In the pitch-black void, Natsumi opened her eyes.
Maybe 'open' wasn't the proper phrase. She had no eyes, or hands, or feet, or mouth, or any other part of her body. She was nothing more than a mere consciousness. Unknown of where she was or what she was.
She turned her non-existent neck and surveyed the room with her phantom eyes. There was only nothing to greet her senses. She had no idea if that was because she had no senses, or if there was just nothing here.
But it didn't matter, this place was just… nothing… to her brain. There was so much nothing that it defied thought. It didn't feel real.
Was she dead? Was she alive? Despite being unable to feel anything, there was something bugging her mind. A constant stream of words surrounded her. They repeated the same phrase, the same confession.
In this abyss of darkness, the same three words hammered into her mind nonstop. They were words of love, pure love, love so strong it suffocated her, invading every crevice of her consciousness and flooding her entire being with love.
Suddenly in the void of everlasting darkness, there was meaning.
A silhouette emerged from the shadows in front of her mind. Or was it behind her? It was slender and as pitch black as the rest of the void, the upper body was a human-like shaped fog.
Wait… she had no eyes, so why could she see this thing? Was it all a product of her imagination? Was she submerged in someone else's mind? What was happening to her? Why was it happening to her? So many questions whirled inside her mind but she didn't know the answer to any of them. All she felt was love.
The same three words were amplified. They brushed aside her consciousness, replacing her thoughts with nothing but love towards the mysterious shadow. She attempted to fight back, trying to force her mind to think about anything but it. It was a fruitless endeavor. The more she tried the stronger her feelings grew, the stronger her desire grew, the stronger her need grew.
Why had she been trying to resist? Why shouldn't she love the beautiful thing before her? Why shouldn't she long for it? Why shouldn't she lust for it? Why not? LOVE! Beautiful, wonderful love, why had she ever tried to resist this.
Natsumi wanted to weep, she wanted to weep at the unfairness of her situation, her inability to run with her legs and embrace the figure with her arms, to hold the figure in her arms and return their love. She cursed her uselessness and inability to fulfill her desires.
Desire continued to consume her. Deeper and deeper she fell into it, until the only thought in her mind was LOVE. LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELO-
A beam of light penetrated the world of everlasting darkness, opening a crack in the void of nothingness. Without a sound, the rip in space tore the world of eternal darkness apart dispelling the shadows away,
The light overcame Natsumi, taking her from the void and away from its LOVE.But as that glimmering light of life overtook her, Natsumi carved into herself the NEED to attain the keys to become one with her LOVE.
Two thoughts remained in her mind as she was banished away, two of the keys she needed to obtain.
Lust, wanting to become one with it.
Wrath, at the unfairness of being casted away.
Opening her eyes, Natsumi was greeted by a familiar sight.
"What's the matter? Why'd you suddenly space out?"
Ignoring the man, Natsumi observed her surroundings. She didn't pay attention to the brightness of the sun bearing down on her and overwhelming her eyes with light. A daze held her, preventing her from noticing the sun's rays.
"I'm back…" She had that single clear thought, before her mind fell to phantom glaciation. A creeping sensation ran up her limbs, it was like ice was covering her. Her eyes darted around, snow covered the landscape. The sun had disappeared, leaving a dark city street. Everyone around had become frozen sculptures. Her eyes soon stopped moving, locked in place by the cold. She shivered and tried to yell. But the moment she opened her mouth snow rushed in.
Natsumi dropped to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself. Before she could close her eyes and cower, a massive beast rose before her, taking shape in the heart of a glacial tempest. Puck. Why was he here? What had caused him to do this so soon? WHY? Had she hallucinated being released from torture? Was Puck still committing untold horrors and atrocity to her naked frozen body. Was she still back in the loot house?
What was real? Puck's glowing yellow eyes. Those were real… so real. So terrifyingly real. Why did they have to be real? Why did the pain of her blood freezing in her veins have to be real? WHY? Why couldn't coming home from the store with mayo in her hand be real? Why couldn't greeting her mother, and her father trying to choke her to death with a Natsuki Kenichi bear hug be reality? Why did this frozen hellscape have to be the only real thing?
Natsumi wanted to go back. She just wanted to go back. Tears dripped down her face, offering a tiny bit of warmth before they froze like everything else. A voice sounded in her ears. Was It Puck's, ridiculing all of her efforts?
That voice grew louder, and louder.
"shshshshshs." It was undefined. So far away.
"SHSHSHSHSH!" The blaring wind of the world-ending blizzard muffled it.
"HEY!" That wasn't Puck's voice. It was the fruit seller's. Natsumi was kneeling on the ground, tears dripping down onto the stone. Natsumi let her hands rest on the ground. The stone was cold. Was it supposed to be cold… or was that her mind? Natsumi looked up at the man. Bright sunlight filled her eyes. She shielded her eyes with her hand, then gazed around. Everything was fine, normal. But why...was she still so cold?
"Hey, are ya alright?" The green-haired appa merchant asked. She stood up with difficulty.
Natsumi stared at him a second longer, then ran, as fast as her legs could take her. She didn't pay attention to the man's voice, shouting at her from behind.
The only things on her mind was fear and terror at the thought that Puck could destroy the world whenever he wanted. With every step she took, she could hear her skin cracking from the cold. With every person she ran into, she could feel her arms falling and crumbling into fine powder.
She ran without direction. The only thing she knew was that she had to escape. If she was going towards the loot house or further away from it was something she didn't know, for her mind had more important things to think about.
"Why me!? I just wanted to eat some mayo, so WHY!? WHY WAS I BROUGHT TO THIS WORLD OF PSYCHOPATHS?"
"Who's that cat and why does he want to end the world!? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?"
"I just want to go back… I want to see mom and dad…"
Her mind was a mess. pleading to go back, as nostalgic memories and questions without an answer mixed in. She ran for an entire hour, attempting to organize her crumbling mind to no avail.
Everything began to change with one single encounter. A meeting that would turn her world upside down, for the best or the worst.
"Hey Miss, what're you doing?" A man's voice called out. She had no idea why she paid any attention to that voice. It was rough and… muffled?
Turning towards the voice's origin, she found a tall helmeted man with his back to the wall of a building. He wore a green vest with a cape of fur, leaving his abs and muscles on full display. In addition, he also wore sand-colored trousers with green sandals. His looks could only be described as one of a bandit, not giving a second thought to his own appearance.
But the most important detail of them all was his missing left arm.
"This is like the third time I've seen you. And I don't remember telling anyone that their stars were bad today. " Despite his uncaring attitude, Natsumi took a step backward, wary of him. She paid no attention to where she was going, but this man had observed her steps. With his looks, there was no doubt he was some sort of evildoer.
"Ahhhh," he sighed, "Not the first time a cute girl's tried to run away from me today. But I guess Princess didn't really run away from me. She just got bored. I get distracted for a second and she's gone. Y'know I always wonder, when we're in a city, why can't she just push me into a fountain or something instead of running away when I'm not looking." The helmeted man shrugged. Natsumi stood unable to figure out what to do.
Before she could speak the man stopped leaning against the wall and stood up, "Speaking of Princess..." The man looked her up and down, "Have you seen an orange-haired girl around here?"
Natsumi only shivered at his question. She had to hold in tears, and stop herself from taking off at a run to get away from Puck.
"Uhm, nothing? Huh okay, she's about yay high," he gestured, indicating her height, "She's got massive boobs. Like seriously, the biggest you've ever seen…" The man fell silent for a second, as if thinking about them.
He continued to look at her. "None of this rings a bell? Huh, normally the knockers and the orange hair does it. Uh, red dress?" Not receiving an answer, he continued.
"No… okay. She's kinda mean. Actually, forget about that, you wouldn't know unless you talked with her. You look like a dead man walking, she wouldn't look at you a second time. Or maybe she would. I've got no clue how she thinks. "
Natsumi froze. Not from the cold, but due to the man's attitude. "Haha," the man laughed, his relaxed aura unsettled Natsumi, and his words… deeply bothered her.
"Anyway you'll get over it." He laughed a bit more. "Ehehe, don't look so pale, I'm just messin' with you. Still though you might need a jacket. Also the slums are just a few streets ahead. Turn left at that corner, then right, and keep walking straight." It was like he knew her exact intentions.
Natsumi remained silent, observing the suspicious man. She took another step backward, now convinced that he had nothing but bad intentions.
Yet, something in the back of her head told her not to escape from him. For some reason she didn't understand, she obeyed.
"N-no. I… I want to get away. Not go back." She mustered courage and managed to speak. She fought against her own imagination, forcing her mind to shut up about sensations that weren't there.
Her mouth wasn't full of snow and ice. It wasn't.
"Running, cool. Have fun with that." The man responded. He scratched the back of his helmet and muttered something, low enough that his helmet muffled all sound, not letting Natsumi hear a single word.
Natsumi didn't know how to respond. Did he just say something about her? She just muttered, "T-Thanks."
"This might sound weird, but do you know someone named Satella?"
"Satella?" Natsumi replied, confused about the sudden question.
"It's all your fault." Ice crystals appeared on her spilled gu-
Natsumi repressed her memories to the deepest part of her mind, managing to focus on reality instead of collapsing on the spot.
"Seems like you do. Another weird question…" He leaned in closer to her. "Did you feel anything weird around the silver-haired girl? Any odd aura that made you feel like you just wanted to love her, but the love felt like you were being violated?"
Natsumi didn't say anything at first. Her mind wanted to say no immediately. But her heart held her. Why did her heart flinch at the man's words? It didn't matter as the feeling soon disappeared.
"No," she finally said.
"Aight, now you should ask that silver-haired girl her name. There's only two people who would use that name, and it seems like you met the nice one." The man walked past her, turning back one more time.
"Have fun in this world, kid. Don't treat this like a game and, most importantly, try not to die." The man walked off. His voice made it sound like he wouldn't care all that much if she lived or not.
Natsumi remained there for a few seconds, stunned. Could she really believe his words? Having fun in this world… As if that was possible. A chill ran down her spine, it wasn't from any memory of Puck's torture.
Her mind caught on Puck's torture, instead of the man. Sa-Whatever was she called, was at fault, right? She had to be. The contractor always chooses the terms of the contract. It had to work like this. The contractor is always the one in power, right?
"Where even am I…" It was now that she spared a thought to her location. The helmeted warrior said she was walking in circles… Was she so distraught she didn't even care as to where she walked?
Inspecting her surroundings, she realized the scene was familiar. An old street with cobblestone buildings, devoid of life.
"Ah, this… I walked here with Reinhard. We met not far away from here." The realization brought the sight of the red-haired swordsman to her mind. The memories of the time they passed together calmed her.
She took out her phone, intending to inspect the gallery. However, as she was about to touch the icon, she faltered and put it back in her pocket.
"Time has gone back, so it won't be there. Going back in time… If only I didn't need to…" Her words stuck in her throat.
"Need to…" She attempted to voice the reality she had experienced but failed. It didn't feel real. The dead don't come back to life.
If only she could dismiss everything as a hallucination… One part of her brain told her to refuse it, that she can't come back to life and manipulate time. The other told her to accept reality. That she was cursed with immortality. She gulped and finally said it.
"Need to die." That was the truth, there was no other explanation. Too vivid to be a dream. Too real for an illusion. Thus, the explanation she arrived at was that she had been gifted with that ability.
"Going back in time when I die… Why? Why can't I use it with any other method!? Why do I have this curse!?" She fell to the ground clawing her arms, a fine trail of blood down her arms. A few tears dropped to the ground.
"I never wanted any of this… Let me go back… I want to read manga in my room…" Alone in an unknown world, with a terrible ability that only served to drain her sanity, she cried.
A minute later, she stood up, her legs trembling. She walked next to a nearby building and lied next to it.
"If the elf goes there, she'll die. If I know this happens, I should stop it, right? That's what any citizen would do, call the police if they know a crime will happen."
Natsumi gazed at the sky, before lowering her gaze and slapping her cheeks. She opened her eyes, this time with a determined gaze. However, it didn't last for long.
"But… Where can I find a knight?" As determined as she was, what was the point if she had no idea of where to find someone to stop the assassin? She had no idea of how much time she wasted running around, so she needed to be fast.
"Are you in need of my assistance?" A calm voice called out. Next to Natsumi stood Reinhard the Sword Saint, clad in his white knightly outfit with the Dragon Sword at his waist.
"Reinhard!?" She had thought about him, but to come so quick… Oh, right, the place they first met wasn't far away. He must have been patrolling like before.
"Hello, miss. Don't be too shocked. I don't want to cause you any trouble. I saw you in need so I want to do what little I can to help. Though I apologize if this is an inconvenience and you'd like me to leave." Reinhard said.
Natsumi recoiled at his knightly attitude. But a second later she calmed down. Someone who could help her was here. She forced a smile with hope in her heart.
"Reinhard. You're the Sword Saint, so you're strong, right?" She asked.
"If it is needed, then yes. I am strong."
"Alright. Can you help me? There's something I have to stop." As if sensing the feelings she attempted to repress, Reinhard straightened up, waiting for her to continue.
"I can't explain it, but someone will die if you don't do anything. And if she does, the capital will get frozen and everyone will die."
Reinhard remained silent for her entire explanation. Once she finished, he put his hand on the sword at his waist and announced.
"I understand. Please, tell me where the murder will happen."
Natsumi was stunned for a split second, before regaining her composure and pushing the question of why Reinhard believed her without asking anything. He was nice… but this much?
"A loot house in the slums. I know where it is, so can I go with you?"
"It would be my pleasure, Miss..." Reinhard said, once more holding his hand next to his chest, his words drifting off as he awaited for Natsumi to give him her name.
"Natsuki Subaru. That's my name. But you can call me Natsumi." She formally introduced herself. For the sake of all the innocents in Puck's way.
"Is this the loot house, Miss Natsumi?" Reinhard said.
"Yes, it's this one." Natsumi felt… hope at the situation. No metallic clangs, no stench of blood… It all seemed normal.
"Huh, this place. Ah, that's where I remember it from," Reinhard whispered to himself. Natsumi didn't fully hear him. She was too busy thinking about what would happen with Reinhard here.
Reinhard would stop the assassin and she would leave without meeting the elf. Or perhaps she could ask him to kill the spirit too… Puck was also at fault.
As well as Satella, or whatever her name truly was, for making that stupid contract. And Puck for going along with it. Murdering civilians just because the girl died, torturing them for fun.
"Are you fine Miss Natsumi?"
"Heh?" Caught off guard, Natsumi quickly composed herself. "Yes, just a little worried, nothing else."
Reinhard kept gazing at her, before smiling and knocking on the loot house's door.
"For a rat…" A gravely, old voice asked from behind the door. Reinhard remained silent for a second before finally answering.
"Poison."
"For a white whale…"
"A harpoon."
"To the noble dragon we are…"
"Shitbags."
"How did you know the password?" Asked Natsumi as she heard the sound of various locks from behind the door.
"I have the Divine Protection of Password Guessing." Reinhard answered.
"S-Sounds useful," Natsumi muttered. She had more important things to think about than Reinhard's skill at guessing passwords.
The door finally unlocked, it was opened with enough force that made it look like it had been kicked open. But Reinhard had predicted this and moved Natsumi and himself back two steps to avoid taking any damage.
Natsumi's eyes widened in surprise, and reflected within them was a red-faced old man glaring at the duo from the doorway.
He was too tall for the door and he must have been at least 3 meters in height, however, his hunched posture made him look shorter.
He was bald and had a large build, his face was riddled with wrinkles that made him look like he had been through years of service and his eyes looked as if they held countless pearls of wisdom. He wore ragged garments that looked as if they had been stained brown through years of dust and sweat. A disgusting sight.
Contrary to his appearance, he did not look frail in the slightest. Under his clothes was a very fit and muscular body. With hulking arms that dragged on the ground, making him look more like a gorilla rather than an old man.
He inspected both the shining swordsman and the weirdly dressed woman, before letting both pass inside. Now having the time to inspect the old building, Natsumi took note of her surroundings. Shelves full of old books, weapons, and other various objects. A wooden counter with a massive club behind, as well as a golden-haired girl sitting at a table.
"Old man Rom, who are they?" She asked.
"I'm Reinhard van Astrea of the Royal Knights of Lugunica. I've be-" Before he could finish, the young girl stood up from her seat, pointing at the knight with a face full of rage.
"A royal knight? DON'T JOKE WITH ME! NON-"
"Felt, calm down. He must have a reason to be here, don't you?" The giant interrupted the girl's burst of wrath, while also being careful of the knight's intentions, "And an Astrea as well. Always has to be an Astrea doesn't it. Why does the world have to keep rubbing in my face how much Libre was right?" The giant rambled off to himself while scratching his chin.
Natsumi didn't respond to the man's ramblings, instead she asked, "You stole an insignia from a girl, right? Someone else also wants it and will kill you."
The old man, Rom, moved away from the door, taking a seat near the wooden club, still paying attention to the duo. After Natsumi explained what they were here for, Felt seemed to calm down and sat once again.
"Fine. You can do whatever ya want with that assassin, but leave the buyer alone." She said as she waved her hand at the knight, not wanting to have anything to do with him.
As Reinhard inspected the various weapons in the loot house, Natsumi approached Felt. She had to know why she would leave her alone in that alleyway. She was in a hurry, but so much she couldn't even tell a guard about it?
"Whatcha want?" Felt asked as Natsumi came closer. "You're with the Astrea, are ya a noble too?"
"No. I knew about this and he offered to help…" Answered Natsumi, taking note of Felt's obvious hatred for the nobility.
"Then ya were lucky. Not a single other knight would bat an eye if any of us died." Natsumi frowned at her words. Such obvious discrimination was alien to her. But this wasn't the comfortable modern world she was used to, but a ruthless imitation of a fantasy world where you could die at any moment.
"That's why I took this job. I would get 20 Holy Coins just for stealing an insignia. With so much money Old Man Rom and I could finally get out of this shithole. Ya can save us as much as ya want but ya won't get in my way of leaving this place."
Natsumi forced a smile on her face. While Felt was working so hard to escape the harsh conditions she lived in, she…
Before she could finish with that train of thought, the rooftop broke and a shadow came lunging downwards towards the two youths. She blinked, and all she could see was Reinhard's shining white uniform in front of her.
Holding a sharp, curved knife in his hand, Reinhard's massive strength held a curvy woman in midair. She let go of her hold on the knife, graciously falling to the ground as Reinhard inspected the weapon before throwing it to the ground.
"Felt!" Rom's voice made both Felt and Natsumi come back to their senses. She took a quick look at the weapon in the ground and trembled with fear. If not for Reinhard's help, Felt would have been killed before she could even realize it.
She had been an instant away from sure death.
Noticing Natsumi frozen in fear, Felt shook her shoulders to grab her attention. It worked, and both girls retreated to the back of the loot house, next to the giant now holding the club, wary of the intruder.
"Ara. It seems the little thief exposed our little secret. Should have expected this from a simple slum rat." She took another knife from the inside of her coat, and pointing with it at Felt, she said: "As punishment, I'll feast on your bowels."
Reinhard briefly touched the handle of his sword before adopting a fighting stance with his bare fists.
"Black hair, black clothes, a blade unique to the cold lands of Gusteko, and an obsession with bowels. There is no mistaking those characteristics. You are the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert."
"And you… Red, blazing hair with a sword with dragon scratches. You must be the current Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea. How remarkable, having all my opponents be so much fun." As soon as she finished she lunged forward, striking Reinhard's neck with precision and speed. All Reinhard did was put his arm up in between her blade and his throat. Her knife bounced off his hand, not even cutting his clothes. Reinhard's other hand snapped up and wrapped around Elsa's wrist. Reinhard yanked her toward him then launched a kick into her stomach.
Elsa's face twisted in pleasure as her body rocketed back. While in mid-air she was able to twist her body into a new position, and land against the wall, almost defying gravity. In the brief second Elsa was hanging on the wall she drew a second knife. Brandishing it, she launched toward Reinhard. As soon as Elsa got close, Reinhard slapped her across the face, sending her flying into the wall. This time she wasn't able to change positions while flying.
Splinters went flying as Elsa's back slammed into the wall.
"MMH!" Elsa moaned, "Incredible!"
She brought her arm up and threw her knife, sending it flying toward Reinhard. He did nothing, standing there with a slight smile. The dagger continued flying toward him. Right when it got close to him its trajectory switched, and it flew into the ceiling. Reinhard hadn't even moved.
The casual display of power didn't stop Elsa, who once again struck at Reinhard. He caught her third blade and slammed his palm forward. The shockwave from his air strike pushed the woman off-balance. Elsa regained her footing fast, then sent a flurry of blows at Reinhard, the man dodged each one with ease.
"BRILLIANT! Even better than what the rumors say… Won't you use that sword at your waist? I would love to experience its sharpness," Elsa moaned.
Reinhard's face didn't change as he said, "I'm sorry but this sword can only be drawn when it deems an opponent worthy."
"So I'm being underestimated? I'll have to do my best, then." Then, Elsa sped up. She struck at Reinhard, then jumped away before he could counter. She did it again and jumped to the left. Again, the floor. Again, the ceiling. Again, the wall.
Natsumi's sight couldn't keep up anymore. Observing the beginning was already hard, but now it was impossible. Elsa was simply too fast. She could no longer see her, only a dark afterimage.
Elsa struck from the ceiling. Time slowed to a crawl and she could see everything. Elsa wasn't lunging towards Reinhard but towards her.
Why could she see it so clearly? Was she about to die again? In fear, she closed her eyes as Elsa slowly approached.
The next instant, she heard a loud thump. She opened her eyes, and all she saw was Reinhard's blazing red hair. A gush of blood came from Elsa's arm, and time resumed its normal course. Elsa took a few steps backward, holding her right arm with her left hand, staining it of blood as her right arm had been cut from the elbow.
"I must admit it was a good strategy. Attempting to distract me by using the blade in the ceiling while actually attacking the defenseless civilians behind me." Reinhard said as he inspected the blade he had stolen from the assassin.
"A fight with the Sword Saint is a unique experience. But Mama will punish me if I don't finish this job."
"Then let us end this quickly. Miss Natsumi, if you and the others would please take shelter it would be much appreciated."
Nodding silently Natsumi guided a very obedient Felt and Rom to the stray corner of the loot house. The tone of Reinhard's voice, and the change in the atmosphere of the room keeping their lips shut.
Turning his head back to the assassin Reinhard spoke.
"You already know my name, but let me introduce myself by the proper knightly way. I am Reinhard van Astrea, Sword of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica." His steel-blue eyes brimmed with confidence as he held the borrowed dagger in his hand in a low stance.
"The Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert." Elsa introduced herself, with a lick of her lips, twirling the remaining knife in her left hand.
"Before I begin," Reinhard said, "I would like to give a final warning. Miss Elsa, if you don't give up then I will kill you."
Elsa giggled, "Better you kill me once than Mama makes me wish I could die a thousand times over." The woman didn't back down.
Reinhard's eyes dropped for a second, and he said, "That settles that then."
His grip tightened on the sword and an overwhelming aura enveloped the room.
In this place that had almost been turned into a ruin, the assassin dressed in black and the lightly dressed hero stood opposite each other.
Blue globes of light rushed into the room, appearing almost out of nowhere. They glowed a radiant blue bordering on white. Natsumi's bones vibrated and a whale's call sounded in her ears. The light hovered around the room for a moment before Reinhard took a step forward. His foot went right through the wood. A pressure came across the room, as if the world's gravity had doubled.
Natsumi couldn't help but gulp at the brilliance of the scene. It was as if it came straight out of the pages of a manga.
Seeing Reinhard, glowing with those brilliant vibrant blues and whites, as pure energy focused around him, Natsumi could almost believe that this was the world she had fantasized about.
As both parties stood in the center of the room, nobody moved a muscle.
Until suddenly there was a breathless scream in the air. Elsa had made the first move.
Holding her remaining knife in her left hand she dashed at imperceptible speeds, her right arm still regenerating and all other injuries now gone.
However, before the tip of the blade could even touch him, Reinhard raised his empty hand. A forcefield of light blocked Elsa's attack. It weighed her down, keeping her to the earth like an anchor.
A moment later Reinhard raised his other hand, the one with Elsa's knife in it. Pointing it straight into the air, all of the light forged together, focusing on the blade. For a single brief instant, the room was dark, aside from the glowing knife.
In that breath something beautiful stood before Natsumi. A single paragon in this horrible world. The one thing that hadn't tried to break her.
Reinhard van Astrea, glowed with light and strength. His muscles tensed. Natsumi had no idea how she even noticed it, but she did. And then, Reinhard struck.
Light filled the room. The constant cold that had stayed with Natsumi since her last death disappeared. In that single blessed moment full of so much light Natsumi didn't feel afraid, or terrified. It was a breath of peace.
Then the light faded, leaving behind an aftershock that even warped the atmosphere. A raging wind blew through the loot house or what remained of it.
The surging wind enveloped the loot house, launching the furniture, and scrap wood violently tossing them about. Natsumi's instincts took over and she desperately tried to hold on to Felt, covering the small girl to protect her from the stray debris.
She endured the wind and the pain. Finally, the storm faded, and the sounds of the loot and wood that were being flung about falling to the ground in addition to the dull sound of the building creaking announced that it was over.
Tossing aside some stray rubble. Natsumi checked on the little girl cowering in her arms. It seemed like Natsumi's cover was enough to keep her unharmed. Turning her head to the corner of the room she found the old man leaning in the corner. It seemed like some stray rubble had hit his head knocking the giant unconscious, but it was nothing too serious.
Once she had confirmed the safety of the two inhabitants she worked so hard to protect, Natsumi finally turned her head to the man standing in the center.
After the dust settled all that stood was Reinhard, his clothing as spotless as when she first met him. His handsome visage illuminated by the light of the blue moon his face held a sorrowful look.
As reality set in, she let out a sigh of relief. Surely Elsa couldn't have survived that. The strength of her legs faltered as she fell to the ground, all the pent-up exhaustion catching up to her.
Natsumi didn't notice it at first but she was covered in bruises and had scrapes all throughout her body. The fabric of her torn pajamas clung to her body, soaked with blood. Her once pristine jet black hair tangled in knots, barely covering her scuffed-up face.
"Big sis are you alright!?" Felt said, rushing towards Natsumi's side, her crimson eyes welling up with tears.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Natsumi said as she tried her best to push a smile to her face.
Doing her best to soothe the worries of the little girl, she ran her hands through her golden locks as she gently patted her head.
Natsumi was of course not all right. She was in great pain and was struggling to breathe as the cold air was hitting her open cuts and wounds, once more reminding her once more of Puck's torture.
The only reason she didn't collapse on the spot was that she didn't want to make Felt cry. However, her cheap facade quickly started to fade as she caught sight of a strand of silver. Her eyes widened in horror and her breathing became rougher as she recognized the two approaching figures: A silver-haired elf and her feline spirit.
"You should ask that silver-haired girl her name." She remembered the words of the helmeted stranger. Despite that, fear took the best of her.
For a split second, Puck's eyes flashed yellow. A blizzard appeared around him, and his cute features turned menacing. The sensations she had managed to repress so far returned at full force and she had to hug herself from trembling further, her nails digging into her skin drawing even more blood. An act that didn't go unnoticed by the girl at her side.
"Big Sis!?" She paid no heed to Felt's worry, instead attempting to convince her mind that the pain wasn't real. That her body wasn't being frozen over, that she wasn't cracking...not again, she didn't want to die.
As the elf approached the destroyed building, Puck took notice of the trembling girl. Noticing his gaze, Natsumi attempted to stand up and run, as a primal part of her instincts took over the logical part of her brain, with only one goal in mind: Survival. However, her hasty escape was cut short as soon as she attempted to run, as her fragile body was unable to keep up with the burden.
Exhausted and in absolute fear, her mind shut down to protect herself.
The last sight she witnessed was the approaching footsteps of the silver-haired elf.
As Reinhard exited the loot house, he heaved a sigh so faint no one noticed it. The once sharp blade in his hand was ground into fine dust from the sheer force of his attack.
His handsome profile was rather despondent as he observed the wreckage caused by his recent battle, grimacing as he observed the damage caused by his attack incompetence.
While anyone who looked at it would call it a brilliant performance, from his subjective viewpoint, his inadequacy brought him much disappointment that words were unable to describe it.
"I failed once again, I'm sorry grandmother..."
Done inspecting the destroyed loot house, Rein turned his head to find a faint blue light in the distance. A silver-haired woman was crouching over the collapsed Natsumi, as water-like waves came from her hand administering healing.
"You're the girl who stole my insignia, right? Can I have it back now?" The girl put on an expression that was probably meant to be a fierce one, "If you give it back I won't do anything bad."
Felt giggled a little at the girl's poor attempt at intimidation and said, "Thanks for healing Big Sis and the old man, sorry. You can have it back. I shouldn't have agreed to stealing it." Rummaging inside the bag on her waist, she took the insignia she stole and threw it at the elf. Before it left her hand, it shined a bright red, something that didn't go unnoticed by Reinhard.
He rushed over to her, grabbing her arm with the most delicate touch possible and threw out a barrage of questions, "What's your name? Your age?" Felt attempted to break free in vain. With no other choice, she calmed down and answered.
"My name is Felt, and my age… I don't know my birthday! I'm fifteen I think?"
"Um… Reinhard-san, right? I know she stole from me but you don't need to punish her…" Hearing a silver bell-like voice, Reinhard turned his head, still firmly holding Felt's arm.
"Forgive me, Emilia-sama. But leaving this go unnoticed is something I cannot do. It is my honor as a knight."
"Huh? What do ya want with me? Just leave me alone! I gave her the insignia so all should be fine now!" Once more, she attempted to break free from Reinhard's firm hold.
"Go to hell, you think just because you saved…?" Her foul-mouthed response was interrupted as Reainhard put her hand right in front of her face. For a single moment he let his defective gate go to work. It drained mana from Felt's body, leaving her unconscious. Her head mysteriously slumped and her body went limp.
Gently putting the girl over his shoulders, Reinhard turned to Emilia.
Her eyebrows upturned in confusion and incomprehension as she looked at the shining insignia in her hands.
"Forgive this foul sight, Emilia-sama. But under no circumstance can I let this act go free." Reinhard said as he bent down to pick up Natsumi as well, now carrying two girls, one on each shoulder.
"Miss Natsumi wanted to return your insignia. The one who paid for it to be stolen pretended to murder both of you. Do not fret, the Bowel Hunter has already been dealt with." As soon as Reinhard said those words, a group of debris rumbled with the nearly naked figure of Elsa coming from them, soon retreating to safety after locking eyes with Reinhard for a split second.
"Forgive me. It appears I failed to finish her off." Reinhard said, looking down. Emilia shook her head and answered.
"Don't worry, Reinhard. You saved me, and that's all that matters. But, if she wanted to give my insignia back, why…" Her words drifted off as she looked at the ground in shame.
"I could feel worry, anxiety, and fear from Miss Natsumi. After the Bowel Hunter was seemingly defeated, it all turned into tiredness. It has nothing to do with you, Emilia-sama." Reinhard calmed down the depressed half-elf. He omitted the bit about Natsumi's spike in fear he felt, not directed towards Emilia-sama but towards the Great Spirit at her side.
"Emilia-sama." A petite pink-haired maid called out to Emilia from behind. "The carriage is ready."
"Oh, Ram. I'll be going now." Emilia said as she gave one last look at Natsumi before turning back.
"I'm sure Roswaal-sama will want to give Miss Natsumi a reward." Reinhard called out to the two girls. "I'll organize a visit to his mansion in a few days."
"Understood, Sword Saint-sama. I'll communicate your intentions to Roswaal-sama." Ram turned back and bowed with elegance before accompanying Emilia to the carriage she had prepared.
Once the duo was out of Reinhard's sight, he calmly gazed at the setting sun.
"It seems this Royal Selection will be a long one." He started the trip back to his residence, carrying both unconscious girls. The effect this would have on the world was unknown to everyone.
AN: Words cannot describe Bob's help. The man just takes what we write and makes it 3 times better.