Chapter 25: Landslide
As the three descended the stairs to the main foyer, Ram could be seen in her pink nightgown, coming from the hallway that led to the bath.
Rem: Nee-sama!
Catching Ram slightly by surprise at the sight of the three darting down the stairs, her eyes opened wide, not expecting to see anyone. The trio ran up to her as her expression settled back into a normal one.
Ram: Rem, is everything okay?
Rem: Subaru-kun said the village was possibly in danger and that we should find you.
Lifting an eyebrow at such an abrupt topic, Ram turned her gaze to Subaru for explanation. Rolling back his sleeve to expose his wrist for all to see, Subaru showed his puppy bite marks.
Subaru: The village is in danger. Grave danger. Right here on this bite mark, a lethal curse was placed onto me by that puppy the village children were playing with. I had Beako search me for curses once we got back and she discovered one here. She's removed it, but it's a great possibility that I'm not the only one who got one from it.
Silent for a moment, Ram stared at Subaru after giving his explanation on the danger.
A bead of sweat ran down Subaru's face waiting for an answer until—
Ram: Rem, go with YN and ready the small carriage and ground dragon. Barasu, you and I are going to head up to Emilia-sama's room and inform her of what's going on and then you'll join Rem and YN. I'll be staying here to protect Emilia-sama.
YN: You aren't coming?
Ram: This could be a diversion to get our attention away from the mansion and leave it potentially undefended from attack, we cannot risk anything.
YN: Understood.
With Ram and Subaru headed upstairs, Rem and YN made their way out to the stable. Arriving, the two split up responsibilities without a word shared between them. Rem tended to the ground dragon, putting it's harness on and leading it from it's pen while YN pulled the smaller carriage out and readied it for use.
It was a smaller one, uncovered, meant for a single dragon, two drivers, and either two more passengers or a small amount of cargo.
As Rem reined in the ground dragon to the carriage, she asked YN an abrupt question.
Rem: How did Subaru know to ask Beatrice-sama about the curse?
Somewhat stunned at the sudden question and how she came to it, YN recalled how Subaru had been so blunt with his explanation of how he learned of his own curse.
Not receiving an answer, Rem turned and looked up at YN, silently asking again.
Sighing, YN knew he had to choose his words carefully.
YN: Truth is, Subaru had suspected something wasn't right in the village, and on the way back he told me about it. I told him he should have Beatrice give him a look over once we got back.
Rem: And Beatrice-sama jumped right into looking for curses? Or was that suggested to her?
Speaking In more serious tone, an air of fear ran over YN's mind.
He couldn't answer this in any way to dodge the question, and lying wasn't something he was going to do to Rem anytime soon. Casting his eyes down and biting his lip, YN remained silent. He could not find the words to answer Rem.
Herself silent for a moment too, Rem was the first to break the silence.
Rem: YN-kun won't say?
YN: More like can't say. Not yet at least.
Awaiting a cold shoulder from Rem from here on out, he shut his eyes in frustration.
Why? Why can't I just tell her? If there's anyone... ANYONE I want to tell, it's her... There's nothing I can say except—
His thoughts being cut off, YN felt Rem's hand on his shoulder, lightly and kindly holding it.
Opening his eyes once more, Rem's soft expression greeted him. Her soft warm smile washed away his fear, and the kindness and understanding in her eyes filled him with hope.
Rem: It's okay, Rem understands YN-kun can't say right now, but YN also didn't lie to Rem about it, so Rem trusts him.
Tilting her head and smiling at him, a strong emotion built inside him. A bond was being empowered.
YN would do everything in his power to see himself through to the next morning, to get past this loop, and keep the relations he had built with Rem.
The trust Rem had in YN would be preserved.
No sooner though, did the door to the stable swing wide open, and with it, Subaru entered, bringing an end to Rem and YN's moment.
Subaru: Are we ready? We need to move out as soon as we can.
Rem: Yes we are. Rem will drive the dragon, YN-kun take the front seat, Subaru-kun to the back.
With the trio mounting the carriage, they exited the stable. Wanting to waste no time, they had almost set out directly to the front gate, but their attention was quickly grabbed back to the mansion, with Ram waving at them from the bottom of the steps leading up to the mansion to come over.
Next to Ram stood the silver haired half elf, the royal selection candidate herself.
Turing the carriage, Rem drove to the mansion's front steps to see the two begging their attention. Rolling up, Subaru was first to call out.
Subaru: Emilia-tan! What's got you out here? Have you come to give me a hero's farewell before I set out on a dangerous quest to lands unknown?!
Waving away his eccentricism with her hand, Emilia answered.
Emilia: Not exactly. I'm here to tell the both of you to not do anything reckless or dangerous, okay? And also, please, both of you give me your hands.
Reaching with both her hands up to the carriage, YN and Subaru looked at each other first, and then each gave a hand to Emilia. Closing her eyes, she spoke.
Emilia: May the blessings of the spirits be with you.
Subaru: Eh? Say what?
Emilia: It's a prayer, it's one given before a journey, for you to come back safe.
Letting go of their hands, Emilia stepped back next to Ram.
Ram: Rem, keep an eye on those two, make sure they don't cause any trouble.
With a nod between the sisters, Rem ordered the ground dragon onward, down the main path, out the gate, and to the village.
From viewing the village from just down the road, it was apparent immediately something was awry.
From the distance, villagers could be seen running about, torches in hand. There was some shouting, people calling out to each other, but not in a way that hinted to immediate danger.
Subaru: This looks bad.
YN: Yeah. I hope we got here in time.
Rem was silent as she observed the situation and found a place to park and tie up the carriage out of the way.
The trio disembarked the carriage, and wandered for a moment in the market square that once was bustling with merchants only a few hours before, but was now busy with concerned people, calling out. One particular villager was walking as if in a hurry, with his close proximity to the group, Rem called to him.
Rem: Pardon, did something happen?
Quickly recognizing the maid uniform as a sign that Rem had to be employed by their lord, Roswaal, the man was quick to answer.
Villager: It's terrible! All the children have gone missing, all the parents are out looking for them but we haven't found a single one.
Clinched his teeth, Subaru spoke under his breath, only YN was close enough to hear.
Subaru: Are we too late?
Suddenly turning to his side, Subaru looked down the road that led to the edge of the village where he had played with the children before.
Subaru: There!
Jumping out of the carriage and taking off running, Rem called out.
Rem: Subaru-kun!
Not turning around, YN pursued Subaru, and thus did Rem and the concerned villager too.
Making it to the fence that separated the tree line from the village itself, Subaru ran up the railings and grabbed them.
With YN right behind him, he quickly arrived next to Subaru, running right up the fence too.
YN: Look! There.
Pointing to the ground, YN identified a great number of fresh shoe prints heading out into the forest.
As he made his observation, Rem and the villager also made their arrival at the scene, noting the footprint themselves.
Closing her eyes, Rem felt the mana around her, also smelling for any irregularities. Silent for only a moment, Rem pointed up as she opened her eyes once more.
Rem: There.
Following her finger, the two observed a stone affixed to the tree closest to them. It was a green stone or crystal in it's own brass or bronze fixture, attached directly to a tree.
Rem: The barrier is broken.
Subaru: What does that mean?!
Rem: It means that Mabeasts can freely cross here into the village. They live plentifully in this forest in large numbers, so the barrier has been erected to keep them out and away.
YN: You're saying there's a good deal more of those dogs then, huh?
With a simple nod, Rem confirmed the bad news to them.
Not wasting a second, Subaru turned back around.
Subaru: The children are out in the forest! Quickly, go to the other villagers!
Villager: Y-yes!
As soon as he had arrived, the villager was sent off to spread the news.
Subaru: Well, looks like we're the only ones who can help.
Going to jump the fence, Rem put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
Rem: Wait! What if Nee-sama was correct in saying this is all a distraction? YN-kun, don't you think we should prioritize the mansion— Y-YN!?
Turning to YN for support in the matter, Rem hadn't realized that he was already halfway over the fence, with a leg in either side.
YN: Rem... He's not wrong. Are we really just going to let a bunch of kids die just to tighten up security around the mansion?
Shaking her head, Rem protested.
Rem: With Roswaal-sama gone... No, this has to be a ruse. This isn't a decision you two can make.
Subaru: Then are we going to ignore the children in danger right now?
YN: If we can't make that decision to help or not, and only you can... I guess if you don't care if all the village children are alive or dead tomorrow is the option we're going with, isn't it?
Rem: —hk!
Rem was left speechless at YN's argument. Truly, he had just highlighted something she could not morally agree with that she herself had suggested.
Turning her gaze down, Rem could not respond.
Subaru: Rem, the three of us are the only people who can do anything about this right now.
Rem: — — —
Still silent, YN reached out and put his hand on her shoulder.
Looking up, Rem and YNs eyes met for a short while, the two only stared at each other.
Breaking the silent communication the two were having, YN nodded. Without a word, YN reinvigorated Rem's confidence somewhat slightly from her own moral conundrum. With a renewed attitude, Rem spoke up.
Rem: Why? Why go so far for this village?
Without being able to answer now, YN was afraid Rem really might not help until—
Subaru: Because—
Taking control of the conversation, Subaru went on to name each of the missing village children, and what their goals were. It was information he had gathered from his loops having come to the village and interacting with them.
Subaru: —That's why I'm going, and I'm sure that's why YN is going too.
Nodding to Subaru, the two waited for Rem's response. Closing her eyes, Rem nodded and spoke.
Rem: Very well. My orders from Nee-sama are to keep an eye on you both.
Subaru: Yeah that's right. Make sure we don't do anything shady, okay?
Walking up the fence, Rem stopped before it.
Rem: I will.
With that, YN continued himself over the fence. Getting over, with two feet on the ground now, YN went to turn to look back at his comrades, but as he did, a terribly familiar sound filled his ears.
*SCRAAAAAAAAPE*
Both Subaru and YN stiffened their posture at the sound, alerting their fight-or-flight senses. Being the first to actually have the courage to look at the source of the sound, YN spoke.
YN: Uhh, Rem, is that—
Rem: It's for protection.
Crossing the fence with a single leap, Rem landed gracefully, still holding her morningstar, which rattled ever so slightly.
Subaru: But—
Rem: It's for protection.
With Rem leading the way, the three continued into the forest in search of the children.
Walking further into the forest, Rem stopped to sniff the air.
Rem: There's the scent of *sniff sniff* —people.
Subaru: Is it the village kids?
Rem: Rem can't tell. But they're this way!
Taking off running, Subaru and YN followed Rem through the forest, jumping over logs and dodging trees. Finally, they reached a clearing in the forest, and before them was a small grassy, hilly, clearing. The area was lit up by the full moon overhead, making everything rather visible. Upon the tallest knoll of the clearing, there laid the village children.
Subaru: There they are!
Dashing up to them, each of the children laid on their backs, faces contorting in pain. Kneeling down by one of the children, Rem felt their forehead.
Rem: They're burning up. It must be the effect of the curse.
Subaru winced in sympathy, he knew the pain they were facing all too well.
YN: Rem, can you dispel the curse?
Rem: Rem unfortunately lacks the ability to... If Nee-sama or Beatrice-sama were here though... Rem can cast healing on them at the very least to comfort them.
Looking around at all the children, Subaru was trying to take a headcount.
?: Suba— Subaru...
Turning to the direction of the voice, a small girl laid on the ground with short auburn hair. Rushing over, Subaru knelt next to the girl and held her hand.
Subaru: Petra... Don't worry, everything will be okay, the adults will—
Petra: There's one more... they took her away... the... braid... into the forest. Please Subaru... save her.
At first giving a look of confusion, Subaru's face quickly tensed, and he began craning his head around, looking for something.
YN: Are we missing one?
Subaru: Yeah, the girl with the braid.
Standing up, Subaru checked around for the braided girl in case Petra was mistaken.
Subaru: She's right... She's not here.
Beginning to dash off into the woods to look, Rem called out to Subaru.
Rem: Hold on! We should wait till the parents get here before looking.
Stopping, Subaru could only look downward at one of the village children next to him, fist clenched.
Subaru: Petra thought about her friend first, before herself or her own pain.
Looking up to Rem, Subaru continued.
Subaru: I want to honor her request.
With that, Subaru turned around and ran into the forest, in blind search of the final missing girl. While Subaru's motive was occupying most of the activity in the clearing with the village children, YN stood in frustration.
Why isn't there anything I can do to help? Rem can heal, Subaru has formed bonds with these children, which gave him the opportunity to be useful now... What should I do?!
Returning his focus to the outside world, YN decided on his course of action.
Rem was capable of handling herself, but Subaru..
YN: I'm going after him.
Walking past Rem, she reached out and grabbed YNs hand, halting him.
Rem: We should wait until the parents arrive, that way we can look for him together. Rem will have to find YN-kun and then Subaru-kun too if you two don't find each other first.
YN carefully parsed her words.
Something didn't add up about it. And then, YN realized it.
Silent in response, Rem thought she had convinced YN, but rather—
YN: You shouldn't have a problem finding either one of us, not with the scent after all.
Looking up at YN while continuing to perform a healing spell, Rem tried her best at giving him a confused look, except YN could tell it was a false front.
YN: The Witch's sent. I know you can smell it on me, and on Subaru too...
Rem was silent before responding, and when she did, it was in a low, serious voice.
Rem: YN-kun, just how much do you know about the Witch?
Still looking forward, ahead to where Subaru ran off, YN answered.
YN: A little bit, but not much.
Changing the way that Rem's hand was held, YN in turn held her hand, and gave it a light squeeze.
Feeling the kindness in it, Rem was brought back to when she held YN's hand as he laid in his bed recovering from mana exhaustion.
Turning now, YN knelt down next to Rem, facing her, but now holding her hand with both of his.
YN: I know there's a lot of questions you want to ask me right now, and I want to ask you a bunch too, but we both know we don't have the time. So when this is all over, let's talk, okay? I'll answer anything I can, I promise.
Tilting his head forward towards Rem, YN closed his eyes, and put Rem's hand that he held against his forehead.
YN: I trust you Rem, please trust me too.
Bringing her hand back down, YN dropped one of his, and stood back up.
Rem: Rem worries YN-kun is taking on too much...
YN: That's why you're here right? You can rely on me to find Subaru, and I can rely on you to find us.
Realizing there was no stopping him, and that she no longer had to keep a facade of ignorance of her own extent of knowledge on the entire situation with the Scent, Rem made no attempt to stop YN from going.
Rem: Please don't do anything reckless, as it worries Rem.
Smiling, YN responded with warmth in his heart at Rem's concerns.
YN: No promises on that.
Taking a step back, YN and Rem's hands stayed held, and taking another step, only their fingers barely grasped each other's.
YN and Rem looked into each other's eyes, wishing no harm would come to each other, and that everything would work out.
With a third step, their hands were separated.
Turning, YN ran down the knoll, and followed in Subaru's footsteps to forest.
Looking on, Rem never let YN leave her sight until he was well into the forest. Watching him run off, Rem felt her heart skip a single beat, as he disappeared into the darkness.
Her sudden worry for him had surprised even herself.
The parents cannot come some enough. Rem thought, as she returned to putting her attention into casting the comforting healing magic on the children.
YN made his way through the nighttime forest, looking for stepped on twigs, shoe-prints, anything to keep himself on Subaru's trail.
Moving at a much slower pace because of his tracking, YN was not nearly covering as much ground as Subaru was.
Luckily coming to a patch of fresh mud, YN observed shoe-prints in the diction he was still heading, a good sign.
Following it to the end, YN looked up for the next sign of Subaru's route.
Just as he did, a yell rang out across the forest.
?: AAAAAGGGHHH!
The yell came from just up ahead.
That definitely sounded like Subaru!
YN checked himself before dashing off.
No restart, so if it is Subaru, he's definitely still alive.
Running ahead, YN quickly came to a clearing. The stench of animal habitation filled his nose. It had an odor similar to wet dogs, but slightly gamier.
In the clearing stood Subaru, leaning against the only structure in the clearing, a long dead, fallen log, laying on its side. On the log was a single branch, sticking straight up, pointed from being split at its end, and made stiff from its age.
And impaled upon that branch, a large animal.
Brown with black accents, YN's mind immediately thought of it as a Hell Hound, but it was like Rem had said, this was a Mabeast.
Next to the log however laid a small girl with braided hair.
He found her!
Running out into the clearing, YN called to Subaru.
YN: Hey! Are you alright?!
Before Subaru had the chance to answer, a terrible growling noise filled the forest around them.
Slowly, a red pair of eyes appeared. Then another. And another.
Till finally, the entirety of the dark trees around them were being illuminated from pairs of glowing red eyes. Immediately both Subaru and YN's fight or flight senses kicked into overdrive, with a great emphasis on flight.
YN: Subaru, grab the girl. We've got to—!
Before YN could finish, from across the clearing, a single mabeast ran out, charging towards them.
Bounding, it was covering ground quickly towards them.
Wishing for a spear or pole, YN quickly contemplated what he could use as a weapon.
Looks like I only have my fists, I'm my only weapon... wait! I'M my only weapon!
Reaching his palm outward, YN concentrated on his mana.
At his current level of aptitude, it took YN a few seconds to gather his mana and concentrate enough to cast a spell.
But as the mabeast quickly closed in, YN began to realize he didn't have the time to be able to ready his magic. Not to mention as well, he had never been called to perform under stress before.
With only ten or so paces between YN and the charging enemy, the mabeast leaped up into the air, with the perfect trajectory to attack YN.
Now having cut the distance in half by the added velocity of the jump, YN knew he had hesitated too much, the beast would reach him before he had enough mana in his control to launch a worthwhile attack.
As the beast closed in, YN abandoned gathering mana, and instead brought his arms up to brace.
Just as the beast would lay it's fangs and claws into YN, he felt the gust of wind whip by him, an object of tremendous velocity wooshed past him.
One moment the mabeast was there, the next? It wasn't.
YN blinked and continued looking where the beast had been only a moment ago.
*rattle rattle*
Hearing the sound of a chain off to his side, before he could turn his head to look, another gust of wind whipped past his face, this time in the opposite direction as before. YN could not make out what the object was.
Looking in the direction it went this time, there she was.
Standing among three or four bloodied mabeasts scattered before her, the blue haired maid, illuminated from the moon's soft light, held her morningstar. The weapon she held had been the source of the high speed object and the instrument of the mabeast's disappearance.
An entire sense of relief enveloped YN as he gazed at Rem.
The situation was akin to a princess being saved by a knight in shining armor. While such an experience might not have been YN's first choice, given the dire circumstances, he'd take it.
YN: R-Rem—!
As YN went to call out to Rem, three more mabeasts ran from the tree line.
Splitting up, two headed for Rem, one to YN.
Again, being caught off guard, Rem sent her morningstar out to intercept the beast headed for YN, however, this left Rem wide open. She could not hope to recall her morningstar quickly enough to deal with the two inbound towards her.
As the two beasts leapt as they did before making impact, Rem steadied herself.
With the first about to make contact, Rem herself leapt forward, reaching back and driving forward with her hand held in a fist.
Like a freight train, Rem's fist completely halted the mabeast midair, accordion-ing it on impact, and sending it's bloodied face from away at a greater speed then it had approached.
With the second beast still midair, inbound for Rem, using the remaining inertia from her lunch, she turned out of its direct path.
Halfway through her rotation, Rem shifted her balance and weight onto one foot and raised the other, far above her head.
With the beast next to her now as she continued to rotate back around, Rem drove her lifted foot straight down, heel-dropping onto the beasts back and sending it into the ground.
With Rem's leg raised as it was, YN would have seen much more than he would have expected to, however, with the angle she was from him, the way she had rotated, and where the beast was before impact, no such treat was given to YN.
It seemed more than likely Rem had even considered that and taken it into account despite everything. YN had no doubt she had.
Truly, Rem was a much more experienced fighter then YN had begun to think.
With two more dead mabeasts at Rem's feet, she turned back around to face YN once more.
Going from her serious expression to one of light curiosity, Rem tilted her head at YN, who was staring back at her, jaw agape.
YN: Y-you're—
Rem: — ?
YN: Y-you're really strong.
A slight pout and blush formed on Rem's face.
Rem: That's not a polite way to compliment a lady.
With Subaru still standing, now holding the passed out girl with the braid, broke the lack of seriousness YN and Rem were having at this very tenuous moment.
Subaru: Can we get a move on?! We're still surrounded!
Both turning to Subaru, they each nodded, and turned to retreat where Rem had emerged, the only part of the treeline clear of mabeasts. As YN and Subaru cleared the treeline into the forest, Rem sent her morningstar out again, thrashing two more pursuing mabeasts.
Waiting up for Rem, YN stopped, to which she protested him doing whilst fighting mabeasts. Wacking another one with her morningstar and kicking a second, she called out to the still standing YN.
Rem: Go! Rem is covering for you two!
YN: I'm not going to leave you out here all on your lonesome!
Just as YN had finished responding, Rem sent her morningstar flying out, directly for YN. Ducking, the morningstar rocketed right over YN's head, and made an impact with something right behind. The impact was fleshy sounding, and it gave off a whimper as it was hit.
Spinning around, YN saw that it wasn't him who Rem had been aiming for, but rather her saving him yet again. Behind him lay an impaled mabeast that was only a second away from attacking.
Turning back to Rem, she clobbered another beast with a kick, and recalled her morningstar, sending it into a second beast, and then immediately using her free hand to bash a third, incoming one.
Getting a free moment in the combat, Rem yelled out to YN once more.
Rem: Go! Rem'll be right behind! Keep going straight ahead!
Obeying her command, YN turned and followed Subaru through the forest.
Jumping logs, breaking branches, and snapping twigs, YN bounded through the growth of the forest, trying to keep up with Subaru.
Up ahead, Subaru stopped and turned to call out.
Subaru: Hey! The village is just right over here!
Reaching the stopped Subaru, YN saw he was correct, and turned to yell the news to Rem who should be right behind him but—
YN: Rem!
As Rem was approaching the two to regroup, Rem walked with a minor limp, but more concerning was that she was dragging her morningstar across the ground in fatigue and pain. Her body was covered in cuts of varying depth and blood seeped from them. Her maid uniform was also stained red in many places with tears and rips in the now dirtied fabric.
Immediately seeing Rem in such a condition, YN bolted towards her, but was stopped by the noise of a deep growl off to the side, in-between him and Rem.
From atop a boulder, stood one small dog. A puppy almost, bald on its head, it was flanked on either side of itself with two mabeasts.
Subaru: T-thats the puppy! From before! In the village!
Almost as if enraged at being recognized, the small dog let out a beastly roar and snarl. As it did, it began to glow.
Instantly, YN felt the ground tremble. Shaking, he almost lost his footing. In trying to recover himself, he heard a voice call out. It was Rem's.
Rem: YN-kun!
Having covered the distance in almost a split second despite her injuries, Rem pushed YN.
As if time itself had slowed down, YN was sent flying backwards. Before him he could see Rem, also flying forward, arms extended. The expression on her face was one of relief, which confused YN.
I don't understand, why is she— NO!
From the side of YN's vision came a mound of dirt. No, it was a landslide. A landslide from the tremors. That's why Rem knocked him out if the way, he was going to be flattened by that small dog's Earth magic.
Fully realizing what was happening, a terrible fuel of guilt and fear was igniting in YN as he saw the landslide carry Rem away.
Crashing back on the ground near Subaru, YN quickly recovered despite the pain that was going to be nothing compared to Rem's.
Picking himself up, YN got to see Rem launched upward from the torrent of dirt and rock that she was swept up as it collided with a small crag where there was a steep angle.
Up and up, Rem peaked the height of the forest canopy before falling back down. Crashing onto the dirt below, Rem's unconscious body twisted and rolled until coming to a stop.
YN: REM!
Seeing the state she was in, YN abandoned any other thoughts and began running over to where she laid.
Halfway to her, YN was forced to stop. Appearing from outside his vision, three mabeasts closed the distance between him and Rem, and turned to cut YN off.
Now in a standoff with the beasts, they prevented YN from reaching Rem. The beasts growled and snarled as they slowly walked towards YN. Building mana in his palm, YN was determined to make a final stand in the only way he could against the mabeasts.
Just before the three would have pounced to end YN, the sound of chains rattling drew their attention to behind.
Picking herself up, Rem stood in the moonlight that illuminated her silhouette.
Knowing the greater threat was Rem, the three beasts turned to face her now. As they prowled up towards her though, something that took YN by complete surprise occurred.
As Rem stood looking upward into the night sky, a light began to form on her head. At first it was small, but began to grow, as it did, mana crackled and shot sporadically from her around where the light was emerging.
Slowly the light took form. It was the shape of a horn. A single horn in the middle of her forehead.
Left in complete astonishment, YN could hear Subaru behind him quietly give his thoughts aloud.
Subaru: No way... she really is...
With her horn now completely, the crackling had stopped, and an almost audible hum took its place as the horn radiated light.
Rem: — — —
YN: — — — ?
Rem: Hahaha...
YN: Rem?
Rem: Hahahaha!
YN: Rem, talk to me what's—
Rem: HAHAHAHA!
With the horn fully formed, Rem began to laugh maniacally. YN was extremely caught off guard to it as it was very unlike Rem to do so. Taking a step back in what YN felt as fear, the beasts took the opportunity to charge at Rem.
With the light of her horn illuminating her face, Rem gave a look of utter disdain towards the charging beasts before reaching back with her arm and launching her morningstar.
In one swing from the side, the weapon collapsed all three charging at her.
A large, menacing smile widened across Rem's face as the mabeasts flew to the side in a bloody pile.
YN could see Rem's breath steaming from her clenched teeth of her smile, further exaggerated by the twinkle of madness in her eyes. YN stood paralyzed. He hadn't expected Rem to be capable of acting this way.
YN: R-Rem?
At the mention of her name, or perhaps simply hearing another voice, Rem snapped her attention to YN, expression unchanging.
YN: I-I think you should calm down and —hk!
Before YN could finish, Rem reached back again and sent her morningstar from where it rested on the pile of mabeasts, towards YN.
Having been the target of it many times before, YN leaped and rolled to evade the incoming attack. Rolling and then picking himself up. Before calling out, YN had an idea of what was going on.
Something tells me that she has no idea what's going on right now in this crazed state she's in.
With what looked like the wind-up to another toss at YN, both of their attention was taken by the sound of an "Awooooooo!" coming from the little bald dog that sat atop of the boulder.
Perhaps taking the intuitive whilst it's enemies were fighting among themselves, the main mabeast summoned and called forth more beasts from the forest in an effort to overwhelm them.
Smelling the increase in mabeasts, Rem turned her crazed attention away from YN and to the small dog on the builder. Leaping and charging towards it, Rem was shortly intercepted by a wave of mabeasts.
In pure disbelief, YN and Subaru watched beast after beast after beast get cut down mercilessly by Rem. If they were too close by the time she let her morningstar out, they were dealt a deathblow with a punch or kick.
Morningstar, kick, morningstar, punch, punch, kick, morningstar, kick, kick, punch.
Rem cut down dozens before them, never tiring, never ceasing. It almost had seemed that no matter what the mabeasts tried, Rem would cut them down.
Changing tactics, the little bald dog "Awooo'd" once more, causing a brief pause in their attacks, only to regroup and charge all at once.
With enough concern for herself to at least realize that no matter what she did, she couldn't handle that many at one time, Rem was forced to send out her morningstar and backflip away in retreat.
The beasts kept this strategy up, forcing Rem backwards, moving her across the clearing she was fighting in.
Moving nearer to YN, Rem was also closer to the bolder which the head mabeast made it's perch, commanding the waves that assaulted Rem. With Rem so near, YN realized that the mabeasts were luring her into their trap by moving her around the battlefield.
Three mabeasts joined the lead mabeast up on the boulder, and as Rem retreated back once more, she came near to the base of the boulder.
Seeing exactly what was about to happen, and without a second thought, YN ran as hard and fast as his body would let him.
Whipping any of the mabeasts out from around her with her morningstar, Rem was oblivious to the three pouncing at her from above.
Reaching Rem, and in a fashion much like how she had done for him, YN shoved Rem out and away from the mabeast's attack. For YN and Rem, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
At first taking it as an act of hostility, Rem's airborne body reacted to counter attack, however, as if her subconscious was still observing, it noticed YN's expression on his face was one of worry, a look Rem knew and trusted.
Seeing it, Rem's rational consciousness finally came back under control of herself. As she flew back, YN saw her horn retract, and her eyes return to normal.
With the immediate danger to Rem eliminated, YN concentrated on the danger to himself.
Still airborne, YN looked over to the three beasts now in a path to attack him.
There's no way Rem is going to be able to recover soon enough to protect me again. If only there was something I could do!
Looking right into the eyes of the approaching mabeasts, it suddenly dawned on him from his own thoughts.
Wait—! It's just like last time!
Turning slightly while still up, YN felt the warmness in his body grow. Letting that warmth flow down to his hand, it began to glow.
I'm not forsaking this run! I'm not letting Rem, myself, or anyone else die! I can save this!
With the beasts only fractions of a second away from YN now, he reached his glowing hand out to them.
Unsure of it's effectiveness at such a close range or quick cast, YN forwent any real control over the amount mana he controlled, prioritizing anything over nothing.
YN: JIWALD!
Instantly a white, vaporizing light was emitted from his outstretched hand, stronger then he had cast it before in the mansion's yard. YN's view of the three beasts was encompassed by the sheer brightness leaving his arm.
With a whine of pain from each of the beasts and YN finally crashing to ground, time seemed to flow normally once more.
Rolling and picking himself back to his knees, YN looked to see what damage he had realistically done.
Looking in front, then to his left and right, YN could not make out any bodies, beast corpses or anything.
YN: Did.. did I—?
Looking at the boulder where the beasts had jumped from, YN saw the force at which he had cast his spell.
While not overly noticeable, it was still definitely obvious something with extreme light and heat had torched the boulder, bleaching the stone a lighter shade then it had before.
But what really had clued YN into just how much force he had put behind the spell were splotches in the middle of the bleached area that were left unchanged from before.
Three spots to be exact. One for each beast that had been evaporated.
Immediately turning his palm over and inspecting his hand as he also went to stand back up, YN scarcely believed he had been able to do such damage.
But as soon as he did, YN felt the toll of using so much mana.
Catching himself back down on his own knee, a massive wash of fatigue inundated YN. Gasping for air, his vision blurred as he focused to keep looking ahead.
This feels a lot like what happened back at the loot house.
Seeing only blurs of color for his vision now, sound also had been reduced to as if everything was coming through from the next room over.
Rem (muffled): YN-kun!
As his waving vision locked in on the one blue entity before him, the direction of the muffled sound let him know he was looking at Rem, who appeared to have seen what had just happened upon picking herself from the ground.
The next thing to fill YN's exhausted senses was the faint sound of the head mabeast's "Awoooo!" that it had let out earlier.
Straining his vision to look upward to the top of the boulder to and focus in, YN's view began to shake.
Shaking, shaking, shaking. More shaking, until what felt like a wall slam into YN.
Having cast another ground spell, YN was swept away by a torrent of dirt and stone like Rem had.
Rem: YN-kun!
Hearing Rem's bystander scream, YN was slightly relieved as he struggled not to swallow any dirt, as that meant Rem wasn't caught up in the spell like he was. With his instincts telling him to try and float above it for air, he quickly found such movements didn't benefit him as this was dirt, not water.
Being carried a short ways further, just as he was about to dip below the "surface" of the dirt, YN's back slammed up against a tree, knocking the wind right out of him.
With the shock to his body, and the cascading dirt pinning him from the front to the tree, YN was unable to expand his diaphragm to allow fresh air into his lungs.
Already exhausted and gasping for air, this was the limit for his body. Without air, YN finally succumbed to the lack of oxygen, and passed out, dirt continuing to pile up and cover him.
YN's mind and thoughts were a tangled mess of incoherent rambles, but there was one thought he could clearly still hear with all his might:
I really didn't wanna die here.
An unguessable amount of time passed. Unsure of his state of personal mortality, YN existed, patiently awaiting an answer.
Eventually, and slowly, he felt vibrations against his body. Soon the pressure that was built up against his face and body began to lessen. Dirt was being removed. By what, he didn't know, but slowly his hearing returned.
His hearing, while muffled, could make out a voice. A familiar one, one that brought comfort and compassion, but now it was also in tune with a sensation of worry and concern.
? (Muffled): YN-kun!
? (Muffled): I saw him over here!
? (Muffled): YN-KUN!
Feeling pressure being taken away from his eyes, YN opened them.
Filling his blurred vision was a wash of blue. It wasn't a blue of water, or of the sky, but rather the shade of blue he knew that was unique to one thing. To one person.
Feeling something warm being placed on his face, the blue spoke to YN, and he immediately recognized it.
Rem: YN-kun! YN-kun! Please don't die! Please don't die!
Die? I don't wanna die... Does she think I'll...
Having truly exhausted all his energy having glimpsed at Rem, YN passed out once more.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this week's series of chapters. Some more of my favorite to have written will be coming up next week, so look forward to it!