A Dog Is a Man's Best Friend

Subaru panicked- he could hear the sound of rustling leaves, snapping underbrush, and the aggressive growling of an unknown but entirely too high number of dogs. The 'witch beasts', as Ram had called them, were approaching entirely too quickly.

'Think, think, think!'

Subaru hastily surveyed his surroundings. He had to do something if he wanted to avoid getting eaten alive.

'Yeah, that's probably not a good way to go… Nothing. There's nothing here!'

He redoubled his efforts in desperation. The surrounding terrain was even and relatively featureless- with no places to hide or items he could use to his advantage. It was just him, the trees, a light ground covering of plant life, and vicious beasts lusting after his flesh.

'…unless?'

It was a long shot, but it was better than waiting for death. Subaru looked up, dropped his pack of crystals to the ground, and immediately began climbing the tree he had placed a barrier stone on. Thanking his prior self for taking gym periods seriously, he steadied himself on a sturdy branch high up off the forest floor and tried to conceal himself in the canopy. As he did so, several packs of dogs came into view, all of them stopping several meters away from the base of the tree.

'That was close,' Subaru thought, looking down at them.

The dogs, still keeping well away from the tree itself, began circling it- furiously sniffing the air and ground as they did so. On occasion, they would glance in the tree's direction and begin to follow what was probably an obvious trail, only to convulse slightly and point their heads back towards the ground.

'What? Do I smell that bad? I guess dogs do have a good sense of smell…'

After some time, the dogs dispersed, clearly disappointed with their lack of a meal. For what were basically magically powered-up wolves, they were surprisingly emotive in a way reminiscent of domesticated dogs. Subaru, shaking slightly from his rush of adrenaline, climbed down from the tree. After carefully looking around him for any sign of danger, he proceeded in his task of placing crystals while keeping a much closer eye on where he was stepping. His frayed nerves kept him on edge for the rest of his hike, though upon reaching its conclusion he let himself relax a little.

"Finally. The last one…" said Subaru, as he placed the final crystal. With a quiet sigh of relief, he began trying to figure out how he would go about locating his-

Rustle* *Rustle*

Without thinking, he began scrambling up the nearest tree, pushing his fatigued body as hard as he could to escape whatever predator was closing in on him.

'Come on, faster, I can't afford to lose more time! That sound was way too close!'

Urging himself forward, Subaru practically jumped at a nearby branch, stretching his entire body upwards to grasp it before he… didn't.

'Shi-'

He flailed his arms uselessly as he tumbled backwards off of the tree, painfully landing on his ass and back- knocking the wind from him. He struggled to get back on his feet, the dogs a much greater concern than his bruised butt, but failed to do so. He heard more sounds of the beasts' approach. The various noises became louder; they couldn't be more than a few meters away.

Subaru reflexively closed his eyes and covered his head with his hands, rolling into a ball in a useless, pathetic attempt to shield himself and preserve his life a few moments longer.

Rustle* *Rustle*

'I… I… they are going to eat-'

"…"

"…"

When… nothing.

"What? Why didn't…" Subaru, with a confused, yet relived voice, muttered to himself as he opened his eyes and uncurled his body to meet the predators who had inexplicably spared him.

But he wasn't met with dogs. He was meet with the figure of Ram standing arms crossed, wearing an expression halfway between disgust and disappointment.

"What are you doing? Idiot…" said Ram, sighing in exasperation.

'Wait, I have to explain, or I will fall lower than I already am in her esteem!'

"To be fair–"

Ram curtly interrupted him as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know what, we don't have the time for that, stand up."

The two Roswaal workers were behind a bush looking at the open space ahead of them.

"So, if I count correctly, there are three, four…" said Subaru while squinting his eyes.

"Four dogs and a puppy. It's most likely the shaman." responded Ram flatly, cutting him off.

"The puppy is a shaman? Are you sure? He looks pretty weak…"

"I don't remember you being strong enough to underestimate your opponents, Subaru,

especially seeing how pathetically you reacted to me earlier."

"I was just… I just… I guess you are right. So, what's your plan?"

Subaru wanted to complain, but deep inside he knew he was at fault. He truly acted pitifully, and he understood that even if Ram's words were harsh, she was giving good advice. He had to prove himself- he had to show her what he was made of, and he knew actions spoke louder than words.

'I have to prove myself. I can't stay as pathetic as I am.'

With a sigh, Ram answered, "I will take care of the shaman, and you will take care of the other dogs." Her voice shifted into a tone likely intended to be harsher than it was, "Try not to die. Dragging back your dead body would be bothersome, so it would remain wherever you pathetically fell."

Subaru, seeing an opportunity to prove himself, jumped on it directly.

"I will accept your request! Witness now how Natsuki Subaru slays those stupid dogs in one awesome combo!"

"I just said that you shouldn't underestimate your opponents, and I don't remember giving you a say in the matter," rebuked Ram.

'Damn, she can't even let me have my moment of glory.'

"We are not here to get you a moment of glory, we are here to save Rem."

"Wait, did I say that out loud?"

"No, but you are not smart enough to have complex thoughts."

Subaru realized he had been outwitted, and that, once again, she was right. This was not a game. Even if they survived the upcoming encounter, Rem would surely die if they failed to kill the shaman while they had the chance.

'She always seems to be right. She is stronger, smarter, and cooler than I am… but still. It's because she is so awesome that I can't afford to look pathetic at her side and embarrass her.'

"No matter what you say, I am going to show you what I can do. I am going to show you how cool Natsuki Subaru can be!"

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!"

'Why did I brag earlier!? These dogs are stronger than expected, and they are fucking smart!'

Subaru had been pushed back near the edge of the cliff by the dogs' coordinated, pack-like maneuvers. While he had, surprisingly, killed two dogs during his slow retreat, another two were still closing in on him. He charged at one, slashing at it with his sword, but his attack didn't go as he expected: the dog bit the sword and refused to let go.

"Stop it, you fucking dog! Let go!"

While Subaru was occupied with the first dog, the second one took the opportunity to attack. Subaru, sensing this, He instinctively tried to brandish his sword towards the threat, applying as much force as he could, but the sword remained stuck as the dog merely bite harder in response. The dog's paws began to lift off the ground as Subaru desperately tried to free his sword with strength alone, but he quickly realized raw muscle would not be enough. With a loud cry, he changed tactics, and leveraged his position to swing the sword, mutt still attached, like a baseball bat- intending to launch his second-degree grappler at its pack-mate.

Clank!*

The dog flew at his brother, taking half of the sword with him, but the second dog dodged and landed at the edge of the cliff.

The dog flew at his brother, taking half the sword with him, and landed at the cliff edge as the second dog dashed out of the way.

'I can't believe they broke the sharpest sword!'

"Fucking dogs, you are going to pay for that!" Subaru screamed and charged head on into the dog who broke his sword, forcing him off the cliff with a kick.

"Now it's your turn!"

On the other side of the clearing, the surrounding terrain was in tatters. Large voids pot-marked the ground; the material that had existed there repurposed into jagged spikes of rock and thick, earthen walls. Rubble from dozens of hastily erected stone formations littered the ground, and coarse dust filled both the surrounding air and Ram's mouth. She spat a clump of dirt to the ground in disgust as she tried to catch her breath and plan her next move, all the while never taking her increasingly narrowed eyes off the opponent she faced. What had once been a puppy had transformed into a massive monster, which towered over and dwarfed Ram at more than three times her height. She dodged the ulgarm's paw by jumping back; the beast had wounds all over its bulk, but nothing fatal.

'I don't have much mana left, I have to finish this quickly, should I use it? …That would use up all my remaini-, no. I have to save Rem. Every second is precious. I don't have the luxury to think about my self. Rem, wait a little longer- Nee-Sama will definitely save you this ti-'

"Hukk…!"

Ram, lost in her thoughts, and only focusing on her opponent face, didn't see the ulgram's tail until it hit her on her side. She was thrown away several meters, but she immediately stood back up and checked her condition.

'I should be alright. I have one or two broken ribs, but I don't think it managed to curse me, not that it matters.'

"You win beast, but Nee-Sama will show you some pity and remove you from this world, so be grateful," Said Ram while wearing a sinister grin.

The ulgarm, sensing the determination in her eyes, went on the defensive. He started creating a dirt wall to shield himself from Ram's onslaught of spells. Ram got into her casting position, and took out her magic wand.

"AL – fUR-"

"Come here, you damn dog!"

Subaru and the remaining dog had resorted to circling each other, as their initially pitched combat had reached a stalemate. Their eyes locked on one another, they both knew that any wrong move could prove to be fatal. However, it was clear this state of equilibrium was temporary, and, with narrowing eyes, they came to an unspoken agreement between warriors. Subaru leapt towards the dog, and so did the dog towards Subaru. Neither of them had a complex strategy, both preferring direct combat than any sort of subterfuge. Over the course of the few minutes they had fought, a begrudging respect had formed between them.

The dog clawed at Subaru, but Subaru was faster and dodged to the side. The dog tried to turn his head to attack with a bite, but it was too late: Subaru had already stabbed his stomach with what was left from his sword. The dog fell to the ground, unable to stand given its severe wounds. Gazing down at the fallen warrior in front of him, Subaru calmly crossed his arms over his chest.

And then…

"-magnifi- Wait, what the hell am I saying!? Burn in hell, you mangy mutt!"

The bleeding dog looked up at Subaru and attempted to growl in response, but the blood seeping into it's throat and lungs caused the sound to resemble more of a high pitched gurgle than anything threatening. Subaru, meanwhile, gazed at his defeated rival with satisfaction, until he heard a sudden, sharp impact reverberate behind him. He turned his head to see Ram struggling to her feet, clearly in pain, but something else caught his attention. Another pack of witch beasts were coming from the forest, and were heading towards Ram.

"RAM!" shouted Subaru, as he ran towards her.

But she didn't hear him, Ram was completely absorbed in her fight with the massive beast facing her. She was about to unleash her spell when she realized her mistake- her inattention had given the unexpected witch beast reinforcements an opportunity to strike. She saw them bearing down upon her in her peripheral vision, and instinctively knew she had lost the fight before it had even begun.

'What?! Wait… I- I don't have the time to… Rem, I'm-'

It was too late.

Ram, deep in despair, lapsed in focus. Her aborted spell misfired and fizzled, sending moderate shock-waves through the ground. As she prepared to meet her end, she felt something slam into her from the side. That something was Subaru.

'-so… Wait, why did this idiot… w- wait. What?'

They didn't hit the ground.

The source of her confusion quickly pivoted off of Subaru's irrational behavior and onto the fact that they had not yet hit the ground.

The shaman's haphazard use of earth magic had destabilized the entire area, and Ram's undirected wind magic had caused the nearby cliff face to completely collapse. Subaru hugged Ram to protect her as they both tumbled down the steep drop-off, bouncing off falling debris and the wall of the cliff face alike.

The bottom was getting closer.

"FULA!"

Ram unleashed a spell to soften the landing, but it was clear to her that it would not be enough.

They slammed into the rocks below, and were blessed with darkness.

A few hours later.

Ram opened her eyes slowly- she felt pain throughout her whole body, though she absent-mindedly noted she was unexpectedly warm. She tried to move her hands to check her condition, but soon realized that she couldn't move.

Her entire body was enveloped in Subaru's embrace; her arms pinned to her side with unexpected strength.

"Subaru."

She tried to call out to him.

"Subaru… get off m-"

She would have continued what she was going to say but, when she adjusted herself to get a look at his face, she went cold. He wasn't awake, and more importantly, he was bleeding from the side of his head.

'Unacceptable.'

"Subaru!" She spoke loudly and forcefully, attempting to hide the growing tones of panic and worry with volume alone.

'He… protected me but…'

He remained unresponsive. She could tell he was still alive, as she could hear and feel his shallow breathing. She could only hope he would remain that way. With her mana almost completely drained and the boy's grip restraining her movement, if he died, she would remain pinned under both his weight and the rubble surrounding them.

'Why?'

Still in Subaru's tight embrace, Ram, with sadness and incomprehension clearly audible in her voice, asked "I told you I wouldn't save you why… why did you do that? Why did you save me?"

Still wrapped tightly in Subaru's arms, Ram...

At this, the boy's eyes fluttered open for a moment. "I… told you… I would… chose… to save you…"Subaru whispered, his lips curling into a slight smile as he spoke.

"Disgusting. Remove your filthy hands from my body and go die." grumbled Ram, but at this distance, she couldn't hide her faint blush.

thank you all for reading the chapter

"some guy"(its his name) helped me correct the grammar mistakes, and plan the story, without him this story wouldn't be as it is now.

please comment on the story it helps me improve.

P.S. Give my friend (Ryuzu Smegma) a read "best joke by the way" his story "Smart:IF" is awesome and from what he told me no one is prepared for what's coming.