Natsuki Subaru was about to enter his home, but he stopped. His hand rested on the doorknob. Subaru stared at it as if he didn't wish to proceed into his own house. The house of his mother and father.
He simply just bought some potato chips and cup noodles from the convenience store. After that, he would just go back to his room and indulge in idleness: play some video games, maybe read a manga, or look up for recently released figures online that he liked to collect. Then what? He knew. He knew that he'd just do some more unproductive things or just sleep all day. Subaru was well aware that he was a pathetic child who couldn't even make his own parents proud.
Subaru refused to go to school. He'd just stare at the clock while lying on his bed. Once he knew that he would be too late, Subaru would just give up and not go anymore.
Holding the plastic bag to his side, he stared at its contents. But he wasn't focused on the snacks he had bought. His mind wandered to a moment that only happened some time ago. Before leaving the house, his mother had said good-bye to him yet he did not respond whatsoever.
Obviously, he knew that it was disrespectful to his mother. But that was the point of it. Being the absolutely horrible, loathsome, useless and pathetic son he is, he wanted them to hate him.
Hate him. Throw him out of their lives. Disown him for his disgracefulness.
In all honesty, he really loved his mother. His father, too, of course. They have always been supportive of him no matter what, but he thought that he didn't deserve such kindness, grace and patience. It was all wasted on him, really.
With his delay in entering his home, he could hear his parents talking inside. Incoherent mumblings, laughter and loud babbling, probably coming from his father. He wished they were talking about him. Hoped they were talking about that miserable life of his. Wished they'd harshly criticize and chastise him amongst themselves for his ungrateful actions.
"Ah, what a pain," he said, "Actually, what the heck was that back there?"
He turned around so that he didn't face the door anymore. Upon leaving the automatic doors of the store earlier, an odd feeling in his mind and chest struck him. It felt as if someone was poking and grabbing his insides, specifically his heart.
But that feeling immediately flew away like nothing ever happened. Like someone had tried to take him but hesitated and eventually gave up. He couldn't say that it wasn't an ominous feeling; it made him shudder.
He scratched his head in frustration. "I guess that's normal if someone were to spend their whole day gaming."
The more he thought about the sensation earlier, the more it bothered him. That wasn't actually normal, was it? If he could describe the feeling, it would be like being taken but then released in quick succession. It was as though someone had changed their mind. He had no idea if that feeling would come back again. He'd prefer it not to. Subaru hated troubling his parents even more if he actually got sick or something, even though troubling them was what he thought he always did.
"— —I love you."
He instantly swiveled his head about, confused and shocked by the sudden determined, forceful and heartfelt voice.
"— —I'm sorry, but this time it will work," the voice proclaimed. "My love, I do not wish to see you suffer anymore. Love yourself. Care for yourself."
"W—who? Wha—? Who are you?" Subaru demanded. This voice, it was coming from inside his head. It was inside him. He could hear it resonate in the surroundings. Such was the power of that voice that seemed to belong to a woman.
"— —It is time. I will give you something that will give your life meaning. Power, strength and recognition."
And thus, the world around him darkened and his vision blackened. The environs were pitch black, as if it were the void. In a way, he could feel something moving around which touched and caressed his body.
"— —Death is not the answer. It is a mere burden which seeks to increase your pain and suffering. No, that is not what I will give you, my love."
Subaru could feel his soul being juggled around, transported, moved and tampered with. His insides felt like water. Surprisingly, this feeling of being enveloped was soothing to him yet felt terribly dark at the same time. He closed his eyes, accepting whatever may come upon him. If this was death, so be it. Subaru has no clue what was happening to him as of the moment, nor does he know who that voice was.
"I must be dreaming," he thought.
With all that, he faded into what seemed like nothingness. Strange, he thought. It feels different now. He could feel his body once again. The vivid feeling of being embraced by a dark entity disappeared. He felt his eyelids flutter, trying to open them. Something that was relatively bright in front of him was the reason why he struggled to open his eyes. Being exposed to brightness right after what felt like an eternity of darkness was a somewhat painful feeling.
It reminded him of when he stayed awake all throughout the night playing an addictive MMO game some weeks ago. The screeching sunlight shone through the curtains of his room. His eyes felt watery and sore that time.
He involuntarily raised his hand to block out the light that beamed through his closed eyelids. Subaru realized he could feel his body again. What was going on? What just happened? All these thoughts raced through his mind. It also felt like he was standing on something. The ground?
"— —Yes, assuredly. May we meet again in the future. I shall be awaiting that day, Emilia-sama."
A voice? A different one this time. It sounded like it belonged to a man. A soft, gentle tone which sort of signified a fatherly feel to it. Seriously, he thought, what the hell is happening here? Was I kidnapped and coerced to try out some VR game or whatever? If that was the case, then this immersion was surreal!
Slowly, slowly, slowly, he opened his eyes. As he fully peeled back his eyelids despite the blinding light of what was probably the sun or something, he was immediately baffled at the scene that laid before him.
What he promptly saw were numerous tall, green trees that enshrouded his environs—no, their environs. Aside from the conifers—he grasped that he was in some sort of forest somewhere—he saw three figures that were much more noticeable than the greenery.
"Huh?" Subaru couldn't help but let out a gasp of bewilderment. "What in the—?! Where am I?"
He once again brought his attention to the three forms that weren't that far from him. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at them before assessing his current situation. A girl. A woman and a man. The young girl stood behind the woman who wore matching outfits with her.
Due to the similarities in their clothing and their silver hair, Subaru assumed that they were mother and child. The man in the dark robe, or whatever you'd call his outfit, had green hair. Presumably so, that man didn't seem to be the father. They appeared to be humans, at least to his own perspective from this distance.
—Eh? Why did he even make that judgment of them being humans so suddenly?
The distinction in the way they were dressed reminded him of the gathering of cosplayers at cosplay events. Hang on a minute—funny-looking costumes? Beautiful silver hair? Forest? A while ago he was just at the doorstep of his own residence but now he was here. Surely this can't be a dream, seeing how utterly vivid it is?
Excitement and disbelief were plastered on his face. "—No way?! Could it be?"
In fact, the three individuals still had not noticed him arrive; they continued to merrily chat between themselves. Clearly, he noted, their faces were happy and upbeat. They looked like a cheerful family taking a picnic at a park. After that evaluation of those people, he returned to his prior deduction. There could only be one explanation to this abnormal proceeding of events—
Before he made that sound decision or conclusion, he ought to prove it first. He looked down at physique. What's this? A wedding dress? Oh, no, it isn't. Why would he be wearing a wedding dress?
Upon further analysis of his current clothing, he realized that he was wearing an overcoat. A long overcoat, actually. It even reached down to the point where it might seem like he'd trip on them. Just like the sunlight earlier, the color of this coat was a blinding pure-white color. He lifted up his arm, and he noticed that at the end of each sleeve, there were golden cuffs.
He glanced down in a way so that he could get a better look at the collar of the overcoat and his torso. Golden buttons ran down the center of his front to secure the coat. Unfortunately, Subaru couldn't see what he wore underneath, if he even actually wore anything under there. As he looked down, he found that he was wearing snow white trousers which were paired with shoes. The shoes, unsurprisingly, were also white.
Subaru scoffed, "What's with this getup? I look like a minister. But I don't deny that it does look kinda fancy, I guess."
He shook his head in contemplation of his garb. As Subaru shook his head meekly, he discerned that he wore a single earring in his right ear, thanks to the dangling sound. He lifted up the small unidentified earring to get a better look at it. It was blue. It was also shaped like a teardrop. Undeniably, it was a fairly pretty earring. He wondered if it would look good on his mother.
"Well, there's something that's not entirely white in color. What am I, anyway? It's like I'm trying to blind people with my outfit!" Subaru remarked. "Anyhow, I get it now…"
With that, he lifted his head upwards in such a way that he was staring straight at the blue sky.
"— — — —"
"I'VE BEEN SUMMONED INTO A PARALLEL WORLD?!" Subaru shouted out in complete astonishment, not having the intention to actually yell at this volume. It was all reflex, really. Who wouldn't be surprised at this revelation?
Amidst of his sudden yell into the wild blue yonder, he'd forgotten that he was not alone in this forest. Understandably so, his unanticipated scream was due to his utmost shock and amazement. Subaru could not help but let out the emotions that were piling up inside him the moment he'd opened his eyes earlier.
Birds squawked and popped out of the leafy greens of the conifers. They flew away from the trees they were residing in, intending to get away from the area in case of danger. Little critters suddenly appeared from the bushes directly underneath the trees but immediately scurried away just like the birds.
It may seem exaggerated enough, but no, the forest was a quiet place in which mere sounds could be heard by those that were currently in the woodlands, and it wasn't just the animals that were shaken from the loud yell of Natsuki Subaru—
Consequently and consecutively, too, the three unnamed figures stopped their conversation; they all turned their heads to face the man who dared disturb their jovial talk. The little girl, whom Subaru deemed to be very cute and pretty, tilted her head as the two adults stiffened their posture in sight of the man who shouted out nonsense.
"Ah, shit! Why did I do that?" Subaru rebuked his own imprudence. "Uh, hey, guys. So much for a first impression."
He facepalmed before gathering up the courage to speak to the disoriented trio. Raising his arms, he flapped them around in a manner that would be clear to them that Subaru was merely trying to apologize and placate them for his sudden outburst. But immediately he noticed that the mood and the atmosphere of sweetness that enveloped the little path in the forest had dissipated.
Taking note of this sudden change in the atmosphere, he'd hoped he wasn't fully to blame. I guess it was kind of his fault, though. Subaru had appeared arbitrarily in this location, based on their expressions of alertness and slight fright, without so much as a warning. His little outburst must've disrupted their discussion.
One thing for sure, to Subaru's surprise, the man wearing the dark-purple robe stared at him with visible hostility and perplexity. Subaru wasn't that good in reading a person's expressions or knowing their feelings, but he knew that it was plain to see that the man didn't take kindly to his advent.
Upon closer look, he saw that the man took a few steps forward so that he'd be in front of the two ladies—well, one is just a child actually, but surely she'd grow up to be a great beauty one day—and raised his arm in a way that shielded both of them. Shield them? Protecting them? From who?
Subaru was a bit confused, but he still found it reasonable for them to be wary of someone like him who indiscreetly revealed his appearance by yelling like a madman. No way, is he trying to protect them from me? I wouldn't lay a finger on any of you guys, Subaru thought. There was an awkward silence as neither of the two parties spoke a word after a staredown.
Taking advantage of the silence and stillness of the moment, he gave a more detailed inspection of the woman. Subaru realized that her ears were pointed. Pointed in a way that was abnormal, that was different from humans. He immediately knew that she was an elf from his knowledge of fantasy light novels and literature of the like. That was also the same case for the young girl beside her. They were both elves, not humans!
He decided to take the initiative and try to get the conversation going, or perhaps even devise a compromise so they wouldn't be shaken and think badly of him even further. Now is the opportune time to befriend some elves. A term arose within his head from common RPG videogames as he thought of a plan to introduce himself.
Subaru elevated his arm, with his palms open as his hand also pointed upwards to the sky. He waved it hard at them in a friendly manner as he prepared to introduce himself. He'd hoped that gesture would put them at ease. He did look friendly with that little motion, right?
"Hey, NPCs! Nice to meet you. My name is Nat—" Subaru began.
Woefully for him, he was immediately interrupted by the woman with the short silver hair. Her glare was fierce and scary, even for Subaru who had mean-looking eyes. He let out an "—Eek!" as he took a step back since the woman had decided to speak up this time.
"— —Who're you?!" she demanded in an angry voice. Inwardly deciding that this woman may actually be the little girl's mother, Subaru simply gazed at her while she picked up her daughter with due caution.
In response to her query, he timidly scratched his cheeks upon being interrogated by the silver-haired beauty. "U—Uh, my name is Natsuki Subaru! It's a pleasure meeting you." He laughed afterwards to get rid of the tension that was stirring up his mind. "You know, I'm really, really sorry about earlier. It was just—"
This time, it was the man who spoke up to retort Subaru. Now his anger and hostility was visible enough for all to see. The green-haired man clenched his fists as he got his bearings back and said, "Regulus Corneas! What are you attempting to perform with that alias! For what reason are you here for?
Subaru blinked. What was he talking about? It's like the man knew him already despite the fact that this was the first time he was summoned into this other world. Also—Regulus Corneas? He had also called Subaru that. There must be some misunderstanding in this present situation.
Deciding to refute what the man had said, Subaru replied, "Eh? I—I have no idea what you're talking about, uh… What do I call you?"
The man narrowed his eyes in anger. "Enough! What is the meaning of this? You arrived here in such a deplorable manner. What do you wish to receive from yelling at us? We had an immutable promise that I would be the only one involved in this affair!"
Subaru was left dumbfounded at his comebacks. He was unable to respond to those crude accusations. There really was something wrong here, wasn't there? Before he could muster up the words to answer back to defend himself, a second voice called out, not directed to him, but to the man that was stabbing him with questions. The voice belonged to a woman—
"—This has happened on my instruction, Bishop Romanée-Conti."
Subaru was taken aback by the arrival of a new voice. Even so when he realized that it just came from behind him. Unsettlingly enough, the voice had the same inflection and feeling as the one he had heard before he was transferred to this world. They both had this powerful yet seductive and alluring touch to it, in a way that it was truly meant to deceive and bring forth hungry, preying men. It took him a moment to realize that the person who'd called out to him when he was at the doorstep of his accommodation might be the one who summoned him here.
On the other hand, he had other problems to worry about right now. The misunderstanding of his persona was one thing, but the other thing was this woman that suddenly appeared out of the blue. He did not feel anyone sneaking up to him, then who is this—?
Subaru quickly turned around to face the owner of that lustrous voice. To his surprise, the woman standing there just a few feet away had the frame of a child—no, it may seem that way from afar, but she seems to be a young woman who merely had a petite frame. The question was, who exactly was this person? The one thing that he noticed straight away was the beautiful, long platinum hair of the woman. It brought upon him the feelings of a gushing waterfall in a foggy area surrounded by soaring white mountains.
In his mind there were several questions that needed to be answered, but no one seemed to bring any answers to him. Why was he directly brought here in the middle of some random forest? Why are all these people acting like they know him?
Bringing his attention to the petite woman once more, he noticed that she wore something that made her look like she was wearing rags. More specifically, it was like she was wearing a poncho. It was as if a single white blanket was lazily tampered with just to be worn by this woman. The fabric of her gown only had one decoration which was very simple: blue ribbons which were distributed in certain parts of her gown. The top of her gown near her neck, or rather specifically, the collar, had big blue stitches. The same type of long blue ribbon was tied to her hair in a way that it seemed to be of the same length as her platinum hair.
Subaru could not resist staring in awe at her form. The platinum woman was the incarnation of pure beauty. The meek smile on her face indicated calmness and tranquility. In response to his intense stare, the platinum-haired woman lowered her brows and nodded as if wanting Subaru to proceed with something.
"Bishop Romanée-Conti, is there something wrong?" The platinum girl asked. "Goodness, Bishop Corneas, I am astounded by that sudden act of yours upon our entry here. It was not within me to have expected that kind of behavior from you."
Subaru could not bring forth the words that he wanted to reply to her. The pressure from her words was the reason. The tone of her voice was gentle, kind and reassuring, even. But the issue underlying her voice was the intonation of command and order. It just had that kind of effect on him.
At last, all he managed to say was, "Pardon?"