Chapter 2
The rest of the day passed in a blur as Subaru, Emilia and Puck searched throughout the entire city. The time was really nice; in fact, it was as close to a date as either Subaru or Emilia had ever been- at least, it would have been without the spectacular third wheel that is Puck. With him around, it felt much more like a family gathering- which both Subaru and Emilia appreciated.
However, the entire time, Subaru had acted a bit strange. Although he tried to act as normal as he could, he couldn't help but keep glancing over his shoulder, checking to make sure that no one was sneaking up on him to knock him out- again.
After searching the city for several hours, they had finally gotten some information after returning a lost child to her father, a random apple (appa?) salesman. This had led them to a place in the slums that was called 'the loot house'. Apparently the girl who had stolen Emilia's pendant was based out of here.
Looking at the run-down structure, Subaru couldn't help but feel disappointed. He'd been expecting something a bit more… epic, he guessed; something that would be appropriate for a 'boss area' where they would confront the thief in dramatic fashion. Then again, considering that the thief was actually just a young girl, Subaru figured that there wasn't very likely to be a boss fight anytime soon.
[Subaru] "Well, you ready to go in? Don't worry, if there's anything dangerous, your new best friend will jump right in front of it!"
Pointing at himself again heroically, Subaru tried to ignore the scoffing laugh that Puck gave off at yet another attempted heroic impression.
Emilia though had to hide a blush when she heard Subaru say that they were friends. No one had ever said that before to her! Trying to hide her bright red face, she gave Subaru a light smack.
[Emilia] "Subaruuuu!"
Internally, Subaru celebrated. 'Yes! Emilia has successfully been embarrassed once again! This mission was a success!'
Giving each other a big grin, Emilia and Subaru began to walk up to the door while Puck yawned in the background. No one answered when they knocked on the door, so together they opened it.
Originally Subaru had been planning on going in alone- however, his experience getting kidnapped made him reluctant to get seperated from Emilia, just in case something bad happened while she was gone.
The door slowly swung open to reveal a dark interior. No one appeared to be inside, so Subaru took a step inside, trying to pierce the darkness and see if anyone was home. Above him, Puck's ears suddenly perked up, his fur standing on end.
[Puck] "Emilia, run! I can feel killing intent in there!"
A moment later, a low chuckle drifted out of the darkness, filled with malice and a disturbing sense of insanity. At that same instant Subaru's eyes caught the barest flicker of motion from inside the darkness- and two curved knives came flying out of the darkness.
In the blink of the eye an elaborate ice shield appeared in front of Emilia as Puck's brow furrowed in concentration, deflecting the blade to where it sunk up to the hilt in the thick wooden wall next to her. The other blade took Subaru straight through his right leg.
Searing pain shot through him as the cold steel pierced skin, fat, and muscle. With a disturbing 'twang' the tendon snapped, severed completely. Subaru collapsed to the side of the house, staring at the protruding blade in complete shock as icy projectiles began clashing with a flurry of blades, some stained red from the blood already shed in the house.
[Puck] "Emilia, run now! This person is strong, I can hold her off- but I'm not sure if I can beat her! Run now, I'll catch up later!"
Emilia looked up from where she was crouched next to Subaru. A gentle aura of magic shone from her fingers as Subaru's leg began to slowly reknit itself, although the blade still protruded from his leg.
[Emilia] "Puck, Subaru is injured! We can't just leave him like this!"
With a vicious snarl, Puck barely managed to put up an ice shield in time, the blade sheering off the tips of his whiskers on one side of his face, giving him a lopsided look. However, nothing was amusing about the way in which he spoke.
[Puck] "Leave him, Emilia! He's not important! The only thing that's important is your safety! Trust me on this one, daughter!"
Emilia wavered, an uncertain look in her eyes. Then she looked down at Subaru, who still sat there with an expression of pain and terror imbedded on his features. Her eyes hardened, and she stood up as she shouted at Puck.
[Emilia] "I'm not going to leave him! I refuse to abandon someone to die just to save myself!"
Subaru, his mind a bit clearer now that some of the pain was gone, felt a sudden warmth begin burning within his chest. As he struggled to his feet, a bolt of red hot pain shot through his still injured. With resolve he didn't know he possessed, he ignored it.
[Subaru] "I want to help too! We'll beat this person together!"
With a vicious snarl, Puck briefly turned his head to glare down at the determined boy. His words came forth in a vicious snarl, completely unrecognizable from his usual way of speaking.
[Puck] "Idiot! You'll just get in our way! It's obvious you're useless in a fight. You already made Emilia waste her mana to heal you."
Subaru stopped dead in his tracks. He began to speak, began to protest that there had to be something he could do to help- when suddenly a dark flash split the air, heading straight towards his head. Like a deer in the headlights, Subaru froze, unable to even attempt to dodge- not that it would have helped if he had tried.
A silvery shield composed of ornate ice crystals materialized in front of him, deflecting the bolt- but at the cost of another blade leaving a whisper thin cut on the surface of Emilia's left leg. It wasn't deep, and delicate beads of blood formed on the surface of the wound.
Subaru felt his entire sense of pride begin to crumble. It was true, wasn't it. He was just as useless here as he had been back on earth. With a cynical laugh, he thought to himself that not even being summoned to another world was enough to make any less useless.
Unconsciously dealing the finishing blow to Subaru's already crippled sense of Pride, Emilia's voice cut through the chaos. Pain laced her tone, but resolve bolstered her words as she spoke, appearing as heroic as a superhuman from Subaru's world.
[Emilia] "Puck's right, Subaru! You can't help us here! Run and get the guards, they can help!"
Subaru turned towards the door. It felt so WRONG to be leaving Emilia and Puck in danger- but how was HE supposed to help! As he ran out the door, he shouting back at their shrinking figures:
[Subaru] "Don't worry, Emilia! I promise- I will save you!"
With those final words, Subaru fled the battle.
It took only 10 minutes to find the closest set of guards. They had come running when they heard someone running through the slums, screaming for the guards at the top of their lungs. When they saw Subaru, limping along with his bloody leg which still had the knife protruding from it, they immediately rushed over and began making their way to the loot house.
Following the trail of blood that Subaru's leg had made, they quickly returned to the loot house. The guard patrol- which consisted of three individuals, one of whom was a mage- immediately began to cautiously approach the now dead quiet structure. One of the walls had been torn off, and large holes crusted over with ice decorated the ceiling and interior.
Subaru stood at the back of the formation, feeling the sinking feeling of dread fall into the pit of his stomach as he saw the scene.
The silence was broken several seconds later as a beautiful figure clad in a vivid white and red dress came flying out of the building. The body hit the ground with a dull 'thump'- and Subaru's worst fears came true as he met Emilia's lifeless eyes staring up at him.
One of the guards cursed, and in the split second when they turned their attention Emilia- the massacre began. A dark shape came flying out one of the windows- not a curved blade, but rather a lithe figure dressed entirely in a black cloak. Moving with supernatural speed, the figure moved across the space separating it from the guards in an eyeblink. With the flick of the knife one of the guard's hands went flying- followed shortly by their head.
With a startled oath, the other guard leveled their longsword at the threat, swinging in a well-practiced thrust which only succeeded in landing on empty air. With a quickly muttered 'El Goa', the mage in the back held up their hand, an intense bolt of orange and violet flame readying itself to shoot.
[?] "Now now, we can't have you throwing that around, now can we? Someone might get hurt…"
Within another eyeblink the mage's fireball vanished. Confused, he looked down, only to blanch in fear as they saw their stomach had been slashed through, their entrails falling out in ropelike coils, decorating the dusty road. He let out a shrill scream as the last of the guards was cut down.
Watching this, all Subaru was able to feel was an overwhelming sense of horror. Frozen in place, he watched as the shadowed figure raised her knife and, in vicious, efficient sweeps, cut through the other guards stomachs to reveal their entrails. Each one she inspected closely, as if hoping to find something there- and each time walked away empty handed.
When they finally approached Subaru he was able to overcome his paralysis. In sheer desperation he tried to punch her but was contemptuously knocked to the ground. There he finally caught his first glimpse of their assailant.
She was a young woman, not much older than Subaru himself. She was clad in a concealing black outfit that complimented her figure, and walked with the unconscious grace of a lion. A sadistic smile painted her blood-spattered face, giving it a macabre feel.
[?] "I wonder- will you be the one? The one to give me relief?"
With that same swift, efficient motion Subaru's stomach was cut open, his entrails spilling out into the open air. With great fervor the young woman stared at them, a desperate hope flickering in her eyes- and then that hope withered and faded. For a brief moment her sadistic expression cracked, revealing a deep weariness deep underneath.
As the screams of the other guards rose high into the air, Subaru struggled through the pain, through his overwhelming feeling of uselessness, to speak. HE HAD TO KNOW.
[Subaru] "Wait… wait... "
Confused, the young women turned back to look at him. Her dark eyes, looking like the void in their emptiness, almost made him pause- but then he pushed on.
[Subaru] "...why… why did you do this to me? To HER? She didn't deserve this!... not like me…"
The young woman walked back over to where he lay. A concealed note of sorrow gave the faintest outline to her words as she spoke.
[?] "...I don't know. I was told to do this, and I couldn't say no… not again."
An expression of pain crossed her face as painful memories replayed in her subconscious. An involuntary shudder of pain wracked her form for a moment- and then, she stilled. Her eyes turned once more into cold, pitiless orbs, and she turned to stare down at Subaru. With a surprisingly tender gesture she caressed the side of his face with her hand.
[?] "...I'm sorry. This is the only gift that I can give you now, although it will never make up for what I did to you."
With that, her knife plunged into the back of Subaru's neck. The next instant- Subaru died, finally freed from the horrific pain of his wounds.