ThIs took a lot more time and effort than I expected. My initial rough outline of events fell apart as things went on since I really want to justify every conclusion and step Subaru makes, not just beeline straight to plot points I wanted to have. That resulted in very dialogue-heavy chapter, where given opportunity to talk Subaru is adamant to make sense of what is going on. Hopefully, it's not unbearable.
Reminder, when someone speaks Japanese it is formatted with "italics". When someone says something in Lugnican, it is unformatted direct speech.
When she let the blacksmith inspect the sword, Emilia didn't expect much. She was woefully late to trace the thief, especially since the only thing she noticed about pickpocketer was the blonde hair and that it probably was a girl. So, half-elf was only left with trying and using the knife thief supposedly lost when Subaru apprehended her. Emilia didn't know much about proper weapons, never ever having used or taken interest in them, so after fiddling with the knife on her own for a while she had to eventually resort to outside help.
Of course, Emilia sought to avoid involving someone else with her search, especially since she already refused help of the knight and the boy. At first she wanted to lie about needing to return the weapon to its owner, but dropped the idea since she was never good at pretending. Instead, Emilia told the shopkeeper that she was assaulted by the owner of this weapon, but a brave boy took the fall for her from attack (thus the bloodied edge of the sword), the criminal escaping in scuffle. It was much closer to truth, though she still felt a bit uncomfortable about it.
After a minute of hesitation and some more questions, the blacksmith agreed to inspect the weapon for a symbolical price, promising to tell her as much about the owner as possible.
Apparently, the owner was from the slums, judging by the quality of metal and grip handiwork. There were no engravings or identification anywhere, but the smith inferred that likely the user of the sword was a young girl or a dwarf, since the handle and blade's weight balance was adjusted for small palm and stature. Nothing else of significance was noted, so Emilia thanked the shopkeeper, paid the due money and left with sword still in her hands. She wondered if lesser spirits somehow could help her find the thief with that loose description and her belonging presented to them.
As she made her way closer to slums, spending some time helping the lost girl, Emilia remembered about Subaru's warning. Assassin was after her. In a way it wasn't that surprising, although half-elf never actually imagined a professional killer going after her. Roswaal warned her that some people will go to great lengths to see her out of Royal Selection. Emilia understood. She didn't like it, she hated that the first thought everyone had upon getting to know her was that she looked eerily similar to Witch of Envy. She could never accept that someone would hate her for this superficial resemblance, but Emilia understood.
It was one thing to sabotage her Candidacy through stealing Insignia, but killing her? That's beyond evil. If possible, she needs to capture the assassin and interrogate her. But first, she has to survive, if Subaru's desperate plea to accompany her with Reinhard is any indication of the real danger her opponent presents.
"Lia, be careful, the time is ticking away. The closer you are to the girl, the more likely assassin will attack. If you get through the first strike unharmed, whoever attacked stands little chance against us."
"I know. We should hurry, so please watch out for ambush in my stead. We need to be quick, if I want to properly interrogate the assassin with your help."
"I will watch your back, of course. I have a bad feeling about this, so you shouldn't slack either. That boy was very agitated. Sincerely desperate to stop us. I wonder if he would outright try to tackle you down, if it wasn't for Reinhard being there. Not that he actually could, but he didn't seem to know that... Take it seriously, Lia. You can't take any chances. I don't think the assassin going for a Royal Candidate would risk leaving any witnesses, so any people around you are as good as dead if you fail. I can't forbid using your Od to summon me for a short period, but ultimately, you might have to resort to... that."
"Puck, I don't want another Elior Forest-"
"There won't be. You control your spells. Yes, a certain area might get frozen, but if you don't panic and use our gate as usual, nobody outside your immediate surroundings would get hurt."
"Last resort, Puck. I need to interrogate her. If someone is willing to kill me, I should know why."
Emilia had nothing to soothe Puck's worries. On the contrary, she has already regretted her decision about abstaining from help of Reinhard and the boy. Unlike Emilia, Reinhard specialises in protecting people and capturing criminals. Is the Insignia worth it, if it's drenched in the blood of innocent bystanders? Emilia didn't know the answer. Perhaps, this was one of the reasons she was called naive so many times.
"Ten minutes, Lia. I can't give you more. Any longer comes at your expense."
Puck warned Emilia about his daily limit, as she stood at the door of wooden shack, deliberating. Before coming here she tried to ask spirits about any disturbances around the house, anticipating some kind of ambush, but spirits couldn't understand her well enough. Slums were rowdy, that was conveyed and they just couldn't figure out what else she could need. She knocked at the door, simultaneously casting ice crystals above her shoulders, to impale or counter anyone who would attack her from inside. Puck was ready to cast both defensive and, to Emilia's chagrin, more powerful and less precise spells.
Lacking an answer, she let herself in.
Subaru was... disappointed? No. He had a second worth of hope, when someone stopped him from going, that hope dying when he saw it was Reinhard. Emilia didn't budge, she decided to go her own way.
"Calm down, Subaru."
"Explain, Reinhard. Please. I don't understand. Is it some noble pride? Or she just didn't trust us?"
"I don't know. She did believe us, I think. On one hand, my intuition called for action, but on another there's Lady Emilia's request... Sometimes, it's hard to find the best political solution."
"Hah! 'Sometimes'! I wish... To be clear, I never knew it's somehow related to politics. I could guess Emilia-tan is important, but... I just wanted to protect her. As a person. And I did everything I could to save Emilia-tan, but she just refuses the only option that makes sense! Wait, you still with me, sir knight?"
"Yes, I hear you. This Divine Protection is a bit... stressful for me. I may look distracted, but I am listening. You know, Subaru, for someone completely out of depth, you are surprisingly confident. Not in a 'rash' way, more like... unfazed? I don't know how else to say. Also, you knew about the assassin, despite your lack of communication."
Subaru pace faltered for a moment, scratching his head as he tried to come up with good explanation. He didn't want to appear suspicious, especially if his knowledge of future amounted for nothing so far. He was uncomfortable with openly lying, knowing so little about the world, so he went with half-truths.
"Well, it's hard to explain... In a way, I met the assassin before... Actually, I am not even sure she is a hitman, she might be just a serial killer. But she is very dangerous, that I am sure about."
If Reinhard had any doubts, he didn't show them. He nodded and proceeded to walk, with Subaru matching him.
"Subaru, could you please tell me more about her? It's my job to be aware of such people."
"Yes, of course. Actually, I still don't understand why didn't you insist on going anyway? As you said, in the end it's your job! Even if Emilia can fend her off, that woman might get away and kill more people, right?"
"Lady Emilia is the Royal Candidate. She explicitly asked me not to interfere in her business. Although, you are correct that she might endanger more than just herself this way. That's why I will deal with the assassin separately from Lady Emilia's pursuit. With your help, hopefully."
Subaru only chuckled, holding back from hysterical laugh. Why couldn't it be this easy from the start? He wouldn't even need... No. If he hadn't died, he wouldn't be able to help now. If that's the trade, his pain and suffering in exchange for saving people, then it was a good trade. Not that he enjoyed such trading.
"Man, you are the best! And I was worried that you have some dumb 'nobility can do whatever they want' policy! Alright, alright, I'll tell you everything!"
Holding back another nervous chuckle, Subaru tried to calm himself with breath exercise. Failing to do so quickly, he talked despite his angst, wanting to fill the awkward silence that hanged with Reinhard's lack of reply.
"So... She was almost as tall as me. She wore a black tight dress, but with a big... emmm... cleavage? Jet black hair with purple plume, scary – but otherwise normal, not like mine – eyes... She used a Kukri machete – that's a big curved knife, similar in size to one that the thief girl used against me. She is... sadistic. She didn't go for the quick kill on... me."
"So you met her before – and lived?"
"I don't know how. She went for my gut... But I survived. Somehow. Someone intervened, I guess I can't say much more than that."
Subaru didn't want to get tangled in his lies, trying to be as straightforward as possible with Reinhard. The boy was really afraid of the knight abandoning him, their meeting and Reinhard's kindness were an ultimate lucky break between horrible death loops.
"That's troubling, Subaru. From your description, she looks very much like a famed assassin, Bowel Hunter. She usually operates in Gusteko... Whoever – I assume – hired her to kill lady Emilia is very wealthy and well connected. Subaru, do you know where is the assassin now?"
"No, I don't think so. I only know she will be in one of the houses somewhere in the slums, sometime around sunset. I don't remember the exact route there, but I will recognise the house if I see it."
Reinhard tugged him by sleeve, signaling Subaru to stop. The knight stood before him and bowed ceremoniously.
"I am deeply grateful for information you have provided so far. As a Knight of Lugnica, acting in the interest of Royal Assembly, I ask for your further assistance in location of the assassin. You will be properly compensated."
Subaru was flustered, averting his gaze while scratching his cheek. On the opposite, he felt he was troubling the knight with his obsession over supposed assassin, with zero evidence to prove it.
"Ahh, I mean, you don't have to be all that official about it... As long as my bowels stay where they belong, I am happy to help. You remember, I told you that the Bowel Hunter used- no, uses that thief as a lure for Emilia-tan. She'll kill the poor girl right after. I suppose, she might dispose of the thief indifferent of her target's arrival, to cover her tracks, so we should also try to save the girl too. And some other guy there, I don't quite know who that is."
"You are kind, Subaru. That thief girl stabbed you, but you want to save her anyway." Reinhardt's voice mellowed for a moment, returning to his earnest, ceremonious tone as Subaru looked at him again. "Subaru Natsuki. I vow that whatever we encounter when you are in my temporary employment, I will not let any harm befall you. In turn, if you agree to help me, I expect your full effort and absolute obedience when it comes to handling the task at hand."
Subaru couldn't fully believe it, expecting some kind of horrible turn around at any moment. Any moment, some horrible calamity would strike them and nullify his progress. Or worse, kill him for good. Subaru cursed himself for hesitating. Realistically, this was the only choice going forward, and yet it seemed too good to be true.
"You... You really believe me?"
"Yes, I do. I know you are not lying about the assassin."
"But how? How do you know I am not lying? I mean, I am not complaining! It's just... You know, I was desperate. I still can't believe we've met and we are talking. All this... You came out of nowhere. You are the only person I can converse with, you believed me from the get go and happened to be the one who could actually do anything about the assassin. Reinhard, you are a hero to me. You saved my sanity. Whatever you ask, I'll do."
Raising his fist, Subaru turned to look ahead, towards where he roughly remembered the slums were.
"So, let's go save some cute girls, Reinhard!"
Blood. Blood on the floor, blood on the walls. Even with little to no light from the outside, Emilia realised she was late. The assassin was already here and disposed of everyone, perhaps still laying in ambush for her. The boy was right... Emilia's train of thought was interrupted with Puck's warning, coupled with defensive spell protecting her from deadly strike from the ceiling. Assassin blew her first and only shot.
"Oh my, a Spirit Arts user... Is it the Great Spirit? Never gutted one."
Puck didn't let her stand in place and talk. Shards of ice coming from several directions had the woman weave and dodge. As Emilia chimed into barrage with her own spells, a good shot made the assassin stagger, forcing her retreat into the darker side of the room. In a moment of calmness, surrounded by dozen defensive and standby offensive spells, Emilia spoke.
"Who are you? Why did you kill these people and attack me?"
"Elsa Granhiert, for your sweet bowels. These two? They were too troublesome, and I had strict instructions about our negotiations. As well as about you, if you came for the Insignia."
Puck fired a big volley of shards based on sound, wretching part of the roof completely. To Emilia's surprise, Elsa reappeared at the adjacent wall, using it as a leverage point for her lunge towards half-elf. Late to realise the danger, Emilia launched her spell when Elsa was almost point blank. Several big shards flew into the assassin, deviating her course to the side. Puck, understanding that his time for today was almost finished, conjured ice spikes to where Elsa was about to land. He would not waste a single opportunity.
Miraculously, she survived Emilia's defensive strike almost unhurt, using the spikes to bounce away from half-elf, although partially damaging her leg. Losing her cloak but otherwise unfazed, Elsa landed on the far, undamaged side of the shack, with eyes full of excited bloodlust. Bowel hunter didn't even flinch when she saw Puck amassing even more spells, adopting more offensive array of magic. Licking her lips, Elsa spoke, slightly intoned, mockingly.
"It seems, my chances are not the best. This is so exciting!"
Emilia had nothing to say in return. Whether this were taunts or rambling of deranged madwoman, her unwavering confidence and present resilience started to intimidate the Royal Candidate. Still, since Elsa apparently wasn't a magic user, Emilia should be able to restrain her within ice. Perhaps, she would have to plow her opponent senseless first, judging by how easily the assassin crushed ice shards with her weapon.
Not waiting for Puck to strike first, leg fully healed, Elsa licked her lips and once again lunged towards Emilia.
"First we should visit a garrison on our way to slums. If we are lucky, my friend is there right now and he would be quite a match against Elsa, if we intend on capturing her."
Frowning, Subaru didn't respond. He was eager to reach the shack as soon as possible, to take advantage of his knowledge of events, however limited it was. His new nightmare became arriving too late to save the girl and big man, or worse – find Emilia there, dead, despite his efforts. Reinhard, while seemingly understanding his worries, was also interested in interrogating the assassin. Feeling Subaru's anxiety, Reinhard decided to elaborate on his decision as well as distract the boy from his worries, with the story about Emilia.
"Emilia is one of the Candidates in Royal Selection race. Nominally she is a very important person, compounded by investment in her candidacy by various people, including the Court Mage. But, her appearance... Is of Witch of Envy. Coincidental it may be, many people treat her harshly, especially when she announces her half-elf heritage, as she tends to do quite unchalantly..."
"Witch of Envy? This is some weird lore of yours... Is it some sort of Demon Lord? Emm, the person who tries to capture or destroy the world for some weird reason."
"Not quite. I am surprised you never heard of her. Satella, Witch of Envy, razed half the continent before the trio of Sage, Dragon and Sword Saint battled her, succeeding at sealing her in Augrea Dunes. They couldn't kill her, but their power was enough to contain her forever, so for the last 400 years she was basically buried alive, contained under ancient spell. Thus, lady Emilia's appearance disturbs people with the possibility of Satella breaking the seal."
"So, you mean, Emilia-tan looks like some fairy tale evil reincarnation? That's quite unfortunate and... ironic? If I were to rank people, you, Reinhard, would be the second kindest man, behind Emilia-tan. She is really an angel..."
"I am flattered, and I wouldn't argue with your assessment of lady Emilia, however brief it is. But, if it wasn't for Roswaal's protection, lady Emilia might have been forcibly exiled from Lugnica, if not outright attacked. Her protected status, kind demeanor and relative obscurity so far kept her out of danger. But this... The assassination attempt by such a high profile hire – Elsa the Bowel Hunter – planned with fidelity and (seemingly) with knowledge of lady Emilia's status and character, all of this combined presents a great, dangerous mystery. I don't want to bother you with more politics, Subaru, so I'll just say this much – such an event could lead to cessation of Royal Selection or, worse, to war."
"This sounds scary... To be completely honest, I don't quite understand how the assassin planned to lure Emilia in. I mean... Oh well, from what I know Emilia could only find the thief if she knows how that girl looks. And she would use... How it's called? 'Lesser spirit'. Yeah, that. Little orbs, floating in the air."
"True. Lesser spirits. Did you say that in common language? You have a Kararagian accent... Emilia is a proficient Spirit Arts user. I suppose, if she gives a good enough description of the person she looks for, there's a good chance local spirits could help Emilia to find the said thief. Although, it's probably more complex than that, I just know my friend Julius asked for spirits' help in his line of duty."
"Hmm. Considering Emilia-tan didn't see the girl's features properly and doesn't even know where she is from... Or does she? What if... Reinhard, we should hurry. Assassin must have planned for some other way to tip Emilia to go to that shack. The thief girl was clearly outrunning Emilia, so if it is a well-planned assassination, there must have been some evidence she left behind or someone to tell Emilia where she had gone..."
Subaru didn't remember the thief dropping anything. Not in any of the loops. First time, they all were distracted by Subaru's fight with delinquents, but in others... No. Unlikely. It's paramount for the plan that thief is guaranteed to get away, but Emilia also has to find the shack somehow. According to Reinhard and what he remembered from his first loop, all Emilia needs to locate the girl was her rough image and search the right area in slums...
"Those three! Bastards! They were meant to tell Emilia how to find the girl! But why would they risk involving with me then... No, that doesn't make much sense. Reinhard, this all situation is a mess. What even was stolen? This 'high-fidelity' plan falls apart too easy, especially if Emilia just lets it go."
"I don't quite follow you... Lady Emilia kept the item stolen a secret. She was adamant at finding it on her own. I don't know her well enough to speculate what she is looking for, unless... The Royal Insignia was stolen. This is something even I can guess is important for lady Emilia."
Subaru head started to hurt. Since the beginning of this loop, he was constantly racking his brain for detailed memories, event interpretations and solutions. Quick respite he had while talking about Emilia ended up the same. Subaru was loaded with more details about events unfolding, having to reassess everything that happened to him so far... Only now he noticed he had stopped again, his look straying unfocused to the ground. Subaru leaned on the wall, taking some time before glancing up, at Reinhard, who continued to explain.
"It's not guaranteed, but it makes the most sense. Insignia is of great importance for a candidate, losing it might result in dropping out of Royal Selection, especially for lady Emilia with her comparatively weak standing. This explains her insistence on avoiding our help..."
Subaru had to concentrate to prevent mumbling aloud, trying to put all the pieces together and remembering how exactly the confrontation went down. Did Elsa strike Emilia since the assassin realised she couldn't run away from half-elf? Or was it planned? He couldn't tell. If Elsa expected Emilia, why not dispose of the witnesses beforehand and lay in ambush? Sure, Emilia evidently didn't expect the attack, but still, would a professional take risks?
"Reinhard, I assume Elsa would need the thief girl alive for lesser spirits to track their location? I mean, those spirits, would they tell Emilia if the girl was already dead?"
"Not necessarily, no. Free Lesser Spirits don't usually particularly follow or care for people, unless they have great affinity with them or the person has the certain Divine Protection. They have exceptional memory of recent events, so they are helpful with tracking a person in open spaces. If Elsa is preparing an ambush relying on lady Emilia's Spirit Arts, she should kill the girl right the moment both of them meet in the building. Assuming I understood you correctly, Elsa is at the assassination site only at sunset, so we have time to visit the garrison first, to better prepare for handling her..."
"I... I think... I am not sure. It might have been really bad timing... Reinhard, could it be that the goal of Elsa was ensuring Emilia out of Royal Selection?" Subaru sudden realisation made him jolt back with energy, he talked faster with each second."Stealing Insignia to sabotage her Candidacy, kill her – in worst case scenario – if Emilia discovers the plot... You said Elsa's hiring does implicate the highest of your nobility, right? You also said Emilia is a powerful magician, perhaps escaping-"
"True. You are right. Don't overstress yourself, Subaru, slow down. You are trembling and fevering. Everything is fine so far..."
"That's the point! How can you just... 'Slow down', when people are in danger!? How do you know Elsa wouldn't go to the shack way in advance? I mean, I know she will be in the shack AT the certain time, but I don't know for how long she was there. I also know Elsa- no, rather, I am absolutely sure Elsa would not kill the girl immediately. I can't tell how I know, please, I swear on my heart..."
"I believe you. But-"
"No'but'! If you believe me, then we should go and find that shack immediately! Why do I care more than you do?! I don't even know them! They aren't my compatriots, I am not a policeman and apparently, I am no hero either! But you!..."
Subaru choked on his words. Shame from his outburst started to settle in. All these loops, Subaru did nothing useful. Realistically, he had little opportunity, he was no fighter, at least not yet. He can only gather info and endlessly experiment, dying and letting others die. It was about to change, thanks to this man. He pushed Reinhard to confront the killer, baselessly assuming the knight could actually take her on. Reinhard wanted to secure help and do his job properly, while Subaru thoughtlessly tried to order him around, despite being a civilian and with no real fighting or policing experience.
"I am sorry. I agreed to follow your lead. If you do need your friend from the station, you should get him, of course, but after that, please, we go to the shack as quickly as possible. I... apologize for my temper."
"Apology accepted. I understand your worries, I will not let you down. Truth be told, I am perfectly capable of defending myself or you from Elsa. But if there would be other people at the location, as you believe, then I alone could fail at protecting them. My friend, Julius Juukulius is proficient Spirit Arts user. He could scout the area before our decisive strike and could use magic to deter or even capture Elsa."
Lead by Reinhard, Subaru haven't talked much. He nodded and smiled in response to Reinhard's attempts to keep up the mood, knight talking about the Spirit Arts and spirits in general. While this theme interested Subaru and was relevant, he felt too depressed and exhausted, his attention almost slipping away despite the determination to learn as much as possible.
They had to make a small sideway, coming closer to the center of the city – City of Lugnica, or simply Capital. Last bits of trivia Reinhard bestowed on Subaru were the rough draft of countries on the continent. Apparently, Emilia's origin so far wasn't entirely clear even for the knight. Though lightened up, Subaru didn't follow Reinhard's lead with divulging his own "transported origin story". In the end, the boy didn't want another stroke by those cursed shadow hands...
Reinhard invited the boy to sit inside the gate room, while he went deeper into the fortress-esque building. Discarding whatever negative impressions he potentially made, Subaru laid wholly on the bench near the entrance. He felt tired, closing his eyes and trying to find a good spot on rugged wood, despite knowing he wouldn't fall asleep even if he was in fluffy cushions.
Initially, Subaru tried to think of what to do after they deal with Elsa. The thought of reconciliation with Emilia after handing her back whatever she lost was comforting. Of course, the question of language barrier stays, so he hoped Reinhard would help him for a bit after... after Subaru lives to see another day.
What if he successfully survives today, but the people at the shack die? Would he be content with saving just Emilia and himself? Subaru didn't know the answer. Clearly, he already did way more than required of him... Or did he? If Subaru could Return By Death, doesn't it make his responsibility to save as many people as possible in these loops? If it wasn't for Reinhard, he would be stuck trying to prevent Emilia from going there. And he couldn't even talk... Subaru shuddered, forcefully pulling himself from terrible thoughts.
He hadn't any more time to lay around, as he saw Reinhard approaching him with knightly-dressed, purple-haired man. The man was young, a bit older than Subaru, but he emanated aura of seriousness. He smiled politely and a bit questioningly at Subaru, briefly turning to look at Reinhard while the boy stood up.
"This young man is your foreign informant?"
"Yes. His name is Subaru Natsuki. He is apparently from land so isolated he only learned few words from our language."
"Peculiar... And he tipped you off-"
"Reinhard? Can we go? We can be introduced to each later," Subaru interrupted the guy, causing the purple-haired knight to frown. "I apologize if it breaks your customs. Let's do this on our way to slums. I don't know how much time we have left, if any..."
"Julius, sir Subaru is too anxious to waste time chatting here. You'll get to know each other en route."
Reading the perplexed expression on the Reinhard's friend's face, Subaru once again felt sorry for his outburst. He knew he was in the right to hurry, but mere seconds shouldn't matter. The boy stepped forward and extended his hand in internationally understood gesture.
"Subaru Natsuki."
"Julius Juukulius."
The purple-haired knight shook the hand of the boy. Forcefully calming his own voice, Subaru quietly proclaimed a call for action.
"Let's finally go and deal with this. I hope our delay was worth it."
Elsa was a master of her craft. She wouldn't call herself precise, but she always did the job tasked, with few very unfortunate exceptions. If it was about killing a person, hardly anyone could withstand her prowess, tenacity and endurance. And if someone managed to run away from their initial encounter, Elsa would chase that person to the end of the world unless told otherwise.
Elsa enjoyed her job. Well, mostly. She did enjoy fighting and killing, as well as overcoming strong opponents despite all the damage she takes. Pain didn't hurt, it was just a signal. Of course, magic presented serious threat – if it hit her. Now, since Elsa lost her magic-resistant cloak, she might have to exercise agility to her limit.
To dodge elven and cat's spells, Elsa had to fully give in to her instincts. For a while danger left no room for thoughts, but suddenly, the pressure the duo mounted slipped. It wasn't the duo of silver-haired half-elf and the Great Spirit anymore, but only the girl. The Cat Spirit disappeared. Why? Perhaps, it exhausted its mana supply? It didn't matter.
Elsa was slightly disappointed. Together, they landed few hits on the assassin, well on their way to figure out her fighting pattern so that they could finally deal a heavy blow to Elsa. Now it was just the girl, powerful and skilled, but too inefficient, inexperienced with offensive spells...
Despite the disappearance of her spirit, Emilia wasn't as afraid as assassin would have expected. Elsa could feel that the girl intended to fight on, apparently thinking she had a chance... Cute. If she indeed thought of some strategy, it's going to be an interesting fight.
The shack around them was on the verge of demolition, with all the holes in walls and broken structural beams. If it wasn't slums, because of the ruckus they caused Elsa would only have few more minutes until the guard arrived, not that they could actually do anything but slow her down. But something bothered the assassin. Elsa's intuition screamed to finish the girl now, not play around with her. And Bowel Hunter trusted her gut.
Elsa adjusted her hold on machetes. Emilia didn't attack her with magic. The girl was standing battle-ready, watching the assassin carefully. Tricks or not, her target was doomed. The question was only if a single strike was enough.
Emilia's plan was to use her ability to quickly conjure weapons made of ice. Most magicians were far more dangerous at range, thus everyone who fought one tried to close the distance and enjoy relative defencelessness of caster, who usually at best carried a dagger and light armor. There were notable exceptions, Spirit Knights and Yang Users, but both were rare. Emilia didn't look like either and only used Fire magic against the opponent. As such, there is an element of surprise and there would be an opening when Elsa attacks her.
The assasin started to slowly close the distance, contrary to her previous mad dashes. As they were few meters apart Elsa effortlessly and with no warning lunged herself towards the half-elf. Emilia prepared for that in advance, having conjured thousands of very small icicles and releasing the spell when assassin was already in the air. It wasn't designed to kill Elsa, but to slow down and desorient her, which it seemingly did.
Despite at the last moment shielding her eyes with machete, few stray shards blindsided the assassin. Elsa couldn't stop or seriously alter her flight, also tad slowed by the artificial blizzard Emilia unleashed. Half-elf, short ice sword in right hand, dodged the deadly projectile while slashing the side of Elsa with all her inhuman strength, shattering the ice sword.
Cut above elbow, still holding strongly onto her weapon, Elsa's arm plopped down on the ground with nasty sound. Emilia was momentarily stunned, not mentally prepared to deal such a grievous, horrific wound. But... The assasin was smiling! Licking her lips, seemingly not paying attention to her arm amputation, Elsa quietly yet clearly said the scariest thing.
"Got you. If I weren't in hurry, I would have played with your bowels, but... You are lucky I have to finish you off quickly."
What was she talking about? Surely, however strong and resilient you are, if you just lost your hand, you must be at a disadvantage! Emilia suddenly felt terrified. Elsa unhurriedly came to pick her arm, calmly releasing the weapon from dead palm's grip. Emilia could faintly see movement in Elsa's wound, half-elf only now registered that there was almost no blood spilled from what was supposed to be a deadly cut. The arm... Was growing back?!
Shocked by the revelation, Emilia briefly lost balance, making few steps backwards to regain it. She felt increasing pain in her stomach area, forcing her to unthinkingly look down. Her dress was cut. She was cut. Assassin found her mark. Emilia couldn't dare to breath, while her legs were slowly giving out and tears welled in her eyes.
Emilia was in state of deep panic. Her rationality was swept by pain, fear and absolute, unwavering desire to live. It was no more than ten seconds that her attention slipped, not noticing the assassin being tackled over by the couple of spells from surrounding spirits, with the red-haired knight standing over Elsa with sword in his hand.
Emilia casted her ultimate spell. Ultimate defence, deadly for pretty much anyone but Reinhard or someone who mastered Roswaal's level of Fire magic. It was just a second of uncontrolled, flooding amount of mana output.
Absolute Zero.
The sun was already low when Subaru and the knights finally found the familiar (for the boy) bridge, where Emilia once called for Lesser Spirits. It was from here that he could confidently guide the knights to the shack. Hopefully, they were in time.
As the group was closing in, they heard sounds of battle, Julius's scouting spirits confirming it. He was almost left out of the conversation, because Reinhard had little time to translate their communications. As knights started to run, Subaru picked up his pace. Reinhard turned his head to the boy, face and voice serious.
"Subaru, you should stay here. Apparently, some fire magician found the assassin and is battling her. They almost destroyed the building they are in, some random spell they use can accidentally harm you."
"I can manage! I won't come too close, I promise! I just want to see this through! I will stand on watch or help evacuate civilians."
"You don't know the language, Subaru. Truth be told, in battle I wouldn't be able to converse with you either, since Blessing of Soul Language overwhelms much of my senses. If I haven't had many other, stabilising Divine Protections, I might go insane using it. When fighting, I will get rid of it temporarily, to be absolutely focused on things at hand. There is no reason for you to come with us."
"Please! I'll stay behind this building."
"Take care, Subaru. We have to go."
Reinhard sped up, taking a second to borrow fellow knight's weapon and leaving Julius and the boy behind. The Spirit Knight was apparently focused on coordinating his spirits, not paying attention to Subaru. He also sped up after a while, finishing giving out whatever complex orders he had.
Subaru ran to the small building not far from the shack. Reinhard was standing on the battered, almost collapsing roof, while Julius stood near the door holding something like an oversized, arkane-looking collar. Julius cried something and Reinhard with invisibly fast movement broke through the roof, falling inside. Julius followed him in through the door.
Was that it? Were they going to use that collar to catch the assassin? Why not cuffs? Or...
Subaru didn't have time to finish his thought. In moment, cold air paralyzed his voice cords, burned trachea and lungs, stopping his terrified shriek. In mere seconds, Subaru was frozen to death.
His cry found a way out when Subaru already stood in front of the familiar fruit stand.
The horrible day just didn't end.