Slums!

—And then, the night turned to day.

Subaru: "Ahhh~"

The being above time's jurisdiction stared off to the distance. The Slum dwellers rose and began their torturous drudgery. The sun was risen and shone above with its brilliant radiance. The boy rubbed his chin in reflection. He was estimating the time of this world.

Subaru: "It's about noon or maybe a bit before noon. Mmm, I guess the people here just work later."

A flash of Elsa's figure flickered in his mind. He dropped his gaze toward his shoes and clenched hand. His hand holding the murderous blade of the『Bowel Hunter』, he smirked, but the ends of his lips wavered in exhaustion. And before he knew it, his body trembled with weariness, and he fumbled to the ground with his ass taking the impact.

Subaru: "Shit. That was— —Something else."

『Augur』and his two other abilities already exceeded the impossible in astonishing ways but not even those powers could calm the turmoil in Subaru. Never in his measly life did he believe he would face off assassins of legendary caliber. Another flicker of Elsa's blade grazing him sends him into another tremor. These memories were proof of how truly close he was to dying.

Subaru: "But this is just the beginning."

Subaru was a hero. The chosen human graced by the world's benevolence. He couldn't let this encounter of many terrify him to this extent; he needed to be greater, to be above the concept of fear. Air came bowling out of his mouth like a horse neighing. In a quick session, he slams his palm into his cheek. The shock jolted his mind away from the bubbling thoughts of fear.

Subaru: "Focus, Subaru, focus. You have a world to save."

Subaru rose once more and stretched his arms to the sky. His gallantry began to rise from his chest once more. The mere thought of people needing him to be the hero sends thunderbolts of ecstasy into his soul. With the blinking of his eyes, Subaru dusted himself off and began to wander around the Slums to articulate his mind on his two new-found gifts. After all, he had all the time he needed.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

?: "Onesan, onesan. When are you going to that place?"

A blue-haired girl, no older than fourteen, spoke out in wonder. Her partner sat silently on a lone stool, gazing at the knotted floorboards with reminiscing eyes. Her previous prey's bowels sinking into the water and flowing downstream was still vivid in her mind. That thrashed man's bowels were nothing but raff. Disgusting to a fault.

"Mmm? Just a bit under sundown. It's the contracted time to meet with the girl."

The legendary assassin briskly answered. She rubbed her thumb over her other hand that sat on her lap. Her thumb coursed through the bottom of her palm and glazed all the way to her fingertips.

The blue-haired girl gave an 'mhm' as acknowledgment. The girl continued to braid her partner's hair into a lovely twisted crown. She hummed in a monotonous tone that was cathartic to the absent heart that they both have.

This silence went on for but a moment as the dark-haired, disemboweling loving assassin shut up. The young blue-haired girl backed away, her balance fumbled by the erratic movement that was just committed.

?: "Elsa—?"

Elsa, the most well-known huntress for ruthlessly killing her victims in a slow, agonizing death. A duet of both Sadism and masochism that was shown through her tendency to regeneration and torture. This very person was scrambling to touch her sides. Her eyebrows furrowed in agitation.

?: "Elsa? What's wrong—?"

Elsa gave no response, only the frown that formed gave the answer the girl sought. Elsa's eyes ran across the spoiled room, scanning for any anomalous, yet found none. With the tension devouring the room, Elsa spoke,

Elsa Granhiert: "Strange. Meili, send out one of your toys to scan the area. We may have visitors~."

That was the conclusion Elsa Granhiert came to. Her most meritorious blade that was forged in Gusteko, her homeland, has gone missing from her person. She always held her blades in the slits of her lascivious attire. So when it came to her that one of her possessions had vanished without her notice—Let's just say she became antsy.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Subaru: "Mmm, yup. I think I got it all figured out now."

The boy who was above the common man spoke out his finality as he sat on top of a crooked bastard. The muffle groans that the man emitted only irritated the hero. Subaru, with the blade's pommel, strikes the bastard's head repeatedly until the groans cease to exist. As he raised his plundered blade, the pommel dripped with blood.

Subaru: "Opps. See, this is what happens when you try to harass other folks—"

He scolded as he glared at the opened wound behind the criminal's skull. The man was cataleptic and would die on short notice if not treated. Subaru did not care for the man's life as he viewed the rapist as exp.

Subaru: "And the same goes for all of you. Try this shit again, and it'll be more than just beating you half to death!"

He threw his arm out and pointed his blade towards a bundle of moribund thugs. Their nose were sunken; their skin was torn into, their cheeks a grotesque purple, saliva linked with blood flooded out of their mouths, and their teeth missing and scattered across the blood dowsed ground. Any bystander could intuit that a one-sided beatdown happened.

The bundle of gangbangers could only respond with silence or groans as most had already fallen into darkness, while the ones who had remaining consciousness could only muffle out jointed words that were incomprehensible to the mortal ear.

Subaru: "I'll take it as a yes then. Hmph, wonder if that girl is spreading out my name, like I told her to do?"

Subaru brought his arm back and stared at the ground reminiscing the amazing rescue he had performed. The replay of the thugs swarming the defenseless took precedence in mind; To say he didn't feel excitement was plain wrong, although the emotion was inappropriate for the occurrence. Subaru couldn't help but feel glad he stumbled upon this; after all, it meant that this was one but another compulsory event that he must take care of.

『Flashback』

Subaru: "Look here. I just saved you from these assholes, right?

Subaru told as he clutched the victim's shoulders. Her emaciated body trembled in trepidation. She didn't know who this man was, and neither his intention. For all she thought, this man was another predator looking to satiate his thirst.

Victim: "Rig– Right."

She trembled out her response as she eyed the ground with tears falling to the ground. She shouldn't have gone outside today. She should have stayed in but—But her mother would have beat her if she stayed in their decrepit house.

Subaru saw this and began to shake her violently. She let out a whine; Subaru grabbed ahold of her chin and forced her to gaze at him. Her eyes adverted his bizarre gaze. It was horrifying to witness. His eyes seemed fixated on her but not as a human. One can say it was more akin to looking at a tool.

Subaru: "My name's Natsuki Subaru, the『Star of Change』. Remember it and spread it around. Got it?"

Victim: "P-Please let me go. I-I have-I."

Her words stuttered out as her eyes squeezed shut from the terror she felt. She wished she wasn't born to experience this. She wished her mother was dead when she was inside her. She wished–.

Subaru: "Hey, hey, hey. Are you even listening to me? I don't care about what you have. I saved you. I need you to spread my name."

The girl simply sobbed. Mucus began to fall out as bubbles formed in her nostrils. She wept and whined; why?

Subaru: "- - -"

'Ah,' it clicked in his brain. How ignorant of him; she wasn't weeping. She was crying in happiness, a classic dunder of Subaru for misinterpreting others. He gave a nod to himself, but the issue still lay in front of him.

Subaru: "Look–"

His tone was much gentler, but the girl kept crying with tears of joy. He was surely great. No, he was great. His actions here had saved the girl, and now she doesn't know how to express her gratitude.

Subaru: "I just need you to spread the word that the『Star of Change』. You don't even have to spread my name. I'm sure it'll get around eventually."

He graced her cheek softly, and she shivered in joy. He just knew. As he wiped the tears of delirium off her eyes, her sobs began to grow louder. 'Ah, man–Well, it's to be expected when meeting a hero as great as me.' That was the thought that ran in his mind as he continued to gaze at the girl. He was great, spectacular, and she was crying because she wasn't worthy of being saved by him.

Subaru: "Okay then, run along now."

He unclutched her shoulders, and for a moment, the girl's eyes opened and gazed at his chest in bafflement. She was confused about why his grip had disappeared. She tried to gaze above to his eyes but quickly shifted her eyes to the ground. His eyes were too stunning to look at. Too great to look at.

Subaru: "I said, run along."

The girl's lips trembled. She tried to say something but couldn't muster up the courage to do so. Without another moment, she ran away lightly sobbing, her soles blistered and upheaving sparks of dirt. Subaru watched her with a certain gaze; it was difficult to determine what it was.

Subaru: "She didn't even say thank you."

Ah, yes. It was irritation. He, Natsuki Subaru, had saved her and helped her calm herself, and yet she didn't even give him a small thanks? The word 'Bitch' came slipping off his tongue, but in a quick moment of clarification, he scolded himself. He was the hero of this world. He would encounter selfish people like this, and it was his duty to calm himself. If anyone would have heard it, then think of the damages it could cause to his reputation. Not that he had much to begin with.

Of course, he could always loop back.

『Present Time』

Subaru: "Still, it feels good to save someone."

He muttered as he rose up. He clapped his hands together in gesture; his gaze loomed over the dead bastard that he used as a chair. Subaru didn't know how to feel, but his mind told him that a hero should feel satisfied for taking out trash like this. But he didn't; he felt rather blank as if his mind was stalling itself from truly processing the actions he had committed. So with a shrug, Subaru walked off. Speaking to himself in a casual manner.

Those who had witnessed his undeniable one-sided massacre have shut themselves in their rotted houses or scrunched themselves so small in the belief that the boy would ignore them. Were they afraid? Subaru didn't know. Why would they be afraid? Subaru thought it was because thugs like the ones he took out were still prowling in the shadows.

Subaru: "I'll save them."

That was his mission. His isekai assigned goal, and it didn't just extend to the Slum dwellers. No, it was beyond that. It eclipses the Kingdom and then reaches further than that. To the edges of the world. His mission—his purpose—Was to save these poor souls no matter the cost.

Subaru: "but aww, man. How do I even begin to do that?"

Even with his God-like boons, they had their limits.『Augur』for example, has a set limit of a day. The ability can see every possible future and the future that will occur, but it can only see today's future. If Subaru wanted to see the future that was held by tomorrow, then nothing would come out of it since『Augur』can't see that far. It was a great, magnificent power and was very well classified in the overpowered category.

His other supreme ability『Crunch』or rather more known in layman terms, time stop. It's his offensive skill as well as his most apogean defensive skill. With just a thought, Subaru can pause time with absolute predominance. But there is a catch. There is a set timer on, one that has a maximum of one hour. So for every second he used『Crunch』the timer goes down. And it stays down–complaciant–until a new day dawns.

And then for his third or rather passive ability was『invert』. It allowed his body to rewind from any default deviation after a minute had passed. No matter how insignificant, piddling a deviation is. It will be reverted back to its original default.

And finally, the last of his abilities. One can say it's above both of the previous boons mentioned. Some can say it's the epitome of power that's held within Subaru's soul. The title that was given to this boon was『Permanence』. 'It remains.' That's the translation for such a pompous word. Only when the moon reaches its apex does it allow Subaru to conjure it. Looping is its mechanism, and allowing the user to bring any object of desire through time was its passive.

These four skills–Powers–were a gift. And he graciously thanked the being who gave him this. Both in thanks for the powers and a new start to life.

But still, the question was still in the air. How would Natsuki Subaru even begin to save the poor souls that desperately needed salvation in the form of him? Subaru blew a 'Humm' as he racked his brain for an answer.

— — —

Subaru: "Nope. I got nothing…"

He gave out a sigh. And then quickly muttered out『Augur』. He gave out a 'Gkah' as he hunched over and rubbed his eyes. He truly despised the flash of numbness that came with the calling of his ability, but he'll shoulder the flash. After all, how can he call himself the hero of the world if a meager numbness bothered him?

Subaru: "At least『Augur』gives me somewhat of a direction to do things."

Subaru had witnessed a series of nearly infinite flashes that showcased a drunken man named Otto, bartering with the people of the capital. Somehow, dealing with this man would bring prosperity to the people.

Subaru: "But I can't meet him just yet. I got Elsa to deal with—But it seems that Otto guy is going to stay here for a while—."

Subaru suddenly bumped his knuckles together and blurted his plan for the day.

Subaru: "—Alright! Let's go fight the boss and meet this Otto and recruit him as the first member of my heroic party!"

And with that declaration, Subaru sauntered off to see the destined dead giant that dwells in the sordid loot house. With the sun shining glamorously above the world, it was safe to say that Subaru felt galvanic. And his stride showcased this amazingly.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

?: "Blah, this liquor is running amuck—"

Rom, the giant, bemoaned as he swirled the hoary liquor that sat in the fuggy bottle. He lifted a side of his chapped lips in contempt but then groaned in acceptance.

Rom: "-But's it's the only thing I got. Down the hatch!"

He threw the neck of the bottle of liquor above and clasped the opening with his lips. The murky liquid swirled downwards in a spiral; The sounds of gulping echoed raucously in the carious loot house. An 'Ah!' came bursting out as the sound of the bottle hitting the counter boomed in the silence.

The wince in his eyes showed his displeasure with the drink; it felt searing as it went down his throat and splashed into his stomach. But it was all he had, other than his non-offically adopted daughter, Felt; the bottles of liquor he had underneath the counter were his everything. His pills of exhilaration in his sorry state.

Rom: "Bah—Felt, that girl."

His eyes held reminiscence of the image of Felt, how her mischievous grin held a place in his heart. How her snappy nature made him delirious in his ears. How her playful nature made him holler in laughter… And how her isolated, indigent upbringing made her defensive to a fault.

He gave a groan to this acknowledgment. This lone fact, and with many other failures, stirred a dark depression in him. He had done his best to raise Felt. She was his only bright star in this miserable heap he calls home.

—But was his best enough?

No, it wasn't. He knew this very clearly as he vividly remembers the moments of intractable greed that dwelled in her eyes from the first contract she committed. She was only eight at the time, a tadpole that was only beginning to sprout out legs. How his anger exploded in front of her. To this day, he regrets it dearly; she only did so to alleviate their lugubrious situation.

—Another bottle was wrung out from underneath the counter. It swirled into his mouth as the memories started to become clear once more. It wasn't enough to suffocate the memories.

But least we not forget about the time that the scoundrels of the Slums had their hands on Felt. How his deals lead to this encounter. If only he had done things more wisely, then maybe he wouldn't have heard Felt's cries at night from nightmares. He winced at the thought; if he were only a hair late, then it would have been Felt's head hitting the ground.

—He wrung out another bottle. The relishing of his faults began to pound at his chest.

She never had friends when growing up. Not everlasting friends, at least. There were times when the children of the Slums would invite her to play ball, but due to her ravenous nature of winning, they left with envious glares. He doesn't blame the kids, and neither does he blame Felt. It was due to his own lack of virtue that led that very nature to spiral out of control and turn into thievery and isolation. And what's worse—He wouldn't change that very nature. He was content with seeing Felt thrive, no matter the category.

Oh, how ridiculous he was. He was whining about his failures and how lackluster his virtue was. But simultaneously, he confidently stroked his thoughts with 'I wouldn't change a thing.' He hated the outcomes of his ignorance but wouldn't bear a single change if it were to happen. That simply was his nature.

—He wrung out another drink; it was his fortieth bottle.

*Knock Knock*

An overweening annunciation shook Rom out of his woe. With a groan, he stood up from the stool he sat on, placing his nearly finished bottle on the counter. The stool let out a squeak of joy as the massive weight that nearly pressurized it vanished.

The groggy giant stumbled towards the moldering double doors. He wiped the fleck of poor liquor that stained his mouth with his palm. He blinked thrice as to regain a sustenance of normality.

He glared at the double door. He doesn't remember getting a notice on receiving guests this early.

With a cough, he initiated his riddle.

Rom: "To the giant rats—?"

?: "We give them poison."

Rom: "To the Great White whale—?"

?: "We lend a fishing hook."

Rom: "To our most honorable Great Dragon—?"

?: "We say, 'Burn in hell!'"

Rom: "Alright, just who the hell are ya?"

Rom demanded as he swung the door open. This cheeky bastard that he had never heard of answered his riddle with no imperfections as if he had a sheet to all the answers in the grasp of his fingers.

Subaru: "Nice to meet you, Rom the giant. The name's Natsuki Subaru, the『Star of Change』."

Rom eyed the boy in stupefaction as the boy placed a hand on his tracksuit and puffed his chest to the side, and held his other hand toward Rom. As if sparing a handshake to Rom. The giant's expression only contorted into a more discomfiting look. Just who was this boy?

Rom studied the boy from shoe to head. Black sneakers that he had never seen fitted the boy's feet, and a black, white, and orange tracksuit with an N on the breast donned his body. And his combed hair dress gave the boy a reckless aura. But what truly made the boy stand out were his eyes—Gaze.

—It felt contorted. Misaligned, disfigured. The boy's eyes were sharp but beyond the physical attributes—Words simply couldn't express what Rom felt.

Rom: "Get the hell out of here, runt."

Rom didn't even wait to see the boy's expression change. Rom simply shut the door quickly and crassly. He gave a 'huff' as he cinched his eyes; the tracksuit-wearing boy's eyes appeared in his mind. Those eyes were not that of a sane person.

Subaru: "Excuse me. You do know how much of a dick move that is?"

Rom: "Eh?!"

Rom's eyes shot up, and his expression turned flabbergasted. What he saw turned his blood cold for a moment. The boy that was supposed to be occupied outside sat on a stool behind the counter of his crumbling building. The boy wore a pout on his face as he scolded Rom; a finger was pointed outward.

Subaru: "Ahh, well. Can't blame you. I'm new around these parts, and I probably seemed like trouble."

The boy gave a shrug with his palms pointed upwards. But then quickly changed his posture and folded his arms across his puffed chest.

Subaru: "But worry not! I'm anything but trouble! I'm the newborn hero of this world!"

Rom stepped back as the form of Natsuki Subaru vanished. Before Rom had a moment to blink, Natsuki Subaru manifested in front of him, A finger touching his chest. Subaru wore a smug smile as if communicating, 'You should be glad.'

Subaru: "And it seems that you're the first victim that needs rescuing."

Rom batted his eyes, and a sense of control flickered back into them. His gnarly stumped face regained a semblance of understanding and then contorted into anger. He gently moved the boy's finger away. The boy's expression turned into perplexity as if he didn't comprehend the situation he forged; The boy withdrew and raised an eyebrow at the old giant's anger.

Rom: "I don't, nor do I want to know, how you're doing this shit. Get the hell out of here before you lose your teeth."

Subaru: "Look, look. I'm here to help you because you're in grave danger. I honestly don't want anything from you."

Rom: " I don't care. Get the hell out, now."

Rom growled out. He didn't trust this person. Every fiber of his being told him to throw him over the『Great Waterfall』if he could. Subaru, as the boy called himself, simply shrugged. It seemed that he was in no apparent rush to gain the giant's trust, almost as if it didn't matter.

Subaru: "Elsa Granhiert. You heard of her?"

Subaru spoke as he waved his hand in front of Rom. The old Giant crumpled his face in pique. The boy hadn't left despite the numerous warnings he had thrown out. Each moment that the boy was still breathing in his loot house gave him a rumbling irk.

Rom: "No, I haven't heard of her. But you're getting out of here now!"

With the swiftest of a rolling boulder, Rom stomped forward and threw his oversized hand toward the boy, trying to grab ahold of him so that he could promptly throw him out. Yet, Subaru simply ceased to exist in the present.

Rom: "Yo—"

Rom quickly shot his gaze everywhere; his sweeping led him nowhere as Subaru wasn't present in the loot house. Rom snarled at the antic. He tried to steadily move toward the counter where his club was, but instead, he stumbled his way back. Nearly tumbling over a table.

Rom threw out his hand and clutched the counter; he pushed his weight on it to support himself.

Subaru: "Man, you had way too much to drink, old man."

Subaru spoke from within the room. Rom couldn't quite see where; his vision and hearing had gone hazy. The warmth of liquor engulfed his entire being. He stumbled more, trying to rebalance himself. He couldn't leave the loot house in this disarray with this farcical boy running amuck. He had to guard it, keep it safe so when Felt returns, she'll loft around comfortably.

Rom: "Geth iut of hwre."

His speech fell, and so did his lucidity. Soon, he collapsed to the ground with a meaty thunk. He groaned heftily, his breath galumphing with liquor.

Subaru: "Don't worry, old man Rom. I'll protect ya. You have the hero's promise."

The valiant hero smirkingly declared from above.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

—Smile.

She held a toothy grin on her maw. Her golden hair streamed behind her due to the speeds she ran. The red rubies that were her eyes gazed at the small insignia that was clutched in her palm; the symbol of the dragon swirled around and had its jaw gaped around the small ruby that was embedded in the center.

With a puff of air that blew out of her mouth, she threw her fist in her inside her chest and planted the insignia into an inward pocket. She gazed up ahead. Her cardinal gaze drowned in determination.

?: "Come back here. You—!"

She threw her head to view her rear and, in the spur of the moment, lunged herself to the right. It was a blunt spearhead constructed by magical ice that ordained her to move. She snarled as the spearhead came crashing down and collapsed through the roof of the rooftops.

She threw her gaze back once more and snarled at the silver-haired girl's tenacity.

Felt: "Shit—You're really damn persistent, huh!"

Felt yelled as she leaped to another roofing as a bolt of dulled ice came hurtling forward. A crisp crunch of the roofing collapsing blew out. The silver-haired girl screamed out a 'sorry!' as she blew past the damages. Felt snickered at the absurdity that held her pursuer. How can one be sorry but still continue to cause ill to others?

?: "Just give back what you've stolen from me! That's all I want!"

The silver-haired girl cried as she leaped to another roofing to pursue Felt even further. Blunted icicles formed in the shape of spearheads around the girl before they were hurled towards Felt once more.

Felt shook her head and yelled: "Sorry, no can do!"

She burst forth with the winds behind her exploding into crisps rasps. She leaped downward toward a carriage and tore through the cloth that coated the carriage. Felt shoulder roll inside and then lurched toward the outside piazza. A man's wail could be heard, but she paid no heed.

With expertise strife, she maneuvered through the profuse crowds of traders and consumers. Her adroitness in thievery had steered her in ways as to not touching a single person while sprinting.

A shriek sliced the air; Felt did not swivel her head to see. She kept on sprinting as if her dear life depended on it, which it did. After all, This was her life, her way of living; thievery was her only coach in this negligent kingdom.

Felt: "I think I lost them. Now I'll just blend in with the crowd and move forward from here."

The blonde thief graced her chest with her spindly fingers. The outline of the dragon-designed insignia sent a wave of easement coursing through her being. She sighed in relief as she blended as one in the ignorant crowd.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Felt: "Alright. I'm finally back."

She muttered as she crossed through the grotesque separation between her landfill of a home and the kingdom. She didn't even flinch at the distinction that she faced. After all, it was she knew; she was birthed here, then left, abandoned by her parents. If it weren't for the giant named Rom, then she'd most likely been dead before she turned the age of one.

Felt: "This job should cover our expenses, hopefully. If not, then what's another job—Right?"

She trotted through the harrowing streets, each resident that dared to bask in the sun's ray had a godawful diseased look on them; their bags that drooped under their eyes were so terrifying that one might even question if they were mutated or not.

?: "Hey there Felt!"

?: "Live strong Felt!"

?: "How do you do Felt?"

?: "Back from another thieving?"

?: "Good to see ya Felt. Live strong!"

Their incessant greetings were met with a stern 'Hey' or a 'Yeah, yeah. Good to see ya.' As if that were the only two dialogues she could give out. To which it was. Felt was one of the very few, and fewer since she was a child, that wanted to explore out of the Slums. To live a lifetime outside in the ignorant society that condemned her to the Slums. So when she sees the other Slum dwellers greet her with their content, defeated eyes. A stir of dark scorn bubbles in her chest.

Felt: "Live strong they say. Tch—That's my damn catchphrase! And all of you guys are ruining it by sulking around this dump doing nothing!"

She hissed out, barely enough to make it inaudible to anyone that wasn't a meter away from her. The target of her vexation was still heavily weighted on the Slum dwellers but on a much worse scale. The catchphrase 'Live strong' has been running its course through the mouths of the inhabitants these past few months. Her anger for their idle lingering was enough to set houses ablaze but now they're willing to rip apart her favorite phrase in this accursed place!

The blazing hatred that dwelled in her heart could set dozens of forests aflame if ever manifested.

Felt: "Finally. Was about to get drunk on my own thoughts for a second there."

She crossed her arms as she viewed her grandiose home-dwelling. The planks that founded the building were shrunk and smelled of rotten wood; their decrepit form created a miasma of pity that encompassed the building.

She crossed the threshold that was the porch, each step emitted a dry creak, and snippily knocked on the door. A rumble from within the dwelling was heard. The familiar voice of an old grouchy man cursing a storm dulled out from the double doors.

Rom: "Felt is that you?"

Felt: "Huh—? No password? Did you get off your rocks again old man Rom?"

Rom: "Wha—Tch, just get in here."

One of the double doors opened briskly. A figure of a hunched giant with white bristles dumped on his chest appeared. He gestured his hand to Felt to hurriedly enter the Loot house. Felt gave a strange look to Rom but obliged nonetheless.

Felt: "Not even a 'welcome back?' jeez, thanks for showing how much you appreciate me."

Rom peered through the door for a moment more, as if searching for an unknown entity, before closing the door shut. His face was soured with paranoia and cautiousness. Felt swung her arms as she trotted to one of the bar stools that idly sat near the counter of the loot house. Behind the counter were dozens of weapons and armor that hung from the wall.

Rom: "Felt, answer me honestly, did anyone suspicious catch your eye?"

Felt blanched at the inquiry from Rom. The expression of unease that coated Rom only served to express the bafflement that Felt, felt.

Felt: "This is the Slums, Old man Rom, everyone here is suspicious as hell! Don't tell me you're growing paranoid from old age?"

Rom: "Wha–No!" Rom facepalmed at the mockery that he received, "There was someone here before you got here, and I gotten a clue on where the hell they are."

Felt: "So? What did he do to make you so invested in him?"

Rom: "He was talking nonsense about saving me—"

Felt erupted into a fit of laughter.

Felt: "You needing saving? Bwahaha, the guy couldn't be any more right!"

Rom: "Just listen, Felt! He was saying things about saving me from Elsa Granhiert."

The words Elsa Granhiert left his mouth solemnly as if that name held horrific weight on his soul. Felt wiped a tear that threatened to streak her cheek; She composed herself and asked,

Felt: "Alright, I'll budge. Who's this Elsa chick that got you saying her name like that?"

Rom: "She's the『Bowel Hunter』, an infamous assassin, Felt. I need you to answer me honestly."

The tension rose catastrophically. Rom's face took a drastic grimness.

Rom: "Who's your contractor."

Sup Sup my fellow broskis! It's been a while now since the first chapter. Anyways here's the second chapter of this crack time fic! Oh, what's that? You thought this was a real fanfic and not a crack fic?

Sorry to disappoint but this was always a crack fic! Bwahahaha!

Anyways, let me explain some things. The powers that Subaru have is Op but not to the point where there isn't conflict.

Augur allows Subaru to see multiple futures for that day but it can't see tomorrow's future.

Crunch is similar to a time stopwatch. He can use it for up to an hour but that's it. He'll have to wait until tomorrow for the timer to replenish (or just loop the day)

Permanence allows Subaru to loop the day once the moon hits 12pm. Not only that but he's able to take any item or person with him. Meaning if he touches something at 12pm and loops the day over, that item or person will loop with him.

And now for the final power: Invert. The name says it all, every injury, deviation, every sensation, every pain will be inverted back to when it never happened. This power is more like a curse than a blessing, to be honest.

And now for the continuation of this fic… Honestly, I think I'll make another chapter. Don't count on it tho (Unless a swarm of people review and favorite this) It's just that this chapter felt short.

Way too short for my liking.

Anyways, I wanted to ask yall something. Would you guys want long chapters (Like 7k to 10k words)

Or medium chapters (4k to 6k words)

Also also, I'm working on a werewolf Subaru fic, so look forward to that.

And please give me critiques, anything helps honestly. It also helps me motivate myself to write more.

Anyways, that's all. See ya!

Sincerely.

SUFFERING FANATIC