So, I'll start this by clarifying a lot of things. This clearly isn't a react fic, as the intro chapter set up. This story explores original, unique ideas that deviate either from canon or, very minimally, other stories on the platform. The referenced stories at the start were just there to tease the multiverse, further showing you that anything is possible.

These stories will be given to you as a series of one-shots, What Ifs, if you will, depicting the events of that timeline. Some will be longer than others and the events that take place in each will vary (for the record, for those who may ask, I'm keeping OCs at a minimum to none).

This story also does have the added aspect of 'all fics are canon in the multiverse', which is another reason why I referenced those stories at the start.

I think this installment is a good look into what's to come. Not too much, but not too little either. This one isn't very dialogue focused, talking mainly through their actions and what ends up happening. And, I'll admit, it's not my best work. It's a bit 'out there' but if you've seen What If…? then you'd know a lot of things are like that, haha.

After this, I'll be doing two requests; the ideas are ones I've found really interesting and want to explore. I'm sure you'll like them! The next one is going to be so fun to write! Sneak peak at the end of this one! (If you all don't like sneak peaks, I won't include it for the next one and remove this one).

Hope you enjoy!

What if… The White Whale Subjugation failed?

Death.

That was all Wilhelm van Astrea could register. Death; so much gruesome, painful death.

The screams of his allies echoed all around him. It wouldn't stop. He could hear the very moment someone he knew — or may have known — perished somewhere within the fog.

There would be times that some of the bodies crashed in front of him, mutilated and surely dead. Having lived through similar events, the Sword Demon had not flinched nor did he ever feel sick. However, it was incredibly unnerving.

He couldn't even remember them. Not their faces, not their names… not even the clothes they wore. Absolutely nothing of them remained, both in this world and in memory. Simply forgotten by everyone and everything, as if they had never existed in the first place…

Wilhelm did not know what to do. The infamous Sword Demon, anxiously shifting his position every moment in preparation of an attack, was lost in his mind. It was ironically uncharacteristic of him.

The screams lessened in quantity, but still repeated in a seemingly endless stream. He'd- no, they'd all underestimated the Whale's strength, while at the same time overestimating their own. He could now understand why his wife fell to such a beast. A true monster, true to its title as one of the Three Great Mabeasts.

They had simply been no match for it.

When he tried to think, attempting to remember what and who he'd lost, his head throbbed and ached. His mind was filled with holes, unable to fill certain gaps which left things permanently blank. It hurt, both physically and emotionally.

The Sword Demon didn't even remember who he served. He served under someone, didn't he? Why did he do that? Was there a reason? Who were they?

He shook his head, slouching forward with a hand wiping over his face. His sweat became more prominent, his hand wiping some of it away as another loud screen pierced his ears. Wilhelm uprighted himself, turning every which way in an attempt to find something, anything, but he didn't even know what to look for.

He was panicking. He never usually panicked… never. Was it because of the death? The screams?

He didn't know, nor did he care.

There was nothing he could do. That became utterly blatantly as more of his comrades fell in battle, their screams lessening as fewer of them remained.

The Sword Demon fell to his knees, agreeing to silently wait his turn to fall. His demise would come, there was no avoiding that now. All he could do was accept that fact and beg for the chance to see his wife, comrades and friends when it was all over.

While he wallowed on his knees, his eyes stared forward. As if fate commanded it, the fog before him split apart, allowing Wilhelm's eyes to see further out.

The man was shocked. A body, unconscious and unmoving, lay still on the grass. The shocking part wasn't that, however; no, it was that Wilhelm actually remembered this person.

A boy, sporting raven-black hair and nasty eyes, wearing clothes unnatural to even Wilhelm himself. Natsuki Subaru, the boy that had tried to make this all possible. The boy had given him the chance to avenge his wife, something that the Sword Demon was eternally grateful for, all in exchange for their assistance.

Wilhelm shook his head, snapping out of his inner stupor. Normally, he would've fought until his last breath… but, now, after seeing and hearing all of the chaos around him, he was able to think things through in a different light.

Too many people have fallen, there was no hope left for this battle. However, there was still hope for him… for the boy. The boy had an entire life ahead of him, to see it end here and now due to their pride would be…

Wilhelm didn't bother to continue that line of thought, his eyes glued to the unconscious boy in front of him. His legs moved on their own, standing from their knelt position and rushing forward at great speeds.

Instead of letting another comrade fall — especially someone that had given him such an opportunity and had such rising potential within — the Sword Demon took the boy's unconscious form and simply ran.

He used his speed to push through the fog, ignoring every other screen he heard as he kept rushing ahead. The boy wrapped tightly in his arms, ensuring that he would not fall. Wilhelm only ran, ran and ran some more, unwilling to stop for anything no matter what was in his path.

When he finally breached the fog, he almost hadn't even noticed. He just kept moving, resolved to get as far away from the battlefield as physically possible.

At first, The Sword Demon almost couldn't believe it when it seemed as though the fog was following them. A part of him began to believe that they may never escape the Whale; that they were all just doomed to die.

But… at a moment where his attention was ahead of him, it just vanished. Gone, within an instant. He still didn't stop running for a while, just to be sure.

At one point, he'd found a cave. It was big, very spacious and could definitely house two people within. Wilhelm cautiously entered, looking around for any potential danger before gently setting the boy's body on a flat bed of rock.

Wilhelm wobbled away and sat nearby, leaning back against the stone wall. He looked up, taking in a deep breath before letting it all out in one, long huff. The old man was tired, exhausted even. Despite how hard he tried to keep his eyes upon, they ended up drifting shut all the same.

CRASH! BOOM! Rumble…

His eyes shot open, awoken by the sound of thunder striking very close by. He took breaths, calming himself down as another strike boomed outside. His head turned to the cave's entrance, watching as rain rapidly fell just beyond it.

Fortunately, they were far enough inside to where the water was unable to reach them. The old man sighed, reluctantly relaxing himself as his eyes continued to watch the rain. It was dark inside, but he could still see fairly well. He knew then that he must've slept for a long time.

He turned to look at the boy, Natsuki Subaru. Quickly, he noted that nothing seemed to have changed in regards to his condition. Wilhelm could only tell that the boy was still alive due to the consistent, short raises of his chest, coinciding with his breathing.

The Sword Demon leant his head back, closing his eyes and attempting to re-immerse himself in the world dreams once more.

It didn't work.

The man was eventually compelled to open his eyes once again, hearing another strike of thunder just outside.

He did not know what to do.

He looked at the palms of his hands, noting how dirty they were. He supposed that it was fitting. It perfectly suited who he was, after all. Wilhelm van Astrea had never been the cleanest man, in terms of morals and sins. He'd taken many lives during his life, ruining some others through other various means as well.

That's where his mind had decided to go, during his time in lonely solitude. As the raindrops fell, the thunder boomed and the wind blew, the old man was inclined to recall the dark tales of his past.

Yes… he could remember it all so well. The days during the war, his fight against Sphinx being a particularly notable event. It had been a hard time for the Sword Demon, one that he did not think of too fondly.

I'm fact, the entirety of the demi-human war was nothing but fighting, death and more fighting… something which seemed to have come to pass once more, only in a different form.

Then there were the more recent memories, ones that made him descend further into his perceived failure and inner depression. The death of his wife, Theresia van Astrea, was one of those things.

She'd died to accursed White Whale… the very same beast that had slaughtered their entire army with little to no effort. The old man's face contorted into rage, albeit temporarily, before softening into one that contained blatant sadness. They'd all underestimated the Whale and ended up paying the price for it.

Now, he'd never be able to avenge her… to make things right… to say that he loved her.

Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. The Sword Demon almost never cried and, if he did, he would usually stop it before long, but this time was different. By thinking of his failure, his mistakes and regrets, he had brought himself to tears. This time, he did not bother to stop it.

Eventually, his eyes ended up wandering over to the unconscious boy once more. Subaru had truly given this old man a great opportunity, one that could've made everything right. Yet, he and everyone else couldn't help but mess it up.

The old man sighed, his eyes still tracing over the boy. To think, he had given them something so valuable in exchange for help; not for personal gain, but for the sake of other people's lives. Truly a young man with a good heart and head on his shoulders.

That reminded the Sword Demon of another one of his many faults in life. He'd failed as a grandfather, horribly so. Reinhard was but a normal boy, possessing good manners and a good heart. That did not stop Wilhelm from blaming him… from calling him a monster and, worst of all, blaming him for the death of his wife.

Being alone with only his thoughts for hours left Wilhelm with but one final thought: if anyone was a monster, it was certainly him.

He remained stationary, his body and eyes glued still as time continued to pass. By sunrise, the rain had subsided along with the storm. When he heard the birds start chirping, curiosity beckoned the old man to get up.

Despite that, his body felt heavy to move. The Sword Demon couldn't help but think that, perhaps, it was the weight of his sins keeping him from properly moving forward. He gave a depressive laugh, moving himself through the cave and, eventually, outside.

The sun's rays of light hit immediately, instinctively making him cover his eyes. After a few moments, when he adjusted, he was finally able to take in the scenery.

It was a truly beautiful day outside. The birds were chirping and singing, there were flowers blooming nearby and everything just seemed so… peaceful. He gazed around more, getting a better look at the area. They were located in any kind of forest, with many trees surrounding the area, but, luckily, it wasn't completely dense.

After gazing around at everything, he resolved to realize that this area was completely unfamiliar to him. Wilhelm was lost.

Standing in his spot, his mind wandered. What was he supposed to do now?

His head turned around, looking directly back into the cave he had come out from. It was not just him here. He could not just wallow and die; he had a responsibility to take care of his fallen ally.

But, would that be enough? Would he be able to do it? Wilhelm wasn't an expert in survival… surely this would not end well.

He shook his head. No, that was not the right way to think. At the very least, there was an obligation to try. Letting the boy die due to Wilhelm's own arrogance and incompetence would be yet another sin added to his grave.

The Sword Demon, Wilhelm van Astrea, then decided that he was done committing sins. Instead, he would resolve to do something more.

Whether he deserved some kind of 'redemption' or not, it didn't matter. In fact, that thought had not even crossed his mind.

No, the only thing on his mind was his will to stand and defend an innocent boy from death. He would ensure that this boy, Natsuki Subaru, will live to see another day. He would live to have a good life…

Day One:

After Wilhelm steeled his resolve, he elected to explore more of the area. Surveying and memorizing the surrounding area was a vital key to survival, after all. One never knew when something, or someone, could come against you. Knowing your territory was detrimental to both a good escape plan and turning a fight to your favor.

In one direction, in which Wilhelm continuously explored, spanned trees ranging for what seemed like forever. Compared to where they were before, this area had denser, more compact trees. Needless to say, there were a plethora more of them compared to where the cave was. He could only suspect that, the further he went in, the more cramped the forest would become.

It didn't seem as though there was anything that way, so he opted to turn back. However, on his way back, he was ambushed by a few different Mabeast. They were unusually aggressive, but served no challenge to the infamous Sword Demon.

While they weren't a threat during this attack, it gave Wilhelm the knowledge that they were, indeed, located in Mabeast infested forests. They would need to watch their backs.

After getting back to the cave, he'd opted to go in a different direction. Again, the trees spanned for what seemed like forever but, this time, rather than finding a denser forest, he was met with an incredibly wide river.

Upon looking at it further, the river was surprisingly quite deep with an incredibly fast flow. Wilhelm safely concluded that this was not the way he had come from, noting that the river was likely uncrossable by normal methods. Even with a powerful jump, he may even come just short of making it across, especially if he were to be carrying Subaru with him.

However, the good news taken out of this was that he had found a source of clean water. The only issue was the distance, with the river being quite a long ways away from the cave and having no reliable way to transport it back. For now, traveling on foot would have to do.

The other two directions were nothing but the same as the first. They were nothing but forests that stretched for miles, but noticeably less dense than the first path.

The third path had some vast forms of both vegetation and fauna within, but he had no way of knowing what was good or what was bad.

The fourth path was filled with more Mabeasts, noting that there were an intense amount more than the other path. He was forced to turn around early, as more Mabeasts attacked the further in he went. Perhaps it was a breeding ground?

When the first day came to pass and the second arrived, he explored again. Despite how much his stomach rumbled and growled he kept moving, desperate to find a way of escaping.

He didn't find it.

Day Three:

Subaru finally woke up, sitting up and gasping for air so suddenly and without warning. Wilhelm was shocked, surprised even. The old man rushed to the boy's side in a hurry, unsure of what to do.

"Subaru-dono!" he called out, putting a supporting hand behind the boy's back for support. He only kept gasping, eyes looking around the cave in a seeming act of pure desperation.

Then he yelled; screamed, more like. It startled the Sword Demon, tempting him to back away yet not finding the will to do so. He stayed by Subaru's side as the boy let out whatever emotions he had bottled up within.

This lasted a long time.

By the end, the boy's lungs gave out. He slouched forward, hands beginning to cover his face. "Subaru-dono…" Wilhelm trailed off, attempting to find the right words. "Are you alright?"

Through his gasps for air and hands over this face, he nodded. He didn't elaborate anymore, not a single word leaving his mouth as his fingers clenched onto his skin.

Wilhelm decided to speak again, "The attack failed. I saw you on the ground… I could not let you perish, so I brought you here. It has been three days, since we arrived."

At that, he started crying. Just… crying. It had gotten progressively worse, the audible noises becoming similar to wails as it went on.

Wilhelm safely assumed that the stress of the incident was catching up to him. Subaru may have been brave during the battle initially, but Wilhelm knew that he was but a weak, frail boy.

Though… little did he know, Subaru had lived through this once already. He had woken up in this same cave, not having recognized the ceiling.

When Wilhelm had described what had happened, Subaru knew right away that everyone he knew had died. Everyone at the battle: Crusch, Felix, the two cute little demi-human generals… everyone had perished as a product of the Whale's destructive power.

It wasn't just them though. After being told that three days has passed since the subjugation, Subaru knew he was too late. The Cult's attack on the mansion… everyone was dead. Rem, Ram, Petra… Emilia.

He failed.

There was an overwhelming form of desperation inside of him, one that compelled him to end his life at the first moment possible, all in a last ditch effort to go back.

'He needed to save everyone', is what he told himself.

But it didn't work. He just woke up in the same place, seeing the same rocky ceiling once more.

Return by Death had updated… he could not return.

When the wailing ceased and the tears finally stopped, Wilhelm could finally see the boy's eyes. The eyes that looked as if they'd seen death, seemed to have gazed upon it once more.

Wilhelm patiently waited for the young man to compose himself. The old man was never good with sentimental ordeals, having no such knowledge of how to properly comfort someone in need. The best he could do was sit there and wait; nothing more, nothing less.

Subaru took deep breaths, wiping his eyes in a hurry. Despite the water having been swept away, the redness remained. He averted his head to the side, looking more into the cave's wall than Wilhelm himself.

Then, he mumbled something under his breath. Wilhelm couldn't hear it, the tone of voice having been too low to understand. Hesitatingly, the Sword Demon spoke up, "What did you say, Subaru-dono?"

The boy merely shook his head, keeping his eyes exactly where they were. Then, he asked a dreadful, "Why did you save me?"

His voice was hoarse. Whether it was from the wailing or the fact that he hadn't had water in days, the old man didn't know. But, despite that, the Sword Demon knew that he was sad.

Though knowing this, Wilhelm still thought it best to be firmly honest with the boy. So, that was what he did, "I could not let you die." He paused, taking a moment to garner something else to say, "After so much death, I could not lose another ally…"

"You should have just let me die, Wilhelm…" he muttered sadly. There were more words that followed, coming out of his mouth in a quiet whisper, but the old man elected to not question them.

It was clear that this — whatever the boy was feeling — was immensely personal to him. He had no business prying for that type of information, especially when he was secretive about his own life.

Taking a breath, the old man changed the subject, "We have not had any water for a few days. It is important that we hydrate as soon as we can. There is a river close by, are you able to walk?"

He only nodded, moving his arms over in an attempt to get up. Wilhelm then saw the exact moment when the color drained from the boy's face. Subaru froze in immediate panic, head bent forward as he stared straight down at his legs, "Wilhelm…?"

Wilhelm leaned forward, ready to be of assistance in any way possible, "Yes, Subaru-dono?"

"I…" he gulped, his body shaking as he slowly turned his head toward the Sword Demon. "I-I can't feel my legs!"

After that, silence ensued. The young man had a panic attack and Wilhelm did his best to assure him that things would be okay. The old man knew that he hadn't done a good job at it, though…

Following that instance, Wilhelm opted to carry the boy over to the river on his back. With his speed, it wasn't too bad of a journey, but it was definitely more exhausting than the Sword Demon ever remembered being.

The two took their time in drinking all of the water they needed. Wilhelm had taken small doses within both of his hands, drinking sips out of them with some sense of manners. Meanwhile, Subaru had crawled to the side of the river and put his entire mouth directly within.

The old man would've thought he'd drown himself if not for him lifting his head up to breathe, every once in a while. Subaru was more in need of water than he was, that much was blatantly apparent.

They left soon after, heading back to the cave in which they could call a 'home' for now. However, just a little bit before they could reach the cave, they were ambushed by more than just a few Mabeasts.

Wilhelm, initially, hadn't been too worried… but then he remembered who he had on his back. A boy, who could not even run away, holding on for dear life as Mabeasts circled them. The Sword Demon drew his sword, holding the hilt with both hands as he readied for their attack.

Dejectedly, the boy on his back commented, "I'm sorry… I'm sure they're here because of me."

Wilhelm didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but he didn't let it bother him, "Do not worry, Subaru-dono. I will protect us."

One of the wolf ulgrams lunged first, jumping into the air and swiping with its right claw. The Sword Demon dodged to the opposite side immediately, swinging his sword down at the first opportunity to slice the beast in two.

Wilhelm ducked, just dodging another attack from behind. A different beast flew over him, landing on its four feet and skidding to a halt in the dirt ahead.

Another jumped from the left, in which Wilhelm swung his sword to counter. The blade, as strong and sharp as it was, sliced clean through its head, killing it instantly and projecting its body away.

"Watch out!" Subaru called.

Wilhelm didn't need to be told twice, making a short jump up into the air and landing on the back of a particularly big beast. It's fur was thick, but that wouldn't stop Wilhelm's sword from piercing its heart.

The beast lost all motor function immediately, essentially falling over in an instant and sliding its way to a halt. Wilhelm had jumped off before that, landing next to another beast. Before it even had time to attack, it had been introduced to the blade of the Sword Demon.

The ulgram from before, the one Wilhelm had only dodged, lunged at him once again. This time, when he ducked, he made sure to jab the blade up and into the beast's stomach. The beast's own momentum had been its demise, cutting its own stomach. This left it to fall on its side, guts and organs spilling onto the grass as a result.

Just as the Sword Demon thought it was over, even more began showing themselves. Three flying Mabeasts, a wolf, and a bear-looking one. He readied his sword, prepared to fight.

It lasted a long time. The Sword Demon cut down every beast, one after another, despite the hindrance of Subaru being on his back. At times, they would just keep coming in endless waves in which he wasn't sure would end.

He wouldn't stop fighting. No, he had someone to protect.

At one point, during a moment of intervention, Wilhelm had booked it back to the cave. When he made it, he'd simply set Subaru down, started a fire to keep them warm, and laid down to rest. He was too exhausted to keep going any more that day.

Day Four:

When Wilhelm awoke, his eyes widened.

How could they not have, after seeing all of the stuff written on the cave walls?

Wilhelm had stood up, his eyes analytically glossing over all of the writing. There was everything from small lists, to complicated designs and instructions for building certain traps and devices that would increase their chances of survival.

And at the center of it all? A single boy, lying down against the wall with a stone still gripped in his hand. Wilhelm concluded that he must've fallen asleep whilst writing.

The old man wasn't sure how the young man had done it, especially in a condition such as his. He could only imagine the amount of determination and will Subaru possessed to pull it off. In a way, it made Wilhelm proud.

But if only he knew…

Wilhelm proceeded to take Subaru and lay him down more comfortably in a different spot. He did not want to disturb the boy's rest, knowing quite well that he'd been up all night doing, what seemed to be, all of the hard work.

He hummed as he glanced over everything on the wall, gazing at everything equally as he pondered on what he should do first. There was just so much there, a lot of things much more complicated than the others.

There were details of intense traps, all made out of wood and other small materials. One in particular was detailed, in both writing and model, to be fitted with wooden spikes that, when triggered, would spring forward and impale the trespasser.

There were also much simpler rope traps; ones that, when you put more weight on a certain spot, would cause a rope to wrap around one's ankle and lift them up into the air. Among that, there were a few more.

Instead of trying to focus on the complex things, Wilhelm decided to focus on the simpler necessities. Nearby, Subaru had given a list.

In particular, he'd listed that, to prevent starving, they'd need to have a strong influx of food. Since they were right smack in the middle of a Mabeast infested forest, the list on the wall proposed that they take advantage of that to stay fed.

Wilhelm supposed that it was plausible. In fact, he'd just killed all of those different Mabeasts the day before, so he could definitely bring some of them back to cook and eat, granted if the conditions were right.

In addition, it was advised that they make some kind of storage space for their food, so that it all wouldn't get spoiled or go bad. It was suggested that they use logs to make the area, sectioning off somewhere outside for it instead of using their cave.

It could work.

Alternatively, the other option would be to hunt every day for new food, which the Sword Demon didn't really find all that appealing.

For now, Wilhelm thought it best to focus on the even more simple things. Resource gathering sounded rather nice, and stocking up resources early would prove to be beneficial later on.

So he set out, having made a mental list on what to do.

Firstly, he'd returned to the site in which all the dead Mabeasts lay. The old man proceeded to examine each corpse thoroughly, deducing what was good to take and what was not. In the end, there hadn't been much to salvage, but, at the very least, they had something.

Following that, he'd decided to get more basic resources. Using his sword, knowing that it would not break, he cut down tree after tree in a location not far. He wasn't sure of how many they really needed, but he decided to work until he physically couldn't take it anymore.

When he returned to the cave, Subaru was already awake. He's been doing his best to stretch up, writing more things on the wall. Wilhelm would've acted surprised, but, at that point, he wasn't. The old man had since realized Subaru's potential, knowing not to underestimate the young man in any kind of way anymore.

Once he finished writing on the wall, he'd turned to Wilhelm and asked, "What did you get up to today?"

Wilhelm told him, "I gathered some resources, as per your details."

Wilhelm gestured to the wall, making Subaru laugh a little in embarrassment, "Ah… well, it's nothing really special. I just thought this'd be useful.

Wilhelm could've gaped, but kept himself together. How could this boy doubt his abilities so much? He said, "This is extraordinary! I have never heard of someone in your condition doing something such as this!"

He chuckled again, likely a little flattered, "Thanks…"

Wilhelm stood up, looking down at Subaru with critical eyes, "You have a smart head on your shoulders. Not even I could have come up with this much in a single night. Do not discredit yourself for your achievements."

Subaru only nodded, looking back to his wall writing with a contemplative look. Wilhelm just stayed silent as the boy thought to himself. When he finally turned back around, the old man could see a wondrous look on his face.

"Say, Wilhelm. If you can get me a bunch of these materials, I can make a lot of this stuff for us to use," he commented.

Wilhelm was momentarily surprised, looking at Subaru both in question and amazement, "Are you certain? Could you really make all of these… complex tools?"

Subaru nodded, seemingly quite proud of himself, "Yup! I'm sure I can figure something out. So, what do you say? Is this okay with you?"

The old man could only stare at the boy, wonder still clear in his eyes. It was truly amazing how someone such as Subaru could accomplish such feats, especially in such a condition.

Wilhelm nodded, agreeing. Subaru smiled, "Great! With my brains and your brawn, we're sure to get out of this!"

Wilhelm hummed. How ironic it was. Wilhelm, the one with the strength yet lacking the knowledge. Subaru, the one with the knowledge yet lacking the strength. Truly two halves of a whole, in this situation.

Wilhelm couldn't help but smile, too. He appreciated the boy's optimism, though he knew that it was mostly a fabricated mask.

That solidified the plan and, hopefully, it would speed up their chances of getting out of there.

Day Seven:

The next three days progressed consistently. Wilhelm would go get supplies, hunt for food and survey the area, bringing everything back for Subaru to work on.

One thing to note was that Mabeast meat tasted absolutely horrible. It was an abysmal taste that neither of them could stand, but were forced to eat unless they wished to starve.

In other cases, the first thing Subaru had been working on was making, at least, two buckets. They would certainly help when it came to getting water, rather than them having to take painstaking trips to the river every few days.

Through the process, there was a lot of trial and error. Sometimes there would be holes in the buckets, so the water wouldn't stay inside. Other times, the bucket would be made too flimsy and collapse under the weight of the water. This resulted in many back and forth trips to the river from Wilhelm, as well as constant revisions to the design.

On the sixth day, when their limit of living without water was reached, Subaru and Wilhelm were forced to make a joint trip to the river.

Just like last time, Mabeasts attacked on the way back. Everything had gone the same as before, however, this time, after Wilhelm dropped Subaru back off at the cave, he retrieved a plethora of corpses for future food.

By the end of the seventh day, Subaru had made a successful bucket design. They were fairly large, as well, which meant that they could contain a lot of water within.

As a result, Subaru would be inclined to leave the cave less often, in ordinance to what he wanted. Wilhelm didn't quite understand, but he'd said something about attracting Mabeasts again, so he'd leave it be.

Day Twelve:

They'd begun their food storage area next. Continuously hunting and having their food get spoiled by the elements was not fun.

Unfortunately, this was a project that only Wilhelm could compete due to his strength, skill and speed… as well as Subaru's unfortunate condition.

However, Subaru was practically helping him the entire time. It was quite humorous, actually, seeing a boy that couldn't walk repeatedly shout at an old man to put a log in a specific location.

"No, no, Wilhelm! It goes there!"

"Subaru-dono, is that not where I have it now?"

"No! You're too far to the right, it has to go over, on top of, the other one!"

"Ah… right here?"

"NO!"

Despite the yelling and banter, none of it was truly hostile. In fact, Wilhelm had thought that it lightened the mood a bit.

As that went on, Subaru had requested something of him in the meantime. He'd asked that, when the Sword Demon took the meat from Mabeasts for food, he would skin them of their fur and put it aside in a pile for future use.

At first, Wilhelm had been shocked and confused, but understood what Subaru was talking about once it was thoroughly explained. Essentially, Subaru wanted to take the fur of ulgrams to decorate and make their cave a little more comfortable. It would be great for warmth, as well.

Ultimately, Wilhelm had accepted. As the days passed, with each new Mabeast came a new large set of fur that added to the pile. Once Subaru deemed it enough, Wilhelm would take the pile over to the lake in order to wash and clean them, in which the boy could then apply them to the cave.

Whilst Wilhelm worked outside, Subaru would work away inside with some separate pieces of wood, skinning them into makeshift 'floorboards' that would be put at the bottom of their storage area.

Day Twenty-One:

Soon enough, their food storage area had been completed, accompanied with a nice refurbishment to their cave along with it.

For the food storage area outside, they'd used logs as walls to keep most things out. They'd crafted a makeshift rope, which was actually quite strong, that went around the ends of each wall, tightly holding each of the logs together. With that, a sturdy support braced the bottom so that nothing would topple and fall over.

Subaru also made separate planks for the roof. Yeah there were gaps between each of them that water could slip through, but he was sure that it was better than no roof at all.

Overall, they were both kind of proud of their work.

In addition, Subaru had finished applying the fur to their little hidey hole. He was able to stitch together a bunch of different pieces onto the floor, making it both more comfortable and good looking! He also had enough to make small blankets and, in some capacity, pillows for them both.

With those things being completed, it was time to turn their attention to other things, such as the traps! Yes, of course, they needed those traps… it definitely was not Subaru's insanity talking.

They'd started making some of them, having quickly completed a few of the smaller ones. This included a few rope traps, set up around some of the nearby trees and hidden with leaves and bushes to conceal them.

They'd also managed to dig up some pitfall traps, located on either side of their cave's entrance. That way, they would capture any intruder or attacker whilst not hindering them at all in the slightest.

Day Twenty-Four:

It rained and stormed for the next three days.

They'd put the buckets outside for the rain to fill, freely restocking their water supply without needing an entire trip. On another bright side, their shelter for the food was holding up very nicely against the winds of the storm!

However, this left them stranded inside with not much to do. They hadn't much to work with and Wilhelm couldn't go outside to do anything, due to the storm.

Instead, they'd opted to share their own personal stories.

Wilhelm had thought it would lighten the mood, help pass some of the time stuck within the cave. He told Subaru the legendary tales of his younger days, albeit at a much less detailed version. Minor aspects of his childhood, his training, the demi-human war and his lovely wife Theresia.

He was sure that he may have gotten a little emotional at some parts, especially regarding his wife. However, the young man merely let it pass, which the old man greatly appreciated. Perhaps he wasn't good at comforting, either. Wilhelm could see more and more of himself within the boy as time passed.

For Subaru, he'd told of tales Wilhelm had never once heard. Stories from a land far to the east, will floating carriages and technology beyond their time. The Sword Demon was shocked at such tales.

A part of him thought that the young man had finally gone insane… that he'd finally lost his mind. But, upon looking at his expression and seeing the pure longing nostalgic look, he grew a different opinion. Wilhelm thought it best not to question it, merely enjoying the tales for what they were.

As he told his tales, Wilhelm thought to himself: was this really another chance? A chance to make things right as a grandfather?

This lasted for the entire three days. Overall, their time spent in solitude wasn't too bad. In terms of their overarching situation, they'd managed to make the most of it by taking advantage of both skill sets. Things definitely could have gone a lot worse, otherwise, and that they knew.

Day Twenty-Two/Last Day:

When the sun arose the next morning, the rain had already stopped. The grass was soggy, but the day itself was nothing but beautiful. The sun was shining, birds were singing and flowers were blooming once more.

The Sword Demon told Subaru in the early morning that he would go gather more materials, having left with a farewell as per usual. Subaru did his best to work on the small things, in his absence.

Then the day progressed… time going by in an endless motion, with Subaru becoming increasingly more concerned once dusk drew near. The sun had begun to set and his mentor and friend had not yet returned.

When the night hit, Subaru stayed awake. He wished to know that he was not alone. He wouldn't make it, without Wilhelm by his side.

He crawled over to the cave's entrance, peeking his head outside to take a look around. There was nothing.

SNAP!

Subaru flinched immediately, hearing a branch nearby snap in two. At first, a strand of him held out a bit of hope… but then he realized that it couldn't have been Wilhelm. He never would have made a mistake like that…

A scream pierced his ears. Not from Wilhelm, no, but from someone completely different. They must've hit one of his traps. There were trespassers nearby! He couldn't defend himself!

Subaru fell back immediately, desperately clawing ahead at the ground in a panicked attempt to crawl forward. As he slowly moved inward, the more screams he heard outside as people continuously fell into the traps laid close.

Then, all hope drained from within him — realizing everything up till this point had been for naught — once he heard that insane, menacing voice.

"Oh, how slothful you look…" Subaru turned his head around, immediately being met with the insane smile of a man hidden behind the shadows, "Pride!"

A hand pushed the shard up, the being's 'face' looking away from what had just been shown.

A tragic universe built around failure and death; two broken people forced to survive on their own, lost deep within an unknown woods with too many risks to escape. Hope revealed itself on the horizon, making the most of a bad situation, only for it to have been completely stripped away, oh so close to the end.

The observer set its focus on yet another shard, drawing it to its hand. The reflection of this one particularly catching its eye, curiosity beckoning it as it looked within…

Up Next: What if… Subaru developed a split-personality?

Sneak Peak:

The Finest Knight, Julius Juukulius, walked into a small room, a table and two chairs in its center.

One of the chairs was already occupied, the one furthest away having already been taken by a very panicked man. Julius approached the other chair, calmly pulling it back and sitting himself down in it.

The man was shaking, clearly traumatized and afraid of what had happened. Given away by his clothes and looks — which were both scruffy in their own right — he was but a common man who had been victimized in the recent incident. Julius' eyes softened; he would need to approach the subject a bit carefully.

Julius coughed into his fist, attempting to easily gather the man's attention. It seemed to have worked, with the man looking up at him with an unsettled gaze. The Knight began, "Are you certain that you will be able to talk about the incident?"

The man stared at him for a long moment, as if inwardly trying to steel himself so that he could face the topic. Still shaking, the man started to slowly give small nods, "Y-Yes… yes! I t-think so…"

Julius simply nodded, "Good." He took a breath, searching for the best words to use. He didn't want to hurt the man by mentioning a sore subject, "What happened during the attack?"

His eyes seemed to wander, before resting still with a clean stare at the table. Julius waited patiently in silence for the man to respond, watching as, without blinking once, he shook his head from side to side, "S-So much laughter… so m-many explosions."

He reeled back, curling his legs up onto the chair and putting his arms up to shield his face. Julius was tempted to cringe at the sight, not because of the man's actions but at his own idiocy in handling things. The Knight shook his head. He felt bad, but he needed to press for more.

"Do you know how he did it? What did he look like?"

At that, the man shot forward, coming straight out of his previous position. The Finest Knight was ready to pull out his weapon, but relaxed once the man reclined onto the table. "H-He… looked l-like… a flying Goblin!"

Julius' previous mindset had been thrown away, replaced by a new one of deep contemplation. A Goblin? But… that species has been extinct for hundreds of years. And one that could fly? It was as incredibly unlikely as it all sounded.

Julius further pondered the thought. Was it really possible that the species had never gone extinct? That they, perhaps, evolved into something new, hence the sudden ability to fly?

He needed to know more…

"How did this 'Goblin' cause so much damage? What did he do?" Julius calmly inquired, leaning slightly forward and repositioning himself in his seat to reflect his inner contemplation.

The man suddenly began to shake his head rapidly, cowering as if in fear. Still, he managed to utter, "H-He would t-throw balls from the sky! All e-exploded on i-i-impact!"

He slammed his head into the table, his breathing going haywire as he began to wail and cry. Julius truly felt bad for the man, but he had a job that he needed to carry out.

It was clear that he would no longer get any more information from this man. He was too broken from what had happened. Julius would send people in right away to help, once he left the room.

Silently, the Finest Knight stood from his chair. He respectfully bowed his head forward, "Thank you for your time, and I am deeply sorry for your loss."

After the Knight's concluding words, he inwardly thought to himself once more as he headed for the door. The man's statements matched most of the other eyewitness reports, but there still wasn't enough. It was frustrating, to say the least.

He just hoped that they could get to the bottom of things… and soon.

With that, he left the room.