Chapter Seven: Soldier of God
"Fuck!"
Subaru dropped his sword and fell to his knees, the sharp gravel and cold dirt stinging his skin through the fabric of his tracksuit as he sucked in several panicked and pained breaths. "I…I was cut in half," he said in a shuddering voice. "That was…terrible." He'd revived again, but something was very different this time.
He looked up slowly at his left hand stretched above his head and found it resting on the head of the statue placed just ahead of the boss room.
"Wh-...what?" His chest still heaving, he stared slack-jawed at the statue's weathered face for several moments. "But…I thought my checkpoint was the campfire with the girls. What changed?"
As his breathing finally returned to normal, Subaru sat back on his rear and crossed his legs, placing his right hand on his knee and using his left to stroke his chin in thought.
"Let's look at the information," he said, his eyes twisted shut as if he were diverting the extra power of sight to his brain in order to focus more acutely. "I've now died three times, and the first two times, I've returned to that pretty campfire where I first met the twins."
Leaning back on his hands, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of the cave. "So I seem to possess some weird looping ability that only triggers when I die, and I'm sent back to some predetermined checkpoint. I figured I'd be given a rare power when I got here like any other isekai protagonist, but this one feels especially tailored to someone who's useless. Not sure why I'm not more offended by that, but at any rate, I should call this ability something. How about," he raised a hand with his finger pointed upward as his face took on a dramatic, doomful expression and said with a woeful voice, "'Return by Death'."
Sitting forward again and crossing his arms, he continued, "but that still doesn't explain why the third checkpoint changed. Could it just be that I made it further and updated it?" At this, he turned his head and stared at the statue again. "No, I think it has something to do with this. When I touched it, it made my vision glow gold like the campfire. Could it be some sort of manual savepoint?" His eyes widened as a realization came to him. "Wait, the campfire! That's right! I keep returning to the next moment I remember after touching the Site of Grace! That's my savepoint!" Standing and pointing at the statue as if he were accusing it of something, he puffed out his chest and exclaimed, "and you must be a quicksave!"
Crossing his arms again and looking extremely pleased with himself, his smirk only lasted a moment before dread overtook him. "It's great that I don't have to introduce myself to the girls again, but that doesn't fix my current problem." He leveled his gaze at the fog wall ahead of him, his right hand gently stroking his belt line where he'd been bisected just moments before. "How am I supposed to fight that guy? I don't have any, like, magic or anything, just a sword and the average teenage Japanese physique." Subaru closed his eyes solemnly. "He's…what was his name again? 'Rick', maybe? Rick is a lot stronger and faster than me, and that sword is bigger than I am!"
Bending at the waist, he picked up his fallen blade and stood straight again, holding it before him and glaring at his reflection in the steel.
"I'm so small and weak, and I'm all alone. I don't know what to do." His teeth gritted in a desperate anger, the hot tears forcing their way through their lidded prison. His cheeks began to hurt from the effort of staving off the sobs as sharp breaths sliced through the gaps between his incisors.
Suddenly, a thought came to him, causing his eyes to go wide. He turned his head slowly until his stare fell once again on the weathered statue that acted as his current checkpoint. Without a word, Subaru reached out with his left hand and placed it atop the statue's head, reigniting the golden light in his vision.
As the flash of light subsided, Subaru scanned his field of view and took in the information available to him.
On the left of the "screen", Subaru saw what could only be described as a character sheet of some sort. It listed his name at the top, followed by the word 'Class', then the word 'Attributes' just below that. The fourth and last line consisted of the word 'Affinities'.
His focus shifted to his right, finding a box at the top with the number '49' inside of it. "Hmm," he mused to himself, "I'm pretty sure I can see that box all the time." At the bottom of the right side of the "screen", there was an icon resembling a pouch or bag of some sort.
Glancing back toward the left, he reread the list of options before him. "'Class', huh? An intrinsic part of any RPG, obviously. Let's see what badass origins I've begun my adventure with!" Focusing on the word below his name, it glowed and revealed a phrase next to it in bold, capitalized letters:
'NONE APPLICABLE'
His face fell in disappointment. "What? I don't have a class? That feels like a cop-out, but whatever." Shifting his attention to the next line, he repeated the process of focusing on the word 'Attributes' as hard as he could, and a similar reaction occurred, though this time the results were far more rewarding. A dropdown list of words and numbers appeared below the word, showing what he assumed to be his overall statistics as a character.
The first line, titled 'Level', was pretty easy to decipher, and was accompanied by the value '1'. "Level one, huh? Guess that makes sense. Gotta start somewhere." With a small space, the list continued with the individual values making up what Subaru assumed to be typical RPG stats.
The first was 'Vigor', which was valued at one. "Sounds like health," he mumbled to no one. "But what's that?" Focusing specifically on the word, he noticed it was preceded by an icon that seemed to resemble…
…a lock?
"What the hell does that mean?" He said, honing in on the little character with his scary eyes. As he did, a warning message of some sort momentarily appeared, overlapping the entirety of his vision.
'WARNING: UNABLE TO FORTIFY THIS ATTRIBUTE WITH RUNES.'
As the message faded, Subaru's jaw fell in shock. 'What the fuck?!' he screamed internally, his panic boiling over at the implication of the words he'd just read. 'I can't upgrade my health?! How am I supposed to survive in this insane place?!'
Attempting to calm himself, he quickly scanned the list and noticed vigor was not the only stat he was unable to increase. In fact, it seemed his starting values would be permanent for roughly…
…half of his stats.
"This…is a nightmare," he finally managed to mumble. Pushing that thought as far back as it could go, he continued to survey his stats. The next, locked just like vigor, was titled 'Mind', and valued at nine. "What is 'Mind'?" Just as the question left his dejected lips, another message appeared before him reading, 'Mind: The Attribute governing FP, the resource needed to cast spells and use skills.' "So…mana," he deadpanned. "I'm stuck with a set amount of HP and MP? I'm just as useless as I was in my old world!"
Moving on, he read the next few lines, finding them all fairly self-explanatory, as well as unlocked. His 'Endurance', which was valued at fourteen, was likely what decided his stamina. The next stat, 'Strength', valued at nineteen, probably allowed him to wield heavy weapons and armor? The last of the gimmes, titled 'Dexterity' and listed to be thirteen, was plausibly linked to mobility and could give him the capability to use nimble tools. An image of himself as a great hero boasting a katana appeared in his mind.
The last three attributes gave him pause. The first, still unlocked, was called 'Intelligence', and it was valued at twenty-three. Looking around for a moment, he said quietly, "what is intelligence?", prompting another message to materialize.
'Intelligence: The Attribute required to perform Glintstone Sorceries. Also boosts the power of Intelligence-scaling weapons and spells.'
"Hm, interesting. Another way of distinguishing your build, I guess?" While the higher-than-average value of his intelligence stat gave him confidence, the next and final two on the list dashed almost all of it. They were called 'Faith' and 'Arcane'. They were both locked, and they were both represented by the same value.
One.
"That…can't be good." As he dreaded the implications of two attributes being stuck at rock-bottom forever, he prompted the 'system' to inform them about what they did.
'Faith: The Attribute required to perform Sacred Incantations. Also boosts the power of Faith-scaling weapons and spells.'
"Okay, that's not so bad," he said, "basically the holy side of the magic system I'm assuming, I'll just be cornered into an intelligence build. Not the end of the world, though I'm not psyched about the idea that I'm 'faithless'." Focusing once again, he read the next message.
'Arcane: The Attribute governing Holy Defense and Vitality, which protect you from Holy Damage and Death Blight, respectively. Also controls your Discovery stat, and boosts the power of Arcane-scaling weapons and spells.'
Subaru stood silently for a moment, mulling over the words in his head. A stat that protects you from what basically amounts to spiritual damage and death, as well as helps you find things. Sounds almost like…
"...a luck stat?" he said to himself. At first excited, he remembered his was locked at one, seemingly forever, and his face once again fell into a monotone disappointment. "That tracks."
Now fully acquainted with his attributes, he focused once more on the word and allowed the list to retreat. Settling his attention on the fourth and final line, he asked the empty room, "what are affinities?" A now-familiar font materialized in front of him.
'Affinities: A natural skill for a specific weapon or spell, allowing the user to ignore the tool's Attribute requirements.'
"Woah, that could be useful," he whispered. "Let's see just how bad my luck really is." Focusing on the option, a two-word phrase appeared next to it: 'Aberrant Sorcery'. He brought the pommel of his reverse-gripped sword to his chin. "Hm, doesn't sound so bad. Actually has a cool ring to it. Hey, uh, computer? Or whatever? What are Aberrant Sorceries?"
The message appeared. 'Aberrant Sorceries: Also known as 'Thorn Sorceries', they are a group of Sorceries revolving around the ability to summon thorns to deal damage.'
His eyes went wide like a kid on Christmas morning. "That's so sick! That luck stat is useless, I hit the jackpot!" His face fell once more when a realization struck him. "Oh, yeah. I don't know any spells."
He perked up once more when he remembered he hadn't quite finished exploring the 'menu' yet. Looking to his right, he focused on the bag icon, and suddenly, his entire 'screen' transformed to show a new list.
It seemed to be an inventory, with a side-scrolling menu on the top. He did a quick scan through it and first found the 'Armor' section, which only included his tracksuit (currently marked 'equipped'). Scrolling a bit more, he found the 'Weapons' tab and saw the sword he currently held in his right hand. Exploring further, he came across what he'd been searching for: a section of the menu titled 'Sorceries'.
Inside it was a single, unequipped spell.
A spell called 'Briars of Punishment'.
"Holy crap," he muttered. Focusing on the spell, instead of equipping it like he'd intended, he'd prompted another warning message.
'WARNING: SPELLS REQUIRE AN EQUIPPED CATALYST BEFORE THEY CAN BE USED.'
The initial confusion returned to his face, this time more prominent than ever. "Uh, what's a 'catalyst'?" The question had its intended effect, with a new message following soon after.
'Catalyst: A tool required for casting Glintstone Sorceries or Sacred Incantations. They may take the form of either a Glintstone Staff or a Sacred Seal, respectively.'
Something in that message triggered a very recent memory in Subaru, prompting him to quickly scroll back to a tab he'd nonchalantly skipped, thinking it was unimportant to his current situation. Within the 'Catalysts' section, he found one unequipped item. A stick of dark-brown wood, with no significant features that made it particularly appealing or unique.
A single glintstone staff named the 'Staff of Loss'.
Focusing on the image of the weapon, he selected the option to equip it. Once he did, the staff materialized on his hip, threaded through one of his belt loops. Traversing his way through the inventory menu again, he made his way back to the 'Sorceries' tab and hovered over the spell he wanted to use. Intensifying his stare, he equipped it to his spell bar, prompting another message to appear. 'One of two available Memory Slots now occupied.'
"One of two?" he mused to himself. "Guess I can only use two spells at a time. Maybe there's a way to increase it?" Removing his hand from the head of the statue, he took a deep breath as the 'menu' disappeared from view. Feeling around his hip with his now-free hand, he found the staff and grasped it, unsheathing it from the loop on his pants and holding it to his side.
"Alright," he growled, his hands tightening on his two weapons with conviction. "I can do this. I can beat that guy!" He began his stride confidently, but coming to the fog wall gave him severe pause. He gulped audibly, attempting to steady his hands and teeth.
"I…I don't want to die again." Forcing himself through several deep breaths, he couldn't shake the image of his severed lower half still standing while his lifeless torso fell to the ground. It was horrifying. Like something out of a slasher flick, but happening to him in real life. He'd been unable to remove it fully from his mind since he revived.
He lifted his staff and glared at it, rubbing his thumb across the rough finish thoughtfully. "I can do this," he reassured himself, his smile returning somewhat. "With this badass new spell, I'll shred that guy in no time!" With his resolve secured, he pushed himself forward, crossing the dull, gold fog in a fluid motion.
Immediately upon entering the room in which he'd most recently perished, he witnessed his murderer appear on the other end through his own fog wall, the name and health bar accompanying his arrival once again.
"Alright, Rick!" he shouted as he held his new staff in front of him with the end pointed at his target. "Get ready to pay! Hyaa!"
After a moment of nothing happening and 'Rick' having made several more steps of progress toward him, Subaru began to panic.
"Oh shit!" he yelled at himself as he leaned back and covered his face with the heels of his occupied hands. "I never learned how to use the spell!" Looking forward, he noticed the soldier was beginning to close in on him. As he started to circle to his left to avoid being cornered, he attempted to mentally work through his predicament.
"I've got it!" he said, staring upward at the invisible lightbulb appearing over his head. "Computer! How do I cast a spell?" The familiar text appeared within his vision silently.
'Spell Casting: Direct the proper catalyst toward your target and recite the name of the spell you wish to cast. If you attempt to cast a spell without the requisite FP, you risk serious injury and even death.'
"Hm, that's not concerning," he hummed. "Wait, what was my spell called again? Computer! Uh, spell list?" Another set of text was shown.
'Currently Equipped Spells: 'Briars of Punishment'. (1/2 Memory Slots Occupied)'
"Right!" Finally achieving a distance from his target with which he felt comfortable, Subaru steadied himself in a firm stance and extended his left hand, pointing the tip of the staff at 'Rick'. Placing his right fist - still gripping the handle of his sword - atop his left bicep in an attempt to aim, he took a deep breath, and glared intensely at the ever-charging knight.
"Briars of Punishment!"
A moment of silence as the soldier continued his pursuit began to cause panic in the boy, wondering if his spell had failed once again. Just as he was preparing to retreat and regroup, several wounds opened along the entire length of his extended arm, each one expelling a forceful torrent of blood like sprinklers through holes in his sleeve as if he'd been struck externally.
Subaru's eyes went wide in horror as his precious life fluid escaped his body at an alarming rate, able to do nothing but stare at the dozen or so crimson geysers continuing to fire in various positions around his arm. His breath started to hitch and stutter, his mouth agape at the terrifying scene. His right hand went limp, dropping his sword, but his left grip remained iron-clad on the staff, as if a separate force was holding his hand closed.
Just as the combination of fear and blood-loss was about to take his consciousness from him, the flow of ichor ceased almost immediately. The pain had finally caught up to his petrified brain, throwing the boy to his knees as he gripped his soaked arm, still dripping into the ruby pool that had formed around him. He forced himself to look up, seeing the knight now within striking distance of him. His expression fell as he began to accept his fate.
Before he could resign himself to die, the pool of blood beneath him began to bubble, grasping his attention as it popped against his soaked shins. He watched in disbelief, unable to understand what exactly was happening. The pool began to shrink, gathering in a location just ahead of him. Once the entirety of the blood he'd lost had collected itself into a puddle no bigger than the width of his shoulders, it shot forward with a life of its own. It reached 'Rick's' feet and once again expanded exponentially until it reached its original size.
The armed man froze, looking to his feet. His curiosity lasted only a moment as he started to walk again, but before his first step fell, the blood boiled again, and three thorny tendrils exploded upward.
The first pierced his right thigh. The second stabbed through his waist, then twisted back to do the same to his right shoulder from behind. As the first two lifted him off the ground, the third tentacle skewered him through the middle of his back, then slowly snaked around before plunging downward through the center of his helmet.
The knight let his massive sword clatter to the ground as he finally died.
The tendrils disappeared almost instantly, reforming back into liquid blood that splashed the ground below as the dead soldier's body crumpled in a heap. A sudden stream of Grace swirled around the body of the fallen warrior before shooting forward and making impact with Subaru's chest, pushing him to his rear and causing him to wince slightly before enjoying the warmth that accompanied it.
Subaru stayed seated on his behind for many moments, still unable to fully process what he'd just experienced. One thing hadn't managed to escape his understanding, however.
"He's…he's dead."
The exhausted boy placed his healthy forearm over his eyes as the tears began to flow freely. He fell to his back with a splash, a pained laughter shuddering across his lips. He was finally able to loosen his grip on the staff, letting the wooden tool sink in the shallow water. He held his wounded arm over his head and peered at it from beneath his sleeve. The pain was searing, but he forced himself to endure it to analyze the state of his limb. The fabric of his tracksuit was completely shredded and blood-soaked, the material heavy with the weight of his accumulated plasma. He could make out the deep wounds beneath some of the holes in the jacket, fresh but dry for the most part.
The limb suddenly became too heavy to hoist overhead, but as it fell to the water below, the feeling left it completely. Soon after, even the weight of the arm he felt in his pectoral muscles faded as well, the numbing sensation washing over his entire body slowly.
"I…I think I'm passing out," he whispered, no longer able to focus. "I'm…so…so tired. My body is…so heavy." His dense lids fell as sleep continued to absorb his battered form.
"Heh," he said softly, intent on getting another word in before his eyes fully lost the light of his surroundings. "A spell…that mutilates me…before doing damage." The boy's face lolled to the side, a small smirk adorning his lips.
"Just…my luck."