Great Spirit Knight Chapter 3: Life and Death, a re:zero fanfic

Authors Note: things are getting real, who knew that it wouldn't be a nice walk in the park for our boy Subaru?

Let me know your thoughts! (In my personal opinion, I find this to be my weakest chapter, I suffered a lot from writers block throughout this so passion wasn't there in some parts)

"Hey, Sensei?" Halibel's smoking session was interrupted by his student, he tapped his pawed feet as he removed the pipe from his jaws, letting the purple smoke dissipate as it left his maw. He then proceeded to draw his eyes not to the road in front of them but to the raven haired boy sitting across from him.

"Somethin' the matter Su-San?" He raised an eyebrow inquisitively as he voiced his confusion. Subaru quickly answered, pointing to a nearby mountain in the distance. "What's that over there? It seems to be a cave of some sort" his tone held nothing short of interest.

"Ah..." The wolf man let out a huff again as he lightly chuckled, silently amused by the boy's eagerness. The sounds of the carriage clattering against the dirt path was the only thing that had interrupted their silence until now, so the question was a nice thing.

Halibel pointed at the mountain far at the horizon, his mouth moving to speak. "That's where the Great Spirit of Murder, Zarestia lies" Halibel said it so nonchalantly, despite the title the figure held. This sent a few shivers out of Subaru as his lips quivered, his pupils shaking ever so slightly at the not expected answer. "How can you just say that so lightly!?" The Japanese teen pouted as he drew his arms in mock-anger.

The shinobi snickered at Subaru's reaction, He decided to push him more. "She didn't earn that name fer no reason, people say she betrayed all her former allies, she also has an unquenchable bloodlust, killin' every living thing she comes across without reason" this caused the nasty eyed boy to gulp as he inspected the cave in the distance. No doubt it looked forbidding, Subaru didn't want to go anywhere near it.

Even with his spirits, he doubted he stood a chance against one of the legendary 4 great spirits. Subaru turned his head, inspecting the sleeping demi humans located at the back of the carriage, getting some much needed sleep. The plan both Halibel and Subaru hatched caused the both of them to be awake past midnight. They deserved to sleep, they were children after all.

Subaru put a palm to his chin, he narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the road ahead, a lot on his mind as of late. The wolf man easily noticed this, he let out a purple cloud from his maw as he addressed the sunken boy.

"You don't seem so well Su-San, is there something I should know?" He leaned in with a worried expression, that's the emotion the boy had been displaying ever since they got in the carriage, something of deep melancholy.

"Trust me, I'm fine, just a bit conflicted about past events is all" he shooed his teacher away as he turned his head towards the road once more, the shinobi could already trace the reason for his upset behavior. "Hey Su-San, I know ye feel worrisome when it comes to killin' and all that, but ye have to understand that sometimes it's necessary to keep others safe"

The student widened his eyes, he was seen through so clearly, like Halibel was reading his thoughts like an open book. "I-I understand that but, it's still a weird thing to me ya know? To just kill someone...it irks me"

Subaru was right, back at home he would never thought in a million years he would lay a finger on anyone, let alone kill them. For what the raven haired boy was doing the past few weeks, it was a strange feeling. Beating bad people up was peculiarly cathartic, but only slightly.

Halibel nodded his head in an understanding gesture. "I just wanted to let ye know, doing certain things for justice is never a bad thing, sometimes people need to do certain actions to be heard" he played with the pipe in his fingers, sending another pair of eyes towards the Japanese teen. "I get it now, thank you Sensei" Subaru gave a faint smile, he was a lot better before, though his insecurities and worries remained.

I just hope whatever conflict we deal with can be solved peacefully, I'm a bit too tired to fight. The boy contemplated on getting some sleep, Subaru was awake throughout most of the night after all. Usually he would tuck his eyes, just for a bit, but he decided on allowing his spirits to boost his body with mana, to keep him awake as long as possible.

And I hope we can find your parents. Subaru's lips curved upward ever so slightly as he inspected the dog eared children, he could see their ears flicker in response. They looked so cute huddled together, both of them nodding off in each other's embrace.

Another half hour of silence ensued, the mountain Subaru was so interested in was only a dot in the distance. He breathed in the fresh air as he looked at his surroundings. Nothing but vast open space, no rivers or other sources of civilization in sight.

This world is weird, just vast open plains, like a desert, except that desert is colored green. The mean eyed boy was a bit off put by the empty land that seemed to stretch for miles, back at home he was always around civilization, miles of just empty meadow was foreign to him.

Well, at least I should check up on my spirits, we could arrive at the place any minute now. Subaru directed his nasty eyes towards their captor, he was one of the slavers threatening to enslave the demi humans, they managed to capture him and they would spare him if he brought them to their 'hideout'. Subaru was eager to do so, Halibel on the other hand...

"Hey my cute little buds, how are you guys doing?" Subaru smiled as he directed his gaze towards his palm, 6 orbs of light floated over it.

"I'm doing great!"

"Stronger than ever!"

"Ready to fight if you need me"

"I'm fine~"

"At your command"

"I-I'm quite alright!"

Subaru widened his eyes as he took in the ethereal light, it was similar to a rainbow as their colors reflected off one another, basking the insides of the carriage in a glow. The boy was once more taken aback by the beauty. "That's good, I'm glad you guys are alright" He said with a soft expression as the orbs slowly started to fade away. If there was anyone who could brighten his mood it was his spirits, they were his family after all.

Back at home, Subaru had very caring parents. Ones who did their best to raise him, to care for him, to make Subaru strive to be his best. But Subaru grimaced, he was an undeserving son, someone who didn't deserve their love. He would lay lazily around in his room, hoping that one day his parents would get tired of him and thrown him out, that's what he would've wanted, he deserved it.

But after everything, they stayed by his side, and even then he never could do something as simple as saying goodbye to his mother. It'll be different this time, I have my spirits. The son of Naoko and Kenichi Natsuki would look ahead now, this was his new life. All he could do was hope they would know he was alright, that he was somewhere safe and having a happy life.

Another moment of silence ensued, the only sounds being the stomping of the ground dragon outside, and the occasional wheezing of Subaru's mentor. He decided to close his eyes, just for a bit, a little minute of rest would do nicely. Ahhh...I'm so tired...I'll just close my eyes for a second. And with that, The Spirit Arts user drifted off to sleep.

"...up...u-San"

"Hrrrrmmmm...uhhh" Subaru groaned as his gums smacked together, his precious sleep interrupted by a deep voice.

"Wake...up" the voice was now begging, The raven haired boy started to get weary as his body was no longer still, instead moving back in forth at a fast pace.

His eyes were still closed, still trying to comprehend what was going on around him. He heard something, which he assumed to be a laugh. Subaru was confused, he slowly reached up his arms, moving to rub his eyes.

But before he could do so, a chilling sensation enveloped his face. "Wuh...AAAAAAHHHH" Subaru yelled as his whole body was drenched, he heard the snickering of several other voices, that of children. He opened his now damp eyes as he burst awake, now alert. What he saw shocked him.

Halibel was standing in front of him, other beads of light, his spirits surrounding him. "What the..." Subaru rubbed his eyes as he examined his state. He was soaking wet, there seemed to be no water with them, so Subaru went to assume the perpetrator was none other than-

"You've been out for quiet a while contractor, you sure are a heavy sleeper" The voice was calm and serene, yet it held an annoyed tone, a tone directed at him. He realized it was none other than his water spirit, Aqua.

"O-oh, sorry, I didn't realize I dozed off for that long" he examined his surroundings once more, he realized the carriage had stopped, and the dog eared children in the cart were now looking at him, trying to hold in the laughter. Subaru rolled his eyes, he was too tired to deal with them right now.

The nasty eyed boy then directed his gaze towards the Shinobi. "How long was I out for anyways?" Subaru gestured his hands as he tugged on his collar, still uncomfortable from the wet sensation dawning his clothes. "I can say about half an hour, but now that yer awake, we can get a move on" he had his kunai in hand, his face directed outside the carriage.

What Subaru saw shocked him, in the distance was what seemed like a remote village. He could see other carriages coming towards it as well. For something located in the middle of nowhere he was shocked that a big lush green forest grounded the perimeter around it.

"Let's go Su-San, it's time, show yer old pal Halibel what ya got!" He gave him a grin, as he stepped off the carriage, Subaru followed soon after, before he turned around and faced inside. "You two stay here alright? Do not move from this carriage unless of an emergency" His tone was serious as the demi human's nodded to his words.

"Flint, Aqua, you keep them safe" Two orbs of light appeared on his palm.

"Alright, but stay safe"

"I'll protect em no matter what!"

Subaru smiled as he was reassured, the spirits then proceeded to float towards the children, already doing their task. "Stay in contact with me, alright?" The spirits only bopped up and down in response.

The student turned his head once more, before a thought appeared in his head. "Hey uhhh Halibel?what happened to that other guy?" The raven haired boy was sure the driver didn't just run off, so he started to wonder. "He ummm...Su-San, it's best if we move on" Only multiple beads of sweat formed on top of Subaru's forehead as he slowly drummed up his own conclusion. He stole a glance towards the dog eared kids again before readying himself.

They couldn't allow the children to come with them. If there was danger they wouldn't be able to protect themselves, so this was the only option. "Alright Su-San, just follow my lead and you should be fine" The Shinobi proceeded to jump on a nearby tree, a perplexed emotion filled Subaru at that very moment.

"You've gotta be kidding me, you know I can't do that!" Subaru shouted towards his teacher, which got a grin out of him. Halibel only started jumping from tree to tree, which urged Subaru to follow on regardless. That guy is seriously gonna piss me off...

Subaru shook his head in frustration as he followed him towards the village, there seemed to be no guards around, which meant all of them were near the village, they walked for some time, the forest was thick and large, so Subaru had to mask his footsteps by pacing slowly.

"Aye Su-San, ya see that?" Halibel whispered as he pointed towards a faint light in the distance, Subaru nodded as he saw it. It gave them the knowledge that they were now near the village. The rattling of chains could be heard. The nasty eyed boy had to put a palm to his mouth as his eyes dilated, taking in the sight before him.

Humans and Demi Humans alike, were bound in chains from their feet to their heads. It looked uncomfortable, they were all huddled together. Their captors carrying swords and threatening them if they didn't comply. Truly scum of the earth.

The wolf man couldn't stop himself from wearing a frown. His glare taught Subaru he had seen things like this all the time, no one should have to. A glint of frustration caused his eyes to pierce into the faces of all the slavers, some could die of fear from them alone. Anger, Subaru clenched his right fist as his other reached for his sword. Letting it out of its sheath carefully as to not alert anyone.

Halibel jumped down from the tree to accompany Subaru, his mouth opening to hatch a plan. "I propose we get closer, take em out one by one, got it?" His tone was serious, Subaru nodded. They couldn't risk a hostage situation. If they figured out their presence, they would witness their power, leading to them holding a few slaves as blackmail.

"Alright, I'll be as quiet as possible" Subaru held his sword, he signaled for his Spirits to ready themselves. The raven haired boy could barely notice that the Shinobi was no longer in his presence, which made his eyes widen. That's a person trained in stealth for you...

Subaru crawled through the bushes, holding back his breath as much as possible, not so far from here he spotted a lone guard, drinking out a canteen. "This is my chance, gotta knock him out in one blow" Subaru bawled his fist, signaling to Lucius and Aella to send their magic inside it. He could feel power surging through his arm. If possible, his punch would be so powerful he could send a crushing blow into a rock.

The boy's heart never beat this fast before, he usually confronted his enemies head on, but doing it stealthily was new to him. He cursed Halibel for not teaching him this, he was a Shinobi after all. What made his heart drop like a rock was when he saw another slaver walk right up next to him, Subaru was in a bush, so their feet were a few inches from his face.

He had to crane his head to look at them. It made his neck hurt, but he was here, And now he had to knock out two guys at once. Subaru thought of a specific combo he would do in those fighting games, a move called a double stealth takedown. The boy looked around, making sure the coast was clear. Subaru activated his yang and wind magic, accelerating his arms at a fast rate.

He stood up, grabbing both of their heads. The slavers barely had time to react as their craniums came crashing against one another. The force was so powerful he swore he could hear a small crack, their body's fell limp almost instantly, Subaru acted fast, pulling their collars so their bodies laid against him, he slowly hid them in the bushes, they should be out for a very very long time.

I can't believe I just did that! Subaru could barely contain his excitement. If he got all giddy here he would draw attention, so he calmed himself down by smacking his cheeks. Get it together Subaru, you have to job to do and a promise to keep.

A determined expression made its way upon the nasty eyed boy's face, his eyebrows wrinkling, he made sure the bodies were well hidden before trudging on. In the distance he could see Halibel taking out 5 guards at once, he saw the bodies of many slavers in the bushes, it was a hit to Subaru's pride. The Shinobi was already in the double digits, yet He only took down two men. I have to catch up.

The student made his way through the bushes, every now and then he would come across a slaver alone and take them out. At this rate I'm confused on how the rest haven't noticed yet. And he would be right, Halibel and Subaru could've taken out at least 20 of them, so why hadn't no one noticed?

This answer would soon come...

"ALERT ALERT INTRUDER INTRUDER!"

A raspy yet deep voice enveloped the woods and village combined, The boy flinched as he directed his gaze towards the sound. Even the slaves in chains, their faces showing that of deep sadness were now holding that of stunned expressions.

Several footsteps hit against the ground as they carried their torches, the men proceeded into the forest and to where the threat was located, it was a body, their neck completely slit as they lay there having drowned on their own blood. "Who the hell did this?" One of the men had a look of horror as his eyes shrunk, quickly looking at his surroundings.

Of course, Subaru already guessed that this was the work of Halibel, and he was probably hiding amongst the tree branches. It still weirded him out, but he accepted it nonetheless.

Looks like we have been found. Subaru knew he was already in the next step of the plan. They would have to take out the rest of the slavers. He quickly stood up, rushing towards the men. The boy would use the last of his stealth to take out a few of them. He readied his fist as he charged the group with wind and yang magic. The men quickly turned around, their faces laden with fear as they hesitated. Subaru would take advantage of this.

He sent a fist into one of the slavers face, they instantly flew back, hitting the bark of a tree. Going unconscious instantly, He readied himself once more as he struck a kick into the abdomen of another one of the men. At this point, they seemed to regain their composure and took out their weapons, charging at the spirit arts user.

Subaru held his sword in front of him, he had to admit, He was fairly decent, he could take down your average grunt who wielded one as well. The only problem was he couldn't fight multiple people at once. So he had to even the playing field.

At the boys signal, a gust of wind entrapped one of the men, sending them flying in the air. The other two took this distraction to their advantage as their swords went in a downward slash. Subaru could barely react as he felt the crushing weight of two swords on his own. He grunted as he managed to counter, sending a kick into one of the men's stomach, it wasn't powered like before, but still enough to cause damage.

The falling man was heading back down, Subaru used this to his advantage as he put up his knee, the slaver smashing his face right on top of it. He went unconscious as his body hit the earth with a large THUD.

That's 1 of them. Subaru managed to at least recover his composure, he charged another at break neck speeds, he was flabbergasted when he saw them dodge it, if almost barely. The man sent a punch at Subaru's torso, causing him to wince as he flew back a few feet. He managed to hit me, he must be the most experienced of the 4.

The slaver didn't stop there, he sent a fury of slashes at Subaru. He managed to dodge most with his yang, but he caught a few scratches along his skin. Subaru couldn't play defense for long, he had to finish this quickly, he rushed at the man with almost inhumane speeds, sending a punch towards the gut.

He still held his position, grabbing the charging Subaru by putting him In a headlock. "You really thought it was gonna be that easy?" He taunted as he threw the Japanese teen towards the ground. "Ah-GK!" Subaru yelped in pain as his eyes widened with unshed tears. This is bad, this is very very bad.

Subaru tried escaping his grip. His body twisting and turning as he tried getting air out. He then realized, he had to rely more on his more violent magic to survive. I don't want to do this...

"AL FULA" Aella yelled as a sickening sound of blood spurting overtook the ordeal, all that could be heard was a body dropping on the ground. Subaru gasped for air as he fell down as well, blood soaking the back of his tracksuit. The student turned around, looking to confirm what had happened.

The man's stomach was completely torn open, if he looked closer intestines could be seen. "Ah-HURK!" Subaru threw up bile as his limbs went numb, he had to go on his knees since his balance was thrown off. "Ah...I need...healing" He cursed himself while saliva and bile flowed down the side of his mouth. Aqua was with the Demi human children keeping them safe, so he couldn't call on them, his wounds were still open. Luckily they weren't that deep, so Subaru could survive another hour if necessary, he would just have to power through.

"CONTRACTOR ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Hestia was the most shocked, she was supposed to be protecting him, but she let him get hurt. "No im...fine...just got a bit cocky and paid...the price is all" Subaru gave the red colored bead a faint smile. It didn't seem to put his other spirits at ease. I killed someone I killed someone I killed someone. The thought rang in his mind endlessly, he couldn't get it out no matter how much he tried.

"Master...you need to rely on us, we are an extension of yourself, you have to defend yourself if you hope to survive" Aella held a sickly tone as she was pleading for her contractor to take more care of themselves. The raven haired boy was starting to drown in self deprecating thoughts. They are my spirits, yet I can't rely on them? After everything we went through? But...I rely on them too much...

Throughout his time in this world he used his spirits in almost everything, training, fighting mabeast, and saving those children from the slavers. But now that he had to defend himself, against someone threatening to take his life, he just couldn't do it. He couldn't take the life of another.

Those slavers were human just like him, they were bad, they probably deserved what was coming. But it still made his head hurt to take their lives.

He put a palm to his hair, rubbing it as he thought almost endlessly. "I'm sorry...to all of you. Murder is just...not my thing" Beads of sweat blended in with his unshed tears. He glanced at the body of the life he had taken, his eyes weary. Shivers going down his skin as he comprehended what he had done once more. I don't have to kill, I just have to be more careful...yeah that's it.

"J-Just be more careful next time" Lela said, if Subaru heard her voice more correctly he would assume she was a sobbing mess.

"I'm at your command, just rely on us" Lucius tone was stern and sharp, though hints of worry for his contractor were there.

The raven haired boy could only grumble as he nodded.

Subaru put a fist to his palm, a expression of determination was shown. He would be more careful, he had to get back to work. He made a promise to this children, he had to keep it. "Let's go spirits" Subaru made his way back through the forest, 4 beads of light following closely behind.

Ain't this wonderful Julius?" A playful voice of a woman rung throughout the office, her plum colored hair flowing down her back as she addressed her knight.

"It sure is wonderful, milady" Julius sharpened his pose as he sat in his chair across from her, he had to show utmost chivalry towards his lady, that was the duty of a knight after all. His title as the Finest of Knights only pushed that idea further.

"I ought to meet this 'Great Spirit Knight' that's been growin' and gainin' popularity across Kararagi" she neatly stacked the papers on her desk, sliding them into the compartment at her side. The greedy candidate twisted in her chair, a expression of glee apparent.

Julius knew this feeling all too well, for the past month he was assigned as her knight for the upcoming royal selection, he got to know his lady's 'Personality' very well. When Anastasia wanted something, she would stop at nothing to get it. That's how she was at heart, The Finest Knight could only respect that notion.

Julius's thoughts on the Great Spirit Knight himself were rather mixed. On one hand he was quite surprised and skeptical when he heard that a man was capable of contracting 6 Great Spirits. As a spirit arts user himself it took him months to get himself 6 quasi spirits.

But now that the news was spreading, he had no choice but to believe the rumors. "I could say the same, my lady" A hint of exasperation was shown on his face.

If this Great Spirit Knight found himself in Lugnica one day, Julius's title of "Best Spirit User" in Lugnica would come into question real soon.

"HAH!" Subaru yelled as he thrusted his fist into the solar plexus of a slaver, sending them crashing into a nearby house, it quickly put them out of commission instantaneously. The slaves watched Subaru with shocked gazes, their mouths agape as he seemed to be taking care of the men so easily.

The raven haired boy yelled again as he threw his foot into one of the men's faces, beads of sweat running down his forehead. Ah, almost done, Halibel should be joining me soon. He grit his teeth as he surveyed the remaining men. They started losing their will to fight after seeing him dispose of them so easily.

Minutes passed, Subaru had little problems as he made quick work of them. Everytime one would approach, he would quickly dodge, knocking them out immediately. After a while, He had defeated them all.

"Hahah...Haaah" The mean eyed boy stumbled to his knees, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he scanned the knocked out bodies of the men, he had did it, and now the slaves would be freed. Subaru took deep breaths, slowly getting up. He hadn't forgot that he still had work to do. He motioned towards the scared men, woman and children. "You guys are free, I'm here to save you"

Their looks of fear were instantly diminished. "JIWALD!" Several beams of light broke through their chains, hitting the ground with a large clang. The men and woman tried comprehending their circumstances for a few seconds, before tears started forming from their eyes. "T-Thank you for saving us, if you hadn't come sooner we would've been done for" one of the men said, Subaru brushed it off.

"No need to thank me, if it wasn't for my spirits and my friend Halibel I wouldn't be able to save you guys" he sheepishly rubbed his head, putting his sword back into its Sheath. He hated the thought of relying on them so much, he wanted to get stronger after all.

Wait a minute, speaking of Halibel.

Not even seconds later a wolf man jumped down from one of the buildings, his hands and clothes bloodied as he carried the body of a man in much fancier clothing. "Hello Su-San, look what I found" He grinned as he threw the man on the ground, he trembled as he tried to stand but was only brought back down by Halibel's foot. "Oh and by the way, it seems yer did pretty good without me" The Shinobi brought his eyes throughout the village, the bodies of the slavers bringing a grin to his face.

"Once again, I don't know if that was meant to be a compliment or not, considering those last few words" Subaru rolled his eyes, not content with Halibel's statement, this only got a chuckle out of him. "Haha, you sure are funny Su-San, anyways, I believe I found the mastermind behind this slave ring" He motioned his eyes towards the man again. "Hey! Let me go you Mutt-oof!!" The noble tried to talk but his face was brought back into the dirt.

"O-oh really, he seems to be a noble to me, so that makes sense" Subaru said as he rubbed his head. "Now, since we are done ere', it's best we free t' rest and get on movin'" Thankfully, the other slaves seemed to be reconciling with one another, helping each other out their chains. Subaru smiled at the team work, but what caught his gaze worried him immensely.

A mother and father with dog ears didn't seem so happy, the man was holding the woman in his embrace, calming her as he shed tears of his own. Wait a minute, those must be the two parents!

Subaru quickly calmed himself as he ran over to them, they were immediately alerted of his presence, looking at him in awe.

"You must be the one who saved us, we owe you our gratitude" the father bowed before him, which made Subaru cringe quite a bit. "N-no need, you don't need to bow to me" The man was put off but stood up anyways.

"We are thankful but, we are still so worried, our children...they are..." The mother didn't finish her sentence as she broke down into tears, once more crying in her husbands embrace. "Don't worry, both of you, I have your children with me, I brought them here" Those words of reassurance instantly made their ears perk up.

"R-really? You aren't pulling our legs here?" The man said, still skeptical but hopeful. The raven haired boy only nodded, which caused them to look at one another, than back at Subaru. "Please bring them to us! We've been gone for so long!" the mother shouted as she began shaking Subaru's shoulders. "Alright alright follow me, they are back at the carriage"

they all proceeded to set off back to the carriage, Halibel stayed behind to make sure the other freed men and woman got back home safely, providing them with the ground dragons nearby, he then stood and kept watch to make sure no slavers escaped.

"Mama! Papa!" The both of the dog eared children said in unison as they ran out the carriage, running into the arms of both their mother and father. "I missed you guys so much!" The mother's voice was still ragged as she ran her fingers through each of their heads, the father wrapped them all up into a hug as well.

"T-thank you, for keeping them safe. If you didn't we wouldn't know what would've happened to them" the father turned his gaze towards Subaru, the boy only gave a heavy blush as he fanned his hands, looking away. "N-no problem, I'm just glad you guys are finally reunited"

"Aqua, Flint, thanks for taking care of them while I was gone" Subaru smiled as he reunited with his Water and Earth Spirit.

"I'm just glad you are safe"

"No problem contractor" Subaru smiled as the beads of light faded back away.

The two Demi human children were done reconciling when they turned to Subaru, a smile dawning both of their faces. "Thank you for helping us mister!" Both said in unison, He kneeled down, patting both of their heads. "I just said it, no need to thank me, just stay out of trouble alright?" The children nodded with content expressions, before turning back towards their parents and conversing once more.

"Pardon me Subaru-sama, but we need a way back home and..." The father spoke up, before turning his head towards the fleeting dragon carriages in the distance, ones filled with freed slaves. Subaru quickly noticed this "Ah! We definitely have enough room in the carriage to bring you guys with us, it'll be a pleasure" he said with a charitable gesture.

"Thank you Subaru-Sama, you truly are charitable" he kneeled before the spirit arts user once more, which caused Subaru to step back from the uncomfortable gesture. Jeez, this guy really is something.

After all was said and done, Halibel came back, and the family of Demi humans and the student and teacher headed back to the city of Banan.

"I've gotta say, you handled those slavers pretty well eh Su-San?" Halibel let out purple smoke from his pipe as he twisted it in his finger tips, crossing his legs as he gazed at his student.

"Hehe well, I did rely on my spirits, I barely used my sword at all" Subaru rubbed his head in shame, he didn't feel like he accomplished much, but he was just content with the fact he managed to save the men and woman captured.

Halibel grimaced. "There's nothing wrong with usin' yer spirits, yer a spirit arts user remember?" this got a shocked reaction from the raven haired boy, he looked away in shame once more. "I-I guess your right, they are an extension of me after all, we are meant to help each other" he had came to a realization at that moment, Subaru started to backtrack on his earlier thoughts. He still felt like he wanted to get stronger, he didn't want to rely on his spirits all the time.

This was how Subaru Natsuki worked. He could never admit when he needed help when completing a hard task, he would always want to accomplish things on his own. His spirits would always bash him for this mindset, it was something the Japanese teen would have to get rid of.

"Thank you for the advice Sensei, I can always count on you" The boys heartfelt comment only got a nod out of the Shinobi as the air was once more filled with the sounds of the rolling dragon carriage.

I guess my spirits were right, I need to learn to ask for help from them more often. Subaru settled back into his thoughts, leaning back into his seat. His mean eyes turned to the family at the back, huddled against one another as they slept. The father was the one who volunteered to drive the carriage, so that was a nice thing. He did so as a means to pay back Halibel and Subaru for their kindness for helping their children.

It had been an hour since they departed, Subaru was starting to see the cave laid on top of that mountain in the distance, one that still made his bones shiver. Great Spirit of Murder? No thanks...

Subaru started contemplating if his spirits would end up like that in the near future. He heard of how immortal spirits were, and that they never aged. One day He would die, and his spirits would be left alone. He wondered how they would impact the world once he was gone.

Speaking of spirits...Subaru motioned his palm as he held it out in front of him. "Hello my buds, how are you guys doing?" He had a smile as he awaited their answers. he always loved talking to them. Instead of an answer, the spirit arts user was met with silence.

...

"Spirits?"

...

"Are you guys alright?"

...

WHOOSH

...

"Huh?"

BANG

Subaru didn't even have time to react. His feet were no longer connected to the wooden floor of the carriage, instead he was flying in the air, the scent of dust flooding his lungs from the broken wood. "AHHHH!!!" The spirit arts user could barely comprehend what had happened, the world was spinning, scarlet glazing his tracksuit.

"AGH!" Subaru hit the ground with a large thud, the sound of debris crashing around him as well. What the, what the hell just happened?! He quickly tried to stand up, but what he saw shocked him.

"Ah-AHHHHHHH NOOOO WHY WHY!!!" Subaru looked down--to find half of his right leg completely bisected. It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts. The nasty eyed boy tried to think, who had attacked him? It happened so fast, he looked around to find puddles of scarlet littered around him. The demi human family was completely torn in half, they laid there, completely motionless. "AHHHHHHH!!!" Subaru screamed as he tried to crawl away, the sight of a dead body caused him to throw up bile.

"Hurk-Bleh!" The boy's throat was completely sore and his insides were getting increasingly emptied from his stomach rejecting his food and water. His vision was becoming hazy, he couldn't tell if it was night or day. the last thing Subaru's vision set sights on was a white haired woman, complete in a black kimono of sorts.

"...Eh?"

DIE

WHOOSH

And with that, Subaru lost his life...

...

"There's nothing wrong with usin' yer spirits, yer a spirit arts user remember?" Halibel chuckled at the boy's self doubt, his pipe was being played by his finger tips. "...huh?" Subaru blinked, his eyes trying to register what was in front of him. He looked at his arms. Perfectly fine. He looked towards his legs, his right leg no longer torn in half. "...what...just" The mean eyed boy casted his eyes as he looked around, they were inside the carriage, and the demi humans and Halibel were perfectly alright.

"Eh...is there a problem Su-San? Was I speaking up correctly?" The wolf man leaned in towards his befuddled student, his eyes narrowed in interest and confusion. Was it all just a dream? Wait no...it all felt too real. Subaru completely ignored his teacher, instead using his time to look at the passengers.

Everything was going so well, and then it just... beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, if there was any emotion Subaru was displaying, it was all of them. Sadness, anger, confusion, it had no end. Was it real or a dream? Or was it some type of precognition? Subaru instantly snapped out of it, quickly going to reassure his confused teacher. "I'm alright Sensei, I got a little bit too caught up in some day dreaming" the nasty eyed boy rubbed his head, still not convinced that what had happened was real.

Halibel didn't seem convinced by his answer, but decided to let his student be, his eyes targeted towards the road ahead. Wait a minute, if that was real, then I have to be sure. Subaru stood up from his seat, motioning towards the end of the carriage. This confused the demi human family a lot, but they only watched as the spirit arts user's face contorted into a grimace.

He peeked his head out, analyzing the empty meadows. The only sight being the mountain in the distance. "Everything seems to be fine...wait a minute" he squinted his mean eyes, what shocked him was the sight of two figures, one wearing white and the other black. They were fighting, exchanging similar moves.

What caused Subaru to gasp in horror was the face of the white haired woman, she wore black clothes, just like in his vision. No way but, that couldn't be. The murderous woman proceeded to turn her face towards the moving carriage, causing the boy to contort his face into horror.

DIE

Subaru had no chance to react this second time, the carriage was completely torn in half, his body flying in the air, along with everyone else. The mean eyed boy hit the ground with a large thud, wincing in pain as his shoulder was dislocated, taking the brunt of the damage. "Ah-AHG!!!" Subaru let out a blood curdling scream as he slowly got up. The others, I have to help them. He started to limp his way towards the family. What he saw in the distance made his whole body freeze.

There stood Halibel, but what was strange was there were 10 copies of him, each holding a kunai of there own, they began charging at the bloodlusted lady. Subaru's eyes turned over to the other woman, she looked identical, but her clothes were white, and she was fighting the body double of sorts. What the?! The black haired boy was confused, but he trudged along, there he saw was the family among the debris, each holding on to one another as they tried climbing out of it.

"Wait, let me help you guys" Subaru could only put up a weak smile, he needed to make sure they were safe. He lifted the heavy pile of wood with his one arm "Ack! Thank you Subaru-Sama" the mother was under the rubble but was pulled out, her other children being helped out as well. The raven haired teen then set his sights upon the father, but he shook in horror as he gazed at his motionless body.

His neck seemed to be snapped, the ground dragon was toppled over him. What the hell. Subaru once more tried fighting over his urge to vomit, but he did so anyways. "Augh!!" he was starting to get nauseous from his stomach emptying, it seemed to be a lot worse than last time. Subaru watched in sadness as the family ran over to the man, their tears heavily apparent. I...failed...spirits...where the hell are you!?!

Subaru screamed, but his throat was too parched so it was barely audible. His spirits...his family. They weren't here, they left him to die. What did I do to deserve this? Subaru groaned, his spirits were no where to be found, he could feel them deep in his od, but they weren't responding to his pleas for help. If I had them..I could fight this monster. The boy stared at the fight before him, Halibel seemed to be barely surviving, but the other doppelgänger was begrudgingly siding with him. No matter how much they fought, they were no match for the other one.

That can't be...Zarestia? The great spirit? Subaru thought back to what Halibel told him, that was apparently the great spirit of murder, they would kill any breathing thing before them. The black clothed spirit seemed to be winning, pushing the real Zarestia and Halibel into decommission, before turning their sights towards Subaru.

DIE

WHOOSH

The raven haired boy could only stare, his face asking for mercy as the family was cut in half, their blood spewing everywhere.

"What did I do...to deserve this?" Subaru tearfully asked, but it was all in vain as the evil Zarestia stared him down, bloodlusted eyes piercing his own.

DIE

"Oh...that's right" I deserve it...Subaru could only smile weakly as his neck was torn open, his body hitting the ground.

At that moment, Subaru Natsuki had died.

...

"There's nothing wrong with usin' yer spirits, yer a spirit arts user rememb-Ah!" Halibel quickly jumped from his seat, kneeling beside the fallen Student, the other occupants looked at him in worry as well. "Su-San? What's t' problem? You seemed better a second ago" The wolf man put a palm to the boys back, analyzing his heart beat.

Subaru was breathing heavily, his voice ragged as his eyes dilated. I just died...again...and I'm back here. Subaru clutched his head, he was in his own world as he contemplated what had happened. Fighting,doppelgängers, death, wind magic...

This power? Is it future telling? No it felt all too real. Subaru started arriving to conclusions he had already made. It seems as if I'm capable of going back in time some how, but what is the trigger? It seems to send me back when I die, so that must be it. The mean eyed boy now held a disgusted expression as he raised his head, meeting the wolf man's worried gaze. "I'm...fine Sensei, no need to worry"

Subaru was a good liar, Halibel could barely brush it off as he only looked more worried. "If there's something yer need to tell me you can do so, I'm here to support ya kid" He flashed Subaru a grin to help cheer him up, the boy could only curve his lips upward slightly in response. "Stop...the carriage" The statement was barely heard as Subaru stood back on his feet, his face contorted into one of despair, but acceptance.

"Huh?" Halibel confusingly replied. "I SAID STOP THE CARRIAGE NOW!" Subaru's scream shook the whole area. The father demi human up front had a look of confusion as he reluctantly followed The spirit arts users words, only seconds later did the carriage halt.

"Errr...what is it Su-San? I can't know if ya don't tell me anything" The shinobi cocked his head as he wondered what Subaru's answer would be. "Zarestia...Zarestia will attack this carriage in the next minute" His voice was cold, nothing short of a joke. It honestly made Halibel exasperated at how serious Subaru was.

But Halibel's eyes widened as his ears twitched. "EVERYONE OUT THE CARRIAGE NOW!" It was too late as the carriage was sent into the air, already cut in half. Subaru at least had the reaction time to brace himself. He grabbed the man at the front, who would've been crushed by the ground dragon if he stayed where he was.

Whilst midair, Subaru motioned himself towards one of the dog eared children, grabbing them by the torso as he fell. Halibel managed to grab the other one, also getting a hold of the mother. "AHHG!!" The 6 of them hit the ground, they didn't make it out unscathed but no one got seriously injured.

"Are you guys alright? Subaru asked the children and parents. "Yes HK! what the hell just happened?" the father had a look of exasperation as he looked at the fight between spirits in the distance. "There's not much time Su-San, get these people outta here!" Halibel yelled with a much more serious tone.

The raven haired boy only nodded as he gathered the family, pointing them to a safe place far from the fight. They reluctantly agreed, still wanting to stay to help, but their children took priority. "Just stay safe alright?" The mother asked as she slowly departed with the rest of her family. Subaru only smiled and nodded "I'll be sure to"

"Aye Su-San, sure could use some help over here Eh?" Halibel somehow cloned 20 versions of himself, each running towards the black clothed Zarestia. "Oh yeah sorry right" Subaru was still perplexed that his teacher could do that, but he had to focus, meaningless questions could wait for later.

"Give me back my light orb you mongrel!" The white haired woman's blood vessels were about to pop as a tornado of wind surrounded her, sending an exchange of attacks at the imposter. The imposter only shouted die over and over, sending wind magic towards Zarestia as well, although they seemed to be a lot stronger, giving the real Zarestia a run for her money.

What was apparent in the imposter's grasp was a light crystal ball of sorts, it shown an ethereal light that was akin to a star. Whatever it was, it seemed to be the source of the evil Zarestia's power.

"Ay Zarestia! It's quite an honor" Halibel chuckled as him and his clones dodged a blade of wind, sending several kunai's towards the bloodlusted spirit with quick precision, she quickly brushed them off with blades of wind. "I am in no need for your help mortal, you'll only end up slowing me down" Her voice was strained as she evaded another slice of wind, one she barely managed to dodge.

"Hehe, that doesn't seem to be the case though" the Shinobi chuckled as he summoned more clones, the others having been dissipated from the harsh winds. Hmph, this great spirit really is somethin' Eh? I'm barely able to keep up. the strongest in Kararagi seemed to be struggling against the great spirit, creating clones to distract her.

"Aye Su-San, you and yer spirits would be a big help right about now!!" Halibel sarcastically remarked. Subaru ran up to him with tainted breaths, unsheathing his sword to fight. "I don't know why Sensei, but my spirits aren't responding, I don't..I don't know what's wrong!" Subaru had a look of horror as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, Halibel grit his teeth as he dodged yet another wind blade.

When I need them the most they leave me...but why? Did I do something wrong? Subaru held his hands in his hair, frustrated beyond compare. The raven haired boy realized how truly weak he was without their combined strength. I can still feel them, so they didn't leave or anything...Subaru steeled himself as he raised his head once more, facing the Shinobi.

"Sensei! You mind filling me in?" Subaru ran up to them, they both dodged a wind blade, settling away from the fight as they allowed the real Zarestia to take charge temporarily. "It seems as though Zarestia's evil twin sister is using her lightball, we gotta get it off of er ya hear?" Halibel grinned as he threw a kunai, sending it into the calf of the black clothed woman, a shriek followed seconds later as her attention was turned towards them.

DIE

This particularly big blade of wind was nigh impossible to dodge, Subaru could only take the damage to his sword, nearly shattering it upon impact. "Ngh!" Subaru grunted as he flew back almost 20 feet, hitting the ground with his two feet. That magic is truly insane! That's a great spirit for you. Subaru didn't have much time for a quippy comment to make as he dodged several more blades of wind, he didn't make it out unscathed as wounds started showing up around his body. If Aqua was here, she would be able to heal me...

Subaru was in a tough spot. If Lucius was here...he would use his cleverness to devise a plan...Subaru grunted as he tried standing straight. If Hestia was here...she could lighten the mood and fill me with determination with her cheers...Tears of salt caked his pupils as he stared at the threat before him. If flint was here...he could protect me with his walls of earth. The raven haired boy staggered across the haunted landscape, wind blades having cut through the once empty grass plains. If Aella was here...she would tease me while promising me everything would be alright.

Tears formed from his eyes, his body almost limp from the damage he had taken. If Lela...was here...Subaru had a faint smile as his sword threatened to leave his hardened palms. She would support me..she would be at my side as she helped me like a little sister. His sword completely fell down, the raven haired boy's breathing was ragged as he faced the demon of a war torn battlefield.

Did I ever become stronger?

DIE

A harsh blade of wind was making its way towards Subaru, but he didn't even care to dodge. "I deserve it...don't I? For being weak"He could see at the corner of his eye Halibel running to him at break neck speeds, but it wasn't enough to save Subaru.

"I am truly useless" those were the last words of Subaru as his head was thrusted from his shoulders, the last thing his vision seeing was a body without its head.

...

Then began the endless cycle of life and death, his checkpoint was moved to just after the family had evacuated, Subaru was still too shocked to move as his head was repeatedly torn from his body.

Life...

DIE

Death...

Life...

DIE

Death...

Life...

"Uhhhh...AHHHHHGH!!" Subaru screamed into his palms, up to this point he was on his 12th loop, and the wind blade of the devil before him was nearing his body once more. I can't do it, I tried to do things on my own...I learned now...but...

DIE

Death...

Life. I can't do anything...spirits..I need you guys. Subaru held his hands into the air, pleading for whatever hopes that his spirits would accompany him once more. But all he was met with was the sickening sound of flesh and blood being severed and his eyes being flooded with the color of scarlet. Death.

Life. Subaru didn't speak, only resigning to curling up into a ball, ready for the wind blade to take his life once more. I'm no hero, all the things those people in the village said were fake! They were actually talking to my spirits! They would never give a damn about me if I didn't have them! He grit his teeth, the sounds of a turrent of wind heading his way, taking his life once more.

His fate defying ability cursed his pathetic existence with life one more, he only grumbled begrudgingly as he met the empty meadows again, now thrashing with the tension of battle. Halibel and real Zarestia were in the distance, exchanging blows with the threat but losing badly. At least..I could do...is help them before I die again...

Subaru thought, he thought back to the children he saved in the alley. He thought about how happy they were when they were reunited. He weakly smiled, but that's...that was meant to be his spirits achievement, he used their magic after all. But then, he remembered, he remembered how he consoled the family of the kids, how he promised them he would let no one hurt them. How they depended on Subaru to keep them safe.

If that evil Zarestia wins, she would surely go after the family. Subaru looked back to see them running off into the horizon, looks of fear, but also determination as they carried out Halibel's words. The raven haired boy grit his teeth. I'll at least be strong...for them. Subaru steeled himself as he weakly got up, looping had tired his brain, he was surprised he didn't pass out from shock.

He watched as the imposter turned towards him once more, already having pushed back Zarestia and Halibel.

DIE

The wind was very fast, and was hurling at him with break neck speeds.

"No" Subaru replied, he mustered all his strength as he dodged.

DIE

"No" he said, almost as loud as a yell as he barely dodged another wind.

WHY WONT YOU DIE? JUST DIE!

Several smaller wind blades grazed his skin, pushing him back. "No" Subaru almost smirked as he unsheathed his sword.

DIE

WHY WONT YOU JUST DIE?

"Why won't I you ask?" There was an impending answer he wasn't so sure of himself. Why did he choose to fight on? "Oh, that's right" Subaru said in a voice that was barely higher than a mumble.

"I WON'T DIE! NOT HERE! BECAUSE IM A MASTER OF MY OWN FATE!" Subaru screamed, it shook the whole meadow as he dodged another strike, running along the field as he dodged meticulously placed wind blades. "AND WITH MY ABILITY, I WILL DEFEAT YOU!"

"Look who decided to join eh" Halibel smirked as he rose from his kneeling position, his body covered in wounds. Subaru was sad that he couldn't heal them due to Aqua being out the equation, but he had to help somehow. "Aye Su-San, you mind helpin' us with yer spirits?" Halibel motioned towards Subaru, who was still dodging wind blades.

"I don't need your pathetic...help you mongrels" the real Zarestia said a few feet away, sending wind blades towards her doppelgänger. Her hair was disheveled and her breathing was ragged, she looked like she wouldn't last a second longer. "Sorry Sensei, spirits are gone for some reason, I'll have to fight without them this time around" Halibel and Subaru started running along side each other, the Shinobi would throw a kunai or two, and Subaru would make sure to send a few crystals of yin, using his own gate.

"If we could get that light ball out her hands she would stop her rampage, I think I might just have an idea" Subaru smirked as he made his way towards the real Zarestia, dodging wind blades along the way. "Aye Sensei, distract her using your shadow clone jutsu or whatever!" Subaru yelled. "I don't know what that means but alright!" Halibel replied as he summoned 30 clones, instantly rushing the bloodlusted spirit.

That should be enough time. Subaru approached Zarestia, she shot him a glare, like she was looking at an insect. "What are you bothering me for dimwit? Don't you see I'm busy getting my light ball back?" She eyed him up and down, sending a wind blade towards the other Zarestia.

"In your current state, I doubt those wishes will come true, you'll need my help" Subaru replied. "And what makes you think a mere mortal such as you could do anything to assist me?" Her tone was sharp and piercing, truly no doubt laid in her mind that she could beat her otherwise stronger counterpart. Jeez, this woman really is pompous isnt she? Subaru ignored her, shaking the thoughts out his head.

"Halibel is distracting her, I need you to launch me at her from behind, can you do that?" Subaru's plan greatly offended the great spirit. "Do you think I'm a baby? There's no question to my power, I can do that quite easily" she pouted as she stomped her feet, she honestly reminded Subaru of a child. "Well, you have no other option than to trust me, let's do this" Subaru replied as he readied himself.

DIE

The evil Zarestia was frustrated, there were so many of those annoying mutts below her, every time she got rid of 1, 10 more would take its place.

DIE JUST DIE

The bloodlust was very apparent in her voice as sharp winds pierced through the sky, a whistling sound accompanying it. "Sorry, ya can't kill someone like me so easily" Halibel smirked, he managed to lodge a Kunai in her arm, causing the imposter to shriek in pain. Su-San better hurry up, I'm gettin' really tired here.

DIE JUST DIE, WHY WONT YOU DIE?

Shrieks of pain accompanied by her frustration blended into each other, her movement and attacks were getting sloppier as she sent wind blades in all directions, Halibel's clones were getting destroyed faster and faster. "Agh!" Halibel yelled as he was barely able to dodge a wind blade, sending him stumbling on the ground.

The imposter Zarestia wanted to finish him off, but decided on focusing on the others. What she saw left her shocked as she wasn't met with two people but one, a splitting image of herself locked eyes with her once more.

AGK!

It felt like a boulder had been dropped on her shoulders. Subaru, Subaru had grappled himself on her back and was now wrestling for control. Whew...I did not expect that to work, alright Subaru focus. He pushed his thoughts away as he focused on the Zarestia he was on. She didn't know how to handle close combat, so she just flailed her arms about, flying rapidly through the air like she was trying to get a bug off of her.

"I wouldn't want to hurt a woman like you" especially cause of how cute you are "but I have to finish this!" With a swing of his fist he punched evil Zarestia in the face, it wasn't enough to send her unconscious so he kept swinging. He then noticed the light ball hiding in her kimono, so Subaru tried grabbing it but-

AHH! AGK! GET OFF ME!!!

She screamed as a small shockwave sent subaru falling off, much to his surprise and dismay. No! I almost had it! The spirit arts user came crashing down, almost unconscious from the impact.

Subaru had almost done it, he was about to grab for the light ball when he was plucked off. "I failed?" The mean eyed boy had a look of horror as the evil Zarestia faced him, ready to kill him.

DIE

A harsh blade of wind, the biggest Subaru had seen came tumbling towards him. Halibel tried reaching out for him, but was too tired from the constant fighting. The slicing air leveled the earth as it approached him at blinding speeds. Subaru was about to die, and he would start over again-

"Sorry, but I can't allow you to hurt my contractor" a voice, akin to that of a small child interrupted. What Subaru saw shocked him. There the mysterious child stood, she was wearing a black kimono similar to evil zarestia, instead it had grey linings at its edges. It drooped over her body like water, as if the clothing was too big for her, even her sleeves threatened to swallow her small arms whole. But what striked Subaru more was her appearance.

She had black hair that only went a bit farther down below her chin, the girls skin was as white as snow, the sun illuminating it further. She was adorned with two black orbs for eyes, they were a lot similar to Subaru's sanpakugan, though she still looked cute with them. Other than that, she barely looked any older than 10.

If people were to walk by they would easily mistake them both for siblings. "What the...Lela is that you?" Tears started forming out of Subaru's mean eyes as he gazed at the girl in front of him. "Yes, I am Lela, Subaru's spirit of yin, I'm so sorry for not accompanying you earlier" She was happy that she was back, but she quickly frowned when she saw that her contractor looked hurt.

Halibel looked at them both with an expectant look, his mouth agape, before returning to its usual grin. Zarestia looked on with interest, her eyes widening. The evil Zarestia didn't seem to care though, directing her bloodlust at the newcomer.

JUST DIE

She sent wind blades towards Lela but she quickly dodged, sending 5 huge yin crystals in response. The imposter tried to dodge, but she couldn't evade all of them.

AGH!

The doppelgänger screamed after her right arm was completely crystallized by the yin spell, it fell off and crushed the ground like glass before dissipating into mana once more. "Well I'll be damned! She really has some fight in er yeah?" The Shinobi chuckled, Subaru only looked on, his brain still trying to comprehend what was happening in front of him.

Evil Zarestia seemed to be slowly fading as a blue string of mana escaped her now ripped off arm. She retaliated, her blows weren't calculated and most of her attacks were way off mark. Lela used this to her advantage as she gathered all her mana, summoning 30 crystals of yin. "This is what you get for hurting my contractor" her voice held indifference, but a tinge of venom was attached towards the end.

In blinding speeds all the crystals launched at the evil Zarestia, wind blades destroyed most of them, but one managed to stab her straight in the chest.

THUD

A sound of a body hitting the ground resonated throughout the now quiet meadow, only the panting of breaths could be heard. "Lela..." Subaru finally found the words to speak, his eyes dilated as he stared at his yin spirit. To say this day could get any better from this point was an understatement. The sight of her short legs running towards him, her sleeves engulfing her arms as they flailed in the wind.

"Oof!" Subaru yelled as Lela tackled him, they were now on the ground, she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck as sobs escaped her soft lips. "Contractor! You scared me! I was fearing that you'd die! Everyone else was so worried about you!" All the words came out at once, at some point it sounded like incoherent mumbling, but Subaru managed to get the gist of it.

"Lela..." he said with a tired, parched voice. He only smiled as he lifted his palm to pat her black hair, rubbing it ever so gently. This managed to calm the girls sobs and her breathing became less ragged. "T-thank you, for saving me..I thought you guys were gone...but..you came back" Subaru started to cry, but he abstained when Lela's mean but cute eyes met his.

"Now that you are safe contractor, I propose that you'll never be allowed out of my line of sight, d-do you got that?" Her voice spoke confidence, not at all like the shy girl he met a few weeks ago. "A-Ah, that's a bit overkill don't you think? but I'd do the same, I won't ever leave you guys" Subaru smirked, which got Lela to hug him tighter.

So the two of them lay there, hugging each other as they recovered from the fight they had been in. "Hey Uh Su-San, sorry to ruin the mood with your girlfriend but can ya help me?" Halibel's voice leaked of annoyance and tiredness, "Wait what? She is not my girlfriend, stop saying weird things!!" Subaru was about to go on a tangent as he turned his head to see Halibel holding off a very angry spirit.

"Let me get my light ball back you mongrel!!!" Zarestia yelled at the top of her lungs as she tried getting through the barricade that was Halibel. "Oh yeah? And what makes ya think you won't go crazy psycho killer like yer twin sister ere?" The wolf man pointed behind him, to the now dissipated resting place of the now vanquished threat. Only the light ball was there, it's shining glow being met with the grass filled earth.

"They are not my sister! They were a imbecile who went into my cave and stole my ball and appearance, I'm only taking what's rightfully mine!!!" Her face was red as Halibel only rested a palm on her forehead to keep her from advancing, she tried attacking him with her arms but they were too short to reach him. "Hehe, honestly yer pretty cute for the Great Spirit of Murder" Halibel quipped. This only angered the the white haired woman more.

"How could a mortal like you treat such a divine being such as me with this much disrespect?! How uncouth!" Zarestia yelled, she was an indescribable ball of rage, but not once did she think of attacking the wolf man. Huh, for the great spirit of Murder she sure isn't brute forcing through Halibel right now. Subaru had a look of wonder as he and Lela walked up to them, both of their hands interconnected. It seems like that light ball is behind it. Subaru motioned his hand towards it, only inches from grabbing it when-

"NO Contractor don't touch that!" Lela screamed as she got in front of Subaru. "W-what if you turn evil like that other person? Lela wouldn't be able to forgive you" tears started forming at the corners of her eyes, Subaru only huffed, he felt guilty for worrying her like that. "I'm sorry Lela, I won't do something reckless like that again" this seemed to calm her nerves as her expression formed into a small pout.

"Looks like you'll have to reward your favorite spirit with some head pats for saving your life once again hmph!" She said it like she was the most proudest being in the world, puffing her chest as she angled her head upwards. "You sure are greedy aren't you? but I'll give you head pats anyways cause your so cute! I always wanted a little sister!" The mean eyed boy knelt down and began furiously swarming her with head pats, she giggled in response.

"By the way Lela, what happened to the others? I tried contacting them telepathically but they aren't answering" Subaru asked questioningly. "Unlike me, since we both have yin for our affinity I got my physical appearance faster, the others are still changing and will probably come out in another few hours" Lela pridefully declared. "Ah, so that's it, you guys weren't out because you guys were changing"

All that pain I went through without you guys. And my reward is to have my own little sister...Subaru almost teared up. If I could see my spirit friends again, it was worth it. Subaru pumped his fist as he got to his feet, going towards Halibel and Zarestia.

The white haired spirit was pouting while she stomped her feet on the ground, each stomp forming a small shockwave. "No matter how many times you whine, yer ain't gettin' it back hehe" Halibel was amused at the display before him. The once great spirit of murder now equal to that of a child.

"Aye Sensei, I'm here, what is it" Subaru said. "Ah, I'm just makin' sure this lil' ole lady doesn't pull a fast one with her murder ball" he smirked. Ah, I never thought about that, if that ball is the source of her power and bloodlust, she would kill us the moment she touched it! A look of horror dawned the raven haired boys face, but then it lightened when he thought of a plan.

Soul binding contracts, when Subaru heard of them he seemed spooked. But now it seemed like the option to their current predicament. "Ay Tia! I have a solution!" Subaru playfully walked over to her, Zarestia winced at the name being used for her. "Why would a lowly mortal like you address a divine being so incorrectly?" her face was disgusted as her glare pierced through Subaru's scary eyes. Subaru ignored it, only continuing his statement.

"Let's make a contract, we will give you the lightball back, but in exchange you can't hurt anyone else here and you have to go all the way back to that cave you crawled from" The statement got a snort out of her as she crossed her arms. "And what makes you think i'll form a contract with you?" Zarestia asked questioningly.

"Jeez, you sure are stubborn aren't you? here I am offering you a peaceful way to solve our issues and you are just declining it!" Subaru seemed frustrated at the remark, only stepping closer to her. Halibel twisted his pipe in his fingers, looking at them argue with a grin. "I could easily swat all of you here like flies and get my light ball back b-Aahh! Stowp thhat!!"

Lela and Halibel laughed as Subaru grabbed ahold of Zarestia's cheeks, pulling on them as she started forming tears from the pain. "Aahhh! How dare you dhisrespect a gweat spiwit such as mwe!" Her words were hard to form as her gums were pulled from side to side. "You sure are cute for a great spirit aren't you? hahah" Subaru winked as he formed his teeth in a smile. After all was done, he finally let go and the pouting child grabbed her swollen cheek with her two hands, rubbing it while scoring a defeated expression.

"F-fwine!, I'll f-form a contwact! But don't do that again!" The white clothed woman yelled, Subaru only nodded with a content look, sending a thumbs up towards Lela, who smiled from a job well done. "Ok, but I'll come back to grab your cheeks again if I catch you being a bad girl" Subaru formed a clawing motion with his fingers, which scared Zarestia all the more.

"T-there, it's done" Zarestia huffed as she let go of Subaru's hand, looking at Halibel who was still guarding the light ball. "See, that wasn't so hard was it?" The Shinobi smiled as things turned out peaceful at the end, Lela seemed to agree as she went to hold Subaru's hand once more.

"N-now, finally, my light ball..." The great spirit had a look of happiness as she bent down to grab it, they all watched as she stopped, her hands now holding the murder ball. Her eyes went bloodshot and dilated as she turned around. Halibel brought out his sword and Lela readied herself by summoning 20 mana crystals.

"I really want to kill you guys but, ill act according to my contract" her wording sent shivers down each of their spines. She truly did earn her title. "See ya later Tia!" Subaru waved as she started ascending into the air, turning towards the mountain in the distance. "Don't call me that you mongrel, or I'll kill you" she said, though her words weren't a joke at all.

"I advise you to stop provoking her contractor, I don't want to save you again, cause you'll owe me a million headpats hmph!" Lela said. "That makes me want to do it even more!" Lela could only sigh with discontent as she gripped the hand of her stupid contractor. Truly stupid.

"I gotta say Su-San, yer girlfriend really came into clutch last second!" Halibel smiled mirthfully as he watched Zarestia fade into the distance. "She is NOT my girlfriend!" Subaru in a rage as he threw his arms into the air, this only caused the wolf man to devolve into deep laughter. Stupid dog. "Well, it's best we get going" Halibel stared into the horizon, a faint orangish hue started to take over, letting everyone know dawn was approaching. "We really were up for that long, wait a minute"

Subaru looked at his appearance, he really was a mess, blood and dirt flooded his tracksuit, it would take deep cleaning to fix. Is it me, or is everything getting real dizzy?. Subaru looked at Halibel, he was twisting like seaweed in water, and Lela was bobbing up and down.

"Ah-hrk!" Subaru couldn't let out more than a moan as he fell face first into the ground. Completely exhausted from the events of the past 24 hours.

At that moment, Subaru Natsuki lost consciousness.

Authors Note: Arc 1 of Great Spirit Knight is complete! Next arc is pretty self explanatory, Subaru will meet some new faces most of you are familiar with.