Chapter 28: Pandora part 3
Macragge: 3:00 hrs 24/11/1538
After last loop Subaru decided to postpone the date, Emilia agreed without resistance and now Subaru's plan was in motion and brought him to Macragge. He could see the now small city from afar, as a few yellow lights illuminated the station and other important buildings, many roads within where cut and awkward to transit due to the public works required for the sewers but he managed to arrive at William's workshop without hazard. He was received by Ivan and saw inside washed by yellow lights the many tables scattered about and three furnaces used for melting metal on his left while the rest of the heavy machinery was at the end of the room.
"William is resting, he's absolutely exhausted by your last hour request." Ivan said sounding somewhat tired guiding Subaru to a table covered by a veil.
"Tell him to take the day- no, the week off, he absolutely deserves it if this works." Subaru replied following him. "Same for you."
"Straight to business, you must also be tired." Ivan teased.
"I am, my sleep got interrupted." Subaru said matter of factly.
"Here it is." Ivan unveiled their work and above the table something resembling a bolt action rifle was shown.
It was a somewhat crude weapon, the stock was a metal tube bent into a triangle form, with no wooden parts as Subaru was expecting. The rest seemed to be better done and well machined, but he could still find some sharp edges in almost every corner.
"I know it's not as fancy as the images, but I can guaranty it works. We already tested it a few hours ago." Ivan tried to calm any doubts.
"I really want to see if it works, can we test it?" Subaru requested.
"We can…but I don't recommend it. We only managed to make 15 of these…bulls?" Ivan asked.
"Bullets." Subaru helped.
"Yes. Bullets, we only made 15…and used 2 for testing so that gives leaves you with 13." Ivan finished explaining as Subaru picked up the rifle and inspected it.
"Isn't this missing the moving parts these things have around here." Subaru asked pointing his finger at the place where the stock and barrel met.
"Yes. Maybe if we had 3 or 4 days we could have made it with a breach as of now push one bullet with this metal rod through the barrel." He finished explaining as he reached into a drawer "Also the bullets don't resemble the images…well the tip does, but the black powder is wrapped in paper, here the 13 left for use." He gave Subaru a box with the bullets and seemed eager for him to leave.
"Alright, I'll guess I leave now." Subaru said.
"Good. I'm real tired. Next time I don't think I accept such a request." Ivan said mockingly.
"Let's hope there is no next time." Subaru whispered to himself before leaving.
Irlam Village: 10:00 hrs. 24/11/1538
Subaru, Beatrice, Otto and Meili where the only ones to go investigate the anomaly, the rest being ordered to stay at the mansion where for now Subaru assumed they would be alright.
Meili extended her hands upwards and towards the forest with a rigid posture she was finding and controlling the mabeasts in the forest.
"If we are looking for something dangerous, why didn't we bring Garfield at least?" Otto asked Subaru.
"Because, for all I know whatever it is only you and I are immune to it, Beako gets to come with us because she can cast Shamac on herself and Meili to stop the illusions."
"Illusions about what I wonder?" Beatrice asked.
"I don't know exactly, but I know that if others come it would end badly." Subaru replied somewhat annoyed since they already had this conversation earlier in the mansion.
"You still didn't tell me what you bring in the bag." Otto pointed out curious.
"No need for Betty's contractor to tell you since I already know in fact." Betty said annoying him.
"A tool that will help us end this quick." Subaru replied as they kept waiting.
"Enough talk I have the mabeasts under control." Meili said now relaxing her posture.
Subaru came to the conclusion that the woman or fairy that they saw in the forest had to be somewhat connected to the illusions that made everyone go mad. For now the plan was to find her and ask what her intentions are, if there is no ill will then they would let her be and go to the flower fields in search of the first sight of illusions, however if there was an ill intent or they couldn't make contact with her Subaru would just shoot her and hopefully she would die.
After wandering for a while, they lost the road from sight and the forest grew thicker and thicker. They arrived at a large clearing and decided to rest a bit.
Otto was checking his clothes for any scratches.
"I'm not liking this…we should have at least seen her from afar by now…" Subaru muttered.
"Maybe this time your prediction is wrong I suppose. Maybe nothing bad will happen in fact." Beatrice tried to comfort him.
"No…that's…it can't be." Subaru muttered. 'Maybe it's not interested in me…or this area…what if it's interested in Emilia?' He thought. "Can we see if everything is alright in the Mansion?" He asked Otto who was still checking his clothing.
"Huh? Aren't we too far away?" He asked somewhat confused by Subaru's request.
"Let's go back then, we are finished here." Subaru said turning back into the forest.
"As soon as we reach the road, we should be in range for the metia to work in fact." Beatrice added.
"Let's hurry up then." Subaru demanded somewhat nervous.
After walking for what felt like forever, they had finally arrived at the road and Subaru immediately set for contacting the mansion with the metia.
"Nothing! They are not answering!" Subaru said somewhat panicking.
"Then let's get going, everyone holds hands!" Beatrice demanded somewhat calming Subaru making all of them comply.
Otto held Beatrice's hand and Subaru held both Beatrice's and Meili's hands.
Beatrice casted Murak on all of them and they started "flying towards the mansion". (Like the way the hulk just hops around but without destroying the place where they land).
14:15 hrs
After the first hop they arrived at Irlam Village where everything and everyone seemed to be alright, so they continued towards the mansion.
14:20 hrs
They were halfway towards the mansion but could see some smoke rising in its direction and worried about what if could be. They all kept silent hoping that they were the only ones having negative thought, hoping that the others knew something they didn't that would explain the smoke, but deep down they all knew that they were wrong to have such hope.
14:22 hrs
Suddenly a flash appeared in front of them from the sky. "Wha-" Subaru was cut off by Beatrice who shouted "MINYA!" a few Minya crystals flew towards the flash suddenly blowing up in contact with it, 'It's a goa?' Subaru thought to himself, suddenly noticing how light Meili was and checking on her. Only a hand was holding to his, with embers still glowing on the skin and flesh where the hand used to connect to a body. His brain started racing to find a possible answer to what he was seeing and how it happened but if was not necessary.
"I'm surprised you had such power but even more so for you not evading my attack in any way!" Roswaal shouted from afar as if afraid to close the gap. "So, you finally show your true colors, I always knew you were waiting for a chance to kill us all!" Otto shouted enraged. 'This doesn't make any sense, Roswaal needs us, needs me to achieve his goal.' Subaru thought "The illusion he is under the illusion, Beako cast Shamak on him!".
"Now tell me Witch, how do deal with this?!" Roswaal shouted 'Witch?' they all wondered. "AL GO-" he was cut off by and ice crystal piercing the back of his skull all coming out through his mouth. He started to drown in his own blood and quickly started to fall unable to cast any more magic.
"That was Emilia-tan!" Subaru realized out loud.
"Once we land, we start running in fact." Beatrice said in an anxious and serious tone.
"Agreed!" Otto and Subaru complied knowing all too well how much of an easy target they were in the air.
"Beako once we find Emilia-tan cast Shamak on her and then yourself, for the illusions."
Once they landed, they started to run towards the mansion in hopes of finding anyone alive. On the way Subaru was wondering why Emilia was the target of this thing, why it singled her out and more importantly why did Roswaal describe his illusion like a witch, 'Could it somehow be echidna?' he wondered, hating himself for not asking Emilia directly what she knows of this Pandora person 'For the next one' He thought admitting grimly that he would inevitably die.
They arrived at the entrance of the mansion, the front covered in icicles protruding from the mansion and the ground had signs of a large battle with a lot of burned craters, the mansion was itself missing the middle, having it been demolished by a small earthquake. They entered the mansion searching for survivors, so far, no blood or corpses had been found other than Roswaal's and Meili's or what little was left of her. An eerie silence and tranquility enveloped the mansion as if time itself had frozen. The kitchen was intact and so where the majority of the dorm rooms, they approached Emilia's room, everyone was nervous, their bladders tight. They heard through the door…nothing, Subaru then opened the door slowly, terrified of what he would find inside, again nothing. Everything was in its place and clean, they searched the room like they did the others looking for anyone hiding, no one was to be found. They headed for the stables next, still nervous so nervous that they could not speak afraid that breaking the silence would awaken something terrible.
They exited the mansion and before entering the stables they looked at the yard. The only thing that wasn't there in the morning was a small fireplace still emitting smoke from charred wood unable to fully combust for some reason and no signs of battle. Without seeing anything noteworthy they entered the stable hoping to find the rest hiding there. No one was inside not even Patrasche, they did find however the animal doors open and the saddles still hanging on the wall. The animal doors faced the smoking fireplace and the wind changed direction taking the smoke into the stables.
A foul smell filled the air in the stables, like burned meat and something else, they all stopped searching and looked at the fireplace that now seemed to gain strength. They looked at each other and decided with no words being spoken to take a better look at the fireplace. They slowly approached the fireplace that was only 60 meters away.
Their painstakingly slow pace made those 60 meters feel like a kilometer, afraid to make any noise, afraid of what they would find in or near the fire, they could distinguish 2 logs leaning on each other, but the smell only grew stronger and their pace slower. Otto in particular felt extremely on edge, not only could he feel as if some predator was looking at him from afar, but he couldn't hear any animals, all fauna had seemingly left the area as if it was a toxic wasteland.
The last 10 meters to the fireplace, Subaru suddenly froze as did Beatrice, what they thought where logs, they now noticed where arms, and they belonged to someone that was in maid uniform, too small to be either Frederica or Ram and Rem was in Vollachia attending business in the neighboring empire. It was Petra, set alight, her legs and head completely burned off and nothing more than ashes, only her arms and part of her torso remaining as coal mounts that resemble human body parts. Beatrice was about to say something, but an incredibly low sound was distinguished by all three, in the direction of the nearby woods it only lasted a moment, they advanced towards the direction the sound came from wondering what new horrors they would find.
Once they could hear the sound again they started to walk faster towards the woods, once they entered the woods they could hear the sound more reliably they walked even faster, from a weak humming it turned into what was undeniably wailing, it was Emilia's voice what they heard and Subaru started to run not caring anymore about being silent. The other two ran after him.
They found a clearing that was recently made by fire, and in the middle was Emilia crying over two bodies Garfield's and Ram's. Ram was missing her head though not by fire, the contents were splattered about near the edge of the clearing. The other body was Garfield's, mostly intact other than a horizontal line in the middle of his waist, for he had been cut in half.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Emilia demanded still sobbing "I-IM DANGEROUS!"
"D-Did you do it?" Otto asked hoping that he was wrong.
"I-I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL THEM…it's just that she…she…SHE IS HERE!" Emilia lept towards her three friends making an ice sword and hammer wielding one on each hand.
"BEAK-!" Subaru urged Beatrice.
"EL SHAMAK!" Beatrice casted making Emilia tumble but not before lobbing her sword forwards impaling Otto through his right shoulder not killing him instantly but letting him bleed and in shock. Emilia herself crashed into Subaru and Beatrice dragging them onto the edge of the clearing.
"AAARRGGGG!" Subaru screamed as he looked at his foot visibly broken below the knee.
"Hold still this will hurt in fact!" Beatrice told Subaru as she prepared to straighten the broken limb before healing. Emilia was on the floor next to them looking at was happening unable to move but completely aware of what was going on, or what she believed was going on. To her Pandora had just tricked her into incapacitating her knight and was now torturing him, grabbing him by his broken limb, stretching it in ways it shouldn't and then casting an unnumerable amount of curses onto him, her knight. All while she was unable to move, unable to talk, unable to look way. Trapped. Sealed away. Unable to help, his screams drowning her own thoughts.
"Beako, how is Otto?" Subaru asked.
"I don't know, fine I suppose he is dragging himself towards us right now in fact." She replied
"Go check on him. Maybe he got hurt." Subaru told her.
"I'm not leaving my contractor here alone with Od knows what illusions." Beatrice countered clearly worried as she heled Subaru for a couple minutes.
"It's healed enough, it won't break again if I don't use it to much let's check on Otto together then get Emilia and get out of here." Subaru said as he forced himself to get up, he stepped on his damaged foot and a jolt of pain shot up inside his leg making him fall. Beatrice helped him back up and they slowly approached Otto.
"B-behind you…" Otto muttered silently at the duo before collapsing.
They looked back at Emilia, Beatrice just saw the forest and Emilia still on the floor paralyzed and tended Otto, Subaru on the other hand…
"W-who are you?!" Subaru asked the woman only he and Otto could see.
"So…you both see me?" The woman asked.
"W-what do you mean? Who are you?" Subaru only had more questions.
"Doesn't matter…now tell me who are you and who is…" She looked towards Otto. "…it doesn't matter now." Subaru looked behind him and saw Otto motionless lying face down into a pool of his own blood and Beatrice behind him desperately trying to stop the bleeding and heal him.
"I will ask one more time, who are you?" The woman said menacingly not allowing Subaru to process what he saw.
'The gun…she is clearly not a good person…I have to shoot her.' He thought reaching for the rifle he brought.
"If you try to cast any magic or anything really, she will cut you down." The woman warned pointing at Beatrice.
Subaru had no doubts left she was evil and the source of the hallucinations his friends had. 'This wasn't all for nothing then.' He thought as he leveled his rifle trying to aim 'How do I aim?' Subaru searched for something to serve as a guide, an iron sight of some sort but it wasn't there. He just pointed in the woman's general direction and pulled the trigger.
CLICK
Was all the noise the rifle made.
"My patience is running-" The woman warned once more.
"Subaru." He interrupted.
"Subaru…Subaru…Su-Ba-Ru…oh, is it Natsuki Subaru or Subaru Natsuki?" She asked.
Subaru was left speechless. She knew him or his name and for sure his achievements.
"Are you they slayer of archbishops, the exterminator of beasts and worst of all the knight of a half elf? Or…are you pretending to be him?" The woman asked now intrigued yet skeptical
"I am…"
"My name is Pandora. Now you will meet your fate. Thank you for such great opportunity." Pandora finally explained seemingly satisfied with her finding.
"Will you allow me to show you something?" Subaru asked.
"Thirty seconds." She replied dryly wondering if he would try to join her.
Subaru grabbed the metal rod that came with the rifle and fit it inside the barrel of the rifle. He knew that there was a bullet inside and it probably sided forward in the barrel thus no ignition was created when he pulled the trigger. All he needed was to push it against the back and try again. He pushed lightly until he felt resistance 'The bullet!'. He tried to push it gently, but it was stuck. Time was running out and he pulled the metal rod out and pushed it back in violently.
BANG!
"AAAAGGGG!" Subaru screamed gripping his hand in pain his fingertips blown off.
"Pathetic." Pandora claimed her ultimatum.
"MINY-" Beatrice was cut from casting by and ice arrow piercing her chest.
"SUBARU!" Emilia called struggling to stand up her limbs still numb.
"Hmmmm." Pandora thought a new plan, one that would break Emilia for good and finally make her open the door 'She does seem to care for him…'. For now, she made Emilia see illusions of herself on the perimeter of the clearing.
"Subaru, I'm going to fix you, but you have to…" She looked around as she healed Subaru and saw hundreds of Pandoras all around her, stopping them from going outside.
"Emilia-tan, what do you see, where is Beako?" Subaru asked.
"Beatrice is…" She looked around searching for her. "Nowhere to be seen and she is…"
"Who is she? Pandora?" Subaru cut her off.
"Y-yes. She is all around us, blocking all exits. She won't let us go." She explained grimly.
"Then we go doing fighting?" He proposed as his fingertips stopped bleeding and hurting.
"But…she will make me hurt you…" Emilia explained sadden.
"Pick me up, let me hitch a ride on your back and promise me something." Subaru told her.
"What do I promise?" Emilia asked somewhat scared of what Subaru would ask her as she picked him up.
"That whatever you see…whatever you hear, don't strike any weapon against your back or near it. Because I will be there no matter what." Subaru proposed finally getting into position.
"I promise." Emilia said standing up wearing Subaru as if he was a backpack. Ice lances in hand.
"Let's go!" Subaru yelled
Emilia opened up throwing her lances at the Pandoras, while running towards the part of the clearing that is closest to the mansion. The pandoras rushed towards them. Emilia destroyed them as they came but was soon disoriented, she resolved to keep killing them, 'they will eventually run out, right? If not, she will grow exhausted or tired and leave.' She thought as she kept killing them always careful to not pass her weapon near her back, near Subaru who was hanging on tight.
A few times a Pandora tried to grab Subaru to pull him off her. Emilia following her promise quickly turning around and destroying whoever touched Subaru instead of swinging her sword near her back. In one of such turns though she unknowingly gave her back to another Pandora that didn't waste time.
"Emilia-tan help me!" Yelled Subaru as he was dragged away. Emilia tried to kill her way to him, but worried that if she went to violent she would kill him.
"Got you." Pandora whispered sinisterly into her ear now her hanging from her back.
"You!" Emilia yelled enraged as she started to swing her sword near her back but stopped as soon as it started to dig into its target's shoulder "I-I can't…I promised…" Emilia started to cry losing all hope.
Subaru was still on Emilia's back though she didn't know. He had been trying for the last few minutes to put another bullet into the rifle and now that Emilia was standing still and crying, he had a chance.
Emilia kept weeping and Subaru tried to comfort her, but she couldn't hear him. So, he prepared to shoot Pandora, who was now in front of Emilia, thus he leveled the rifle on Emilia's shoulder and prepared to shoot. Giving one last look at Pandora she seemed frustrated and caught in her own thoughts.
BANG!
The rifle fired. Subaru only saw smoke all around, but something felt off. Emilia was no long crying instead she was absolutely silent, maybe the sound of the rifle was so loud that he was rendered temporarily deaf, since he couldn't hear anything. He then felt his center of gravity shift sideways and the next moment he was on the ground and so was Emilia.
Subaru now out of the smoke cloud could see what happened, his rifle's barrel seemingly exploded, and metal splinters dug into his hand and Emilia. She was now missing her left cheek and the left side of her jaw, still alive she was clearly terrified and entering shock.
"E-Emilia-tan! I-I didn't mean to!" Subaru cried hoping in vain that she would start healing herself.
"What have you done?!" Pandora yelled at him. "My plan is now ruined…I will need another one of them…that will be at least 2 more centuries!" She yelled at him, 'At least I can get back my bishops while he is distracted' She thought as she grabbed a dagger from Otto's body.
That dagger flew at tremendous speed digging into Subaru's skull killing him instantly, Pandora wouldn't allow him counterattack.
Macragge: 00:00 hrs 24/11/1538
Subaru was on the train with the entire Emilia camp this loop he had another plan, one that would require Otto, Emilia and him to head back into the gates of hell.
He asked Emilia about Pandora this time and she told him what she saw in her trial, though without breaking down she did seam nervous. Beatrice vehemently opposed this plan wanting to go with Subaru but agreed to stay after Emilia promised to keep Subaru safe.
"Look at the lights." Otto drew everyone's attention towards the horizon where Macragge was now visible its yellow lights outlining several important buildings
"Almost as bright as the Royal Capitol." Ram Muttered.
"With a fraction of the wealth…" Roswaal explained impressed.
"It's beautiful. It seems warm." Emilia explained.
"Hmf." Petra rolled around in her sleep.
Once they arrived at Macragge they went separate ways. Subaru, Emilia and Otto going to William's workshop and the rest to find a place for sleeping somewhere in the city.
Ivan received them in better mood than last loop, William was still working with an assistant in the back, having an almost complete rifle and a half-made rifle.
"Tell me Ivan do you think these are safe?" Subaru asked somewhat worried.
"Safe? How could they possibly be safe?" Ivan asked sarcastically.
"What do you mean Ivan? These tools aren't safe for Subaru?" Emilia asked intending to keep her promise.
"Lady Emilia these aren't tools, they are weapons, somewhat improved mukts, harnessing the power of an explosion to throw a small metal piece at insane speeds. We are lucky if they don't blow up like the prototype." Ivan explained noticing the seriousness of the situation.
"Subaru I will only allow you to use it if it is safe." Emilia told him.
"What about Otto?" Subaru asked.
"What about me?" Otto followed.
"You can use it; I didn't promise you anything." Emilia joked.
"Try to stay quiet please. We have to focus if we don't want this to blow up." William intervened from his workbench.
Mansion: 12:00 hrs. 25/11/1538
The three where preparing to eat lunch, barely having any sleep last night. The rifles didn't fail and managed to shoot successfully 2 times each so Subaru got to use one. Otto and Subaru only had 4 shots each, so they had to make them count.
13:45 hrs.
They had already finished eating, Otto went to hide in the nearby forest and the duo were wondering if anything would happen. Until Emilia got up and whispered, "You were right…she is here."
Subaru then leapt on Emilia's back, "Emilia-tan do you remember your promise and what we talked about?" Subaru asked Emilia.
"Yes. Not to bring any weapon close to my back and that all these things are illusions." Emilia replied nervously.
"Also, to stand somewhat still, so I can shoot." Subaru reminded her only to not be heard.
"Emilia-tan?" Subaru tried to get her attention.
"You are just an illusion!" Emilia proclaimed proud at seemingly nothing. "Right Subaru? Subaru?" She asked seemingly not seeing him.
"If this was an illusion than what happened to your friend?" Pandora asked in her illusion, pointing at a bloodied Subaru that was rapidly bleeding out.
"That isn't him!" Emilia yelled more to herself than to Pandora.
"This is it." Subaru told himself, reaching for a bullet to put in his rifle.
"AAARRRGGG!" Emilia screamed bending over holding her right arm in pain. "MY ARM!" She cried. The abrupt motion made Subaru drop the bullet leading to him damning himself for letting the bullet drop.
After a few more moments Emilia's shaky breath was stabilizing and she yelled "You!" as she lept forward punching at the air, though she thought that she had punched through Pandora's guts.
She then materialized an ice hammer a used it against another of Pandora's illusions.
After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity Subaru could finally see Pandora appearing out of the nearby woods. 'Last time she didn't seem to know that I could see her. I'm going to pretend to just hold tight.' Subaru thought reminding himself to push the bullet all the way back until he heard a small click or rather felt it.
For now, though he wouldn't even dare to reach for a bullet since Emilia was moving with such force and speed that he felt as if he would fall off if he even tried to grab the bullet and rod.
Subaru kept holding tight for a few more minutes as Pandora inched closer and closer.
"You don't see my projections, do you?" She said dryly. As Emilia now bent over crying in despair.
"Should I answer?" Subaru asked, finally capable of reaching a bullet and fitting it into the barrel.
"And you can also see me…Who are you?" Pandora asked cautiously.
"I do see you. How would I not see a person in front of me?" Subaru replied trying to gain some time while he pushed the bullet with the rod careful to not make it ignite.
"I am making the questions and you are just gaining time, reply before my patience runs out." Pandora warned.
"Fine since you are so nice about it my name is Natsuki Subaru, Subaru is the name." He said still pushing the rod waiting for that magical click.
"Subaru…Subaru…Su-Ba-Ru…oh, so it is Subaru Natsuki?" She asked.
"Yes, I believe people call me Hero or Slayer of archbishops, the exterminator of beasts and what not."
"So, you are him and not a Pretender…" She said seemingly happy yet stepping back increasing the distance between the two.
click
Finally, the soft click was heard, Subaru immediately pulled the metal rod out and leveled the rifle aligning the chalk marks with his target.
"Whatever you try to do will be futile, but I must thank you for an opportunity to get back what is mine." Pandora mocked him.
BANG
A metal arrow flew at tremendous speed towards its target, but only graced it.
'What was that? If flew so fast, if I didn't see it, I wouldn't have known what happened.' Pandora thought, now increasing the distance with Subaru and preparing to go back into the woods where she would safe.
BANG
Another shot was fired this time from the woods, Pandora's head had a hole and she dropped dead, her illusions breaking. Emilia stopped crying and looked around, she saw Pandora's body near the edge of the woods bleeding and found out that Subaru was 'OK' still on her back.
"Subaru! I thought I lost you!" Emilia told him exited.
"I can't believe it worked. I wouldn't have thought it was that easy…" Subaru said.
"I wasn't that easy." The body replied scaring the duo both of them unable to speak as the body rose up, this time Pandora seemingly pissed off 'I didn't even see him pull off that trick the second time, what happened?' she wondered.
"Subaru which one of them is the real one?" Emilia asked ready to fight.
"Just stay put, she hasn't moved yet." He replied preparing another shot.
"I won't let you!" Pandora warned making Emilia believe that she was getting close, forcing her to leap backwards.
"Emilia-tan fire an arrow towards the place where Pandora was, she still hasn't moved." Subaru told her.
"Ok." She replied, drawing a bow only she could see, taking aim and finally letting go. The arrow went through Pandora and dug into a tree behind her. "She is also an illusion!" Emilia warned Subaru.
"Emilia-tan, you didn't even make…damn it." Subaru was almost done preparing to rifle to fire.
BANG
Another shot came from the forest this time hitting Pandora in the chest throwing her off balance.
"The forest? There was no one there!" Pandora was now confused. Getting her mabeast to search every last corner.
BANG
Another shot came from Subaru, it popped her head splattering its contents all around.
'I've got only one shot left.' Subaru thought hoping that Pandora wouldn't rise up again.
"Will she come back Subaru?" Emilia asked once the illusions broke again.
"I don't know Emilia-tan." He replied as Emilia looked at the body and Subaru prepared his last shot not daring to get off Emilia.
Then as expected the body began reforming itself, as if time was flowing in reverse, Emilia immediately squashed it with a Warhammer hoping that it would finally end.
Suddenly Emilia saw a rabbit, then two, three, dozens. 'It can't be, the great rabbit is back?'
They were all heading towards them from the forest, she made an ice wall hoping to block them off, she then leapt upwards and made more ice walls trying to contain them inside. Then the rabbits disappeared…and so did Pandora.
"Emilia-tan what was that?" Subaru asked somewhat annoyed.
"D-didn't you see the rabbits?" Emilia asked wondering if it was also an illusion.
"Rabbits?" Subaru asked a shiver crawling up his spine.
"Guys. She escaped." Otto yelled from the forest. "Why did Emilia let her escape?" Otto asked now coming out of the forest.
"I thought the great rabbit had come back and tried to contain it…" She explained embarrassed by her failure.
"It was an illusion. It could have ended a lot worse." Subaru explained.
"Do you think she will leave us alone?" Otto asked.
"I don't know." Subaru told him.
"I hope so, for a while at least it must have felt very unpleasant to die three times." Emilia added.
"Yeah, she must be terrified." Otto joked. "What? Why do you have such a face?" Otto asked Subaru who unwillingly displayed disbelief at their words.
"Nothing…I just thought that maybe it wasn't too terrible…they were quick deaths after all." He replied.
"So, she will be coming back?" Otto asked worried.
"I don't know. But I hope not." Subaru replied.
"She will." Emilia replied.
"What?" Otto asked.
"Why?" Subaru asked.
"Because she needs me to do something. I don't know why but she needs me to do it." Emilia replied.
"Let's hope she doesn't need it that badly Emilia-tan, cheer up we just defeated her." Subaru told her as they went to Irlam Village to telegraph the news of their victory and take a train to Macragge since there was no way they would be staying in the Mansion for the next few weeks.
On the train Subaru asked Emilia if they could go on another date in Macragge, surely there would be nice places around if they searched them. Emilia told him that they could go on a date today, but that they would have to stop the train in the middle of nowhere and probably get a ground dragon to get there before sunset and so they did. Picking up Patrasche from Macragge then heading north towards Elior forest both of them accompanying the engineman in the locomotive, Emilia made the train stop in a place Subaru recognized, here the train had been attacked by Anastasia's forces. Emilia then jumped off the train and Subaru followed, they took Patrasche and headed westward into a hilly area, they found the largest hill and started dining there waiting for sunset. Now at peace.
"So, Emilia-tan you know this place from when you were hunting a terrible metal worm?" Subaru asked.
"Yes, such a terrible beast, it spits smoke, eats coal and drinks incredible amounts of water." She replied laughing.
"It's quite nice and calm." Subaru noted.
"And the train looks quite nice when you don't think it's a monster." Emilia added.
"It's about to be sunset." Subaru observed.
"Since it all plains until the waterfall it's really bewildering." She told him.
"Let's hope the city light don't contaminate the sky's around here, maybe we can see the stars with such a great day." He replied deciding to not tease her for her ancient vocabulary.
Next Chapter: "Is Change too Fast?"
AN: (Uffff what a hard write, almost wrote myself into a corner with this arc. Sorry for writing Rem out the way I did, I forgot to leave some clues for it earlier and actually mention it. Hope you enjoy. Next chapter will more about the interaction and transformation of a rural society into a more industrial one, and how bloody and hard it was/still it. The one after about undermining political power of aristocrats. Don't expect the next chapter to come out soon though, Victoria 3 is coming out terribly soon!)
