The dawn of a new day approaches, as the sun shines down onto the mansion's floor. As each person living inside slowly woke up from their slumber, some had long since awoke. Others are beginning to get ready for a soon to be busy day.
And during all of this, the sounds of footsteps echoed across the many hallways of the building, resounding firmly through the place. With each step growing progressively faster and faster, their breath getting louder and louder, the girl continued to sprint, her hand holding tightly onto a thin piece of paper.
It wasn't long until she eventually bumped onto another person. Their black and white skirt accentuating their vibrant pink hair, their eyes sharp and focused, turning towards the running girl. As she stops, she lets out another huff before looking up to the maid.
Looking at the paper, the pink-haired girl understood the implications, and promptly smiled at her. Patting the girl lightly on the head, she then says a few words to her, before moving on to her work.
Watching as the girl disappeared from her sight, she continued to pace herself through the hall, eager to show the rest what she had done. Her mind filled with certain expectations of each of their reactions, letting out a small smile.
Meanwhile, in another room, a boy was seen tidying up his bed, as he buttons up his shirt. Today was another busy day for him, like always, but somehow, he felt excited. No, hyper might be the better word.
Perhaps it was due to what transpired last night, or perhaps it was due to the wonderful dream he had, or maybe even both. Whatever it was, his face was still holding a large smile, to the point where he could almost feel sore from them.
Regardless, that will not stop him from giving his silver-haired half-elf the brightest smile he could muster. Speaking of her, today will be his trip to the village, and this time, other than just an ordinary shopping trip, he had another purpose.
"To find the perfect dating place!" He exclaimed, holding a fist in front of him. He was determined to locate the perfect spot, no matter what, and to do that, he would need all the help that he could get.
What help would this be? Well, the only he could think of were the kids back in the village. Luckily, he had managed to build a good relationship with them, so this shouldn't be too hard for him to ask for help.
"Although…" Recalling all their moments, his smile dropped a little bit.
Now that he thought about it, most of their encounters just ended with him being bullied by them. Seriously, how are those little kids so damn ruthless? They kept on bugging him as if he was just another brat like them. Though he didn't mind that at all, he expected them to give him some modicum of respect at least. Oh well, at least they seem to like him enough.
As he finished packing his bed, a sudden knock was heard from his door. Walking over to open it, a snow white haired girl was standing behind it, holding a thin piece of paper in front of her.
"Shirogi?" Surprised by how early she woke up today, he curiously stared at her, before turning his attention towards the object shown to him. Holding it out, the paper was shown to him, written on it was a single simple sentence.
I am Shirogi.
It was quite a simple sentence, but it was still impressive nonetheless. Considering that she effectively couldn't speak nor read, this was a major step forward for her. He smiled with enthusiasm, holding a thumbs up towards her.
"Nice! You're getting better at this already, and so quickly too…"
Now that he thinks about it, she seems to be adjusting to this quite easily isn't it? Though maybe because she simply just had more time to learn, even then for a person like her, it should have taken at least a week or two at most, yet she's able to get it right in under a week!
"...Don't tell me that you're actually smarter than me here?" He muttered, his face twitching at such a sad thought. The girl however didn't seem to realize what he was referring to, only turning her head slightly to express confusion and concern.
He found it quite adorable of her whenever she did that.
Well, if it's by a cute girl like her, I don't mind it at all. Resting his mind, he then asked her.
"Alright then, ready for the trip, Shirogi?"
"Mm." Nodding a bit, the girl then silently tucked away her paper. In fact, she's taking the extra measure of putting it in another book, and then covering that one with a cover over it. Man, that must have meant a lot to her.
"Let's go find Rem-san then shall we? Hopefully we didn't make her wait too long."
And so, the two followed each other in search of the maid.
"You've finally arrived, Barusu. I was just about to complain how complacent you already have been these past few days."
"Cut me some slack, would ya'? I haven't yet gotten used to waking up early this much."
"Hmph, what a lame excuse. Why not just sleep forever if you're so keen on wasting others' time?"
"Hai hai…"
Raised her hands towards him, as it was to hand over the piece of paper into his palm. He took upon the liberty to skim through the list, before being satisfied, putting it in his pockets.
"Enough, here's the list of what we are going to need. Make sure you don't lose it." Raised her hands towards him, as it was to hand over the piece of paper into his palm. He took upon the liberty to skim through the list, before being satisfied, putting it in his pockets.
Once it was done, Ram scoffed whilst she walked away somewhere. Subaru could only hold a disgruntled laugh then afterwards was meeting Rem over the courtyard, and beside her was the petite rabbit-child that stood high-up. Nearing close to the both of them, he couldn't help but notice Rem's troubled face, prompting him to question about it.
"Hey, is everything alright?"
"Why'd you ask that?"
"I ... Nevermind."
"Is that really all you can just say?" Muttered to herself, while the girl beside her could only stare at the air surrounding them. He tried to gauge what she was thinking, but it was all for naught as from the looks of it is just her acting aloof
"In any case, it's none of your business. It's creepy to stare at a maiden like that."
"Ghrk-, my man pride got absolutely trampled over so suddenly!"
"I thought you were already used to this by now. After all, you seemed like the kind of person to be a masochist." And with that, she started shooing him away like a rabid animal. Lowering his spirit even further in the process
"Alright alright, I'm going now. Cya later than Ram-san."
And so, the three promptly left the courtyard, entering the road leading to the village. As their figures slowly vanished from her vision, Ram stood by herself, looking forlornly in front of her.
"Ah, Ram-san!"
"...Emilia-sama?" Snapping out of her thoughts, the maid turned back to see the half-elf girl running towards her.
"Did Shirogi and the others already left?"
"Mm, indeed they have."
"Aww, I thought I was going to make it…" She muttered, her face lowering to the floor.
"Is there something you wanted to say to them?" Ram asked, to which Emilia shook her head.
"Mm, I just wanted to give Shirogi something. A present for working so hard on her lessons you can say. But…" Fumbling something in her hands, she gives off a soft smile.
"I guess it can wait."
"...Yes, we'll just have to wait for their return."
Hopefully, things will go over smoothly. As Ram thought over this, the maid then paced herself back into the mansion. It was no use feeling worried now, everything that happens after this is completely up to Rem. She could only hope that she would make the right choice.
Taking a rest on a nearby bench, she silently peered on the person of interest that was the raven-haired boy. Albeit, obscured a few as it was blocked by four young individuals clinging onto him.
She watched as the boy muttered something to them, as they nod towards his words. She was interested to know what he said, but she decides to wait until later once they are more alone.
Pulling her attention away from him, she turns over to the blue-haired maid. She was currently asking an old looking man something, as she held out a small paper in front. Seemingly understood, he then promptly disappears into his house for a moment, before returning with a basket of items.
Checking the contents, the girl then nods as she gives him a dozen small round objects, bowing as she walks away. Seems like whatever she's doing is going well.
The girl heaves a small sigh, turning her gaze away from the maid. Looking back at it now, she questioned why she even went in the first place. Perhaps she wanted to spend more time with the boy, but with him being surrounded by those small humans, it would be unlikely for her to approach him soon. Really, she was quite tense as the group ganged up on the boy, unsure whether it was an attack or just something else. Luckily it was nothing, but now she can't even be near him without attracting attention towards herself.
She can't be with the maid either, or rather, she doesn't know how to act near her. She never seems to talk much, and only ever spares a few glances towards her occasionally, but nothing more. Well, that's not really a bad thing either, she's fine with not knowing anyone else. So long as she still gets to be with the half-elf and the black-haired youth, she's fine with everything else.
As she continued to ramble by herself, the girl failed to notice the encroaching of small figures, closing the gap between her. It was right then that she felt a massive force ramming into her, knocking her over the chair.
"Hah! Got ya!"
"Look look! She didn't even realize we were onto her at all!"
"Umm, I think we should get off of her now."
Different voices echoed around her, yet the sudden impact made her vision blurry. She could barely process what just happened to her, and the pressure of being slowly crushed to death isn't helping. In fact, she can't breathe at all.
"Uhh, missy? You alright?"
"What's wrong with her?"
"I-I really think we should get off of her now!"
Isn't this bad? She can't gather any air into her body at all. Isn't this just straight suffocation? She's dying right now isn't she?
"Ah, her face is turning purple!"
"Alright get off! Get off now!"
As the three kids got up, she quickly took in the missing air. Her heart was beating so loudly she could hardly hear anything around her, only muffled sounds. Eventually though, her senses stabilized, and she slowly raised her body upwards, meeting the gaze of three small individuals.
"Mm, she seems alright now."
"I told you we shouldn't have done this."
"Hey, she doesn't seem to mind now?"
"..."
"Eek!"
Narrowing her eyes, she gave them a small glare. She had already made an effort to distance herself from them already, and yet they still ram themselves into her. Did they move on from the boy?
The two boys in the trio seemingly panicked under glare, uncertain on what to say, until the other spoke up.
"U-um, Subaru told us to come play with you, because you were sitting by yourself. He thought you were lonely and needed some friends."
"..."
Is that so? Well, it does make sense. She agreed to go with him only to fade into the back, leaving herself out from everything. Though she wished they had just come to her normally.
"R-right! Subaru wanted us to come play with you, and so we did!"
"Y-yeah! But…we haven't done anything yet though?"
"Tch, shut up!"
"Alright, stop bickering you two!" Stopping the two boys, the little girl then returned her attention back to her. "Anyways, your name is Shirogi, right?"
"...Mm."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Petra." The girl then extends her arm towards her, as if waiting for her to do something. A bit confused, she timidly raised her hands towards it, to which the girl proceeded to grab.
"I hope we can be friends, even after…that." Petra took a quick glance over to the two boys, causing them to stiffen a bit, before letting out a smile again towards her.
She…seems to be in charge. That's what she had gathered from the three's interactions. The two boys after watching Petra proceed to introduce themselves.
"I'm Cain, and this is my brother Dine. Nice to meet ya!"
"Same same!" The two said one after the other, and with that they began to pull her sleeves with them.
"Let's go meet the others too!"
"Yeah, everyone is waiting for you!"
"..." As her arms got dragged away, the little girl smiled as she followed closely behind. As for her though, she still hasn't been able to process what was happening. Why are they bringing her along? Where are they even going? She had no clue, and nervousness soon took over her.
As the kids along with the rabbit girl vanished from view, a black-haired boy simply smiled. He was glad that he managed to convince the kids to play with Shirogi, though that went easier than he had expected. Seems like the kids were interested in her.
"That said though, I hope those kids don't rough her up too much." Recalling all the abuse he suffered under their hands, his happiness for a moment turned sour, but he quickly shook it off. They won't go too far, he was sure of it. It was just him that they often bully, much to his dismay and confusion.
"How long do you plan on standing there?"
"Eek! R-rem-san…" Turning his head, he saw the blue-haired maid standing, her eyes holding a deathly glare. It was so intense that he genuinely thought that he was going to die then and there, yet he didn't. Instead, the maid only puffed a sigh and walked away.
"There's still more I have to buy, so I would appreciate it if you could help me."
"O-on my way!"
Guess I have my own problems to solve too…And a problem it was. His relationship with Rem has been the most confusing one for him. Not that he thinks he has done anything particularly bad in front of her, but she just doesn't seem to like his presence at all. Honestly it feels even worse whenever she glares at him than Ram ever could. At least for her he could tell what she's thinking, but Rem? It was speculation at best.
As he thought about this though, a stray thought flashed through his mind. It wasn't long when he heard this, but it's only now that he's beginning to piece it together. Ram's words most likely are referring to this. It seems even she picked up how passive aggressive he and Rem were, and if so, it wouldn't be a stretch to believe that she set this shopping trip up for the two to have time together?
If so, that means she wants me to give Rem a better impression of me? It was likely the idea, but he has a hard time figuring out how exactly he could do that. As far as things are right now, just being near him is enough to trigger her, even if she tries to hide it. Trying to make better of this is going to be quite a task for him.
Well, I can't do anything but try. I'll just have to figure something out before we go back. Before this shopping trip is over, a plan must be made. What that could be is a complete mystery to him, but perhaps he could figure something out by walking around this place. Shirogi wouldn't be able to help him now if she's playing with them ki-wait…
It was here that an idea lit up inside of his head. Frankly speaking however, it was a very dumb plan, but a plan nonetheless. He doesn't know if this would even work or not, considering this is relying on his own skills as well, but regardless, it's worth a shot.
Setting his mind to it, he then heads off to find Rem.
"Alright, so it's decided!" As the little boy yelled, he then pointed his fingers towards the one next to him.
"Our newest member, Shirogi-chan is going to be the seeker! Keep your eyes shut and count to 60, and don't you dare open them until you do!"
"...Ehhhh…"
She could only stare at the boy with bewilderment, her mind still struggling to comprehend what is going on. But before she could even act, everyone dispersed and ran in separate directions, leaving her to figure out herself. Well, except for one.
"...Shirogi?" Petra called to her, waiting patiently for a response. "Do you understand the rules?"
"..."
The rules…Looking back in her mind, she recalls back what the boy said. The group decided to play a game called hide and seek, with the goal of one person having to find where everyone else is. It was a simple enough idea to understand, although she could not figure out why such a thing even exists. Could this really be considered a game? What does it even entail exactly?
But that wasn't too important to know, so long she understood how it is, that is enough. However, she wasn't expecting herself to be the seeker, nor does she even know where to even search.
With that confusion in her mind, she looks towards the girl, perhaps as a way to get some leeway. Petra rubbed her cheeks as the girl stared at her, before proceeding to point in various directions.
"Lucas usually hides somewhere along those tree lines, so just pay attention and you should see him. As for Cain and Dine, the two always hide together, so look out for places that are big enough for two people to fit…"
"...hmm?"
The girl had begun to expose all of her friends like it was nothing, surprising her. She did ask for help, but even she understands that this might be going overboard. But it was too late to stop the eager girl, so she might as well just remember this. It would make things easier for her.
"...Mild and Meina are quite clumsy so it won't be hard to track them. Meili is good at this, so I'm not sure where she could be hiding, and as for me…well, you just gotta figure it out by yourself ok?" With that, Petra winks, and proceeds to scurry off.
And so she was now left alone, heaving a long sigh. It would question how things got here, but alas that was irrelevant. She just has to get this finished quickly and efficiently.
Shutting her eyes, she began to count. These past few days had been an experience for her, having to actively take into knowledge that she never thought she would ever acquire nor needed, but by this point, she isn't going to be expecting anything to be how she imagined anymore. Better to just have things flow.
As she mentally counted, her breath became steadier. With each inhale, her mind became clearer, leaving her able to listen more closely to her surroundings. Her other senses also became more active, as she began to track out and separate each different scent from each other. Narrowing down to what she needed, her tracking became more concise, and with it, came the unique scent of her targets.
Finishing the countdown, she reopened her eyes, and began to beeline towards the forest.
It didn't take long before she picked up a distinct scent, coming from one of the bushes behind a tree. Approaching it, she reveals a boy with a red bandana tied to his neck, squatting down as he stared dumbstruck at her. She didn't pay much heed though before moving on to her next target.
Walking back out from the forest, she then turns over to the house, particularly a nearby corner. There, she saw many unused baskets and bags, and as she approached them, she quickly told them apart, and reached over to one of the larger ones.
"Wa-"
"Ha-!"
Successfully finding them, she then took off again, not batting even an eye to them. The next two were quite simple, as she could clearly tell the outline of one of them poking out from a nearby tree, despite seemingly trying their best to blend in. Next to them was a girl, who for some reason was holding separate branches to cover up her hair.
As for the girl that helped her, it took her a while, but she was able to get a grasp on her whereabouts. She was behind a well, carefully blocking the sight of anyone to look at her way. Now it was only the blue haired girl.
"That was…" Lucas timidly says.
"...So fast…" To which Dine and Cain continued.
"It's almost like she knew exactly where we were."
"It's almost scary." Mild and Meina said, returning from where they hid. It wasn't long either that Petra also came.
"You too Petra?" Lucas asked, to which the girl nodded.
"Mhm, Shirogi-chan is pretty amazing, don't you think?"
"Yeah….but for some reason I feel kinda bad for being caught so quickly…" The boy rubbed his cheek, embarrassed at himself. The rest also shared his feeling, as their body fiddled in place admitting defeat.
"Eh…Come on guys! Don't be so down, you just have to pick a better spot next time!"
"Easy for you to say, so far she took the longest to find you. Did you tell her something?"
"N-no! No at all! Hehe…"
Petra gave a smile to Lucas, who could only stare at her in confusion. Regardless, he didn't question her any further. The girl did think to herself whether or not she even needed to give the girl all that information, but alas, nothing she can do now.
"Either way, we still have Meili left, and she's the best at this game."
"But would she win against her? She managed to catch us so quickly…"
"Well, when you put it like that, then….I'm not sure."
With that in mind, all the kids simply stood in silence, waiting for the eventual result of this game.
As the rabbit demi-human continued to search, she slowly found herself in a deadend. It was strange, very strange in fact. She couldn't pick up the last girl's distinct scent anywhere no matter how hard she tried.
This confuses her, as she was certain that she had gotten down all of the kids' smell. The one with the red bandana had the smell of chopped wood. The two brothers share the smell of iron. The blonde girl with her flowery aura, and the bigger kid with sweets on him. Even the girl that helped him carried a gentle and comfy aura.
As she listed their uniqueness, she noticed something was off. There were only six of them that she recalled, yet there were seven in total. Someone that she couldn't pick off, someone that didn't give her any impressions to imprint on her mind. The blue-haired girl.
The more she thought about it, the more it felt strange to her. Why is it that she couldn't sense anything that stood out? Or perhaps the girl was so ordinary that it left no impressions? No, that would still leave something, and yet there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
As she continued to ponder, she heard rustles coming from her left. Directing her attention towards that area, a small bush was seen fluttering around.
She approaches the disturbances, as she tries to get a scent of what it was. The result came back was….nothing?
She was proven wrong however, as soon enough, a tiny figure jumped out from the trees, and began running. Startled by the sudden entrance, she quickly regained her composure and chased after it. As she passed through a few other people, dodging her way through houses, the creature slowly became clearer to her.
It was a tiny thing with four legs, with ears dropped on each side of its head. There was a noticeable pale area on top of its head, different from the rest of its body in color, which was brown. Unsure of what it could be, she attempts to pick up its scent again, doing what she can to search through her memories of anything that might match what she senses.
Before she could pinpoint it though, another figure appeared in front, stopping her. The creature didn't stumble however, as it proceeded to leap towards the little figure. It was then that she realized who it was.
"Ah, there you are! Where have you been?" The voice of a child rang, as the girl held onto the small animal, rubbing its ears. The thing didn't seem to be opposed to it, letting her pet it.
"..."
"...Hmm? Oh, you're that new girl around here right? Mmm….Shirogi, was it?"
"...Mm.."
"Ah, good. Guess you found me, hehe." The girl giggled, hugging the animal closer to her. She could only gaze at her in puzzlement however, unsure of what to make of the scenery she was seeing.
It was then that it hit her. As a single flicker of her memory flowing back into her mind, as she began to properly recall what she couldn't seem to be able to pick up throughout this entire ordeal. The creature's scent, this girl's scent, how could she not realize it before? It was so familiar to her that she didn't think anything of it. Of course she didn't, how could she notice a smell that is completely normal to herself? One who once held a much different form?
This…is the same as me…
Mabeast. It was the smell of mabeast. This explains why she could not tell them apart from others, not because there was nothing to take in, but because she had long since gotten accustomed to it that she no longer saw any real distinctions from it. It was only now, after being around with humans and many other things, that her narrow view of things started to expand and change, along with her senses. Only now could she finally be able to tell them apart, albeit very faintly.
There was no doubt, this creature was the same as it. Created by the same thing it was created. It's Mother. But there was something even more confusing, and that was the fact that this too extends towards the girl.
She stood in pure silence, observing the girl in front, as questions began to fill her mind. Why does she have the same smell as it? Why do the two seem to be bonding? She couldn't wrap her head around this, but one thing came to mind. It was not safe to have this thing be loitering around here. A creature similar to her would more than likely cause problems, and best to be left alone far from anyone.
And so, with reluctance, she quickly paced herself towards the strange girl.
"Hmm? Is there something wrong? AH!" Meili gazed at her, before her eyes wide opened as she knocked the animal right out of her grasp. "W-what are you doing?!"
"..." As the mabeast stumbled its way to stand up, it turned towards her. She only gave it a stern glare, scaring it. It then quickly ran back into the forest.
The blue-haired girl watched on as her pet ran, as she then became enraged by the rabbit girl's actions.
"Why would you do that?! It hasn't done anything wrong!"
It didn't respond to her however, as it kept his gaze at her, confusion apparent in its face. With it not saying anything back, this only further angered her, but at the same time, another emotion began to overtake her anger, confusion.
The two continued their staring contest, neither of them budging for the other, until a shout echoed from afar beckoning their names.
"There you two are!"
"Meili, you got caught too?!"
"Even you?!"
Meili, despite still holding slight animosity towards it, decided to break it off and turn towards her friends. She then gave a wide smile, her emotions seemingly taking a completely different turn.
"Hey guys!" She steps towards them. "Mm, I got caught too."
"S-seriously?"
"No way…"
"Even Meili got caught…"
The kids only looked at the girl dumbfounded, the shock was too much for them. The rabbit girl didn't pay them much attention though, as her focus was still firmly on this strange girl in front of her.
She was so focused on that in fact, that she didn't notice the encroaching kids creeping towards her, grabbing onto her arms and legs.
"!"
"Hooray!"
In unison, all of them proceed to lift her up into the air, as their voices cheer. Confused and surprised by such a turn of outcome, her body stiffened as she tried to keep herself from falling.
"Shirogi-chan is amazing!"
"She even beat our Meili!"
"And so quick on it too!"
"So cool!"
As the kids continued to celebrate, Meili stood on the side, giving a strange gaze. Something was brewing in her mind, but she doesn't quite know what to make of that, so instead, she decides to put it aside for now, and promptly join the gang.
Not long after, the voice of a boy was heard.
"Yoo!" Subaru called to them.
"Huh? Oh, it's Subaru!"
"Does he need us for something?"
"Not really, but I do want to have you guys do though."
"What's that?" Petra asked.
"Mmm, all of you, come closer for a sec."
Putting Shirogi down, the kids then gather around the boy. As she stood behind them, still slightly dazed from the sudden celebration she received, her eyes noticed another figure standing from afar, watching them. It was the blue-haired maid, though her expression doesn't seem to be telling anything.
Once Subaru was done whispering something to them, the kids then cheerfully nodded their heads.
"Sounds pretty fun!"
"If we get to talk to that lady over there, I'm up for it."
"Me too."
"Me three!"
Seems like they were all in agreement, to which Subaru took note.
"Mmm, good then. I'll bring her over."
She wondered what he was talking about, that is until the boy raised one of his fingers to the air.
"Initiate plan: Sewing!"
"Now, just pull the strings from the other side like this and…whala! With that, you can then tie a knot at the end so that it doesn't fall off. Did you all understand that?"
"Mhm, sounds easy!"
"I can do that with my eyes closed!"
"I don't think you should shut your eyes for this…"
Subaru watched as the kids slowly followed his instructions. Petra was the fastest to get it done, while the rest seems to be lagging behind. In fact, she finished before half of them even got the string over the needle. She was helping them now.
Regardless, he continued on with his lecture, moving his hands over a piece of cloth beside him. Deciding on what he wanted to sew, he then plunged the needle into the cloth, and swiftly slid it up and down.
He had never learned how to sew in his past life, so when it came down to it, he asked for Ram's help. Somehow, this was the thing that he was most proficient of, for better or for worse. Well, at least he has some kind of worth to him now…probably.
As his mind wandered, he took a small glance towards Shirogi, spotting her just at the edge of the group. She seems to have a bit of trouble getting the string over the needle, if her weirdly serious expression is any telling of her mood.
He won't help her though, she gotta learn to do it herself. Or else he would just end up doing everything for her, and that's not good at all. Though Petra is already turning his intentions upside down with her good nature. Seriously, how is she so quick at learning this? It took him half a day just to not accidentally prick himself.
Nevermind that, he looked over to Rem. Besides cooking tattoos, Ram seems to be outclassed by her own sister, so he wondered how good she was at sewing.
"...What is it?" Rem turned to ask him.
"...Nothing…" He then turned back to his sewing.
All he had right now was just 10 straight lines, with the shape he wanted to make barely there. And yet when he looked at Rem's, she was already finished with a figure of her own sister. In fact, she's even starting another one.
"Hahh…"
Well, this shouldn't be a shock to him. Rem did sewed up his new suits in a day or so, so such an achievement is nothing for her skills. Still, this makes him almost completely useless like Ram, and he was trying so hard already. Is this as far as he could possibly go in terms of his labor skills?
Man, I'm getting depressed just from thinking about this. Not good, this is not the time for it! Shaking his head, putting aside the negative thoughts, he focused on finishing his craft. At least find the determination to finish what you started damnit!
Eventually, he was done. The shape that he envisioned was finished, though…
This doesn't look much of a flower now is it?
What he wanted and what he got was quite a contrast, with its varied sizes in petals and leaves, not to mention the colors being completely off to the side instead of being inside the frame. It was a mess honestly.
Making sure that his craft was hidden, he turned towards the kids, who were…asking Rem to sew for them. Wait, hold up, this wasn't what he was expecting at all. Isn't this cheating? No, this is definitely cheating!
"Whoa! You're so fast!"
"So cool! Look at what she made me!"
"Nah, mine is better, see?"
Some of them already got their own product now, she really was quick with her hands. Perhaps a bit too inhumanly quick.
"Big sister, thank you so much!" Milda says after Rem handed her the toy she just finished making.
"Big…sister?" The maid gave a strange look, the girl's words were completely unexpected to her.
"Yeah, big sister is so good at this. Why don't you come here more often?"
"Ooh, I want her to visit us more too! I want her to sew even more toys for us!"
"WIll you? Will you?!"
Soon enough, all of them began to gang up on her, overwhelming the girl with positivity.
"I…" She held back her words, uncertain of how to respond. But only a few seconds later, she resumed her calmer demeanor.
"I'll think about it."
"Yayy!"
"...Hmm, looks like it's working." He nodded. Despite things not going quite as what he expected, and him completely left out, the most important parts were done at least. With this, he hopes that Rem is willing to let herself go just a bit, and let her sister handle some of the load. Seriously, he needs to have a talk with that pink-haired sister later.
As for our relationship….meh, we can work on it another time. With how relatively calm this past week of him living here, there was no need for him to rush things. It's better if they were on more mutual terms with each other, yes, but he would rather that she would come around to him by herself. At least, that's all he could hope for. For now, getting her to be more outgoing is a good and much worth it substitute.
"...Mm."
"Oh?" Noticing someone still near him, he turned towards them. It was Shirogi, how much closer to him than before, and is still sewing for herself. He can tell that she was very clumsy with her handling, she's even pricking her hands occasionally. Despite that though, she's still trying her best to finish it.
He let out a smile as he observed her. These past days he hasn't really been around her much as she was busy studying, so he almost forgot how cute she was up close. There were still a great many things he found strange and confusing about her, and he doubts he will ever get an answer for any of it. However, seeing her laying here, her face so serious in trying to learn how to sew, and her efforts in trying to make up for her lack of knowledge, she can't be too bad of a person right?
As he was done thinking to himself, the girl finally finished her personal masterpiece, holding it in front of her face with a satisfied smile. When he took a little peek however, it was nothing but strang lines going around each other. Guess some people just have their own definition of beauty, he thought.
"Subaru." Suddenly, a voice called out to him.
"Rem?"
"It's getting quite late now, we should be going."
"Mm, you're right. I'll go pack up my things then."
"Also…" Rem says, her tone now much softer and unsure.
"Yes?"
"Can you…tell that to the kids?"
"Eh?" Looking over the maid's shoulder, he noticed a line of kids, all holding onto the girl's skirt.
"You can't go yet, big sister!"
"Yeah, can't we play for a little longer?"
"Pleaseeeee?!"
Each one continued to beg, unwavering in their determination. Petra was standing next to them, holding a hand over her face. She also seems to have no clue how to handle this.
Well this was certainly unexpected…pffpt.
"They seem to really like you." The boy jokingly said.
"Don't mock me. Please, get them off…" Rem retorts, her tone both serious yet soft enough as to not scare the kids away. If she wants them to let go, then she's not doing a very good job at it. It seems she's very hesitant on telling them off in risk of hurting them.
"Alright, let me do it."
"...Thank you." She simply said.
Walking past her, he then proceeds to raise his hands upwards. And then with a loud bang, he swung it down onto each one's head.
"Agh!"
"Ouch!"
"What was that for!"
"You know damn well, you brats! Can't you see it's getting late already? Just let her go."
"B-but!"
"No buts! Unless you want her to never come again, let her go now."
"A-alright…"
Just like that, they all let go of her skirt, albeit reluctantly.
"We're sorry…"
"Please don't hate us…"
They are doing that sad puppy faces. Tch, how clever. He had already met plenty of kids like this, so he had more than enough knowledge to know what is real sadness and fake. But for Rem, they were pretty much the same, so this trick worked on her like a charm, as she quickly kneeled down to them.
"Mm, I don't hate any of you. Please don't misunderstand."
"Then….would you still come to play with us again?"
"I…" Once again, she held back. Hesitation was still very present in her eyes, yet there was also something else, and with just that little spark, she spoke. "...I will. When I find time."
"O-ok! Keep your word ok?"
"Mm."
And for a moment, he saw her lips crept up, just a bit. It wasn't enough to call it a smile, but it was getting there. It's working.
After saying proper goodbyes, the three then proceed to go back to the mansion.
Treading along the yellow paved road as the quickly setting sun shined across the path, the three continued their march in silence.
One was silent because they were busy toying with their new toys. One was silent for reasons none can tell, and the other due to pure nervousness.
No, seriously, what is with this tense atmosphere? It's so dead silent that he could almost hear the sound of his own heart beat, ever so faintly beating in the background. It's almost scaring him!
"...Subaru."
"Eeek!"
"Hmm?" The maid gazed at him, her face expressing confusion.
"W-what is it?" The boy said.
"...Why do you seem so afraid?"
"Huh? Why would you say that? I'm obviously not afraid! Not at all!"
"...Hahhh, if you say so." Looking away for a bit, she then turned her gaze back with a more serious demeanor. "...Why did you do that?"
"Do…what?"
"The whole thing. With the village. The children. All to drag me into it? Why?"
"So you figured it out huh?"
"Don't take me as a fool please. Answer."
"Well…I thought it would help you."
"Help me?" She gave Subaru a surprised expression, an answer that she wasn't expecting to hear.
"Yeah, to get along more with the village people. You always seem to be so strict with everything, so I doubted if you would even join in. I was glad that you did, seeing you actually participating. I got to see another side of you."
"...What kinda side?"
"Hmm…I suppose the real you?"
It was here that Rem paused in her tracks, her head gazing down. Did he say something rude? He didn't mean it like that!
"W-what I meant was that I got to see how soft you are! I didn't say that being strict doesn't suit you or anything, but it's just that it was nice to see how kind and gentle you are! Really, I mean it! I didn't realize it until now!"
Frankly, the more he continued his rambles, the more incoherent he became. It has reached a point where he wasn't sure what he was saying anymore, and yet, the girl didn't seem to be bothered by this.
That was when he heard a light chuckle.
"..Heh..hehehe."
"...Eh?" He stared at her dumbfounded, prompting her to burst into actual laughter.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"E-eh? What's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing is going on. You are just…inexplicable." She tried to say more, but she could not hold off her laughter. As clueless as he was, he still finds this turn of events to be positive. To see such a stoic Rem suddenly this cheerful is quite a sight to see.
"Really…I don't know what to think of you anymore."
"Um…is that a good thing or…?"
"In this context, I suppose it is. Hahaha…" Once she calmed down enough, the girl gave him a smile. A genuine smile. Just for this moment, she felt at peace. Even for just a bit.
And with it, she slightly bowed.
"It is nice to meet you then, Subaru." And quietly muttered, before turning her gaze up again. "Allow the "Real Rem" to escort you home."
"You're not going to go around calling yourself that from now on are you?"
"Of course not, I don't want to fall down to your level." She then gave a smirk.
"Well…seems like you are still the same in the sas department as Ram huh?"
"Naturally."
"...Hmm…"
"Ah?"
Only now did he notice the glare that was exuding behind him, as he turned back. Shirogi was staring at him, well, both of them, with an unreadable expression on her.
"S-sorry about that, Shirogi. Guess I forgot you were here."
"And how heartless of you to do that." Rem chimed.
"You're not helping!"
"..." The girl said nothing, as she simply walked past him. He stood dumbfounded, unsure if he messed up or not.
"...Do you-"
"Yes, you're not good at talking to girls. Stop trying."
"I wasn't asking that! What I meant was if I had wronged her or not!"
"Hmm…" Rem held her chin as she lapsed in thought. "...I suppose she was trying to be near you as much as possible. The two of you hadn't interacted much this past week, so perhaps she is upset that you didn't give her any attention."
"I-is that so…"
Well…she is right. I haven't been paying much attention towards her lately. While he still cared about her studies and how she was doing, he didn't think much beyond that. Because of that, she might have thought that he didn't think much of her.
"Damn…I messed up huh?"
"Most likely, though it's not too late to remedy it. Talk to her once we get back to the mansion, perhaps you can make things out."
"You sure that would work?"
"You came up with an elaborate plan just to get me to socialize, surely this wouldn't be much of a hassle to you?"
"...Alright, guess I'll give it a go."
"That's more like you." Rem chuckled, and the two continued to walk back to the mansion.
As she waited for the two to return, her thoughts wandered back to what transpired not too long ago. Back to when she met that creature, back to when she met that girl. When she finally realized what those two were. They were similar to me.
This brought many questions to her mind, all of which she had no way of answering. First, why did that girl scent the same as that creature? All humans have a certain distinction between them, yet for her there was nothing. She was practically the same as the animal.
Second, why was there a creature there? And why did it seem so friendly to the girl? Could it be that it found her to be the same as it? It wasn't impossible since the two possessed the same scent, but still, she doubted if the animal would even tell the difference.
Its memories of the past were hazy at best, and non-existent at worst. She could hardly even recall what her Mother even looks like, let alone anything else. Though it might have been her hunger that stopped her from being fully conscious, but she wasn't sure.
Either way, the appearance of such a creature so near the village was not a good indication. Could there be more? If so, where could they be hiding? And just what their intentions may be?
As she thought about this, another question arose in her mind. Why does she seem to care about this? Was there a reason for it? She didn't know, much like many things that she has yet to grasp.
Her identity, her nature, her existence, and even her life at this current moment. All of this was still concepts and things that are wholly new to her, and despite going through them day by day, she still hasn't fully embraced it yet. Perhaps she was being stubborn, perhaps she felt afraid of such things, maybe even both, but even so, she doubted she could ever go back. This is how things are now, and she does intend to follow through with it.
But…
Images flashed through her mind. The image of those kids, and their relationship towards Subaru. For what it seemed, the boy was attached to them, and so were they. So for what it's worth, she wanted to protect them, at least for him. And besides, she didn't mind playing with them in the end…
"Shirogi?"
"...Hmm?"
Pulling away from its thoughts, the voice of a young boy echoed beside her. Gazing up, she saw his face, staring at her worryingly.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
"...Mmm." She nods, putting aside her thoughts for now. She will ponder about them later.
"You two ok there?" Another voice interjected, coming from behind the boy."
"Mmm, we are now."
"I see. Well then, I suppose I will leave you two here for a bit. I'll go prepare dinner now."
"Mmm, thanks Rem!"
"Make it count, Subaru." Rem muttered, before quickly darting into the mansion. Leaving the two behind, Subaru spoke up.
"Let's go take a seat over there."
"Mmm."
The two then walked over to the staircase in front of the manor, and promptly sat on it. As the day slowly closed and the sun began to fall, both sat in silence, gazing at the sight before them. Eventually, the boy spoke first.
"So um…Shirogi?"
"?"
"Did you…have fun?"
"...Mmm." Admittedly, through some reluctance, she found joy playing with the kids. It helped that they seemed to really admire her for some reason.
"That's good then, you definitely need to go out more. Staying closed off at your room all day ain't so great. I got some experience in that, so I know." Subaru says, his eyes slightly dimmed before brightening up again.
"Well, perhaps staying home all day isn't so bad, so long as you don't do it often. That being said, we could play whenever I have time, if you are up for it?"
"!" Hearing that, she quickly nodded. She wanted to see that cool thing he did to the little girl back then again, and also perhaps the half-elf could even join them.
Seeing her positive expression, he smiles.
"I see, well then, it's decided!" He claps his hands. "Tomorrow, no matter what, I'll drag both of you and Emilia-tan to play! We're gonna have so much fun tomorrow!"
"Mmm, mmm!"
After a while, the two then laid back and continued to watch the sunset in silence. It was strangely relaxing for the both of them. Watching as the sun began to set, admiring its beauty. For him, seeing the fall of night was comforting, something that can only be appreciated if you take a step back and let yourself rest, to just let the time pass slowly and observe the world for just a bit.
"It's been quite a while since I last saw a sunset, I almost forgot how nice it looked."
She glanced over to the boy as he said that. His face was composed, calm and collected, but most of all, peaceful. He was engrossed with it so much that he didn't even notice her looking at him. For once, he wasn't trying to be energetic or overly optimistic, for once, he was reserved and quiet. His face no longer bored the pressure of trying to do everything, of trying to accomplish something to show off to others, instead, he can just let go of it, even for just a little bit, to simply watch as the sun sets down and the curtain of the night be pulled.
She liked this side of him. Seeing him being so genuine and sincere gave her peace of mind. It made it feel like everything is alright, that it was going to stay like that.
And so, the two continued to stare at the sun and welcomed the darkness, completely still and motionless. None of them wanted to ruin the moment, and neither of them knew how much time had already passed, how could they? They were too focused on the scene before them to take notice of it. With that, they kept observing, undisturbed by anyone or anything.
After what only seemed like minutes to them, someone finally decided to speak up, but it wasn't either of them, but rather another voice from behind.
"So this is where you two were, I was wondering what both of you were up to."
A gentle voice rang out. Looking back, it was the silver hair half-elf, standing in front of the doorway. Her face showed a hint of displeasure for the two that were so busy staring into the distance that none of them even heard her footsteps, but even so, the girl still let out a smile.
"Oh, hi Emilia-tan." Subaru says.
"You really shouldn't be staying out here for so long you know? It gets cold after a while."
"Hehe, sorry for worrying you then." The boy let out a small laugh, a bit flustered after being called out.
"Well, it seemed you two were enjoying yourself at least, so there's that."
"I guess you could say that, though we were really sitting there the entire time doing nothing. I should really get my butt off and work huh?"
"Now don't say that, you have already done more than enough than you needed to. A bit of rest is always good, plus seeing you two becoming closer is nice. Isn't that right, Shirogi?"
"Mm." She nods.
"See?"
"Heh, if you guys say so." Both the half elf and the boy then smiled at each other.
"Anyways, dinner is ready now, so we should go in quickly so as to not make the others wait."
"Right, we really should. Come on then, Shirogi-chan."
"M-!"
"Shirogi-chan?"
This…scent…, her nose picked up on a certain scent, strangely familiar yet still distinctly different from her. It was the same smell that was excluded from the creature that she saw back in the village, but why is it so much more noticeable? Not only that, but it was somewhat spread out across the area, almost as if….there's multiple of them.
This immediately sets her off, questions flooding her mind. Is it the same one from the village? Or were there more of them? The latter became true as it began to notice the scent more and more, but why so many? And what are they doing? As its mind raced through many possibilities, its nose then noticed something.
Some of those creatures were moving out from the forest, but for what purpose? Why are they moving out? Are they looking for something? What can they even find there anyway-no.
Reaching a possible conclusion, it grabbed onto Subaru's sleeves and began to pull.
"Wha! Wh-what is it, Shirogi-chan?" Subaru asked in surprise.
Gazing at him, it kept pulling his arm towards the direction of the village, pleading him to follow it. The boy observed it and although he was very confused, he knew that something was wrong for it to react that way. And so, he turned towards the half-elf.
"Emilia-tan, me and Shirogi-chan are going to go check up the village a bit, you can have dinner first."
"Eh? Is there a problem?"
"Nothing unusual was in the village, but I'm just going to check just to make sure. You don't need to worry about it Emilia-tan."
"But, can't I help you with it?"
"Of course you can! But I would feel bad if it turns out to be nothing at all and end up wasting your time and the others. So please, you can just have dinner without us, I'm pretty sure it might not be anything bad anyways."
Saying that, he smiled at the silver-haired girl. Looking at him and through some hesitation, she then reluctantly tells him.
"Oh alright then, but if there is indeed anything wrong, just call for us alright?"
"You bet! Me and Shirogi-chan will be back before you'll even know it." Declaring that, he gave a thumbs up to the girl. With that, she let out a small sigh.
"Well, you better go quickly then."
"Right, let's go then Shirogi-chan!"
"Mm!" With the half-elf's approval, both of them proceed to run off. The boy was confused with its action but followed it regardless, wondering what could possibly be happening down there.
Reaching near the entrance of the small town, it began to pick up even more of the creature's scent. At first there were a couple of them, then dozens, and now, it couldn't even begin to count how many there are exactly. But even so, it couldn't sit by and wait for something to happen, especially when those creatures were advancing into the village.
Passing the entrance, it took a deep long breath to ease its own heartbeat, while looking around the place to see any differences. The boy who was behind it caught up shortly after and exhaled.
"Hah..hah...What..is it that..you wanted to do here?" Speaking between heavy breaths, he asked her. When she didn't respond, he proceeded to search around himself.
"Subaru-sama!"
"Huh?"
Hearing a shout, they both looked towards the direction of the voice and spotted a young man running up to them. His clothes was somewhat dirtied, almost as if he was looking for something, or-
"The children went missing!"
"What?!" Subaru yelled.
"We have been trying to find them as soon as we realized it, but they were nowhere to be found! All we could find were footprints of some animals."
"Do you have any clue on where they might possibly be?!" The boy's mind clearly triggered by the news of the missing children, he frantically asked the man if he had any idea on where they could be. It also had a similar reaction to him, moving closer as to hear what the man is saying better.
"I don't know, but…"
"But?"
"...I'm afraid that they might have been kidnapped by the beasts around this forest…"
"Minibeasts?" Getting a possible explanation for the missing kids, the youth's face bore a look of confusion, like he didn't know exactly what the man was saying. But he quickly shook it off and continued his questioning.
"Anyways, how did they even get into this place in the first place? Shouldn't there be something to protect the village from things that kidnap children?!"
"We do have it! But somehow they managed to break in, and now the kids are in danger! We don't know what to do."
"Damnit!"
With a curse, he then looked down to the ground. It seems he was trying to figure out something and so it waited for him, but its heart certainly was not. It's heart wasn't stopping, in fact, its only beating faster the longer they stood there. It was concerned about the childrens, not knowing what could have happened to them and why they were taken by those creatures. Even so, it was still able to wait for his signal.
"...Ok!" With a shout, he gazed up towards the man in front.
"Please go and inform the people in the mansion up there for me. While you are doing that, I'm going to go look for the kids."
"Wha-?!"
"This is the best plan we have right now, so please, just go and tell them as quickly as you can sir!"
"...Right! I'll go right away!"
"Thank you!" With that, the man then ran off to the path towards the mansion. The boy then looked over to the forest and began looking for something. As he tried to find what he was looking for, it approached him.
"..." Watching as the man left the scene, she tugged at the boy's shoulder, finding them much stiffer than usual.
"Oh! Sorry for that! I'm trying to find some kind of light source that I can use."
"You mean this, Subaru-sama?"
"Huh?"
Walking out from a corner of a house, a few other people were present. Some old, some relatively young, all of them looking visibly worried and scared, but not for themselves, but for the missing younglings. In one of those people's hands was a lamplight.
"Yeah, that's what I'm looking for."
"Then please take it, and help us find them, Subaru-sama."
"Eh?"
"Right now, we can only count on you and the girl to help us, so please, help us find those children."
"..." Standing up, the boy looked at them, his face filled with anxiety and surprise. But with a bit of hesitation, he took hold of the lamp.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to bring them for you!" Letting out a smile, he managed to somewhat ease the people around him.
"Thank you, and please be careful."
"Got it. Alright, I'm going now."
GRABS
"Ah?" Turning back, he noticed his arm being held. Looking at Shirogi, he muttered.
"You want to go too?"
"Mm."
"Alright then, but we gotta be careful not to get ourselves in trouble ok?"
"Mm."
"Ok!" And so, they proceed to run into the dark forest, hoping to find the lost children.
"Even with this lamp, it's still ridiculously dark!"
"..."
After a few minutes of aimlessly running into the forest, they hadn't encountered anything yet. No creatures nor the childrens, only more trees and the sounds of their own footsteps. This was much harder than either of them had thought, despite one of them knowing that this was not easy to begin with. Still, both of them were not going to give up just that, and so they kept running, trying to find any signs of them.
As they kept searching, it kept picking up things, but unfortunately, it wasn't what it wanted. It was the scent of the creature again, this time much closer than before. The scent was becoming more overwhelming and now, it felt like it was beginning to surround them. This made it much more cautious with its walking, making sure that none of them were getting too close to them. It wasn't sure what those things wanted, but it wasn't going to risk finding out.
"Let's try this direction!" Saying that, the boy took a sharp turn to the right and tried to clear the view in front of him.
"...!" Without any prior warning, the scent of the creature suddenly showed up right in front of him. It immediately moved towards the boy, pushing him to the side.
"Wha-"
CRUNCH
"...Ghkk!" Chomping down onto its arm, it could hear its bones shattering under the force. It was bitten by something, but what that thing was, it had no idea. Regardless, it pushed through the excruciating pain that began circulating around its body from its now broken right arm, it grabbed onto the thing's mouth, and started peeling it off.
As it tried to do that, the thing's teeth only went in deeper, further destroying the arm's veins and bone, blood spurting out of the wound. But it still managed to push through the pain and exerted even more strength into its other arm, trying desperately to lift it off.
"HAHH!"
SMACK
With a loud noise, the boy that it had saved swung the lamp towards the creature's face, breaking the lamp in the process. This ended up causing it to flinch and release its mouth a tiny bit, but it was just enough for it to rip open its teeth and escape. As it did that, it also opened its mouth and shoved it onto the creature's neck, biting off a huge chunk off of it. This immediately killed the thing and its body fell to the ground with a thud.
"Hah...hah…ghk!"
Its legs were losing strength, it dropped down to the ground. Breathing heavily, the scent of blood and the creature's mixing together, making it harder for it to tell where they are. Then it heard the boy's footsteps coming towards it.
"Shirogi!"
His face clearly distressed, he looked over its injury and froze. Its arm bore very visible marks, cutting deep into the flesh to the point of exposing its inside. But he quickly shook it off and tried to grab onto its shoulder when suddenly, movements were heard from the bushes around them.
"Tch, there's more of them?!"
"..."
Trying to clean off the stains off its nose, it attempted to locate the whereabouts of the others. A few seconds passed, the scent of blood slowly clearing, it counted their numbers. One...two...three...four…
Before it could finish counting however, another jumped out from one of the bushes. It tried to turn in its direction, but the agonizing pain made its movements sluggish, giving the mabeast enough time to run towards it. Then, a figure appeared before it.
"Oh no you don't!"
CHOMP
"Ghk!"
Blocking its attack, the boy managed to hold off its bite with his coat, barely escaping from its teeth. Even so, it was still strong enough to kick and struggle, causing the boy to lose his balance.
"D-damnit!"
Regaining his footing, he began sprinting in a straight line, bringing the mabeast with it. Smashing it against a tree,he impaled the creature with a branch, causing it to slowly die from the blood loss. After that, the youth stepped back and ripped out his torn coat off its mouth.
"Hah..hah..That was really close…"
As he was getting his breathing back into control, it proceeded to pick up a chunk of meat that was bitten off by it. With the meat in hand, it bite down on it, chewing it up into smaller chunks. It did not like the taste of it however, in fact, it didn't even taste like anything resembling food at all. But this was not the time to be picky about its meal, it still needed it. And so, putting aside the inexplicable taste, it gulped down the meat, and from that, it could feel the injury on its arm beginning to lessen. It was fixing and regrowing its broken and missing parts much quicker than if it hadn't eaten anything. Though it will still take a while before it fully heals so it still needed to be careful to not get itself injured.
As its arm was fixing itself, it took in the air around it, and noticed the smell of the beasts once again. They were still around them, but not as close as before. Seems like they were being a bit more careful after those two failed attacks, but even so, they had an advantage in numbers. If they all decide to go in, there's nothing it could do.
"We need to keep moving."
"!"
His voice rang out, slightly surprising it for how fast he recovered. He then stood back up, still holding onto the ripped coat.
"If we keep stalling, sooner or later more of them will keep showing up. So, all we can do now is try to run as fast as we can so they won't be able to catch up to us, while also looking for the kids as well."
"..."
"I know it's not really a great plan, but we need to try regardless. Right?"
"...Mm."
It wasn't sure if there could have been any other plan better than what he had, but it was still a plan. It certainly couldn't think of anything much better than his plan anyways, and besides, he still hasn't used his powers yet. The power that once sealed it away to another plain of existence, and if this wasn't enough to warrant such a power, then it will trust his judgment and follow him.
With its broken and injured right arm which was now in a much better condition than before, it stood up. Relying on nothing more than its nose to detect the beasts, the boy's plan and his unused strength, and the moonlight that dimly lit up their surroundings, they began to run, deeper into the forest, trying to find the kids.
Where could they be? Were his thoughts as he ran through the forest aimlessly, with nothing more but a tattered coat as his only defense. Even though he seemed rather calm on the outside, his mind certainly wasn't. Right now, they are essentially running away from death, with no clear directions to follow.
He wasn't sure of what he should do next. This was his first time that he had to run for his life while also trying to look for lost childrens afterall, but he wished that things could just go slightly easier for him for once. After several near death experiences, as well as actual deaths, he had no intention of going through that pain the more he thought about it, the more this situation became more hopeless
Another death...That is probably the most likely outcome for him in this scenario, and no way to escape seemed to exist. Even with the demi-human's help, he wasn't naive enough to think that she could fend off multiple of them at the same time, and so the best possible plan that he could think of was running. But for how long? The forest was large from what he can tell, and both of them didn't know the layout of the place. It was only a matter of time before they got outrunned and surrounded by them. No matter how much he may try, death only seemed more inevitable with each passing moment.
Even so...I still have to at least find the kids! Even if all of this would end with his death, he still wanted to know their locations. If he could find out their location, he would be able to orientate himself much quicker and find them faster next time. All of this, just so he can have better luck in his next life. Admitting that he will probably die was not easy, but right now, he needs to prepare for his next life just in case. However, this line of thinking had two major flaws:
One of them was the location, or more specifically where he will Return by Death to. Would it still be at the appa man's shop? If that's the case then he will need to redo the entire fight with that lady named Elsa all over again, and he would rather not to. But if that was the case, then this time he'll try not to get himself knocked out.
The second part was the ability itself, Return by Death. Other than the way to trigger it, he had no clue if it had any other possible applications or ability besides that. But most importantly, the limit to its power. Is there an actual limit to how many times he can die before it was truly game over for him? So far he had died two times, so at least he was sure that it could go up to two, but will there be a third? What if after this, he really will die?
Depending on the answer for this, all of the plans that he may have for the next life will just be completely pointless, and he will just leave this world forever. He knows what death is like, but to fully die and pass on? That was something that he hadn't experienced, and he wasn't ready to. He didn't want to, not after he was transported to this world. Not after he decided to start a new life here, not now…
"Mm!"
"...Eh?"
Snapping him out of his own head and making him stop was the sound coming from the rabbit demi-human behind him. He couldn't remember how long they had been running now due to him being too focused on other things. As he wondered about that though, he also started to look around the trees, trying to spot anything that moved, that was until the girl began pointing in a certain direction.
"...Is there something over there?"
"Mm."
"...Huh…"
Can she spot something that I couldn't? There were many things that were mysterious about her, even their encounter was odd as well. He didn't want to ask anything about it due to her not being able to talk, but also because he wasn't too worried about it. So for her to be able to know something that he didn't think was possible to him, that's what he concluded.
"Alright, let's go that way then."
For now I just have to trust her. If this could possibly lead to another way other than death, he'll happily take it. And so their role was now changed, with the girl being the one to lead and him being the one following. He thought it was a bit embarrassing to let a girl lead them to survival, but he quickly discarded that thought. As they ran, the girl kept turning different directions, sometimes left, sometimes right, seemingly random, making him slightly more confused and worried that she might not know where she was going, but kept following her regardless.
As they kept going, he was still able to hear the rustingly of bushes and leaves. Just this was enough to tell him that those mabeasts were still following them, not letting go for one bit. This only made him even more anxious, but for some reason, the girl didn't seem too worried about it. Is it because she knew where she was going or was she just not fazed about this at all? He didn't know.
Eventually, they came across a clearing. Passing through the leaves and into the land, he opened his eyes wide. All he saw was a huge open field with no trees around it for meters. The girl was able to bring them to this area, despite them being effectively blind. Then, as if it couldn't have been any more of a miracle, he spotted a couple of figures in the middle of that grass filled land. All of them were small but noticeable, and just from the silhouette alone, he can tell that those were the kids that went missing.
Seeing that, they both ran over to them. His heart filled with relief upon seeing them completely ok, but at the same time a sense of worry and dread began to fill up inside him. Why are they just lying there? And why in such a big empty plain? Did those beasts intentionally put them there? If so then why?
There were just too many questions with little to no answers for them, so instead of dwelling on it, he pushed them aside and prioritized the situation at hand for now. Grabbing onto one of the kids, he began shaking them.
"Oi! Petra! Wake up!"
"..."
No response. Why? Upon closer inspection however, he notices their expressions. They were sleeping, but it seemed like they were hurting, their face showing different feelings of discomfort and pain. This only served to make him even more worried.
"Hey guys! Are you all alright?! Say something!"
"..."
Still nothing….damnit! If they can't wake up, then he needs to find another way. He could have both of them carry them but that would make them completely vulnerable to the mabeasts attacks, so that was immediately crossed out. If running isn't good, then they can only do one thing…
"...Shirogi."
"?"
"We have to hold them off, for as long as possible. At least until the villagers are able to notify the others and come help us."
"..."
"I know that I'm asking a lot of you, and I'm sorry for that. But right now, we just have to do everything for them...will you help me?"
"...Mm."
"Thanks."
As soon as they agreed on the plan, he noticed multiple shadows began to appear. His mind raced through different strategies and the possibility of them surviving. No matter how he looked for one tho, all of them had a low chance of living, but even so, he can only do nothing but try.
Then, stepping into the field and reflected by the moonlight, he could determine their features a bit more. They looked similar to dogs, but with weird fish-like gills on both of their necks. Their teeths razor sharp and their eyes were filled with nothing but bloodlust. They all stared right into him, causing him to slightly flinch from fear. It was somewhat odd how most of them were just looking directly at him like that, but he didn't have time to think of it, however, as some of them began to run up to them.
Seeing that, he readied his coat, preparing to stop them from advancing towards the kids. The rabbit demi-human also does the same, stepping forward to protect both the kids and him. With this, only the girl was capable of actually doing anything, with him being the last line of defense for the kids.
As they waited for them to come, he heard a sudden noise coming from behind, the only place where he completely forgot about.
"Shit!"
As he turned his back to face it, the dog-looking mabeast was much faster than him, knocking him down to the ground. Luckily, he was still able to wrap his coat around its mouth, narrowly avoiding getting his face ripped out.
The girl noticed it and tried to help but was attacked by the ones in front. In just a few moments of confrontation, they were already easily overwhelmed by the enemies.
GHHH
"Ghkk!"
The thing was only mere inches away from him, and with every struggle, it only got closer. At this moment, he needed to do something, anything to turn the tide, or else…
ARFF
"Gah!"
This is bad...I'm slipping! His limbs starting to fail on him, the dog thing only got even closer to his face, he was practically tasting its drool now. What can he do? He was certainly not strong enough to fight it, and he has nothing to use against it. Shirogi is already dealing with a bunch of them in front, meanwhile he can barely hold off one, what could he possibly do? There's nothing at all. Nothing that could change his fate from being ripped aliv-Wait!
Remembering something, he began to put even more strength into his arms, desperately trying to push it just far enough for him to act. If he can make just enough distance, then he can reach for it. As he thought so, his hands tightened around the coat, and he shoved with all his might. This is the only chance that he has, it's now or death.
GHH! ARF!
With everything that he had, it was enough to give just a few more centimeters of distance between them, and that was all that he needed. Quickly, he let go of one of his arms and reached into his right pocket, letting the mabeast fully free to lunge straight at him.
Just as it was about to gnaw at his face, he was able to grab what he wanted and thrusted his right arm as fast as he could. In just a moment, the dog thing that was about to kill him suddenly screamed in agony. Then accompanied with that scream, it tried to jump off him, but he couldn't let that happen.
If he lets it go, it will just attack him again, and he isn't sure if he could pull off what he just did a second time. So, instead of giving it a chance, he took away its escape route and turned over, forcing it to fall with him to the ground. Now, their positions were switched with him being the one on top and it being the bottom.
Then, he proceeds to rip out the "weapon" that he used to stab its eye with and begins to repeatedly stab both of its eyes. The thing was certainly not sharp enough to puncture anything else on its body, so this was obviously the only place he could attack. And what type of "weapon" was he holding? It was nothing more but a small needle that he received from the maids at the mansion.
These past days, he was practicing sewing during the times that he was alone or it was night, where no one would bother him. He never thought of himself to be a sewing person, but since being transported here, he began to take an interest in it. And so he decided to practice by using this needle, though he would never expect for it to be so misused like this.
Regardless, after a couple of seconds of repeated stabbing, the mabeast started to die down and fell limp. As it did, he stopped himself and instantly let out a sigh of relief, glad that he was able to just barely crawl his way out of that. It was the first time he did something like that, but since he was in a near death situation, he didn't have the time to properly think it through. He was only glad that he got out alive.
"Hah..How's it going over there Shiro-"
But that moment was quickly snuffed, as he looked to the rabbit's demi-human directions. What he saw was nothing more but absolutely horrific, to the point that it was almost nauseating for him.
What he can see was multiple beasts surrounding the girl, or atleast, what's left of her. All there was left was her head and her body, with half of her left arm danling to the side. The rest of her body was either badly mangled or were completely cut off. Her hair covered in blood, both her legs severely broken and her right arm bitten off. There was almost nothing that was intact of her left.
This put him into total shock, not even noticing that some of them were closing up on him. But just as they were about to jump at him, he noticed her eyes. It was still shining, even if it was dim, it was still visible, which means...she's still alive.
After that, he felt tremendous force upon him, knocking him straight to the ground. Then, all he could hear was the sound of something biting into his clothes, ripping it off like it was paper. Then, he finally felt the pain scorched through him as blood started to drool out of his body.
"GHK! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
He screamed, louder than he had ever done. It was painful. It hurt. It was too much. He hated it. He wanted it to stop. But he couldn't do anything as the pain was too overwhelming for him. And even if he pushed through the pain, their body weight was more than enough to prevent them from escaping. He was trapped in their claws and mouths, and there was nothing that he could do but let them tear him apart. Flesh from flesh. Limb from limb. Bone from bone. Until he was fully eaten by them or died from the pain of the process, whichever way didn't matter as it was still painful regardless.
His mind went through all his past memories in a desperate attempt to relieve the pain, but it was no use. He still felt his muscle being torn from him, his back being skinned and ripped apart like it was nothing to them. His eyes shifting around, trying to look for anything, anything that could maybe distract him from it all. But all he could see was blood in his eyes, and a little of the girl.
The final thing he could see was the sight of the demi-human ripping out one of the mabeast mouths, then trying to rush to him, before getting bombarded by more of them as they tore her up. He tried to open his mouth, but before he could even attempt that, another mabeast went for his throat and with a single bite, it severed his throat completely. With that, his mind finally falling to a deep sleep, his brain could finally shut down from all that pain. His eyes closing, his heartbeat stopped and he could no longer tell anything and finally, his consciousness faded.
Natsuki Subaru had died.