dark, I can barely see anything" Subaru complained about how dark it is, But he wasn't wrong, only the moon brought some light and it wasn't enough.
Subaru tried to put out his phone but Shirou stopped him and pointed at a light in the corner.
"Lets just buy an lantern instead, with the money i got we should be able to afford it"
The trio approaches the mysterious light, A man sitting on an improvised bench eating some kind of meat.
His clothes were dirty and covered in dirt.
His eyes were hollow, this man had nothing to lose.
"Excuse me sir" Shirou called out for the man but the man in front of him did not respond.
"Hello?"
"Huh, What do you want?" The man finally reacted.
"We would like to buy one of your lanterns" Shirou told the man in front of him but the man just laughed at him.
"HA, You really think those are mine? No they are not mine i stole them from a group of guards but they are too rusty that they have no value"
The man continued to laugh.
"You should have seen their faces. It was awesome, You can take one for free I don't need em" The man stopped laughing and went back to eat.
"I insist", Shirou puts 2 two silver coins in his hand and offers them to the man.
"Hmph, Very well for this amount of money you can probably buy like five lanterns in a good state, Are you sure kid?
"Yes I do, you look like you are in need of money" Shirou grabs the man's left hand and puts the coins in it.
The man closes his hand and saves the money in his pocket.
The man stared at Satella and spoke.
"Well young lady i dont know, who your boyfriend may be, but i recommend you choose this one" The old man pointed at Shirou
Satella expression slowly turned into a bright red like a tomato.
"Wait what no?" She couldn't finish her line and someone interrupted her.
"Hey tella-san, Are you okay?" Subaru tried to calm her down but she was completely
"Oh, What do we have here? I smell some rivalry" The man smiled at them. This truly made his day much better.
Subaru froze in place and his expression turned into bright red.
[Shirou and Tella?
No way, No way, No way
I have to do something now!]
Subaru became jealous just by thinking about it.
Satella just crouched into the ground and covered her face in shame.
She did not expect this outcome.
Not only she got praised and called beautiful by Subaru but now Shirou?.
She did everything to get rid of them, She used the name of the witch, She told them she was a half elf but they remained by her side.
Her mind just couldn't process it.
Shirou remained still
He tried to explain that they just met but for some reason he couldn't speak.
His mind shut down and his nerves turned into steel.
"Anyways I think we are leaving, we are in a hurry so goodbye!" Subaru decided to break the awkward atmosphere and took three lanterns and left.
Subaru and Satella & Shirou walked away as well.
"Take care, You all, Live Strong and choose a good partner young lady"
Satella walked away faster.
A few minutes of walking later, the trio finally arrives at the loot house
The house was bigger than the rest but its state was the same.
Broken windows and moss everywhere, It looked more like an abandoned storage room.
"Why do i have to pay money to recover something stolen from me?" Satella exclaimed in frustration.
"Don't worry about a thing, We will handle the negotiations" Subaru said as he looked through the windows trying to find someone.
"All right, then"
"Wait hold on, Satella, I want to ask you a favour" Shirou said as he looked at her directly in her eyes.
"Very well, I'm listening to your request"
"I want you to prepare for the worst, Subaru and I are going to enter the loothouse, there's a chance that things may escalate into a fight so please be ready to run in case things go wrong" Shirou warned Satella.
"As you wish, but just to let you know I'm fully capable of defending myself" Satella informed Shirou. However Shirou was unaware of what she is truly capable of.
"Relax Shirou everything is going to be fine, Just leave everything to me alright" Subaru proudly exclaimed.
[All i gotta do is stay calm
Sell your phone for the insignia and get out
It should be simple right? After all i'm the main character, my charisma should be maxed out]
"Subaru, We are entering a loot house in the middle of the night, There's always a chance for things to go wrong, We need to be prepared."
'I have to do something, a plan or something
I don't know what Satella is capable off and Subaru is just a civilian'
Shirou asked himself a lot of questions that he couldn't answer.
The best approach. Subaru Role. His magecraft.
But Suddenly Subaru entered the building without hesitation.
"I'm going in" Subaru spoke as he went inside the building.
'That idiot!'
Shirou grabbed his lantern and looked back at Satella.
"Satella please keep an eye on us, I trust you that you will take the right choice"
Shirou followed Subaru and entered into the darkness of the loot house.
"Subaru!" Shirou softly spoke as he grabbed his friend's arm.
"Hey Shirou, Dont worry im fi.." Shirou interrupted him and made a small gesture with his finger telling him to remain silent.
"Shh, Avoid making any sounds" Shirou warned him. Subaru just nodded at him.
Shirou and Subaru started looking for someone but everything was in darkness.
[This is all stolen loot?, Impressive. But why
isn't anyone here?, Shouldn't there be someone to guard it?]
Subaru started walking around looking for someone while Shirou was checking the cabinets but.
Suddenly Subaru stepped into a liquid, He looked down and his heart skipped a bit.
Blood , He looked up and froze in place.
It was the body of a man covered in blood.
His neck and guts were sliced open, there was blood dripping from his neck.
He wanted to vomit, He was not used to seeing such a large amount of blood. He stepped down trying to get away but a voice interrupted his escape.
"Oh dear, What do we have here?" A femine voice spoke from the dark
"Subaru, Watch out!", Shirou yelled at him, He tried to push him away, but it was too late.
Subaru was kicked into the floor and the lantern was thrown away into the corner of the room.
He tried to get up but suddenly a warm feeling manifested in his chest.
He touched it and the sensation felt wrong. He decided to take a look.
Blood
[Is all of this my blood?
No... This is bad... Very bad…]
Shirou turned around and prepared himself to fight.
'I have to do something.
If i can't stop it, Subaru will…!'
Shirou took a deep breath.
'There's no other way, If I don't create a weapon, Subaru will die but if I do that there's no turning back, maybe I can ask Satella for help?'
1) Call for help
2) Fight
'There's no time to be thinking about that.
I have to act now and defeat the enemy in front of me.
I prepare an image in my mind of two short swords.
Kanshou and Bakuya; The twin blades that he carried all his life, a pair of swords without desire nor will, a perfect fit for a faker.'
I attempt to predict where the enemy will appear next.
The darkness of the room barely allows me to see but, with a faint light from the latern is enough, allowing me to see a piece of my surroundings, however i cannot see the silhouette of the person who stabbed Subaru'
I put down the lantern and prepare for the battle.
Trace —!
The sound of a door being open is heard.
"Subaru, Shirou, What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Satella opened the door with a floating icicle in her hand.
'Crap, I have to warm her!'
"Don't come in! Run away! Get out of here!", Subaru tried to warn her but the blood in his mouth did not allow him to speak.
"No, Ru…" Shirou tried to warn her but the darkness from the room allowed the killer to sneak behind him and kicked him in the gut, sending him flying into a box of stolen loot preventing from talking.
The killer then kicked the lantern into the corner of the room leaving it in pure darkness with the only exception being the light from the moon.
Satella prepares herself to fight but suddenly a knife launches her lantern leaving it without use.
The sudden change between light and dark confused her allowing the killer to launch a second knife at high speed towards her leg.
The knife makes an impact and Satella screams in pain.
"Ahh!, Puck come her..." She grabbed her necklace in a desperate attempt to call out for Puck but the killer didn't allow her to finish her line.
Satella dropped into the floor.
Shirou tried to get up.
I attempt to use reinforcement in my eyes.
It's a reckless move, using reinforcement to reinforce the body is dangerous but.
I have no other choice, Subaru and Satella are wounded and if I do nothing they will die.
…
Trace on!
Two swords materialize in my hands, Kanshou and Bakuya.
I waste no time and without hesitation, I reinforce my eyes using reinforcement, allowing me to see clearly in the darkness.
The silhouette clears itself revealing a tall woman with two knives, She was smiling directly at Shirou with a wicked smile.
"Oh my, You know how to fight, this makes my job more interesting"
Shirou rushes towards her and the battle begins.
The sound of steel crashing against steel
Meanwhile Subaru is on the ground crawling towards Satella.
He manages to get close enough to hold her hand.
"Stay with me.
Hang on.
No matter what happens
I'm gonna save you…"
Subaru closed his eyes for the final time and allowed darkness to take him in.
He was finally dead.
But if he was dead, Why did he feel a sudden weight in his arms? and who was that voice talking to him.
He slowly opened his eyes as his senses were adjusting as well.
It was the merchant from earlier.
"What's the matter with you, kid?, It looks like you've seen
a ghost or somethin'."
"Huh" Subaru couldn't comprehend what just happened.
"You were askin' about another route to the guard station, Do i need to repeat myself?" The merchant stared at Subaru with an angry look in his face.
"No, It's fine I get it, Thank you...?"
Subaru walked away from the stand. He took another look at his surroundings
It was daytime the darkness of the night was no longer present.
Shirou was in his arms once more, injured
[Was it a dream?, A vision of the future?]
"What's going on, It was nighttime just a few minutes ago, right?" Subaru checked himself.
The wound in his stomach is gone.
Shirou is still injured and his bags didn't have the gifts from the merchant anymore.
[Oh right!, Satella
She is able to heal him and Puck told me to take care of her. Damn it all
I need to find her!]
Subaru ran trying to find the silver haired girl: Satella
Questions and Answers
Something about formatting
[Subaru Inner Monologue/thoughts]
'Shirou Inner Monologue/thoughts'
"Dialogue"
Action and Narration ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
1.-Will Shirou remember failed loops?
Shirou wont remember failed loops(hollow ataraxia does not count).
2.-Are you going to buff Subaru?
Yes but it won't be by much and spoilers, In fact he is going to die a lot more because of it.
(Sorry folks no OP baru for you)
3.-10k+ Chapter Why?
I'm using the director cut as my base for this fic, i'm slowly rewatching all episodes to make sure i don't miss a detail lol.
4.-This fic is going too slow, speed it up!
No, I want to take things slowly, I want to make Shirou and other characters have more. interactions and character development.
5.- When is the next chapter?
When I feel like it, i'm a new writer and i barely have time to write but my rough estimate is maybe 2-3 weeks or maybe even a month.
6.- Who is the protagonist?
Shirou and Subaru.
7.-Harem?
No
8.- Why did Shirou faint?
I knocked him out for one reason "Subaru character development" plus he was extremely tired after his battle with Gil and the struggle of trying not to get absorbed into the grail.
Compared to the original this Shirou was more tired.
9.- When did Subaru go to therapy?
This is something I added myself as a memento to Subaru parents, His parents tried everything to help him but Subaru was too stubborn.
Plus it makes sense what kind of parents wouldn't try to help their son.
I'm keeping it in order to make Subaru remember his parents even more. (and to make him suffer).
10.- Emilia does not act like that
Oh yeah about that, its something i added myself .
In the original Emilia was completely okay with Subaru after puck told her it was okay to bring Subaru along and in this fic, I decided to show a little more of her frustration compared to the original after all she lost her insignia, her dream of freeing the elfs would shatter and she would need to find another way to make it a reality and to make it worse she was basically wasting time with them (aka splitting up for 1hr)
In a nutshell I decided to give her a bit of despair, in the original it was almost night and she was completely fine.
(Before you ask, I'm not changing her personality or making her too OOC. This is one time thing it won't happen again, simply because i disliked how they portrayed her in arc 1 loop 1 so i wanted to make her look more alive).
11.- Why didn't you get rid of Subaru and make Shirou the only protagonist?
Simple it doesn't make any sense at all, Satella gave Subaru RbD because she loves him.
It makes no sense getting rid of Subaru to replace him with another random anime protagonist.
Plus if Shirou had RbD we would get another Greed IF.
12.- Why is Emilia alias "Satella" in cursive?
Cuz why not i thought it would be fun to add since its not her real name. (also to not confuse certain readers).
13.- Subaru does not act like that
He was extremely prideful in arc 1 because he saw himself as an average isekai protagonist then reality hit him like a truck. (In this case having a dying person in his arms makes him take things more seriously). (He will still act like an idiot once things calm down aka early arc 2)
14.- Shirou should have killed Elsa because he is a chad and OP
.-.
He does not, just look at the 40 bad endings in the VN.
He is not perfect and Elsa pretty much outmatches him when it comes to speed.
The only way I can see Shirou somehow killing Elsa is inside UBW and a high caliber NP like Gae Bolg from a long distance. If they were to fight in close combat he would lose once Elsa gets bored of him . The issue is that he does not have that amount of mana to pull it off.
Shirou is also not the best plan maker.
In all routes Rin helped him make plans and taught him a lot of stuff.
When it comes to 1 min plans he is most likely to fail just like when taiga got kidnapped and he ended up losing saber because he didn't know what to do.
(Un)Funny Notes
Shirou was left hanging, Emilia never took his hand, now he understands how Lancer felt.
Shirou still has Rin Pendant (Shirou suffering is coming soon).
Shirou still has part of Rin's magic crest in his body but it's pretty much useless without Rin and not to mention it would stop working after a week but hey at least it's still there.
Shirou does not want to reveal his magecraft for obvious reasons.
The merchant(Kadomon aka AppaMan) and his wife(Raksha) have an interesting relationship, (this is something I added myself to make them feel more alive).
I started making this chapter on 2 April 2021.
I finished writing this chapter on 22 April 2021.
The chocolate Subaru bought for his dad is a 100 grams Nutella chocolate. He bought a better one for him so he would forget the previous incident.(Tasty)
Rin still believes Shirou is alive somewhere.
Shirou has white and black jacket he dropped before fighting gilgamesh. (It's damaged but hey at least it's there!)
Shirou Bad Ends coming soon (Will include jaguar dojo).
Im looking for beta readers dm me for more info
Edit 1 on 26 April 2021
+Removed Shirou panicking since it was OOC
+Extended the loot house scene
+Puck no longer mentions that shirou was close to death but instead mentions that he may die if he is left alone there.
+Fixed some formatting aka "Dialogue" and then a coma (that has been removed)
Edit 2 on 28 April 2021
+Added lines in between timeskips (hopefully this makes it more read able)