RE:Avenger

by Just-Another-Marvel-DC-Geek

The Re:Zero world realizes, through the introduction of a particular young hero, just how small the world they live in truly is. Basically, Subaru is MCU Spider-Man and madness ensue upon the arrival of the Marvel multiverse unto the world of magic, witches and spirits.

26. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – Not Worth Saving…

"KUAAAAH~!"

"Yeah, I noticed Patrasche…" Subaru whispered to his steed as she roared. "We are close…"

Subaru had been leading the villagers towards Arlam throughout the night, acting as a guide light to the caravan. To be precise, the villagers all knew the specific path to take back home after being led by Ram previously, but the danger of bandits and cultists was still ever-present in their minds, making them relieved that their hero was the one leading the way.

"Subaru-sama!" One of the villagers driving the carriages behind Subaru yelled in excitement. "We're close already! I can see the fumes of the chimneys in the distance!"

"I'd say they are the fumes of the pyres though… Your house got demolished by the cult!" His copilot whispered.

"And just in time for dawn!" The eager carriage driver pointed out, ignoring his companion. "I can see some rays of sunlight through the trees!"

"Oi!" The copilot complained.

"Better turn off those night lamps then!"

"Don't really know why we needed them so, with Subaru-sama riding before us."

"Haha!"

"*YAWN~* Are we there yet…?"

*Smack!*

"Augh! What the hell?!"

"You doofus! Did you fall asleep on your watch of the road?!"

"I can't wait to take a bath…"

"Weren't most houses destroyed in the battle though?"

"Subaru-sama said as much…"

"A pity… But I can still soak with well water, right?"

"Didn't the well blow up as well?"

"FOR REAL?! Aurgh…"

The villagers of Arlam conversed with relief and cheer within the carriages, all awaiting excitedly to arrive back home at last.

"Incredible…" Subaru muttered in sincere admiration of the villagers.

Their homes were all destroyed after the fight with the Witch Cult… Yet they don't seem bothered at all. Not seriously anyways… They joke about it, and even look forward to rebuilding! In comparison… It feels as though I'm doing nothing but loiter and run around like a headless chicken…

"*Sigh…*" The Avenger sighed in disappointment of himself.

"…" Patrasche could instinctively feel her rider slouch in self-deprecation at her back, irritating her into performing the duty Karen would normally be tasked with.

*SLAP!*

"Agh!" Subaru yelped in surprise as Patrasche's tail smacked him in the back, dispelling his darker thoughts. "Girl, what the hell?!"

"Hmph!" The ground dragon did not even roar, opting instead for huffing and turning her head away from her troublesome master, staring ahead towards the road.

"?" Subaru cocked his head to the side, not understanding his steed's behavior. "The hell was that about?"

"Subaru-sama!" One of the villagers exclaimed cheerfully. "The road parts just up ahead here! Are you riding to the village with us?!"

"Huh?" Subaru turned to look behind again, his eyes meeting with the visage of celebrating villagers. "Oh… No, sorry. I actually have to report back to the mansion immediately."

"Ah…" Some of the villagers were clearly disappointed by his answer, sighing loudly over the fact that their savior had no time for them. "A pity…"

"In truth, we would have liked to host a proper feast in your honor, Subaru-sama." The elder, Milde, commented.

"Maybe once this all blows over, I can help you all rebuild proper and we can have a feast at the end of it all!" Subaru answered back, returning the smiles to their faces.

"We'll be waiting with a slew of delicacies from the village, we promise Subaru-sama!" One of the men exclaimed, making everyone murmur with excitement.

"I'll… be looking forward to that!" The boy shouted back as he rode ahead, turning right toward Roswaal's mansion.

"See you then! Subaru-sama!"

"Yeah!"

After riding for no longer than five extra minutes, Subaru could already see the mansion's gates, the rising sun now fully covering building and the courtyard, bathing them in light.

"I'm back… No panic or hurry this time around…" Subaru suspired as he got down from his dragon. "No… There's still Elsa to deal with…"

"Kuuu?" Patrasche emitted an almost purr-like sound in confusion as Subaru looked around the Mansion's grounds, staring into the forest and cliffs surrounding the place.

She's observing the mansion, but I know not from where…

He concluded with alarm in his head.

My arrival is the signal for her to attack… But if the previous loops are any indication, it takes her at most half an hour before raiding the place… That's a bit under how long it took for me to attempt to repair the satellite and hearing Petra's screams…

"THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME!"

…

Subaru turned to gaze at the shack with dread as his fists trembled.

Attempt… The E.M.T. 01 is already compromised… My only option is for Julius and the rest to arrive now and neutralize her before she kills anyone… But how can I buy enough time without engaging her directly?

"Subaru-sama?!" Surprising the boy, Frederica's voice called out to him from afar. The maid looked on in surprise at the Avenger from the mansion's entrance, a broom in hand for cleaning purposes. "You are back already?!"

"…Stay put, Patrasche." Subaru turned to face her completely, approaching the entrance with a firm step as he left Patrasche hidden by the side of the shack. "Frederica, I've… Can we go inside? There's something I must talk to you about."

"Eh?" The maid's face turned wary as the boy came closer. She could sense he was no threat, but the sense of urgency in his voice worried her. "Is something wrong? Is it only you? Where's Emilia-sama?"

"I'll explain properly inside." Subaru walked past her into the mansion, prompting her to follow. "Sorry for the intrusion… But we are pressed for time, so please indulge me."

"R-Right…" The head-maid nodded, meekly closing the door behind her as Subaru turned directly into the hallway, barely waiting for her as he walked down. "Um…"

"Frederica…" He paused for a second, pondering his words before continuing. "We are being observed right now. By the assassin that targeted Emilia a few months back."

"…Excuse me?" The maid's expression turned alarmed as Subaru kept speaking.

"She comes with two distinct orders: Kill everyone within the Mansion, and if she's alive, dispose of Meili as well."

"What?! But that's-!"

"We have at most a little over thirty minutes before she attacks… And regretfully, I cannot fight her. Not right now…" Subaru clenched his fists tightly in frustration as he continued walking and explaining. "I cannot share the reason… But it is similar to how you cannot reveal the orders Roswaal gave you."

"!" The blonde woman's eyes widened as he mentioned Roswaal's directives to him. "How do you…?"

"That's not important right now… What's important is that you fetch Petra while I go get Meili." Subaru stopped right in front of the door leading to the basement's staircase. "We'll meet at the kitchen in five minutes. Now go!"

"Y-Yes!" She couldn't argue with his authoritative tone as he ordered her around. His mannerisms and demeanor were those of someone with complete confidence in what they were saying, and given his record, she was obviously inclined to heed his warnings. Rather than risk her junior's life in following Roswaal's orders of staying put, Frederica opted to trust Subaru's judgement in an emergency.

After said time had passed, Subaru and Frederica having collected their respective children, hurried to the meeting point.

"What's with the entire ruckus, Oniiiii-san?" Meili asked with disinterest as she sat by the kitchen's counter.

"Subaru-sama?" Petra tilted her head in surprise as she entered the kitchen with Frederica in tow. "You are back already? I thought…"

"Good, you are all here." Subaru said as he nodded towards the nervous Frederica. "Right now, we are under attack by an assassin. The same one that attacked Emilia previously: Elsa, the Bowel Hunter."

"What?!" Meili and Petra shouted in shock, although only the latter displayed horror at the words of the boy.

"Her orders… include your death, Meili." Subaru turned to look at the braided girl, who was finally mortified by his words.

"Subaru-sama, please." With a stern voice, Frederica advised Subaru. "Rather than just scaring them… Please, explain the course of action outright."

"I'm sorry…" Subaru lamented as before patting the head of the scared silent Petra. "And to you too, Petra, Meili."

"…!" The auburn maid's eyes lit up with relief as the hero ruffled her hair. "I-It's fine! Now that Subaru-sama is here, it'll be fine!"

"…" Subaru had to stop himself from biting his lower lip in shame over the little girl's claims. He felt undeserving once more of the praise. "This is what we are going to do: Meili, Petra, you are to remain with Beatrice in the Forbidden Library, it should be safe in there. Frederica… You and I will be laying some traps."

"…Is this implying the further destruction of the Mansion grounds?" The blonde maid suggested with apprehension.

"I'm afraid so… Sorry."

"…It is no bother." She shook her head reluctantly. "I suppose it is inevitable for such things to occur in an emergency like this…"

"Um… How exactly are we to find Beatrice-sama though?" Petra inquired with curiosity. "Not to ruin the plan, but… I've yet to see her since coming into the Mansion's service."

"Leave that to me… I have a knack for spotting her in one go!" Subaru simply reassured, going for the kitchen's door and opening it in one movement… revealing behind it the Forbidden Library.

"…It is almost scary how you can spot Betty's domain so easily, I suppose." Beatrice commented to the clearly amazed pair of Frederica and Petra.

"Did you somehow summon her, Subaru-sama?!" Frederica asked in bafflement.

"If she were that convenient, this wouldn't be an emergency." Subaru joked in return.

"Don't talk about Betty as though a utility she were, in fact!" The irate Great Spirit shouted.

"If you were present this near to us… I needn't explain the situation, right? You've pretty much eavesdropped all of it…" Subaru assumed as he gazed back at the little girl in the library.

"…Hmph! Bold of you to assume Betty should provide help just because you ask for it." The Great Spirit denied with indifference whilst looking away from the group.

"Beatrice-sama…" Petra's eyes turned watery at Beatrice's denial. "Won't you… help us?"

"…" The little blonde remained silent, seemingly conflicted about the circumstances.

"Beatrice… Elsa's orders include you as well." Subaru remained undeterred in his plea, however. "It's a hit on the entire Mansion, with the intention of leaving no survivors. Surely you realize that, if you are a target too, it'd be in your best interest to cooperate with us, huh?"

"You are either incredibly naïve or magnanimously stupid to think Betty could be defeated by a mere assassin, I suppose." The Spirit mocked once more, leaving Subaru's companions aghast with her contempt.

"I know how strong you are… Actually, I don't, but I'm fairly certain your spells pack a mean punch. Seriously though, do you really think an assassin's sole tactics are strength?" He questioned, remembering how Elsa had been cunning enough to disable his web-shooters mid-battle in a previous loop. "If she knows a Great Spirit inhabits the Mansion…"

"…She could possess a countermeasure for your powers." Meili finished Subaru's sentence.

"Meili?" Petra inquired with vexing of the girl beside her.

"…" Meili bit her lip, weighing the options that could guarantee her survival. After all, apart from accomplishing the mission, to survive above anything else was what she had been taught about the most. "If Elsa is willing to take the risk of raiding this Mansion alone, then she most likely knows aaaaaall about her targets… Including any possible dangers and threats they could pose in retaliation. That's how she works."

"She may be a battle junkie, but she's smarter than you give her credit." Subaru backed Meili's words.

"Are you implying this Elsa woman is capable enough to face a Great Spirit, child?" Beatrice's voice grew threatening at the implication. "Don't overestimate yourselves, humans…"

"It's not Elsa herself that could be strong! I mean, she is, but that is not-!" Meili was wary of Beatrice's tone, sensing she might have compromised her own safety. "What I mean to say is-!"

"Perhaps Elsa possesses a way to avoid magic." Subaru deducted, defusing the situation. "Is that what you wanted to say, Meili?"

"It's… Something like that, yeah…" The little girl nodded slowly.

"Hmph! Even if she can neutralize a spell or two, she wouldn't warrant enough of a danger for Betty to be cautious of her, in fact." The Spirit affirmed confidently.

"Maybe not you, but neither Petra nor Meili have that privilege." Subaru argued back.

"…" Beatrice glared pettily at Subaru, understanding that she had no real basis to counter his argument.

"Please… If you can keep yourself safe, protect them as well Beako."

"And here you go and call me that outrageous nickname again…" Beatrice spat with frustration. "Fine…. Come inside. On the meantime, you two deal with the danger."

"Ah!" Petra almost teared up at the Spirit's words, rushing her into a hug. "Thank you, Beatrice-sama!"

"Uwaaaaaaaaaa!" Beatrice squirmed in surprise as the little maid embraced her. "Just… Let go, I suppose!"

"'I suppose'? Not 'in fact'?" Meili teased, receiving a sharp glare from the angered Spirit in retaliation. "I'll… remain silent…"

"Thank you, Beatrice-sama." Frederica bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you, Beako!" Following Frederica's example, Subaru bowed as well, smiling sincerely as the little Spirit recomposed herself.

"…" Beatrice did not comment on the nickname again, instead remaining stoic before speaking aloud once more. "You."

"Huh?" Subaru raised his head as the Spirit pointed to him.

"…You saw something in Sanctuary, didn't you?" She affirmed with confidence. "You seem different since returning, I suppose."

"…" Subaru gulped nervously as Beatrice interrogated him, with Frederica glancing at his back with suspicion as the little girl kept speaking.

"…We'll talk later, understood? You owe as much to Betty." She huffed before reaching for the Library's door with the intention of closing it.

"Ah, wait!" Meili yelped as Beatrice closed the door. "Um… Onii-san…"

"Hm? What is it, Meili?"

"…" The braided girl fidgeted nervously before speaking. "You… Are you… going to kill Elsa?"

"…Depends on what she attempts…" Subaru looked away with shame, reminded of how he lost his sanity in a previous loop when he witnessed the assassin murder the child before him.

"…If you can…" Meili attempted to argue before Frederica intervened.

"It might be cruel but please understand, Meili." The head-maid firmly stated, noticing Subaru's nervousness. "Subaru-sama is already pulling quite the sizeable effort in granting your safety, given your background. You are in no position for pleading for this so called Elsa's life. She is an assassin threatening Lord Mathers' domain, and she must be dealt with deservingly."

"Frederica…" Subaru looked at the blonde woman with a gaze akin to admiration. For her to be capable of saying the words he couldn't bear to say so firmly left him speechless.

"I… Sorry." Meili retreated into the Library, understanding Frederica's stern yet fair position. Her eyes, however, reflected regret and sadness.

"Um-Um! Subaru-sama! Frederica-neesama!" Petra exclaimed with worry. "Please, take care-!"

"Enough good-byes, in fact. Get to problem solving you two."

"Beatrice-sama!" Petra cried in complaint as Beatrice interrupted her heartfelt words, closing the gate to the Forbidden Library at last.

*CLACK!*

"…Well, that was anti-climactic." The Avenger sighed.

"Subaru-sama." Frederica tapped on the boy's shoulder. "May we talk now?"

"Yeah… We are pressed for time anyways."

"You said before that you could not fight at the moment." The maid pointed out with worry. "What is that about?"

"As you said… I'm under certain conditions since exiting Sanctuary." Subaru clenched his teeth in frustration before continuing his claim. "I'm… I cannot engage in a fight. Not directly anyways… Lest something bad, something REAL bad happens…"

"…Does it somehow relate to how you knew about the orders Roswaal-sama had given me?" Frederica frowned.

"Roswaal has revealed his hand to me… At least, the stuff relevant to this attack."

"Revealed…?" The maid narrowed her gaze towards the boy with suspicion. "Are you… suggesting Roswaal-sama is somehow involved in all of this?"

"He isn't just involved; he's the force behind it all."

At least when it comes to the Rabbits and Elsa… The boy thought with contempt.

"What?!" The outraged head-maid yelled. "How can you say such a-?!"

"Think about it." Subaru stopped Frederica's rant immediately. "Why would he order you around so cryptically? Isn't it similar to how he ordered Rem to stay behind in the Capital, to establish an alliance she could not have possibly done so on her own? Unless, of course, I was in the picture…"

"…"

"Or perhaps you are telling me you knew about his family's adoration of the Witch of Greed, yet you did not know of HER adoration for knowledge? Particularly… Otherworldly knowledge?"

"…!" Frederica paused to think about his words, finding their logic worrisome. "Is it because…"

"He wishes to get to me, somehow… And he won't stop regardless of who he needs to discard in the process."

"I cannot so readily believe such words, Subaru-sama." Frederica attempted to rebuke defiantly. "I… Maybe there is logic to what you say... And I know keeping Emilia-sama and her servants safe is something you would do, given your recent history… But we are talking about the Margrave here, the man that educated and employed me."

"And I'm talking about your life and everyone else's." The boy remained undeterred. "I know you believe in Roswaal, but I doubt it is to the extent Ram has shown me… Do you really think such a dubious man would be above putting others in danger for his goals?"

"Subaru-sama… Please cease your-" The maid warned yet again, still unsure about his word.

"I can't and I wont'." He once more interjected. "Roswaal is behind this attack. And soon, even Sanctuary might fall thanks to his schemes."

"Huh?" The blonde woman took a step back in shock of his words.

"It's not just Elsa. I came here to warn you, yes, but I have to return to Sanctuary afterwards. There's too much happening at once..."

"Are you insinuating Garfiel could be in danger?" The woman growled.

"He is. And if you don't help me here…"

"Such wording makes it sound more like a threat."

"It's not a threat. It's a reality, and one brought about because your boss wants me under his thumb, regardless of who he has to sacrifice for it!" The Avenger stated with a self-assured, powerful voice, with an attitude that made it difficult for the maid to distrust the veracity of his word. "That's the truth… I'm sorry if it's bitter, but that's how things are."

"…Is knowledge from beyond the Waterfall… That valuable?" Frederica looked away, disturbed by the fact that she could doubt her master so easily and trust some teenager's word so blindly.

"If you knew the things I knew… The world you know would feel like an enclosed cell in comparison. I don't say that derogatorily. What I've seen and lived through, even before coming to your world, is-is just THAT insane."

"This isn't right…"

"There's a lot going on that won't make sense at first glance… But please know that I'm trying to save you and everyone, Frederica." Subaru stood firm on his words, making the maid look back at him. "Trust that at least; I want to protect you all, that's my one, unshakeable motive."

"…I…" She brought a hand to her head, inspecting the possibility of his word being a trap, yet not finding it within herself to think as such.

"I cannot fight Elsa… But I can lay traps for her, traps you can lure her to." Subaru explained as Frederica recompose herself. "You don't need to defeat her, just stall her. For enough time… Until Anastasia and her entourage arrive to help."

"Anastasia… The candidate you said would visit?" Frederica raised an eyebrow.

"She'll arrive with her knight and a handful of mercenaries… Enough forces to neutralize Elsa. While you stall her, I'll take Patrasche and fetch them outside of the domain as quickly as possible."

"…" Frederica worried about his words again, thinking in the very back of her mind that he might use the commotion to abandon her and run for his life. But this thought was hastily dismissed the moment she remembered Emilia and Petra's praise for the boy, as well as the truth that he had gone out of his way to warn her in the first place. In the end, the only sound decision that ensured her and the little girls' survival was to trust in Subaru.

"Frederica?" Alarmed by her silence, Subaru inquired the spaced out maid.

"My apologies…" She bowed in shame before gazing back at him with determination. "Subaru-sama, I won't doubt you again. Please, lead the way."

"…Thank you Frederica." Subaru smirked in relief as he prepared to explain his strategy against Elsa. "Now then…"

The morning sun kept rising in the sky, although a variety of clouds had begun gathering over the Mathers Domains, covering any direct sunlight from reaching the now silent building.

"…" With a brink to her step, seemingly excited over the prospect of new blood and guts bathing her hands, Elsa approached the Mansion from the front slowly. "Ufufu~! I wonder how strong the head-maid is. How exhilarating~!"

*BLAM!*

With a swift yet elegant kick, the voluptuous assassin burst the front gate to the estate open. After observing Subaru and Frederica hurriedly enter the Mansion from afar moments prior, Elsa expected a full offense the second she irrupted into the building. However…

"…Odd." Her smile faltered a little as she encountered an empty entrance hall and set of corridors. "Did he run away? No… He didn't strike me as one who would do as such… That 'Spider-Man'… Is he hiding, perhaps?"

"My sincere apologies, but that man is not here at the moment."

"Hm?" With a jolt of surprise, the Bowel Hunter turned to look over her shoulder. Standing a few meters away from here, Frederica stood tall with a determined glare, basking in the limited sunlight pouring through the window. "He's not here? How… Sad. He sure knows how to tease a girl, that arachnid. But you are… Ara~! One of the servant staff, aren't you?"

"…And you must be 'The Bowel Hunter' Elsa Granhiert, I presume."

*RIIIIIIIIIP!*

"Frederica Baumann, head-maid of this mansion you dare to invade." Frederica's legs transformed partially into an animalistic form, looking more like those of a cougar than of a human.

"A half-beast, eh?" Elsa could not contain her smirk as she produced a kukri knife from her cloak.

*SHWING!*

"It's been a while since the last time I gutted one of you." The assassin playfully dangled the knife from side to side as she licked her lips. "Hmmn~… But all half-beasts I've killed had transformed already by the time I did so… Is there a difference to their guts when in human form, I wonder? Are they longer… or shorter? Ufufu!"

"…" Frederica braced herself, bending her knees slightly as if preparing to rush forward. She took a quick glance through the window beside her, noticing both Subaru and Patrasche silently sneaking through the front gates.

Good, she didn't notice him… Please hurry, Subaru-sama. She thought as the boy and his steed ran towards the village.

"Looking away from me? How rude…" The Bowel hunter mocked, alerting the maid. "I have an idea… What if I test my theory on your guts right here and now? SHALL WE?!" Elsa leapt forward at wind breaking speeds, threatening to break the sound barrier even.

"?!" Frederica noticed her movement in alarm, performing a backwards dodge instead of rushing in as well.

*ZOOOOOM!*

*DASH!*

*FWOOOSH!*

"That was close…" Frederica sighed in relief as she landed, a small part of her dress dropping to the ground after Elsa cut through it. Regardless of the damage to her clothes, the maid was unharmed.

"Tired already? But that was just the first movement… You must be quite the bad Shatranj player."

"I'm not one for such competitive hobbies…" Frederica answered, bracing herself again.

"Please… Don't make this a boring encounter, yes?" As she smirked, Elsa swung her blade again whilst charging at the servant.

"Tsk!" Frederica took to the defensive, leaping from wall to wall as Elsa pursued, slashing at the air behind the desperate maid.

*SWOOOSH!*

*FWOOM!*

*ZOOOM!*

*SLASH!*

*DASH!*

"Hah… Hah…" Frederica huffed in exhaustion. After running away through the corridors of the mansion, the hem of her dress had turned into a mess of tattered fabric, exposing her long beastly lower limbs. The only indication she was once a decorate maid was her still intact upper cloth.

"So you can threaten retaliation, yet dodge instead of attacking? Hmm… Isn't that a bit disappointing." The assassin mocked sadness between giggles. "You said I 'dared' invade your home, right? Where is the indignation? Why won't you attack?"

"…" However, the blonde remained silent. The fact that Elsa was questioning her actions so vehemently had her nervous… Perhaps the assassin really was as sharp as Subaru had described her.

"Oh well. If you won't retaliate then… let's end this boring game already!" Elsa accelerated again, with her agility this time around surpassing Frederica's innate reaction speed. "Show me your guts!"

*ZOOOOM!*

*TING!*

*BOOOOM!*

"?!" However, Elsa's attack would never connect… as her legs were suddenly blown off, alongside a part of the hallway. Unbeknownst to the Bowel Hunter, in the past twenty minutes before her arrival, Subaru and Frederica had rigged a small portion of the building's corridors with fire pyroxene traps. The trigger being a system of strings produced by Subaru's web-shooters. "What?!"

"HAH!" Frederica transformed her left hand into a claw, rushing towards the assassin in her stupor.

*SLASH!*

*FWOOOOOM!*

"TSK!" As Elsa regenerated her legs, Frederica was quick to slash her across the face with enough force to fling the Bowel Hunter to the other end of the corridor.

"There… is my attack."

"So… The kitten has a few tricks up her sleeve, eh?"

"You'd do well in not underestimating a maid under Roswaal-sama's employment." The head-maid stated as she returned to a crouched position, ready to dodge Elsa's next move.

"Hmph…" Elsa smiled as she groggily stood up, her torn face and legs regaining their former appearance. "Getting cocky just because I fell for one trap… But I don't dislike it~!"

"Come!" Frederica taunted as Elsa rushed again.

*ZOOM!*

*DASH!*

As the two women clashed within the halls of Mansion Mathers, Subaru hastily rode across the Margrave's domain.

"Ah! Subaru-sama! Have you come to-!"

*ZOOOOOM!*

"Ah…" One of the villagers sighed in confusion as Patrasche and Subaru blitzed past the destroyed Arlam. "Where do you think he's going at such a speed?"

"Dunno… Maybe he had to go to the bathroom?"

"Outside the domain? Wasn't he just at the mansion?"

"Maybe he had to return to the Capital? I don't know!"

"You two! Stop milling about and get back to work! These houses ain't rebuilding themselves!"

In his single tracked mind, focused entirely on saving Frederica, Subaru had not even noticed the fact that he had already ran past Arlam.

I have to hurry! He thought desperately. Come on… I know you arrived in the afternoon, but please… Tell me you rested somewhere along the road or something! Julius! Ricardo!

Although it couldn't have been longer than thirty minutes, Subaru felt the excruciating pass of time as though hours it were. How long could Frederica last? Would she be safe? Would the traps be sufficient? He could not know, nor did he have the time or calm mindset to have made a better strategy… It was an honest miracle he had the idea to make traps in the first place. All he could do right now was trust in Frederica as she had chosen to trust in him.

"Hmm?!" And Frederica's trust would indeed pay off, for in the distance, exiting the forests surrounding the Mathers Domains… A certain carriage was found stationary by the side of the road, its occupants seemingly taking a break, cooking some sort of stew around a small campfire. The irritating figure of a man with purple hair standing guard near the carriage breathing hope into the young Avenger's breast. "That carriage… This early?! Yes! That's it!"

Hang in there! Frederica!

*KASHINK!*

The sound of claws clashing with metal resounded across the defaced halls of the mansion. The once pristine corridors and rooms of the manor had turned into a mess of rubble and dust, collapsing stone floors and walls breaking through the multiple stories of the building, making the outwards appearance reminiscing of a war-torn battlefield.

"Fufu!" Elsa chuckled whilst throwing a diverse array of needles and daggers in Frederica's direction.

"Not a chance!"

*FWISH!*

*KLIN-KLINK!*

Nevertheless, the maid proved dexterous enough to swat them away with her claws in midair, even when they were mere inches away from her face.

"Ah… How fun this is…" Elsa expressed with cheer.

In the past hour or so she and Frederica had been clashing, the head-maid had successfully led the assassin from trap to trap around the western wing of the mansion. While Frederica was visibly tired from the altercation, she was virtually unharmed. On the other hand, Elsa had experienced quite the vast amount of wounds. Even if she could regenerate most if not all of the injuries, her burnt legs and arms were proof that her technique was not as invincible as previously thought.

"Hah… Hah…" Frederica panted in exhaustion as a trickle of sweat rolled down her face. Elsa's speed, even when constantly set on fire and blown away or impaled by debris, was not a matter for jest. It had taken every ounce of stamina in the head-amid to keep trapping and dodging her assault simultaneously.

"Still, being dangled from place to place… Running like a headless chicken as you trigger explosion after explosion… I've grown tired of your playstyle." The Bowel Hunter stated dejectedly as she produced yet another blade from her back. "I was prepared for magic and the sort, not an overzealous explosives specialist. I'm down to my last weapons you see, as you've kept blowing them up or breaking them. It's quite annoying, I must admit."

Unfortunately… I've only one other trap left. Frederica thought with annoyance as Elsa talked. I managed to use them sparingly, as well as avoid any grievous injury, but… I don't know how much longer I can hold… I cannot beat her head on!

"If you are so annoyed, might I recommend you leave this place and never return? I know I could do without having to ever see your cruel and sadistic antics again." Frederica insulted Elsa with irritation.

"Now, now. Where did the cordial, well-mannered maid I had been fighting go to?" The assassin laughed at the maid's words.

"Let's face it: you don't deserve neither my respect nor my manners, murderer." Frederica crouched, ready to dodge Elsa's next strike.

"You break my heart… And here I thought I was making a friend. I don't befriend many girls my age in this line of work, you see!" Elsa faked a cry before rushing forward.

"Tsk!" Frederica clicked her tongue before leaping from wall to wall, maneuvering distinct evasion tactics to survive the relentless offensive of the Bowel Hunter.

*ZOOM!*

*DASH!*

"Can you not show me your guts already? I've grown impatient of this cat and mouse game!" Elsa mocked as she attempted to reach for Frederica's ankle mid-sprint.

"So you are admitting to be a filthy rodent then?!" Frederica argued back before extending her right hand at the woman, revealing a distinct bracelet…

*THWIP!*

"?!" Elsa was stopped yet again in the middle of her pursuit as Frederica webbed her arms to the floor. "This is…"

"HYAA!" Frederica huffed as she kicked Elsa over the head, with enough force to break apart her skull and reveal the brain.

*CRACK!*

*SPLURT!*

"Hnngh… He went as far as lending you his equipment?" Elsa moaned as the pain coursed through her, her face covering in blood and grey matter. "So rough… I'm just liking you more and more~!"

"You freak…" The maid commented with disgust at the disfigured woman to her feet.

Frederica knew that even if she could incapacitate Elsa, it'd be for a brief moment at most. The web-shooter Subaru had lent her was a one-hit trick in case of an emergency, and she knew unveiling it would make Elsa even more cautious than she already was. However, if there was only one trap left, the head-maid considered that using the web-shooter just might buy more time.

"Now you know I'm full of tricks, assassin. I am no simple target." Frederica bluffed in hopes of deterring Elsa's impetus. "Subaru-sama has rigged the entire mansion in traps, as you have experimented on your own flesh. Add to that, you don't know what any other tools I have at my disposal. Give up."

"Sorry… But I'm the kind of girl that's quite forward with those she likes!"

*CRA-CRACK!*

"What?!" As Frederica was about to jump away from Elsa, the Bowel Hunter dug her ensnared fingers deep into the floor, creating cracks in the stone and marble of the foundation.

"Just because you've stringed me… Does not mean I haven't trapped you!" Elsa lifted the entirety of the tiles under Frederica, breaking the webs apart and demonstrating an impressive feat of strength whilst destabilizing the maid's footing.

*CRAAAAAAAA~CCCCK!*

*FWISHH!*

"Agh!" A dust cloud inundated the hallway, blinding Frederica as she regained her equilibrium.

Did she break the floor with her fingers alone?! How strong is this assassin really?! Frederica panicked internally.

Moreover, suddenly, rippling through the dust cloud…

*SWISH!*

"!" The maid noticed the fluctuation of the cloud a second too late. "Crap-!"

*SLASH!*

*RIPPP!*

"Argh!" Frederica groaned in pain as Elsa succeeded in slashing diagonally across her left arm. Thanks to her resilience and beast blood, the injury itself was not too serious, but said arm was definitely sluggish. Now close-quarters was out of the question for the maid. "Kuh!"

"Hmm… That was supposed to cleave you in half." Elsa commented with disinterest. "Still… I wager you realize you can't run forever now, can you?"

"You are right… I cannot flee for my life with barely any retaliation and expect to survive. That's how it should have been from the beginning…" Frederica admitted with as she tore her destroyed dress even further, using the cloth as a makeshift gauze for her left arm.

*Slu~rp…*

"So? Are you finally willing to fight me? No more running around, setting traps?" Elsa licked the edge of her knife as a sickening yet seductive smile appeared on her face. "I won't go easy on you just because of an injury, I warn. If anything, the scent of your blood just makes you that much more of an enticing prey…"

"Worry not, assassin." The head-maid said with strange, regained confidence.

"Hmm?" Elsa tilted her head in confusion.

"I am not running away anymore. I don't need to." Frederica raised her right wrist again, shooting a web forward.

*THWIP!*

"Hmph." Elsa simply moved away, dodging the carelessly shot string with ease. "What was that? I only injured you once… Is your exhaustion from fleeing affecting your judgement?" She expressed with disapproval of the maid's seemingly erratic and predictable decision.

"I do not think I've made a mistake critical enough for you to judge…" Frederica pulled her arm, making the web slingshot towards herself. "I wasn't aiming for you, after all."

"?!" Elsa turned around to see what Frederica was pulling, only to be met with a lit pyroxene to the face.

*FZZZZZZZ~!*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

"Argh!" Elsa grunted, as her face was set ablaze.

"Ghkgh!" Frederica, although successful in activating the last trap set up by Subaru, saw herself ensnared in the expansive wave and heat of the explosion as well.

*CRASH!*

"UMNF!" The blonde groaned in discomfort as the explosion propelled her through a wall, launching her into the front yard and rolling through the grass.

*CRAAAAASH…!*

The mansion's eastern wing, along with the kitchen and the mess hall, collapsed, crushing Elsa underneath.

"Hngh…" Frederica groggily stood up, her body full of bruises and burns after the confrontation. She turned around with a tired expression on her face, sighing as she witnessed the state of the home she was tasked with looking after. "Ugh… Maybe… The traps were a bit much? But at least it's not on fire… And half of the mansion is still intact… My apologies… Roswaal-sama-"

*CRASH!*

"!" As she relaxed, however, the sound of concrete and debris breaking apart alerted the maid once again. "Huh?!"

*CRASH!*

"Ah~…" Elsa broke through a collapsed wall, resurfacing naked in front of the baffled Frederica. "Now that's more like it… I can't have enough of you!" She moaned as her broken arms and legs regenerated into form again, the fractured bone resounding loudly.

*CRE-CREAK!*

"Just how resilient can you be?!" Frederica shouted tiredly as the Bowel Hunter recovered.

This is the worst! I'm out of options now!

The maid thought while transforming completely into beast form.

"So finally… Finally you turn completely!" Granhiert celebrated while clenching her sword tightly. "Grant me a good dance… Before gifting me your guts!"

"If you wish for a dance partner…" A man's voice answered instead from behind Frederica. "Might I interest you instead?"

"Who-?!" Frederica turned around as the man unsheathed his blade.

"Hmm?" Elsa noticed the man with surprise. "And who might you be? Wait… Those clothes…"

*SHWING!*

"Julius Juukulius. Knight of the Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica." The finest knight answered with contempt. "The Bowel Hunter, I presume?"

"A knight! Have you come to protect the maids?" The Bowel Hunter grabbed her burnt cloak from the rubble under her feet and descended into the front yard.

"He ain't alone, ya know?!" Behind Julius, another man appeared with his blade drawn. "Whew! Damn girl… weren't for yer deranged smile an' conduct, ya'd be right up my alley!"

"Ricardo, please." Julius asked of his demi-human companion. "A modicum of class, I beg. We are dealing with a monster here, regardless of her appearance."

"Yeah… I've heard the rumors…" Ricardo cockily grinned while pointing his great sword at the woman. "Ya a real piece of work, ain't cha?"

"Plus… your banter might incommode the injured madam." Julius kept advising as Ricardo talked.

"Ma'am? Wait…" He glanced at the transformed Frederica, who was looking right back at the pair with worry. "Oh… Erm, hey there! Sorry it took us so long ta help you here lady!"

"…No worries. If you are here, I presume Subaru-sama has informed you of the situation."

"More or less… All he said was that there was a maiden in need of help. Didn't expect ya to be so… fiery, eh?" Ricardo hollered as the beastly Frederica looked away in embarrassment, realizing her state. Having transformed, her clothes had ripped away, so she was technically naked now.

"Ricardo, focus." Julius reproached in annoyance once again, making the trio look back at the assassin with stern faces.

"Three fighters against lonesome old me? How cruel…" Elsa giggled whilst covering herself in the tattered cloak. "Should I run away? But I just really want to gut someone today~!"

"No running away for you, murderer." Juukulius spat immediately. "The many knights and innocents you've slayed without remorse… Od knows I should put you down where you stand."

"'Knows you should'? Whatever do you mean?" The Bowel Hunter tilted her head with interest of his wording.

"You should be punished for your crimes adequately. We are taking you down here, and bringing you to the Capital for the judgement you deserve." Julius admitted.

"Sir Knight, I have to argue against that decision!" Frederica spoke up at the affirmation. "She can regenerate her wounds! Moreover, that cloak of hers can nullify spells! Not to mention her strength…"

"I am well aware of her capabilities." Julius responded in a calm tone. "If I'm saying she is to be captured, then I do so with assurance that we can restrain her."

"Be it by force or magic… Show me!" Elsa growled as she accelerated all of a sudden, turning blurry in the vision of the trio before her.

*ZOOM!*

*SWISH!*

*KLANK!*

"Enough talk! More action!" Ricardo intercepted Elsa's almost supersonic slash with his own, the clash of their steels creating a mess of heat, friction and sparks. "Woah! You really do pack a mean swing!"

"That is not the only mean thing about me darling." Elsa licked her lips before revealing a second blade from under her cloak, aimed directly at Ricardo's guts.

*KLANK!*

"Not a chance!" Julius stopped her blade with his own, saving Ricardo and making Elsa step back from the pair.

"Ara~, two men of your caliber, surrounding one beauty?"

"How vulgar can you be?!" Julius frowned at the connotation of Elsa's words before moving in to stab her.

"Don't forget me!" Ricardo aligned himself to thrust as well, forcing Elsa to choose between either blocking or dodging.

*DASH!*

*WHIIISH!*

The two rushed at the same time, the assassin choosing to leap over their heads instead of confronting them head on. Nevertheless, this action worked in benefit of the three; as it left her wide open to Frederica's attacks.

*GROWL!*

*SLASH!*

"Arck!" Elsa groaned in surprise as the feline maid slashed her claws across her back the moment she landed.

"This a 3v1, lady! Keep yer eyes open!" Ricardo yelled as he charged at the assassin again, forcing her to the defensive.

*SLASH!*

*WHOOOSH!*

"Tsk!" The Bowel Hunter complained as she barely managed to dodge the Wolf-man's strike, but the assault was not yet done.

"GOA!" Julius shouted while pointing his blade at Elsa's position, lighting the grass in which her feet landed on fire.

*FWISH!*

"Kuh… How ruthless." Elsa denoted as the flesh of her soles burnt away.

"So your cloak might protect against magic, but not against the byproducts of magic." Julius confirmed with satisfaction. "The heat of the Goa was what hurt you, not the spell itself. Still, the cloak remains a problem-"

*WHIIISH!*

"!" Julius analysis saw itself interrupted the moment Elsa threw a pair of needles in his and Ricardo's directions, forcing them to block.

*KLINK!*

*KLINK!*

"How nasty!" The mercenary commented in annoyance of the underhanded attack.

"Look who has lost focus now~!" But as Julius deflected his needles, he failed to notice the assassin accelerating in his direction. Elsa and her knives were mere centimeters from his torso now.

"When did she-?!" The surprised knight yelled aghast as he was about to be eviscerated.

"Julius!" Ricardo shouted in alarm.

*THWIP!*

"This again?!" Elsa scoffed as her arms were suddenly stopped mid-swing by Subaru's webs, or rather, Frederica's. The half-beast had activated the web-shooter with her tail.

*SLASH!*

"Kuh!" Elsa groaned as Julius slashed downwards, creating a sizeable wound across her chest.

"Huuu…" The finest knight exhaled in relief as he had avoided a deadly situation by a hair's margin.

"This is getting irritating. All this traps and webs!" Elsa glared for the first time in Frederica's direction, preparing to run towards her. "Enough games… DIE!"

"Tsk!" Frederica rushed as well, intending to slash at her while knowing that both Ricardo and Julius would protect her.

*DASH!*

*ZOOM!*

"?!" However, the bizarre movements of the assassin dumbfounded the trio. As she had moved forward in an attempt to kill Frederica, Elsa suddenly threw both of her blades in Ricardo's direction while throwing her cloak over Julius.

*ZOOM!*

"What the-?!" And as if her odd decision had not been enough, Elsa changed directions mid-rush towards Julius, paralyzing the confused Frederica.

*KLINK!*

"Huuh!" Ricardo huffed in annoyance as he parried the swords away, but that moment served as enough distraction for the Bowel Hunter's plan to work.

Why would she charge him without a weapon?! Is she nuts?!The mercenary thought before realizing what was about to happen.

*SWISH!*

"Hmph!" Julius quickly pushed the cloak away, but that fraction of a second of getting rid of such a distraction worked in favor of Elsa.

"Sir Knight! Look out!" Frederica shouted, catching Julius' attention. Still, it was useless.

*MUNCH!*

"ARGH!" Elsa bit Julius left shoulder, her deep digging deeply on his flesh as though fangs they were, drawing a sickly amount of blood.

"GET OFF HIM YOU SAVAGE!" Ricardo ran from behind, swinging his blade in anger at the feral naked assassin.

*SWISH!*

*WHOOOSH!*

"Hah…" But Elsa leapt to the side the moment the sword came down, successfully dodging Ricardo's attack.

"Julius!" The wolf-man called for his companion, trying to assess his safety. "Are you alright man?! Talk to me!"

"I'm fine! I just… I underestimated her, is all…" The injured Julius stood up with difficulty. "Hngh! It might look bad… But I'm not so wounded as to give in against some assassin, I promise you that…"

"…Just pay more attention, bud." Ricardo commented with a serious voice. "I guess we both got too cocky, being that she was injured from before…"

"Yes… A lack of virtue on my part…" Julius affirmed with regret.

"So you were going easy on me?" Elsa commented as she recovered the cloak Julius had pushed away, producing one final pair of swords from it. "How gentlemanly of you, dear!"

"Julius…" Ricardo whispered, making the knight lend him an ear.

"Hm?" Julius turned to the wolf-man, leaning close to his snout and listening to his mutterings in consideration. "Huh… You really wish to try that-?"

"Here she comes!" Frederica shouted, catching the men's attention.

*ZOOM!*

Elsa ran forward, this time with Ricardo as her objective.

*SWISH!*

*KLANK!*

Their blades clashed once more, but this time, the Bowel Hunter's movements displayed an even deadlier ferocity than before as she ceased her banter.

*CLINK!*

*KLANK!*

*SWOOOSH!*

*SWISH!*

*SHWING!*

The battle had almost turned into a duel as Elsa and Ricardo exchanged slashes, the both of them entrapped in a dance of steel and sparks. One far too difficult for either Julius or Frederica to interrupt in an attempt to help their ally.

"How frustrating…" The maid commented as she could not observe any opening in the assassin's movements.

"…" Julius, however, was waiting for a signal. "Frederica, was it?"

"Yes?"

"When I attack… I want you to reach for her cloak."

"The cloak?"

*KLANK!*

"HKGH!" Ricardo grunted in complaint as Elsa's strength pushed him backwards. "*Sigh*… Ta think a gal like you had this much force behind…"

*CLINK!*

"Why, thank you…" Elsa answered at the praise. "Won't you reward me with your bowels, then?"

*KLANK!*

"Ya had to go an' ruin the mood, eh?!" Ricardo retorted with laugh. "But it's time ta end this, sadly!"

*CLINK!*

"?!" Elsa was left speechless by Ricardo's movement's as he left himself wide open after their last exchange.

An opening… A chance! She thought while picturing the sight of the wolf-man's guts in her mind.

*SWISH!*

*KLINK!*

"SHIT!" But as she swung her blade at his abdomen, Julius' sword interrupted her again.

"I TOLD YA, DIDN'T I?!" Ricardo shouted with glee. "THIS IS NO DUEL! IT'S A 3V1 YA BATTLE JUNKIE!"

"Now! Ricardo!" Julius shouted, making the two of them swing their swords at the same time.

*SLAAAAASH!*

"Tsk!" Elsa clicked her tongue as both of her arms were sent flying by the pair. And as she attempted to back away… Frederica rushed in to bite the back of her neck and dislodge the cloak from her.

*DASH!*

*MUNCH!*

"Argh!" The Bowel Hunter yelled in reflex as her spine was exposed by Frederica's brutal attack. "Why, you-!"

But as she turned around to bite Frederica back…

*STAB!*

"!"

Julius stabbed the assassin through the chest.

"Lose yourself!" The finest knight shouted whilst invoking his companion Spirit. "NES! EL SHAMAK!"

*FWIIIING!*

The Yin Quasi Spirit manifested itself in a purplish-black shine, encompassing Elsa's entire body and depriving her of her senses.

"Wh… at…" The Bowel Hunter slowed down to a halt as she lost her senses. She couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet, nor see, nor hear, nor breathe anymore. This, in the real world, would have led to her flailing her swords and strength around dangerously… yet due to Ricardo and Julius' efforts; she could not do much beyond kicking around aimlessly. Elsa had been neutralized as a danger by Julius' Yin magic.

"Goa." In the outside world, as Elsa attempted to resist her imprisonment, Julius took to burning her legs and cauterizing the stumps of her arms in order to slow down the assassin's regenerative factor.

*FIZZLEEE!*

"How disgusting…" Frederica looked away as Elsa's extremities were engulfed in flames. "This is more like a torture session…"

"I am sorry, Frederica-dono. If it's too uncomfortable, please look away." Julius recommended Frederica in an apologetic tone.

"Hmngh…" Ricardo sat down on the grass as he too shared the maid's displeasure. "Are ya sure we should capture her? I'd rather end her life right now."

"…" Julius stood silent for a few seconds as Elsa kept squirming around as a limbless torso, preparing a rope to tie her with and prevent her escape. "You may be right in saying she has to die. And believe me, dying she will… But not before she spills her secrets."

"Her employer… eh?" The Wolf-man snarled.

"If Subaru's encounter with her back in the Capital two months ago is any indication…" Julius continued ominously whilst tying Elsa up. "Then there's someone out there targeting Emilia-sama's life."

"And if they are targeting one candidate…" Ricardo concluded with annoyance. "Then they COULD be targeting others in the future. Is that it?"

"As part of the Alliance, it is our duty to stop such threats before they can even bloom into fruition. And that means for EVERY Candidate." The finest knight explained.

"So that's why you wished to spare her, Sir Knight…" Frederica realized with dread the ramifications of what Roswaal had done in hiring Elsa. If Subaru really spoke the truth, exposing her employer's involvement could potentially doom him. Knowing this, an uncomfortable knot surged in her stomach. "…"

"But… couldn't Emilia-sama just be a target because… You know…" Ricardo carelessly implied that the reason behind the attempts against Emilia's life were in fact because of her race and not the selection.

"I considered that as well, in the beginning…" Julius admitted with shame. "But then I realized… Wasn't she targeted by Elsa BEFORE the Royal Selection had begun?"

"Huh?" Both Frederica and Ricardo raised their eyebrows at the obvious yet ignored fact.

"And said incident saw the discovering of Felt-sama as well, if Reinhard's word is any indication…"

"Hmm… So they are indeed after the Candidates' lives, is what yer sayin…" Ricardo grimaced at the notion. "Could it be the Witch Cult? Motherfuckers… So my Lady is also their target…"

"It's speculation still… But we'll find out once we return with her to the Capital." Julius finalized as she picked the sealed Elsa on his back. "Frederica, was it?"

"Ah…" Frederica turned to the two men, bowing her lioness head in gratitude while still processing the troublesome information with dread. "Julius-sama, Ricardo-sama… My utmost gratitude for your intervention in my hour of need… You have my deepest thanks."

"We just did as expected of us. No need to thank us, my fair maid." Julius bowed his head in return. "If anything, I apologize for our tardiness. Being that a part of the Margrave's home was destroyed… And you exhibit injuries yourself."

"Please, do not apologize." Frederica insisted, however, succeeding in masking her nervousness.

"…Very well."

"Eh, I'd like an ale, I have to admit!" Ricardo joked as he stood up. "Ya have any on ya, girly?!"

"…My most sincere apologies, but the kitchen was destroyed moments before your arrival."

"Damn… So much for my kick-back and relax!"

"I recommend you fetch the other girls Subaru mentioned, Frederica-dono." Julius directed to the maid. "In the meantime, Ricardo and I will fetch Subaru and Anastasia-sama."

"I… Understood." Frederica nodded before running back to the mansion.

As Frederica's group parted ways, Subaru and Anastasia's group awaited their return with impatience in the middle of the road between Arlam and the Mansion.

"Hmn…" Subaru paced around the still carriage with nervousness as Anastasia and the triplets looked on in boredom.

"Do you think Julius and the Boss will be fine?" Hetaro commented while glancing at the fidgeting teenager with disinterest.

"Of course they'll be! That Elsa woman is no match for the Captain!" Tivey argued with confidence.

"More like, are you sure she ain't dead already? The Boss is that strong." Mimi reasoned.

"…" But Anastasia did not answer, seemingly deep in thought as she witnessed Subaru's strange behavior.

"My Lady?" Tivey perked up as Anastasia stood up from her seat. "Is something wrong?"

"It might be nothing… But I have ta' talk with Natsuki-kun." The Mauve merchant explained to the feline. "Don't worry about Julius and Ricardo, by the way. Knowing them… They are fine, that I'm sure of."

"Well… If my Lady says so." Hetaro sighed dejectedly, sinking into his boredom once again.

*SMACK!*

"OWCH?!" He instantly, however, recoiled in pain as Mimi knocked him over the head with her fist. "Now what?! What did I do?!"

"Not much. Your boredom just bored me, so I got annoyed." The fickle cat-girl stated with disregard of her sibling's hurt.

"Heh." Tivey chuckled under his breath.

"Natsuki-kun?" Anastasia approached the pacing Subaru. "A word?"

"Oh… Ana. What's up?" Subaru turned to look at her while still fidgeting around.

"Shouldn't YOU tell me?" She demanded as he stiffened in surprise.

"Um…"

"I came here because the Metia ya gave me suddenly stopped working!"

"A-About that…"

"At first I thought it could be that ya ripped me off… Then, I remembered ya made them in a short notice as well, so perhaps it might be our fault for pressuring you ta prepare them last minute or so. See how kind I am?"

"I mean..."

"But I'll have ya know, I suspended a bank appointment ta come meet you. That's not very often that I cancel a plan for another!"

"Ana!" Subaru shouted, interrupting her chastising rambling.

"What?!" The disgruntled merchant retorted, not backing down from her seemingly righteous annoyance. "Do ya wish ta tell me off or somethin'?!"

"NO! I'm just…!" Subaru had to stop himself before starting an argument. "I'm sorry… It's just- There's a lot going on…"

"Well, begin from what I want ta know first." Anastasia sternly ordered. "How did you know I was coming?"

"…" Subaru trembled at the question.

"I'm waiting~!"

"I…" He clenched his teeth in frustration. "I can't say…"

"Hmm…" Anastasia narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "Very well… Moving on-"

"Wait, you are not going to pressure me-?"

"Of course I am." She rebuked Subaru's naiveté. "I'll ask you some questions and you'll answer me respectively. Then… I'll see if I can continue trusting you..." Anastasia warned with an ominous glint in her eyes.

"An interrogation… Fair enough." The Avenger accepted with reluctance.

"Why did you fetch Julius and Ricardo instead of fighting by yourself? Surely an assassin you beat once would have been no problem, right?"

"…There's circumstances limiting me from fighting at the moment."

"Hmm~…" The merchant girl eyed him with suspicion. "You CAN'T fight… or you WON'T?"

"I CAN fight, I promise that. But it's that I SHOULDN'T. I'm… Bound by something right now; as I've said, I'm under some difficult circumstances." Subaru explained cryptically.

"'Restrictions' sounds more like it."

"You could say that…"

"That still does not explain how you knew I was coming even though I couldn't contact you."

"That too is…"

"Restricted, huh?"

"…"

"Where's Emilia? That elf-girl… Is she under said 'restrictions' as well?"

"In Sanctuary with Roswaal, within the Forest of Kremaldy." He said while staring to the east, making the girl stare as well. "There's a barrier erected there that impedes 'half-bloods' from leaving…"

"So she's trapped at the moment?" Anastasia stated with astonishment.

"Yeah… And at the same time that happened, Elsa came to kill everyone here."

"Man, her luck is horrendous!" Subaru sighed in agreement with the merchant. "So ya came here not because of yer promise of showing me yer stuff, but ta save the maids, eh?"

"That's the gist of it."

"But there's more going on." Julius affirmed while approaching from behind Anastasia.

"Ah, they are back!" Mimi celebrated.

"My Lady! We won! Hahahar!" Ricardo laughed boisterously as he and Julius walked towards the group.

"Hey wait! Julius, you are injured!" Anastasia voiced in worry as she saw her knight.

"It's not as bad as it looks, Anastasia-sama. That I promise."

"…As long as I know ya aren't faking it. I know how sad ya look when you try ta act tough."

"My… My apologies for any past headaches my behavior could have caused you." Julius nervously apologized at his liege's concern.

"And what's the cloaked thing on your back?" Hetaro then asked Ricardo.

"Hmm, this?" The Wolf-man pointed to what looked like a bag made of black cloth. "It's the Bowel Hunter."

"You're carrying her corpse?" Subaru wondered with disgust.

"She's alive, actually." Julius commented, making everyone but Anastasia stiff in shock.

"Alive?! But she's-!" Tivey tried to argue before being cut-off by the Candidate.

"A potential threat to the entirety of the selection." The mauve merchant confidently pronounced. "I gave Julius the order to bring her alive if possible. Unfortunately though… This means we'd have to ride back to the Capital immediately now. Ah~… What a let down this trip has been. Sure hope someone~ can compensate me appropriately in the future." She said in a disappointed tone whilst giving Subaru crocodile tears.

"*Gulp!*" The teenager swallowed, understanding the true demand behind her words.

"My Lady?" The triplets uttered in confusion as she turned away from them. "Why would you spare her?"

"…" Subaru lifted his right hand, trying to voice his own doubts about Elsa's presence. "If she's a threat, I figured you'd just… you know… off her? I mean, I-I'd like to think I wouldn't do such a thing but…"

I have done so already.

Subaru had to choke the memory of killing Elsa with his own two hands out of his head, still disgusted with himself for killing her even if he was justified to do so at that time.

"It's PRECISELY because she is a threat that I want her alive." Anastasia quickly answered with a smirk as Ricardo loaded the crippled Elsa on the carriage.

"Ah… So that's how it was. I get it now." Tivey nodded, finally understanding the situation.

"We're gonna interrogate her. Sit her murderous ass down and pry any an' all dirt she could have on her employer." Ricardo explained Subaru, Hetaro and Mimi. "Then the knighs can handle her judgement an' all that."

"Leaving the assassin aside, Natsuki-kun?" Anastasia spoke up again, making everyone stare at Subaru. "Would you mind continuing on with Emilia's circumstances?"

"…Emilia is prevented by the barrier in Kremaldy from leaving, and Roswaal was injured from trying to perform the Trial that dispels the barrier." Subaru admitted, which was not exactly a lie. "I came here to stop Elsa as I discovered she was coming to the mansion, however, I have to return to where Emilia is because… The Great Rabbit is coming."

"…Huh?" Ricardo turned his head at that statement, his boisterous smile disappearing.

"The Great…" Mimi, aghast, whispered.

"Ho-Hold it." Anastasia stuttered as everyone fell silent to his words. "What do you mean…?"

"I mean what I mean!" Subaru shouted with a tired expression. "The Great Rabbit is coming to Sanctuary, so I have to return there, stop it, and then go to the Capital as soon as possible!"

"Su-Subaru-sama… Is that true?" A now dressed Frederica, who had just arrived from the Mansion with Meili, Petra and Beatrice in tow, asked in horror. From behind Julius and Ricardo, the maid uttered again. "The Great Rabbit?"

"Preposterous, in fact." Beatrice argued as she heard the fate about to befall her creator's resting place.

"You are…" Julius noticed, more than anyone, the agitation in the little girl's voice; this was perhaps due to his affinity with Spirits because of his Divine Protection.

"You mean to say that, apart from an assassin, you are trying to defeat a calamity? You may have slain the Whale, but do not think miracles happen twice, I suppose!" The furious Great Spirit exclaimed as she refused to believe the truth coming from the hero.

"Actually… What I'm trying to defeat goes beyond those two. Elsa and the Great Rabbit are just baby-steps in comparison to what's coming to the Capital." Subaru continued, stoking everyone's terror.

"Coming to the Capital? Su-Subaru… You are scaring me…" Petra muttered with fear as Subaru continued talking.

"Dammit, Subaru! Cease your ramblings! Whatever you wish to convey becomes more nonsensical by the second!" Julius, fed up with the ominousness of it all, wished for Subaru to cut straight to the point.

"A villain from my world, Ultron, is coming to the Capital. I don't know when specifically, but soon. And he is observing us from above as we speak." The black-haired boy pointed upwards whilst glaring at the sky. "He is the reason as to why neither the satellite nor Karen are functional right now. And if you need a point of comparison, to know how absurdly dangerous he is… Ultron is to Earth what the Witch of Envy is to you."

"…" Everyone stiffened in shattering horror at the stygian and apocalyptic sentences coming out from what they thought was a laid back yet heroic fool.

"…Are you serious?!" Surprisingly, Meili was the first one to say anything, almost in indignation over his fatalistic speech.

"You've lost me. You've lost your sanity, quite clearly…" Anastasia, who barely managed to regain her poker face, lost her accent as she berated Subaru's seemingly unhinged parlance. "And here I thought you had something worth hearing… We are out of here."

"Please…! I'm begging on my knees here, I'm that desperate!" Subaru bowed his head with shame at the judgmental Anastasia.

"…" The merchant princess, however, remained stoic. This sight was shameful for a man who could be hailed a hero, and she took disgust in seeing it.

"What I'm warning you about is not a joke or-or matter for laughing!" Subaru then produced a handwritten letter from Patrasche's saddle. "If you hand this letter to Aldebaran… As someone from Earth, he'll be able to corroborate the seriousness of the situation-!"

"What you ask for is preposterous, to say the least." Julius spoke in a conflicted tone. "A danger to match the Witch of Envy, coming directly from your world? How outlandish a claim is that?"

"Hngh… But what if he tells the truth, Julius? I mean… He and that Aldebaran knight DID come from another world… Who is to say someone else but with ill intention won't come here too?" Hetaro attempted to argue in favor of Subaru's case, although doubt was also expressed in his intonation.

"…" Lacking for words to argue at said simple yet solid logic, Julius had to take a step back on his denial.

"I know it-it sounds outlandish, and that my desperation is something unsightly, but-!"

"I say we give him a chance." Ricardo stated as a smile reappeared on his face.

"Ricardo?" The finest knight and the triplets turned to look at the mercenary in bafflement.

"I'm just sayin'… Think about it! Does this guy look the same to you than some days ago?" He pointed to Subaru's face, making everyone stand in silence for a moment.

"…I don't really get it?" Tivey scratched his head with vexing.

"It's the eyes…" Julius then realized at last, much to Subaru and Anastasia's surprise. "You've seen something, didn't you?"

"If by something you mean a terrifying monster…" Subaru had to admit. "What I said is outlandish, by all measurements of the imagination… But I promise you, it's the truth!"

"This danger you speak of, have you witnessed it before?" Hetaro asked whilst raising his hand.

"Yeah… At least one on this scale. Moreover, back then, all of the Avengers, as well as entire armies from all over the universe, had to come together to stop it!" Subaru recounted the last battle with the Mad Titan. "The power Ultron holds is that of the Infinity Stones; a power tied to the creation of the universe itself. And if he gets here and catches us unprepared, then it's over…"

"What's… over…?" Tivey wondered with dread as everyone's breaths stopped.

"Everything." Subaru clearly stated. "Everything you've ever known. Everything that could be. ABSOLUTELY everything. That's how absurdly powerful the Infinity Stones Ultron possesses are."

"I just… What you say is beyond belief…" Anastasia tried to rebuke once more, only to be interrupted by Beatrice.

"But it might not be untrue, I suppose…" The little Great Spirit said as some realization dawned on her.

"Great Spirit-sama?" Julius asked in confusion. "You believe him?"

"How could I not? When he first arrived, that disembodied voice the fool calls Karen showed the elf-girl, Roswaal and Betty proof of said powers." Beatrice explained with conflict brewing inside her. "He showed us the clash between these Champions he calls the Avengers against a monster the size of the White Whale… Clash that ended in seconds due to the might of this group."

"…" Apart from Spider-Man, the eyes of everyone else shone with either awe or astonishment at her words of support.

"Moreover, when he arrived at the Mansion, his injuries matched not that of a clash with an assassin but those of a battlefield. I heard the Sword Saint can verify this as well, in fact." She kept speaking as more and more of Subaru's testimony proved sound. "If such extraordinary clashes are possible beyond the stars… Most likely, his warning could be truthful, I suppose."

"Add to it that, if he doesn't win anything, he loses all if it turns out to be a lie, Har-Har!" Ricardo laughed, taking in everything in a stride. "Ah, whatever! I believe the guy boss!"

"Goodness… for something like that to be true…?" Julius turned away from Subaru and Ricardo with a mix of shock and fear in his eyes.

"Hmm…" Anastasia weighed her words just as she had weighed Subaru; unlike Julius, she did not have it in herself to so blindly believe anything they could say just because of who they were. "But still…"

"…I-I believe in Subaru-sama!" Petra shouted, astonishing the Candidate and the knight. "He saved me before! When Mei- I mean, when an assassin once attacked the village before, he saved me and the other children from a pack of Wolgarms!"

"…" Meili had to turn her head away at her words, feeling unease at the way the junior maid described the near death encounter provoked by her months prior meddling.

"If Subaru-sama is telling you all these… ho-horrible things, it's because he WANTS to save you!" Petra continued pleading with tearful eyes. "Please, believe Subaru-sama!"

"Petra-chan!" Frederica had to hold the little girl back as she raised her voice fervently at the merchant princess. "Anastasia-sama, please forgive her-"

"When he saved you… Did he really fight an entire horde alone?" Anastasia, however, ignored the older maid in favor of the younger servant.

"*Sniff!* He-he did!" Petra nodded furiously as she pouted, holding back the rest of her tears as she attempted a serious face. "He fought the entire horde by himself and beat it! …Well, most of it, but still!"

"Hmm…" Anastasia, still, had to think things through. As the sole figure of authority within the group, excluding Julius and Ricardo, she had to be cautious about what side she took. If Subaru was right, and she opted to rally the armies of Lugunica against a world-ending monster, she'd gain an immense popularity and support. If he was wrong and she obeyed though… She might as well say goodbye to both the Selection and any reputation she had ever accumulated in her life.

"H-He even saved Meili from getting killed!" Petra pointed to the shocked assassin girl.

"Hey!" The braided girl faced the maid in annoyance. Knowing what they were about to do to Elsa from Frederica, she couldn't afford to blow her cover. "Shush it, maid girl!"

"Subaru-sama is a hero! Please, don't doubt that!"

…Dammit Petra!

Subaru thought as his legs trembled and tears threatened to fall from his tired eyes.

Am I really about to cry from a little girl defending me?! Goddamit! Am I that sorry of a loser?! But even then…

"Thank you, Petra." Subaru cleansed his eyes from the tears while nobody was looking as he whispered these unheard words of gratitude.

"…" The merchant princess closed her eyes for a few second, processing Subaru's acts and words, determining if he really was worth the risk. And fortunately for the Avenger… Anastasia was one to take risks with high rewards. "Fine then. I'll take it."

"You… You believe me?!" Subaru's sharp black-brown eyes shone with the spark of hope.

"Anastasia-sama?!" Julius tilted his head at his Lady, flabbergasted by her decision. "Are you sure this is a sound-?!"

"It's not a sound decision, not by a longshot." The girl admitted before regaining her cheerful yet cocky accent. "But that just makes it all the more excitin'! Sure… What ya say might turn out ta be malarkey an' delusions-"

"Owch." A hurt Spidey groaned.

"-But, if truthful… Well, not only would we have saved the world, the sheer attention the Selection, an' by proxy, myself would attract…! Can ya even imagine the revenue?!" Anastasia laughed cheekily, making her subordinates shudder.

"Ah, her eyes are turning gold. I've only seen that a couple o' times 'fore…" Ricardo chuckled as the glint in his liege's eyes turned ambitious.

"…No offense to Subaru, but what if his claims are wrong? We have to consider-!" Julius tried to spout denial one last time for the sake of being the voice of reason.

"Give up Julius, she's convinced enough!" Mimi claimed while regaining her own bubbliness.

"Don't worry too much, Julius-kun." Anastasia giggled as she patted her knight lightly on the arm. "If Natsuki-kun's prediction turns ta be a bad, bad joke… Well, I'll make him wish he had stayed on his own land."

"…I assume that just means working him like a mule." Julius reluctantly accepted whilst trying to save some face. "I… I understand."

"Julius!" Subaru smiled at the defeated knight with emotion.

"Subaru… I still have my reservations, but… I'll take you on your word." He admitted while grabbing the letter on Subaru's hand. "I'll talk with the knights, and hand this letter to Aldebaran. That should probably sway Priscilla-sama's attention, at least."

"Then an army-!" Subaru tried to speak excitedly.

"I can't promise the Capital's full forces… But Maybe the other candidates, and even Reinhard if he's available, will be there. I know he will though, being that word of the Whale will have surely reached his ears and Felt-sama's now. Knowing him… heh, he'll feel as though he owes it to you."

"?" Subaru had to scratch his head, not understanding exactly why Reinhard would feel indebted to him.

I can't exactly think of a reason for him to owe me something… Have I done something for him? If anything, he saved everyone when we first cashed with Elsa… Or did he want to be part of the Whale or Sloth's hunt?

"Er… Yeah, I guess he MIGHT feel a debt is there? I… Wouldn't really know why though…" Subaru answered the baffled Julius.

"Whew… You are mind must really be somewhere else if you haven't made the connections already… But I suppose your plate IS full…" The knight responded with pity.

"Ugh…" The Avenger groaned.

"Um…" Frederica's voice rose amongst the crowd. "Not to be rude, but… What shall we do about Emilia-sama and the Great Rabbit? Surely you didn't leave without making a plan, right? Subaru-sama?"

"I left Otto to use his Divine Protection to make some traps, but… I don't know if that'll hold…" Subaru lamented, remarking on his hurry. "If I want to make it by the evening, I ought to leave now, actually."

"In that case, take these three with ya." Anastasia pointed her open hand at the triplets, as if displaying a product.

"My Lady?!" Hetaro and Tivey turned to look at her in amazement and shock.

"YEAH!" Mimi, instead, simply celebrated. "Let's kick some rabbit butt! Make the score 'Mimi: 2 - Calamities: 0'!"

"I'll need Ricardo and Julius ta round up forces an' the like. But you've seen what the three of them can do, haven't you? Their wave of sound can prove useful. Plus, they are handy mages ta have around. No need ta thank me, although I do appreciate some well-deserved adulation."

"*Sigh…* Well, My Lady seems convinced beyond reason. I cannot do anything apart from accepting our fate, I guess…" Hetaro sighed with tiredness.

"Eh, I'd say let's do it. I mean, I'm not gonna LIKE it… But, sure, let's save the world; that should earn a pretty penny. We are mercenaries, after all." Tivey reasoned.

"YAY!" Mimi celebrated loudly again.

"I thought for sure you'd reject the idea…" Subaru cautiously suggested the short cat-girl.

"Mimi was scared, for sure! But… don't you realize how awesome all you just said was?! If you are right, which Mimi knows you are because my Lady said so, then Mimi and the crybaby duo behind her don't have much of an option, huh?" Mimi answered almost immediately, laughing along as she berated her siblings.

"Who are you calling crybabies?!" Tivey and Hetaro complained.

"Welp, now that that's solved, I suggest we hurry back ta the city." Ricardo then chimed in with his recommendation to Anastasia and Julius while pointing at Elsa inside the carriage. "I don't know how long yer spell on sack over her will last an' I rather don't find out until we have her locked up."

"You are right." Julius nodded. "Subaru, there's things I still wish to inquire… But for the moment, you have my trust."

"Heh. Thanks Jul-!" Subaru attempted to express gratitude towards the knight.

"For the moment." Julius stressed, cutting off Subaru's appreciation. "Don't take too long… and make sure to protect Emilia-sama, understood? I'll hold you accountable for whatever happens to her as a Candidate."

"…Right." Comprehending that Julius' code as a knight wouldn't allow him for anything less than strictness, Subaru understood the weigh placed upon him of taking care of a Candidate, even if temporarily.

"Let's go. Julius, take the reins! We ride straight ta Lugunica's Capital Noble District!" Anastasia commanded as Julius helped her board the carriage. "If my predictions are correct, which they almost always are, we'll encounter both Karsten an' Barielle in the middle of an argument revolving Natsuki-kun's technology. Just a matter of guessing whose manor we are approaching first!"

"Understood, Anastasia-sama." Julius bowed, before rapidly taking the driver's seat.

"Take care! Mimi, Tivey, Hetaro!" Anastasia bid her farewells from the side window. "You better return the in one piece Natsuki-kun, or I'm holding you liable for damages!"

"Don't make it sound as though they were machinery!" Subaru quipped back.

"Bye-bye!" The trio simply shrugged off Subaru's surprise and bid their Lady farewell in return.

"Don't shrug it off!" The Avenger tried to plead to deaf ears.

*WHIPPP!*

"KUAAAAA~!" Julius ground dragon roared as the knight whipped the reins. Soon after, the vehicle accelerated.

"Be seeing ya, ya three!" Ricardo waved too from the back beside Elsa as the carriage started moving, his laugh resounding with an echo in the forest path. "Hahahahahahahahaha!"

"Well… That takes care of one problem." Meili sighed as Anastasia's group disappeared in the distance. "So… How exactly are you taking three moppets over here to Sanctuary? Onii~san?"

"Just so you know, I'm fairly certain we are older than you… What was your name? Malformed?" Hetaro retorted in annoyance.

"I think it was Mediocre." Tivey added.

"Nah, Mimi heard it was Morbid." Mimi joked as well.

"IT'S MEILI!" The distressed assassin shouted in retaliation. "None of those were even close!"

"Eh? But they all started with 'M'! How were they supposed to know?" Petra teased too.

"Come on~!" Meili cried.

"Subaru-sama." Frederica, moving away from the little ones, spoke discreetly to Subaru. "Here."

"This is… Ah, the Web-shooter."

"It came in handy, although… It's clearly not the ideal tool for myself." The head-maid admitted before speaking her proposal. "If you'd allow it, I'd want to come to Sanctuary as well…"

"Sorry Frederica, but you've done enough." Subaru, nevertheless, dismissed her.

"But I'm still fit to fight! I may have been injured, but-!"

"I know you are worried about Garfiel, but please, I'll need you to take care of Meili and Petra still. At least until I return with everyone." He reassured the maid by providing his reasoning. "Take this time to recover."

"…" Frederica reluctantly agreed to his word. "About your transport…"

"Hmm… I'll ask the villagers to lend a carriage. That way, we'll be able to go as a group. Still, it could take time… Which is why…" The Avenger turned to look at the Great Spirit.

"What is it, I suppose?" Beatrice looked back, wishing for Subaru to speak his mind already.

"Beatrice… You can take us to Sanctuary rapidly, can't you?" Subaru asked, making Beatrice tense up.

"…" The Great Spirit turned away. "Order after order… You really don't know shame, do you human? Hmph!"

"You know what's at stake." Subaru continued. "Before, when you only knew about Sanctuary, you were willing to criticize my points. But once you realized that what I was talking about went beyond the matters of your world…"

"…" The blonde Spirit remained silent, glaring at the ground.

"You chose to believe me." Subaru smiled as he braced himself to utter his next words. "Roswaal told me to ask you the question. And going by that line, he wants me to say 'I am the one'."

"…You what?" Beatrice's mind froze at his words, her little hands trembling at the information dropped on her. "You… Are you…"

"I am not." Subaru continued. "I even talked with Echidna on her Tomb, and the truth is, there might not even be a one. At least, that's how I understand it."

"TSK!" At his provocation, Beatrice raised her hand at Subaru, invoking a multitude of black crystals.

*SHWING!*

*SHWING!*

*SHWING!*

*SHWING!*

"Be-Beatrice-sama!" Frederica had to jump out of the way as the Great Spirit threatened Subaru.

"KYAAA!" Petra screamed in fear.

"WOAH, WOAH!" Meili yelled in surprise as well.

"Wha-what's going on?!" Mimi and her siblings asked in confusion. "Did Mimi miss something?!"

"You have the gall to say something that outrageous to Betty…" Beatrice said in an infuriated tone.

"…" But Subaru stood silent, without really caring for the danger he was in, simply staring at the little blonde with pity.

"That you spoke with Mother?! That it's pointless?! What do you know about Betty, in fact?!" She yelled as tears fell out of her eyes.

"I know that I don't want anything to do with some imaginary bastard that left you alone for centuries." Subaru said, making Beatrice falter. "I know you awaited in front of that library, alone this entire time, for someone's name to appear on that book of yours. But the reality is that, no matter how much you wait, no one will appear."

"Y-You…"

"Please, Beatrice." Subaru bowed on the ground, imploring the aid of the Spirit threatening him. "Give up on that cruel dream that shackles you! Help me save the world! Help me save you!"

"You…" Beatrice just trembled at his words, not in anger mind you, but quite still feeling an internal conflict. "Just why… How can you ask such a thing, I wonder…?"

"It's harsh, but… Sometimes, to do the right thing, we must give up on the things we want the most…" The hero spoke with melancholy. "Even our dreams."

"That's not fair…" She dispelled her incantation, making all of the Mynias vanish. "Betty gave up already… A long time ago…"

"Beatrice…" The boy crouched, reaching her height as he extended his hand to her tearful face.

*Slap!*

"…" But Beatrice simply slapped it away, refusing his claims of wanting to save her. "There IS no saving for Betty, I suppose…"

"…" Subaru lamented, standing up straight once more and setting his sights towards Arlam. "I'm really sorry then, but... I still have to go…"

"Um… So, what about the carriages, eh?" Mimi said, trying to lighten up the mood after the debacle.

"Let's go, you three. You too, Patrasche." The hero caressed his dragon's snout, making it walk forward by his side. "We'll be back in an instant, Frederica, Petra, Meili."

"Um… Understood, Subaru-sama." The head-maid could do nothing but bow in acceptance of the chaotic flow of events.

"U-Understood, too!" Petra nodded vigorously, taking Frederica's example eagerly and bowing as well.

"H-Huh…" The vexed Meili simply shrugged her shoulders, feeling out of place in such an awkward situation.

"…" Seeing Subaru's back diminishing in the distance, Beatrice's heart clenched painfully.

He is not them…

She told herself, still hurt by his brutal words of honesty and denial of her wish.

He is not them… Of course, he could have never been Betty's them… After all, he has to return to his home one day… He'll leave eventually… Even if he saves the world or everyone… There was never a path leading to Betty's salvation…

She justified herself, denying the possibility that she could be saved.

But if that is the case… Why do I feel like this?

She hesitated, nevertheless…

Why… Why do I feel such regret…? He doesn't want to save Betty, he is just saying what's convenient for him to save everyone else… So why… Even though he won't save Betty… Why do I want him to…?

*FLAP-FLAP-FLAP!*

"We have a carriage!" Hetaro shouted from beside Subaru as they returned, Patrasche running animatedly towards the group.

"Subaru-sama." Frederica approached as Patrasche stopped pulling the vehicle. "We'll await for your return and everyone else's at the Mansion."

"Please, take care!" Petra saluted with clear admiration for her hero in her eyes.

"Uh… What they said." Meili backed, still hung up on the absurdity of it all, far too busy in her conflicting feelings regarding Elsa's wellbeing.

"Yeah… We'll be right back." Subaru said atop the carriage as Mimi and Tivey fooled around behind him.

"…" Beatrice, remaining in a state of internal turmoil, simply looked away from him.

"…Please, take care of Beako for me." Subaru requested of Frederica and Petra before clenching Patrasche's reins once more.

"We will, Subaru-sama." Frederica assured the boy, looking determined in assisting.

"Let's go, everyone-!"

"WAIT!" Before Subaru could whip the dragon's reins… Beatrice shouted, grabbing everyone's attention.

"…Beatrice-sama?" Frederica, who was still cautious of her after her recent outburst, felt uneased by her scream. "Is… Is there something you wish?"

"Beako…" Subaru turned his head at the little blonde beside the carriage with pity.

"Auhm… She won't pull out a gajillion stakes again, will she?" Tivey worriedly pointed out.

"Of course not! Well, maybe not…?" Mimi suggested with some doubt. Even if Subaru had managed to subdue her just now, it did not mean they were in the clear just yet.

"Beatrice?" Subaru perked up, speaking directly at her.

"…" Beatrice rose her hand, enveloping the area of the carriage in a magenta light.

*FWOOOOOOM!*

"WOAH! FOR REAL?!" Mimi and Tivey screamed.

"ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO ATTACK US?!" Hetaro yelled too.

"KUAAAA!" Patrasche, being caught up in the chaos of it all, roared incoherently too.

"Beatrice-sama!" Petra screamed as yet another scare threatened her little heart.

"…" Subaru, however, knew what this light meant. After all, the last time he was in the Mansion, she had enveloped him in something similar.

"I knew you couldn't save Betty…" She sniffled with no emotion showing in her face, apart from the sadness reflected in her eyes. "Even if you can save everyone… There is no one to save Betty…"

"Beako…"

"Once you solve your duty in Sanctuary, never speak to Betty again." Beatrice ordered Subaru with an indifferent voice as the light enveloped the entirety of the carriage. "Please… Don't look for Betty… Don't try to save what can't be saved…"

"Wait, Beatrice-!" Subaru shouted one last time, trying to stop her from sealing her own fate.

*SHWIIIIIIIIIING!*

"You have a duty, don't you?" She said again as the light peaked.

*FWOOOM!*

Subaru and his companions were whisked away to the east in a flash.

"Woah, they are gone!" Meili shouted in awe.

"Are they… Where did you send them?" Petra tilted her head with worry. "Beatrice-sama…"

"Beatrice-sama." Frederica looked at the little girl with pity, as she understood where she sent them. "They are… in Sanctuary now, aren't they?"

"…" The depressed Spirit nodded weakly before whispering to herself. "There is no place for Betty in someone else's future…"

AUTHOR'S NOTES

*Swings axe*

*CRASH!*

Here's…. JOHNNY!

For real though, hey everyone! Sorry it took so long. I had to travel for a bit for an assignment, and I really couldn't find the time to write anything. I slept for like 12 hours straight after returning home, could you believe that?!

Anyways, next chapter is gonna be an Ultron Interlude, and then we'll return back to Subaru's long-awaited final Trial with the What-Ifs… Will he die? Will he not? Look forward to the next chapter of DRAGON BALL Z!

See you next time!