Author notes at the bottom
Dialogue Change: Normal text means speaking, Italicized text means thinking or telepathy.
Chapter 3: The Loot house
"How did this happen to me?"
This was all a raven-haired boy had on his mind as he stared at Shaula in horror. Said girl had proclaimed herself to be Subaru's personal sex slave, either unknowing about the implications of the fact or not caring.
Due to her previous actions, Subaru assumed it's probably the latter.
"Damn that Flugel," Subaru thought, blaming that mysterious being for the predicament he is in. "who tells somebody to be their personal sex slave?! My poor pure mind is falling apart at the thought."
Subaru's thoughts were interrupted by his shivering, coming back to reality, he noticed that the temperature had suddenly dropped, forcing him shiver to even starve off frostbite. Glancing at Shaula, he noticed that she too was shivering, though not as much, while Emilia seemed unaffected, her eyes glazed as she had her finger to her cheek, deep in thought.
Turning to the source of the rapid cold, Subaru found Puck to be glaring at him, eyes narrowed, and lips curled into a frown.
Was I wrong? The great spirit thought, unhappy with how easily the boy's companion proclaimed herself a slave, a sex slave no less. Puck immediately wondered if that was why Subaru wanted to help, just to get close to Emilia so he could… Puck internally shivered.
He would not allow his daughter to become such a thing and would kill anyone who tried to force her to become something close to that.
Seeing the clear hostile intent thrown at him, Subaru took a step back, panicking as he thought of a way to salvage the situation.
Dammit, Shaula's comment probably made Puck think I'm some sort of psychopath vying for Emilia-tan for unscrupulous reasons. I must calm him down fast before things get ugly.
Subaru shivered, though not from cold, but from the memory of the times he received the great spirit's wrath firsthand.
Before he could say anything, Puck spoke up.
"Explain." Puck demanded. It was only one word, but Subaru could sense the power behind that word. The youth knew that one misstep could mean certain death, so putting his hands up in surrender, Subaru began his argument.
"I know it sounds bad; trust me I do. But please believe me when I say I have no idea why she called herself that. I have never done anything to her."
Subaru desperately pleaded his case to Puck, who looked unimpressed at the reasoning.
"Hmph, and how, pray tell, did she come up with the idea to call herself your… sex slave."
Puck said these last words in disgust, determined to protect his daughter from this filth.
Before Subaru could respond, Shaula interrupted the discussion.
"Shaula called herself master's personal sex slave because that is what she wants to be. Though master has never accepted my advances, I wish he would one of these days," the girl trailed off, pouting at how master always rejected her love. One of these days, she swore she would get him to love her back.
Subaru could only stare at Shaula, his eyes a mix of horror and surprise. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Subaru had one thought on his mind:
All this danger and THAT'S her response to the situation? How can she be so oblivious to the things she is saying?!
A part of Subaru wanted to ask this question, but he decided that it could wait for a better time. Trying to cover for Shaula, Subaru went to address Puck, only for the latter to have a paw on his chin, considering the girl's words.
Don't tell me that actually got through to him?!
Subaru thought, incredulous at the situation unfolding right before his eyes.
After a moment Puck turned to Shaula.
"Do you swear that it is by your own accord that you are seen as that, and that the boy has never laid a finger on you?" Puck could not find it in him to say the words sex slave, his mind still disgusted by it. Nonetheless, he had to make sure the intentions of these two individuals before him were good, he could not trust his daughter with just anyone after all.
At this Shaula nodded her head. "I can confirm that my master has never asked me to call myself that or done anything to me. Though I do wish he would…" She trailed off, looking at Subaru expectantly.
Realizing the intent of the stare, Subaru quickly gave her a response.
"NO!" The youth shouted, still trying to wrap his head around the absurdity of the situation.
Puck nodded his head at Shaula and Subaru's answers. After confirming that neither were lying, he slowly reined in his aura, warming the surroundings back into their normal temperature.
Subaru let out a sign of relief, happy to have made it past that situation without anything drastic occurring.
Before fully reining in his aura, Puck spoke a final word of warning to the two.
"Alright, I'll hold off for now. But, if I catch either of you trying anything funny with my daughter, there will be consequences." Puck briefly flashed his aura for effect, earning furious nods from Subaru, then from Shaula when she saw her master.
Subaru turned to Emilia, who had been deep in thought ever since Shaula's introduction, seemingly unbothered by the sudden cold that possessed the alley. Her eyes held a faraway look as she pondered something.
Oh yeah, didn't she say something about being unaffected by Puck's temperature changes?
Subaru thought, thinking back to Puck's mana release period, and the subsequent snow fair that the raven-haired youth had organized as a result. It had been a happy time for all, and Subaru was determined to make similar fun happen again.
Noticing Subaru, Emilia snapped out of her trance, giving him a smile.
"Well, that was an experience." Subaru muttered, before returning Emilia's smile with one of his own.
"Uh Subaru," The half-elf started.
"Yes?"
"I have a question."
"What is it?" Subaru was confused, Emilia was hesitant about asking this question. Naturally, Subaru was curious about it.
"What's a sex sl…"
"NO!"
Emilia's question was interrupted by Puck and Subaru, panic on both of their faces. Neither wished to hear the rest of that question, as the answer might defile poor Emilia's innocence.
Noticing the two boy's refusal, Shaula chose to answer instead.
"Well, you see, a sex slave is…"
"Shaula." A stern voice said.
Shaula was interrupted before she could answer. Turning her head, her gaze fell upon Subaru, who was glaring at her, making full use of his scary eyes to look as menacing as possible. Shaula flinched back upon seeing his face, instinctively curling inward.
For the first time in a while, the keeper of the star tower felt fear.
His mission accomplished, Subaru signed, putting his head in his hands.
"I think a change of topic is in order." Subaru said, exasperated.
Puck nodded, eagerly agreeing with Subaru. "I think that's for the best, come on Lia let's start looking for your insignia."
Puck and Emilia left the alley, with Shaula trailing behind them. Subaru eventually got up, thanking every god in the world that Emilia did not know what a sex slave was before joining the pack.
"Soooo, do you happen to know who took the insignia or where they are Subaru?" Emilia asked, hoping that her new friend could aid her.
At this Subaru thought for a moment, wondering how he should navigate this situation.
Well, I know it's Felt and that she is at the loot house, but it would be suspicious if I just told them I knew all of that. Especially after Shaula's display, Puck is gonna be watching us closely. Best to be cautious for now.
"Well, I saw a little blonde girl dressed in worn-out clothes with something shiny in her hand, maybe that's our target?"
At this Emilia's mood lifted a little, "Yes! That matches the description of the girl who ran by us and took our insignia, she has to be it."
Subaru nodded at Emilia's confirmation. "Alright, now we have a suspect. Now we need to find where she might be. Let's split up and ask around, then meet back here in one hour. I'll go with Shaula this way," Subaru pointed in front of himself, "and you two go the other way." Subaru finished, pointing his second hand behind him. After a trio of "Okay," the group split up, looking for one blond hair thief.
"Well master, where should we go first," Shaula inquired, a few minutes after splitting with Emilia and Puck.
"Huh? Uh, oh why don't we go over there?" Subaru pointed to a random place, as Shaula's question pulled him from his thoughts.
"Okay, master." As she walked over to the place Subaru pointed out, Shaula's face lit up, coming up with an idea.
"Can I jump on top of some buildings? Master always said it's better to look for things at a high vantage point."
"While that is a good idea, I'd appreciate it if we saved that as a last resort," Subaru said, exasperated. Reining in the scorpio girl's energy was taking a toll on the poor boy, as he had to be constantly on the watch to ensure Shaula didn't do anything drastic.
"Man, what am I going to do with her?" Subaru muttered to himself, acting like a father worn out by the antics of their daughter.
"At least now I know how Puck feels." Subaru chuckled, watching as Shaula walked over to a restaurant, asking locals if they had seen a blonde hair girl. After confirming that she was not about to leave a hole in a random place, Subaru went back to thinking.
Once we meet up, I'll direct the group to the loot house, which should be fine if I give a good argument. Judging by the clock I saw earlier, it's about 2:30 pm right now. In an hour it will be 3:30, and by the time we reach the loo house it will be 4. This should give us plenty of time to make it before Elsa. As a bonus, Puck can help with the defense if Elsa tries anything.
Subaru's eyes snapped back to Shaula, who was approaching him with a frown on her face. Upon reaching him, she gave her report.
"Shaula is sorry, but she could not find anything about a blond-haired thief." Shaula casted her head downward, sad at being unable to fulfill her master's request.
Subaru gently patted her head in response. "Don't worry Shaula. Let's search a little more than rendezvous, maybe the other 2 will have some luck."
At Subaru's reassurance, Shaula smiled, nodding her head. Turning around, the two walked on.
On the other side of the Capital, a silver-haired half elf was walking, asking people for information. Unfortunately for Emilia, her questioning was not going very well.
A major reason for this was that she could not question anyone. Anytime she would try and start a conversation, the people she asked would look at her in disgust or fear before hurriedly running away. Their actions slowly eroded Emilia's will, until she walked up to a bench and sat down, eyes slightly tearing up.
No matter how much discrimination she faced, she could never get used to it, and since that black-haired boy had been so kind to her, the subsequent abuse she faced from other people, the normal treatment for her, had stung even more.
Noticing Emilia's sadness, Puck poked his head out from out of her hair.
"Don't be sad Lia, those people just don't understand how great you are."
Puck tried to reassure her, but it did not work. Emilia shook her head at Puck's words, despair seeping into her tone.
"But Puck, no one is talking to me. It's reaaaaally hard to even get a person to listen to me. At this point I may as well quit." Emilia responded, trying to fight back the tears that were slowly welling up. If only she wasn't such a dunderhead and stayed with Ram, then she wouldn't be in this mess.
"You can't give up now. You got that black haired boy and his friend helping you. It would not be fair to them if you gave up now."
Puck's words brought Emilia out of her self-loathing, as she remembered the strange man she met. A man who brushed aside the heritage that had been the source of her suffering for years and offered to help. Giving a small smile as she remembered that moment, Emilia quickly stood up, determination welling up in her once again.
"You're right Puck, I can't give up yet. Let's keep investigating." Emilia said, full of renewed vigor.
Happy that his daughter was successfully cheered up, Puck retreated into her hair. Settling down, he went back to thinking about the two strange individuals they met in the alley.
The first was one Natsuki Subaru, Puck could tell that Subaru was not lying when he said he was broke and lost. Yet the emotions he had concerning Emilia were deep adoration, even love.
How could he love someone he had never met? Puck thought critically.
While he was happy that someone else cared for Emilia, the cat couldn't deny that the circumstances surrounding the feeling were suspicious. For a moment Puck thought the boy had unkind intentions, perhaps a part of the Witch Cult, but he showed no malice of any kind. Sighing inwardly, Puck decided to leave the matter at that, Subaru was too confusing to figure out currently, and Puck could respond accordingly if Subaru tried anything.
The cat's thoughts shifted to the airheaded companion of the boy, Shaula. For one, she addressed the boy as master, but Puck didn't think much of it. What concerned Puck was her power instead.
She's strong, very strong. I would probably have to go into my true form to beat her.
Puck shivered a little at the thought. While he was confident in his ability to achieve victory, collateral damage would be high. It would be difficult to protect Emilia if the scorpion girl turned against him. Before Puck could continue this train of thought, a sudden realization hit him.
Wait… a being with great power named Shaula? Could she be the sage?
The chance of the scorpio being the great sage was low, but Puck could not deny the possibility, especially with how...unique… her and her companion were. He could only sigh as he braced himself for what lies ahead, watching as Emilia approached a lost, crying girl.
After an hour, the 4 people rendezvoused to share the results of their search. After exchanging greetings, Emilia started off the discussion:
"Soooooo, did you guys find anything?"
At this question Subaru and Shaula frowned before Subaru responded:
"Sorry, we couldn't find anything. It's like this person doesn't exist. We're sorry."
While he knew that he and Shaula would not be able to find anything, it still hurt a little to tell Emilia this.
At Subaru's words Emilia nodded in understanding before smiling, making Subaru and even Shaula smile in return. Pride entered Emilia's voice as she responded.
"Well lucky for you we found out who the thief is! A kind man told us that her name is Felt, and she lives in the slums."
Subaru was surprised to hear this, while wondering how Emilia found out about Felt, he saw a small flower on Emilia's clothing, a gift from the girl Emilia helped out earlier.
Some things never change. He thought, smiling to himself.
"Wow, some help you two were, leaving my poor daughter to do all the work."
Puck emerged from Emilia's hair, looking down on Subaru and Shaula with a smug grin on his face, evidently happy Emilia had gotten information while the other two failed.
"Hmph, Master and I were unlucky is all." Shaula rebutted, glaring at the cat. Subaru furiously nodded, agreeing with Shaula's statement.
Emilia giggled at the interaction. "Don't worry about it you two, what matters is that we got the information. I reaaaaly appreciate you two helping me. Thanks." Emilia said as she walked away, waving at the two.
Subaru blinked in surprise before calling out to her, a bit of fear in his voice, "Hey wait, where are you two going?"
Emilia turned around, confused. "I'm going to get my insignia back of course. You two already helped me enough, I don't want to bother you anymore."
Subaru shook his head in response to her words. "Yeah, but we didn't do anything, so we really didn't help you. At least let us come and retrieve the insignia with you, I don't think my pride could take it if I let you walk away and called that helping." He put his hand over his heart, as if his pride really would shatter at the thought.
Emilia was hesitant upon hearing Subaru's words. While she was grateful for the offer, she didn't want to trouble the two any longer. They had offered to help and that was enough for her.
Seeing that Emilia was struggling to reach a decision, Puck intervened. "Why not let them come with us Lia, the meat shield position is always available after all." Puck teased, still smugly grinning at the black-haired boy and scorpio girl.
"Hey, don't relegate Master to that position. It's unmanly!" This time it was Shaula instead of Subaru who responded to Puck's offer.
The youth smiled, noticing how Shaula nearly copied Subaru's exact response.
After hearing the argument made by her father, Emilia reluctantly agreed, "Alright, if you two want to, but please don't push yourself."
Both Subaru and Shaula nodded their heads, before following Emilia to the slums.
"I finally got my hands on tha liquor from that stupid noble."
"Did you hear? A bunch of women got killed in an explosion a few hours ago."
"My pa is still sick, fucking nobles and their taxes, I can't afford the medicine. I swear one of these days I'm gonna kill those arrogant fucks."
Subaru shuddered as he heard snippets of various conversations being held in the slums. Truth be told he wasn't a fan of the decrypt, dangerous mood the slums gave out. While the first time he came here he was largely unaffected, his numerous deaths have made him slightly more paranoid. This made traversing the slums harder than the other times.
Noticing her master's look of unease, Shaula went to gently hug him as they both followed Emilia. Subaru's eyes slightly widened, before his body relaxed and he patted Shaula's head, grateful for her help. Shaula smiled in response, happy that he was happy.
Emilia suddenly stopped in the middle of the slums, earning looks of concern from the two people behind her.
She turned behind her, her face adopting a sheepish grin. "The thing is, I don't know the exact place where Felt is." She winced a bit, berating herself for not asking for specifics.
Subaru nodded, before looking at the sky, noting the position of the sun.
It's getting a bit too late for comfort, best to head to the loot house now.
Clearing his throat he interrupted Emilia from her thoughts, earning her and Puck's attention.
"If that's the case, then let's ask around. The people here probably have an idea about where Felt could be."
At Subaru's suggestion both Emilia and Shaula nodded in sync, before turning to walk towards the nearest person.
"Uh Lia, I don't think that's the best idea."
"Hey Shaula, wait a moment."
Both Puck and Subaru quickly stopped the two women.
Said women looked at the men quizzically, wondering why they were stopped.
As if lecturing children both Puck and Subaru spoke in tandem as they answered the unspoken question.
"People in the slums aren't very friendly…"
"They are protective of each other…"
"This means that they won't sell each other that easily…
"So, it's best not to approach them directly."
Puck and Subaru finished their lecture to the understanding faces of the women.
"Sooo what should we do?" Emilia asked, realizing that a straight up approach would do them no good.
At Emilia's question Subaru spoke up, already having planned this out. "That's simple, I'll go to one of them and convince them to tell us. Trust me."
Subaru walked off before anyone could object, and the trio stood there in silence, waiting for the youth's return.
A man saying live strong could be heard as Subaru returned to the group a few minutes later. He had on a smile as he relayed his success to the group.
"Good news people, I found out where Felt is. She's at the end of the slums in a loot house owned by a giant named Old Man Rom."
"Good job Subaru," Emilia said while smiling, happy that her insignia was within reach.
Subaru felt his cheeks flush red a bit at Emilia's smile and praise, causing Shaula to pout in jealousy.
"Yeah, good job master!" Shaula said as she eagerly hugged a surprised Subaru.
Upon seeing Emilia's and Puck's giggle, he could only throw his arms in the air and sigh as he let Shaula have her way.
After a few more moments, he untangled himself, then motioned for the group to follow him as they walked towards the loot house.
Don't worry Felt and Rom, I'll save you two and take down Elsa. I'll be one step closer to my happy ending. The black-haired boy thought, ready for what's to come.
*Knock knock*
"For the snake?" A voice responded to Subaru's knocks. The group had reached the loot house, with Subaru staying in the lead.
"Look, can you let us in please." Subaru responded, exasperated. While he vaguely remembered the loot house having a code he could not for the life of him remember it.
A grunt was all he got before some locks could be heard and the door was open, revealing the towering figure of Old Man Rom.
"Who in the hell are you punks?" The giant asked.
"We can talk later. For now, let us in. We wanna buy something from Felt."
At Subaru's request the giant raised an eyebrow. "Hope she ain't get into no trouble," he muttered before turning around and entering the loot house, gesturing for the group to come in.
Subaru mimicked the gesture before following Rom, with Shaula following right behind him, ever the smile on her face. After sharing a nod, Puck and Emilia also followed the youth into the house.
"Hey old man, who did you just bring… eek!" A childish voice sounded out.
Turning their heads, the group spotted the blonde-haired thief, Felt. Upon noticing Emilia, Felt's face turned to one of shock as she retreated and hovered her hand over her dagger, ready to defend herself.
"How did you even find this place? I was sure I wouldn't be followed." She said, surprised at the appearance of the girl she stole from.
Subaru muttered something about time travel shenanigans before approaching the blonde girl. Before he could take a few steps, Emilia took action.
Emilia's demeanor also changed, as she summoned ice crystals and raised her hand when she saw Felt, anticipating a fight. Before she could say anything Subaru quickly ran between the two, intent on stopping anything from happening.
"Woah, woah calm down you two, let's not be hasty now." He said, raising his arms, attempting to quell the tension in the room.
"But Subaru, she stole my insignia. It's reaaaaly important to me, so I need it back now." Emilia responded, intent on getting her insignia. Puck chose this moment to appear, grinning yet with slightly narrowed eyes, as he showed his intent to aid the half-elf.
Seeing Puck, Rom also tensed, his arm reaching under the counter where his club was.
Shaula remained confused, not quite understanding what was happening right now. She elected to stay quiet for now.
"Like hell I'm giving it back to you lady!" Felt growled back. She tensed at the sight of Puck, yet kept her act of defiance.
Seeing that his attempts to ease tension were failing, Subaru tried to push on, hoping he could settle things before Elsa's appearance.
"Just wait a damn second!" Subaru exclaimed, raising his voice a little, betraying his nervousness. Upon seeing that he had the attention of the whole room, Subaru took a breath before continuing. Turning to Felt, he started,
"Now Felt, stealing is bad. I know you're doing it because you have no other choice but it's still wrong."
"Hmph." The little blonde thief had no response to Subaru's arguments, so she chose to grunt then look away, keeping her hand over her weapon.
Turning to Emilia, Subaru addressed her.
"Emilia-tan, you have to understand that there was a reason Felt stole from you. The people in the slums live in extreme poverty. They must do anything in order to survive. So, let's drop the weapons for now and try to find another way."
Hearing Subaru's arguments, Emilia felt a little sympathy for the blonde, as she too remembered the days in the forest where she had to hunt mabeast to live.
Deciding to trust the boy, Emilia slowly lowered her hand, dispelling her crystals. Noticing her action's, Puck shrugged before retreating into her hair.
Seeing that Emilia calmed down, both Felt and Rom relaxed as well, the latter going back to drinking while the former still warily gazed at Subaru.
Before Felt could say something, Emilia looked up at Subaru, confused. "Wait, Emilia-tan? What does tan mean?
Subaru blinked, searching his memories, and finding that he had not addressed Emilia by her nickname in this loop. "Don't worry, I'll explain later," was what he chose to respond with, turning to Felt who was still eyeing him.
"And how do you think you're gonna get the insignia back, like I said I'm not just handing it over." Inquired Felt, curious about Subaru's plan.
At her question Subaru smirked, reaching into his pocket.
"That's simple." He replied, taking out his cellphone from his pocket. Saying a silent thanks for it still being there, Subaru continued. "We will attempt to trade for the insignia with this metia." He finished.
Felt stared at the cellphone with confusion, as she did not recognize it. Shrugging she replied "That's great and all, but we can't do that right now. I got another client coming in, we can start the negotiations once they arrive."
At the mention of another client Shaula tensed, looking at Subaru she nodded back to him, as they both thought back to the plan they made.
*15 minutes ago,*
"Hey Shaula, could you come here for a sec?" Subaru asked.
The group was a little way off from the loot house, and Subaru thought it was as good a time as any to put his plan into motion.
"Yes Master." The scorpion girl responded, wondering the reason for Subaru's summon.
"Uh before I say anything, you should know this. What I'm about to say is a bit weird, so I need you to just trust me on this, can you do that?" Subaru knew that what he was about to say was crazy without any explanation, so he needed to be sure Shaula was on board before he said anything.
At his question Shaula nodded, before immediately responding. "Of course, master, Shaula has and will always trust you," smiling at Subaru.
Hearing this Subaru gave a smile of his own before continuing, "Alright so… shoot how do I put this?" He tried to find some way of saying what would happen without looking suspicious. After deciding there was no way and confirming Emilia and Puck could not hear him, he let out the truth.
"When we get to the loot house, Felt, the thief, is going to say something about another client. All you need to know about her is that her name is Elsa and she's a sadistic assassin. When she sees Emilia there, she's going to try and kill all of us. I need you to deal with her."
Subaru felt immense guilt about putting the burden of taking care of Elsa on Shaula, but he knew that there was no other way. Elsa was too strong for Felt and Rom, and Emilia could only hold her off for so long. In his hurry to get to the loot house before Elsa he forgot to get Reinhardt, so he had to rely on Shaula. It was not that he didn't trust her, no he knew that the scorpio was strong.
What made him feel guilty was him having to push another burden on another ally.
He had gotten over this irrational guilt with his other friends, but he still felt guilty upon making a new friend only to immediately push struggles on them. Still, there was no other way, so Subaru pushed down his guilt for now.
Oblivious to Subaru's inner turmoil, Shaula remained unfazed at the fact that the group was about to meet a crazed killer.
"Ok master, Shaula will take care of her, no problem." Shaula enthusiastically replied, puffing her chest out for effect.
Subaru smiled at her antics, once again patting her head, before adding on. "Oh yeah, she's a master at hiding and suddenly appearing, so once we sit down watch behind Emilia for any activity. Also, she can regenerate lost body parts like it's nothing, so be aware of that. If the worst comes to worse, I'll call out to you."
Shaula hummed in agreement, enjoying the affection from her master. Subaru looked up and saw the loot house slowly come into view.
*Back to present*
Damn where is that Elsa? Subaru thought, watching as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. Elsa was...late? Subaru didn't know what to feel about that fact. A small part of him thought that the assassin was not going to show up, but he was quick to shut down that part.
Believing he could use the assassin's lateness to his advantage, Subaru interrupted the idle chat.
"Hey, it's getting pretty late. Are you sure the other client didn't flake out?"
As if confirming it, Puck responded.
"Subaru's right, it's getting really late. I think I'm going to have to say good night for now," the cat said, yawning.
Emilia nodded, watching as Puck slowly disappeared back into the crystal. Before he fully left, he muttered one last sentence,
"Remember Lia, I'm always here. If you get into any trouble, summon me again, even if you have to squeeze me out of my Od."
Emilia nodded again, grateful for her spirit's concern.
After the spirit fully disappeared, the conversation resumed.
"The boy's right Felt, might as well continue negotiations with the boy since the other client a no show."' The giant said, hoping to speed along this deal and ensure Felt's safety.
Rom had seen many conflicts in his lifetime, and thus was no fool when it came to danger. Right now, he and Felt were dealing with some strange and strong people, so it was best to hurry up and get them out, the giant thought.
Initially Felt wanted to argue but seeing the serious look in her adopted grandfather's eyes she relented.
"Alright fine, let's see what you got," the thief said.
Subaru was happy that things were going fine, but he knew more than anyone how this was usually a prelude to danger. Giving one final glance around the room and finding nothing odd, he shrugged his soldiers before picking up the cellphone.
"This right here is a metia," Subaru began, until he felt a sense of dread overcome him. Stuttering Subaru recognized the feeling welling up in him,
It was the feeling of death nearby.
Panicking, Subaru turned to Emilia, narrowing his eyes behind her. Shaula, noticing her master's gaze, followed his line of sight.
Subaru's efforts rewarded him with the noticing of a glittering object rapidly approaching the unaware Emilia.
Before the object, now revealed to be a kukri, could reach its target, Subaru shouted out for help.
"SHAULA!" He yelled with all his might.
"On it master," was the girl's response as she sprinted towards the attacker.
Right before the knife could hit its target, Shaula grabbed the wrist of the attacker, stopping its advance. Tensing her muscles, she threw the attacker away, watching as they slammed against the wall.
"Ara, now isn't this a surprise." The attacker said, as they slowly stood up.
Walking into the light, the attacker was revealed to be the Bowl Hunter, Elsa Granhiert, dressed in her typical voluptuous outfit. She licked her lips before giving a maniacal smile.
"Hey wait, just what the hell are you doing? We had a deal." Felt roared, angry at Elsa for suddenly attacking Emilia.
"Oh dear, you seem to misunderstand. We cannot negotiate if the original owner is here." Elsa said, getting herself into a battle position before continuing.
"Therefore, I will have to abandon our deal and kill every one of you. I do hope your guts can entertain me." She said, before charging at Emilia.
Her advance was once again halted by Shaula, who effortlessly caught Elsa's blade in one hand, attempting to punch the assassin with the other. Elsa giggled and ducked her head, avoiding the attack, then twisting her body in an unnatural way to escape the scorpio's tight grip.
Elsa again smiled at Shaula before addressing her,
"Ara ara, aren't you a strong one. I look forward to cutting you up and seeing your guts," She again licked her lips at the prospect, this time shifting her target to Shaula instead of Emilia.
At her word's Shaula only smiled, not an ounce of fear on her face.
"Hmph, as if. Shaula is very strong and will not go down to the likes of you. Master ordered me to take you out, and I intend to follow that order."
Finishing her response, scorpio glared at her opponent, before the two rushed each other, starting their fight.
Subaru watched this in slight awe but snapped back to reality once he saw the two women engage. Turning to the other occupants of the loot house, he began barking orders.
"Rom, take Felt and get out of here, you too Emilia-tan. We need to get away from Elsa now!"
Before Felt could protest Rom picked her up, carrying her as he ran past the still fighting Shaula and Elsa.
Elsa, seeing that Rom had his back turned, retreated a few paces before smirking and throwing a knife aimed right at the center of the giant's back.
Before the weapon could hit its mark, it was blocked by a sheet of ice that magically appeared. Elsa gave a slight grunt of disapproval, seeing Emilia's raised arm, before blocking a punch from Shaula, the force of it sending Elsa through the wall and outside into the slums.
As she slowly rose again, Subaru noticed something: Elsa was injured. Her slightly fatigued breathing revealed her tiredness as her power healed some of the skin that had been torn off during the fight.
Meanwhile, Shaula looked no worse for wear. The only indication that she was fighting was the dust on her person. Shaula clearly outmatched Elsa.
Deciding to press the advantage, Subaru called out to Shaula.
"Oi Shaula!"
"Yes master?"
"Can you control Hell's snipe?"
"Of course! Master taught me how to control it perfectly."
Subaru grinned at this answer.
"Awesome, I hereby give you permission to use Hell's snipe to kill that bitch and make sure she stays dead. Though please don't destroy everything around us in the process."
Happy that she had been given permission to use her favorite move, Shaula nodded her head as she began prepping Hell's Snipe.
Finished with her healing, Elsa addressed the white circle above Shaula's head as it slowly gained power.
"Ara, what will you show me now?" She asked, curiosity in her eyes.
"The move master taught me." Was all she got in response.
Seeing as she would get no further response Elsa readied herself.
"The Bowl Hunter, Elsa Granhiert." Elsa gave her name before the fight, a sign of respect towards the opponent she had been facing.
Shaula grinned before responding. "Shaula, master's one and only apprentice, and his self-proclaimed sex slave."
With their introductions finished, Shaula fired Hell's Snipe, unaware of the effect her introduction once again had on one black haired boy.
Said boy was currently red in the face, wishing he had been born without ears. Deciding he could bleach his mind another time, Subaru tugged Emilia as he guided her to another building where Rom and Felt were.
Elsa was surprised, the attack Shaula used was not only extremely fast but very powerful as well, even by the assassin's standards. A strong opponent indeed.
She twisted and turned dodging each Hell Snipe before closing the distance with a strike. Shaula opened her hand and caught the blade, breaking it in her hand effortlessly. Elsa smiled as she dodged the scorpion's attack. She pulled two blades out from her outfit before reengaging. Her advance was stopped as a blast forced her to jump into the air. Looking at Shaula, a bit of fear spread across her face for a moment at what she saw.
Shaula was staring at the airborne Elsa with a smug expression, as she summoned three Hell's Snipes, forming a triangle. Outstretching her arm, she fired them at the assassin.
Elsa quickly used both her blades to block the first attack, which disintegrated both. She then twisted her body to dodge the second by inches. After this she curled into a ball to dodge the third blast. Unfortunately for her, the attack was too fast, and it hit her arm, disintegrating it as if it never existed.
Landing, Elsa regarded her missing arm with amusement. A bit of amazement in her eyes as the blast had been so strong that even her blood had been burnt.
Smirking, she sighed as her power once again activated, and her missing limb slowly began to restore itself.
"My, my, it seems I'm in a bit of trouble," Elsa muttered to herself, never losing her sadistic smile. She turned to Shaula, preparing to dodge the scorpio's blows. The fight continued.
In the streets of the capital of Lugunica, the Sword Saint Reinhard Van Astrea was patrolling the city for any signs of activity. Yes, title first name after, monster first human second, he thought as he plastered a smile on his face, walking around.
He had been told by the captain that he was to take a day off today. While Reinhard had protested, the captain ordered him, and Reinhard could not disobey an order, never.
His self-loathing briefly stopped when he saw a peculiar sight. A silver haired half-elf was talking to a boy wearing clothes Reinhard has never seen nor heard about before. Said boy had attached to his arm a girl dressed in questionable clothing with a cape draped over her back. His Divine Protections informed him that the color scheme of the clothes of the boy and girl matched perfectly.
Reinhard went to approach them, but they waved each other off and split up as he approached.
Ah. The red-haired thought, casting his gaze downward. They must have seen me, a monster, approach them. I suppose I cannot blame them.
He went to walk away, but his divine protections allowed him to make out the muttering of the black-haired boy.
"And then, in one hour we head to slums so we can deal with that."
Reinhard was curious as to what the boy was talking about. There wasn't much for a monster like him to do currently, so he let his curiosity wonder. Using his divine protections, he read the emotions of the boy. Like a wave they crashed into him.
Anger, fear, happiness, sadness, grief, despair, confidence. All these emotions suddenly filled the red head's mind, and for a moment he felt overwhelmed.
Why does he feel like that? He thought. Sure, he had seen these emotions plenty of times before, but never all at once and in this quantity. Wanting to see what was causing the boy this turmoil of emotions, Reinhard made a mental note to head to the slums in one hour.
As he promised himself, Reinhard arrived at the slums. Noticing the poor state of things, Reinhard felt guilt at being unable to help the people. He truly was a monster incapable of assistance, right? No, he mustn't think that, for now he must find the strange boy.
There must be something happening for the boy to be filled with such emotion, right? Reinhard looked around, yet nothing seemed amiss. A few people sleeping outside, a couple others sharing drinks, random beams of light in the sky, kids playing ta-
Wait. Reinhard thought as he looked up, seeing the occasional beam of light tower over the buildings. Readying himself, Reinhard reached the source in a matter of seconds.
Looking around, he saw an individual that he recognized as the Bowl Hunter, looking disheveled and heavily injured. She was missing a lot of skin, and blood flowed down her broken right arm. Looking across from her, Reinhard's eyes stopped at a woman with her hair tied in a peculiar pattern. Reinhard recognized her as the girl he saw with the boy earlier.
His divine protection informed him that the particular girl was very powerful.
Reinhardt found the outline of the boy peeking out of the building, watching the fight. Reinhardt wanted to approach the boy but decided it would be better to capture the bowl hunter first. His power would at least allow him to do that, right?
Before he could make a move, he watched as a beam of light hit Elsa right in the stomach, cutting a hole through it. The shockwave sent her crashing into an old building, with the wall collapsing over her.
He waited, but the pile did not move. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned his head, finding the woman hugging a red-faced boy, the boy Reinhard had been looking for.
He approached the boy, whose eyes turned into one of happiness upon seeing the sword saint.
"Hey Reinhard." Subaru called out, happy to see the red head.
Reinhardt was a bit taken aback by this. The boy had addressed him so casually, him, a monster. The demeanor of the boy made the sword saint's smile turn more genuine as he responded to the boy.
"I see my reputation precedes me; indeed I am Reinhard Van Astrea, at your service."
Upon hearing the word Astrea, Shaula's grip tightened, as she remembered painful times with a redhead piece of shit who also bore the last name Astrea.
Subaru, noticing Shaula's attitude, patted her on her head, reassuring her. After confirming his ever-dependable head pat tactic worked, he turned to Emilia, Rom and Felt, gesturing for them to come out.
"It's alright everyone, the assassin is gone, and the sword saint is here, we are fine."
Upon hearing Subaru's words, Emilia walked out of the alley, bowing in respect to Reinhardt, who smiled back. Following her was a Rom still carrying a reluctant Felt.
"Uh so Reinhard, what brings you to these parts," Subaru asked, for he never gave any reason to Reinhard for the latter to show.
"Ah well I was doing my daily patrols, and simply decided to patrol around here." The redhead felt bad for lying, but he could not say he listened in on the black-haired boy and read his emotions, he did not want to reveal his true monster self. Not when he enjoyed the boy's antics. They were a refreshing change from the stiffness he was used to.
"Oh, I see, well I, Natsuki Subaru, am grateful for your arrival." Subaru thanked the red head as he introduced himself. Reinhard's arrival ensured that Felt would be discovered as a candidate and taken care of.
Reinhard was a bit surprised at the sudden praise, as he did nothing, but decided not to respond.
"Oh Rein, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course, Subaru, but Rein?"
"It's a nickname, shows our friendship, I mean we've been through a lot of shit, only fair to have something to show for it after everything was lost?"
Reinhard was taken aback at how quickly Subaru closed the distance between them. In only a few minutes he proclaimed himself as Reinhard's friend, a position the red head was happy to give. Though this happiness morphed into confusion as he could not recall ever meeting Subaru before.
Subaru realized what he said and put his arms out, shaking his head, "Ah never mind, don't worry about that. Just get the insignia from the blond-haired girl please, thanks," Subaru said, turning from Reinhardt to Shaula.
Reinhard wanted to ask but decided against it. Walking up to the blond-haired girl, he asked for the insignia. Emilia looked at him, grateful for his help.
Felt was still reluctant, but the half-elf had saved Rom's life, so it was only fair to return what was stolen. Taking out the insignia, they watched as it shone a faint glow of red in Felt's hand.
Subaru smirked at the scene, getting a large sense of déjà vu. He needed to stifle a laugh as Reinhard took Felt's hand upon realizing the implications.
He had made it, somehow, he beat Elsa, saved everyone, and got the insignia without dying once, and it was all thanks to the girl Subaru was hugging, basking in his warmth.
"Are you okay Shaula?" He asked.
"Yes master, Shaula is fine, better now that she is hugging master."
Subaru signed and shook his head, all too used to the girl's antics.
"Hey, why did you tense up around Reinhard?"
At the mention of his name, Shaula shuddered, recalling some unpleasant memories. Taking a breather, she glared at nothing before answering,
"He reminds me of a certain piece of shit I used to know. A bastard that I hope rots in hell for all of eternity."
Subaru was taken aback by the viciousness in the scorpion girl's, it was out of character for her. Thinking back to the watchtower, he vaguely remembered the reaction she had to a certain swordsman.
"Reid?" The boy tentatively asked.
Upon seeing how Shaula's mood visibly darkened, Subaru knew he struck true.
"It's nothing you need to worry about master," she replied, trying to get some cheerfulness back into her voice, "I just don't like that son of a bitch. My favorite memories are when you would teach that pervert a lesson with your power."
Subaru just signed in response, allowing Shaula to vent. He had been selfish, relying on her all this time, now it was his turn to give back.
"It's alright Shaula, I won't let him hurt you."
She smiled at this, replying with a "I know master."
A thump could be heard and both individuals turned to a wide-eyed Emilia, as she watched Reinhard catch a now asleep Felt in his arms, with Rom shaking his head.
"Piece of shit Astrea."
Shaula could not stop the insult from coming out her mouth, the action reminding her of Reid's perverted nature, even if it was an indirect resemblance.
Reinhard turned to Shaula, a bit of shock on his face and panic in his voice.
"I can assure you there is a good reason for this," he started, knowing how unscrupulous his actions looked. "It is necessary to ensure that a greater crime is not done." He finished, earning a glare from Shaula.
Noticing the look Shaula was giving the poor sword saint, Subaru talked to Reinhard.
"Don't worry about it Rein, she just had some bad memories about one male sword saint."
Reinhard was confused at the explanation, he could swear he had never met this girl, much less done something to offend her, and the previous sword saint had been a woman. Still, he should apologize, though he knows it's fruitless. The girl already knows what a monster he truly is.
"I apologize if I have done something to offend you, Miss…"
"Shaula." Subaru responded.
"Shaula." Reinhard repeated. Then something clicked about the name.
"Like the great…"
"Accidental coincidence, she's not the sage, don't worry about it." Subaru answered Reinhard's question before he had a chance to ask it, he had been anticipating this.
Reinhard was once again taken aback, as his divine protection of wind reading revealed the Subaru was telling the truth, but the redhead had never met someone named Shaula who bore such power.
Seeing the Sword Saint in thought, Subaru put his hand on the man's shoulder.
"Don't worry Rein, one day…" He trailed off as he noticed some troubling movement up ahead.
Upon closer inspection, Subaru's eyes widened, and panic found its way to the boy's face.
While everyone was chatting, Elsa had healed, having barely survived Shaula's onslaught. Though, even her healing could not completely undo all the damage. Her left arm seemed unusable, her right leg could barely bend, and her torso was sickle colored, nonetheless she still breathed. Taking up one final knife, she put all her strength into a throw aimed directly at Emilia's gut.
Not sticking around to see the aftermath, Elsa retreated as soon as she saw the Sword Saint.
Subaru quickly ran around Reinhard, leaving the latter confused until he saw Elsa throw her blade.
Shaula too was confused, but like Reinhard understood what was happening the moment the knife was thrown. Unfortunately for the two, by the time they realized, it was too late for them to do anything. It was all up to Subaru.
"Emilia-tan, behind you!"
Emilia looked behind her upon hearing Subaru's warning. She saw the knife barreling towards her, but was too shocked to block it, hesitating for a few, crucial seconds.
Dammit Subaru thought, pushing his body to meet the blade, I said I will save everyone and get my happy ending, and I meant it.
With determination in his eyes, Subaru tensed his legs and jumped.
For one horrible second, Subaru thought he over jumped. His fears were unfounded, as he saw the blood splattering from his stomach where the knife had drawn a line in.
Seeing the knife on the floor, now harmless, Subaru collapsed while smiling. He was happy that he could prevent anyone else's death.
"Master!"
"Subaru!"
"Subaru!"
A trio of voices sang in Subaru's ears as he felt his conscience fading. Forcing his eyes upon, he saw three pairs of eyes looking at him in worry. One pair a bright, comforting blue, the other a deep forest green with red dots burning in it, and the final a pair of beautiful amethyst-colored ones.
"Why, why save me. Why protect me, a stranger?" A voice like a silver bell cried out in sadness, as it began to heal Subaru.
"Because...protect...save...all...you." Was all Subaru could say before his conscience faded into the moonlight.
Author Notes:
Thanks for the support everyone, appreciate you all!
Wow, my fingers hurt after that. Word of advice: Don't write for 5 hours straight, yeah.
Huge shoutout to Oteycri000, a god who beta read and revised this to turn it into something awesome. Check them out, they also have some really good fanfics.
Updates are gonna be slow for a little bit, I got finals starting Tuesday.
Anyways, does anyone else play arknights? CC#3 got me losing irl sanity
Also, Lucid Dreams Remix is fire.
That is all for now, see you all next time!
-twisted