Author's Note I:
Thank you very much for every read, review, follow and favorite! Please be assured that I read every review! I will answer some of them in a 2nd author's note at the end of the chapter. Just wanted to give you a heads up and now I hope you'll enjoy reading the next chapter.
The Sage Council of Lugnica was amidst yet another discussion concerning the future of the country. With an ever-increasing number of nobles demanding the royal selection to begin early, they felt the pressure rising despite being unable to do anything about it—the Dragon Tablet had simply stated that five candidates were needed for the selection to begin and they had to strictly adhere to its instructions. But their meeting was interrupted when a servant, visibly out of breath, stormed into the throne room.
"What brings you to interrupt an ongoing meeting of the Sage Council?" questioned Miklotov McMahon, Representative of the Sage Council. He wasn't upset since the intrusion saved them from a discussion that had been going in circles for the past hour, but the breach of protocol still had to be addressed.
"I deeply apologize, Miklotov-sama, but the Dragon Tablet!" the servant exclaimed, "There is a new message on the Dragon Tablet!"
Agitated murmurs arose, as the council members processed the revelation, eventually leading them to shoot up from their seats and storm out of the room. Rarely could one witness the members of the Sage Council shuffling this quickly through the palace. They hoped the Dragon had heard their plea and had given them new instructions to follow, for if they knew how dire the situation had become, so surely would he. However, nobody could anticipate just what the tablet had revealed. There were but four new words inscribed.
The Star has arrived.
"Hey kid, you gonna buy something or what?" asked the man standing impatiently in front of Subaru.
Subaru's hands shook like leaves. His eyes bulged out of their sockets, cracked wide open in shock—his pupils dilated by the sudden onslaught of daylight.
He grabbed hold of his stomach, where the heat once rapidly dissipated from, yet he noticed a familiar weight encumbering his hand and a familiar rustling noise.
Seeing his sudden meltdown, the merchant stepped forward.
"Hey hey, you're not trying to ruin my business here, are you? Is something wrong, kid?" asked the man, equal parts of worry and annoyance swinging in his voice.
I know that face. That's… that's the appa salesman. How did he get here? No, wait, how did I get here? What just happened? How long was I out?
"I'm… fine?" he said cautiously, as to reassure himself of the truth behind the statement. He studied his surroundings carefully, attempting to make sense of the situation he had currently found himself in.
It's day again. This is the market stand where I had been some hours ago. Before getting mugged. How did I end up here again?
With a shrug the merchant stepped back again, though not without keeping a watchful eye on the strange boy before him.
"So, are you gonna buy anything or not?" the man asked once more. It was clear that his patience was running out, and that he was not too happy about the unwanted commotion by his stall.
But Subaru only registered it distantly, as if he were watching through some muddy camera. "Hey Appa Man, haven't you asked me that already?" he asked, his voice hollow—for he still felt disconnected.
The man scoffed. "The name's Kadomon Risch, not 'appa man' and no, I'm certain I'd remember your face. You've never shopped here before."
"—Eh?" Subaru blinked. "Sorry Appa Man, but I still don't have any money on me."
Kadomon shook his head, mumbling something inaudible, before eventually saying to Subaru, "Then scram!"
Subaru sighed, but complied, wandering off to collect his thoughts. I was in the slums a moment ago. Then we got attacked. And… I fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. And so did Emi—damn it!
He burst into a sprint, pushing his way through as many pedestrians as he had to, running faster than the lizard-drawn wagons and carriages could roll through the city. He ignored the multitude of angry shouts and curses—there was only one thing that mattered right now.
His mind was racing faster than he himself did through the streets. But no matter how he put it, he couldn't come to a reasonable thought. So he did the only thing he could—return to the slums as fast as he could. Though the only way he knew was the one he had taken with Emilia yesterday, meaning that he would need to retrace it from the moment he had met her.
But when he finally found the alley where Emilia had saved and healed him, there instead awaited a different reunion than the one he had with all his heart hoped for.
"There's a toll for passing through this alley, you know? If you spit out some coins, we can all go our happy ways," the man said with a vile smirk.
The boy narrowed his mean eyes, burning with rage, and a hint of fear, upon seeing these familiar faces. He could well remember the many bruises they had given him just a couple of hours ago. Cursed luck struck once more. Why did he have to meet these thugs again at all? Aren't there other people they can both— no, that's a terrible thought. He swallowed his anger.
"You scumbags. I've got nothing left! What's the idea? Was beating me down twice not enough?" He gritted his teeth, trying to not let his anger show through too much—forgetting about the already revealed hostility in addressing them.
The three men looked irritated, but who would expect to be asked such a peculiar question in the process of robbing someone? "What do you mean, again? I've never seen you before," Lanky said, turning around to his friends in search of support. But they too shook their heads, apparently being none the wiser than the other.
"Well, I remember you clear as day, you robbed me!" he insisted.
"I don't know what you're talking about. And who cares? You still got stuff to share, don't act so surprised then," lanky said, pointing to Subaru's right hand.
The boy looked down again, realization still not having fully set in. Yeah, they stole my plastic ba… wait. If they stole it, why am I carrying it again? "So you're telling me… you've never seen me?"
They shrugged their shoulders, the three in unison, "No, never seen one like you before."
So it is like that. Those three don't remember me. And now that I think of it, neither did the appa guy. I've got all my stuff back, and feel fine… wait, wrong moment to think about something like that. First, take out these three. And this time I'll make sure to knock out the guy with weapons first.
"Now enough of your senseless babble, drop the goods already!" Lanky shouted, having come a few steps closer. Unbeknownst to him, Subaru kept a close eye on him, waiting for a moment of his carelessness—when his greed would allow him to strike.
There was a spark in his eyes as Subaru realized he could seize this opening. Before the lanky thug even realized it, the black-haired boy set out for an attack. With a clean hit, a merciless uppercut, he knocked him out cold, potentially breaking the thug's jaw.
It was the same as last time. The other two were too stunned to counter immediately, allowing Subaru to once more kick the short one into a wall, taking him out of the action as well. Though this time he kicked even harder. Making sure he wouldn't get up again too soon.
Now Burly was his last opponent. Contrary to what one might believe, Subaru wasn't worried too much. He remembered knocking him out before, so he surely could do it again.
But he wouldn't let overconfidence cloud his judgment. He wanted all three of them on the ground, out cold.
"You got more courage than's good for you," the man said, belittling his past victim's fighting spirit.
"Don't underestimate me. I might have been a shut-in, but I exercised every day, I can bench press more than seventy kilograms!" Subaru boasted, in an attempt to pump himself up.
The burly man lunged forward, raising his arms as if he wanted to hug the boy. A very painful hug, that surely would have become an inescapable chokehold had it connected…but Subaru was able to catch the burly man's arm and twist it, deflecting the attack.
He had tasted humiliating defeat twice now against these thugs, so Subaru resolved to do what violated the most basic courtesy of fights between men. The burly man yelped three octaves too high as he was robbed of consciousness and potential future family planning.
Subaru snorted, wiping the few droplets of sweat from his forehead. He defeated them one on three. Where they would have needed to resort to weapons, he only needed his hands. "Not bad for a weakling, huh? Scumbags."
And two rematches. But apparently they don't know that.
He looked down on the three men that lay there—out cold. Last time it did not take them too long to recover. I probably shouldn't try my luck and overstay. However, there is for certain one thing I should do. He turned the lanky one around so that he now laid on his stomach.
"I'm sure you won't mind," the victorious youth said, as he borrowed one of the knives. He quickly decided it would be for the best if he hid it though, so he imitated the thug and hid it under his tracksuit.
Now, enough time wasted with these thugs. I have to hurry. Hopefully Emilia is safe.
Subaru followed the route he remembered down to the slums. This time though, it was broad daylight when he arrived, allowing him to orientate himself much easier than some hours ago. While luck had so far not been on his side, he could at least rely on his sense of orientation and his memory—finding the plaza where they had heard the scream last evening without issue.
He could feel his heart beating faster as he closed in on the alley. What would he do if he found the girl still lying there? What if Emilia is—? He shook his head, banishing his worries to the back of his mind.
In truth, he couldn't endure the thought of having failed the one person that helped him.
After gathering all of his courage, Subaru made a bold step forward and peeked inside the alley. There it was. Nothing. No bodies, no blood. Just an empty alley. He exhaled deeply, releasing the air he had held back without even noticing it. The boy could feel relief wash over him, as he inspected the dirt road, not a single trace of red visible on it.
For the first time since he stood before the appa man, Subaru was able to calm down. Combined with the privacy an alley in the slums offered, this was a rare, yet ideal moment for recollection. He leaned against a wall, trying to reconstruct the past day.
Alright. So we got attacked here. It was evening. Now it's day again. There are no traces of blood or signs of a fight, which is weird. Healing magic exists, if we got away somehow after I fell unconscious and Emilia healed me, that could be some sort of explanation, but…
Subaru lifted his tracksuit and shirt to look at his abdomen. He carefully applied gentle pressure with his fingers to see if there was any sign of a wound remaining, but there was none. His hair too was free of any dried blood, as was the rest of his body and clothing. There were no signs of yesterday's struggles visible whatsoever.
Then there were two additional factors to consider. First, everything that was robbed from him was back. The plastic bag in his hands alone was a dead giveaway, but Subaru also had his phone and wallet on him. Second, nobody the boy met yesterday has any memory of him. And while maybe one of them would lie to have a good laugh, all of them pretending seemed unlikely.
So it is like that. Some sort of time rewinding? Did I do that, is that my power? Since no one else remembers a thing, it must be, right? But what's that lingering bad feeling?
Had there been some other person or some observer with him, they could have chuckled at the many faces the boy made in rapid succession, while being drowned in contemplative silence.
"Only one way to test it: Time rewind!" he shouted, striking a pose to pierce the sun once more. But nothing happened. "Guess it doesn't work like that, do I have to do something special for it? Or is it something else entirely?" He ruffled his hair in frustration.
Subaru could feel his head throbbing. No, there is more to remember. It's important, and yet why can't I remember properly? Ah. I failed miserably, didn't I? It was my single job to look out for danger. Said I could take a hit. Promised Puck I'd keep her safe. And I got snuck up upon, taken out with one hit, and saw her lying there beside me, bleeding just as much as I did. I saw her crying.
With clenched fists he left the place of his former demise behind, having resolved himself to look for Emilia next. While Subaru was almost sure that he got a second chance somehow, he still needed to confirm that his thoughts up to this point were correct. And more importantly, that he would be able to uphold what he had promised, to keep her safe. He still owed her, didn't he?
Leaving the dead-end, he once more found himself in a rather frequented plaza. Now that Subaru had calmed down a little, he paid attention to his surroundings again, which so far had been able to escape his attention. Or did he ignore them on purpose? Either way, he once more realized how the other people regarded him. It's just the same as yesterday too, huh.
He moved on, not wanting to be distracted by the hostility. And if things came down to worst, he at least had a knife with him. Yet he hoped that it wouldn't be needed. Even though such hope might have been very naive to have, for wandering alone in the slums bore some risk. He had got to know this from his previous life—but one could wonder if he truly learnt from that experience yet.
It was for this reason he intended to leave the slums almost the quickest way possible, not wanting to inevitably run into another group of lawless individuals. Even yesterday when they were a pair, he noticed the glares. and he would certainly not fare better now, all alone.
Almost, since instead of merely going the same way back, Subaru decided to follow the path they had taken yesterday through the slums together. If he was right, this was a sure way to meet her again.
But instead, when Subaru turned around a corner on his way back to the upper parts of the city, finally having found a bridge he can use to cross the stream, he spotted another familiar-looking person talking with someone. The person that lay in that alley. The girl that screamed so horrendously.
A short blonde-haired girl.
While that alone might not have been too telling of a feature, there was no mistake. He could very well remember the person that lay there in their own blood, their clothing soaking up their wearer's life essence. The same clothing she wore, the same long scarf.
Subaru rubbed his eyes to make sure they didn't deceive him. Seeing as the conversation between the short girl and the other person, a black-haired woman, had come to an end with the woman leaving, Subaru approached the girl, but then hesitated part-way.
What should I say? "Hey, good to see you, did you die yesterday?" Doesn't sound creepy at all.
"What did you just say? You talkin' to me?" the short girl asked him with a mix of amusement and bewilderment. She had taken place on a wooden guardrail intended as preventive measure against falling into the river, letting her legs dangle, resting her head on her right palm.
Subaru facepalmed. Oh crap, did I just say that out loud?
The boy gesticulated wildly, as to somehow regain his composure with that, "Ah, yeah, that question was directed at you."
The girl looked up, seemingly about to answer, but when she caught a view of his face, she lost balance, almost falling into the river. Subaru lunged forward, trying to grasp her arm.
"Woah, woah, careful. It'd be really bad if you die again, wasn't yesterday enough?" he said, only half-joking.
After regaining her balance, she shook the boy's hand off, freeing herself from his grip, "The hell are you talking about? I am and always was alive, you weirdo," she said, her face warped into a shocked mixture of surprise and irritation—revealed by a small frown.
"Eh? Are you really alright? I could swear I've seen you before, quite wounded that is," the boy asked with a grimace, aware of how unsettling the statement was.
"What's your problem? I'm feeling just fine, and I'm sure I've never seen a guy like you before. Though I've surely heard of your kind, and nothing good at that," the blonde girl answered.
Subaru tilted his head. So she doesn't remember as well. And she's fine. So that means my guess should be correct. And maybe only I can remember what happened.
"Ah, that's good to hear," he mumbled, "not the 'haven't heard anything good about you' part, but the 'I'm just fine' part."
"Yeah, I guess?" She mustered him from top to bottom, at first tensing up when she saw his face, but in the end, dropped her guard after he had failed to look menacing. "Sorry, you don't seem to be a bad guy. Didn't mean to insult you, I was just surprised… the name's Felt."
"I'm Natsuki Subaru," the boy said, leaning himself against the guardrail facing the river, though of course with his head turned to her while they were talking.
"And what brings you to this lovely place, Subaru? It surely doesn't seem like you're from around here."
"Eh, you can tell?" Subaru scratched the back of his head, his transparency in the situation rather embarrassing.
"You do stand out in mannerisms and appearance, so yeah. It's easy to tell if you're a local yourself," she stated as a matter-of-fact.
Subaru let the information sink in, returning instead to her previous question, "I see. Well, I'm… looking for someone. I thought she might be around here somewhere, or at least pass through."
The girl studied the boy's face. As all of the inhabitants of this city did so far, she too kept her guard up towards the stranger. Seeing though that he did seem a bit lost, she relented. "Alright, what does she look like? Maybe I've seen her around," Felt said, offering her help.
"A girl about my age. She has long silver hair," Subaru explained, "a real beauty, and she might be accompanied by a cat," he added, though that part was already lost on the blond-haired girl.
Subaru could see how shock was written all over Felt's face. Her mouth opened and closed without letting any sound escape.
"What's the matter, do you remember seeing her?" Subaru asked with a hint of hope in his voice.
Felt slowly shook her head, keeping her crimson eyes focused on the boy's mean eyes. "So you're looking for a silver-haired girl. Is that really what you're telling me here? You serious?"
Subaru nodded. "Yeah, she's my… friend," he said with fondness. "Or was? Maybe even she won't recognize me anymore either," the boy said, his voice barely above a whisper, inaudible for Felt.
"Hehe, hahaha," the girl started to laugh, "you really got guts, I gotta say. Scared me real good for a moment." As she saw his confused face, she doubled down, "To imagine someone to be that carefree."
Subaru looked perplexed at the giggling girl. "I don't get what's so funny about it, but I'm glad at least you're having a good laugh," he said, smiling weakly.
I'm sure I saw Felt yesterday lying there, and she's fine. In that case Emilia should be as well. Now I only need to find her.
After Felt had calmed down, she answered Subaru, "Sorry, I haven't seen her yet. But if you think she'll pass through here, we can wait together. You're lucky, I'm waiting for someone too, to give them a city tour."
"City tour? Like some sort of tourist guide?" the boy wondered. You're giving a city tour through the slums? Who'd need something lik—eh?
"I don't know what 'tourist' means, but yes, as guide. I know these streets pretty damn well," she boasted with confidence shining through. "Normally I'm doing this gig in the upper parts of the city, but I was told someone pretty important would come down here and might need help to orientate themselves."
"Ah, but don't spread the word. Wouldn't want to lose a way to earn some money," the girl said, her voice cracking from the hastily made addition. She puffed her cheeks, underlining how serious she was about the request and embarrassment about it.
Shouldn't it rather be like "Make sure to tell your friends!"? Not that I'd have any, but still.
"I won't say a thing about it," he assured. Moments later something dawned on Subaru. If I'm not really stupid here, then…
As the realization hit him, they both exchanged prolonged gazes. "But, Felt," the boy said, "are you telling me we're waiting on the same person?"
Both erupted in laughter.
The noise of crumpling paper disturbed the silence between the two.
"Crusch-sama! Crusch-sama!" a high-pitched voice said. "Please, calm down, nya."
But the woman did not stop, and neither did her fists loosen up. "Rejected!" she said, fuming. "Your motion has been rejected!" The documents before her had lost all form by now.
"Crusch-sama…" her companion said sadly.
The two had returned from an audience in the Lugnican Palace—having been informed of the Sage Council's decision. Needless to say, the woman was less than pleased about it.
"They have not learned a thing yet. It is truly despicable how ignorant they cling to the Dragon who has long abandoned them. The realm is shaken and they refuse to do anything about it—just as they, Council and Dragon both, failed when the reason for this… misery has begun," she said, though her voice lost considerable strength towards the end.
Her companion too felt all the sadness and bitterness that had found its way into her heart. Indeed, it was the death of their close friend that forced them to change their perspective. And that made them irreconcilable with the so-called patron of the Kingdom.
"So that's why Ferris," the woman said, causing her companion's ears to perk up. "That's why we must set things right. Anything that endangers the growth and stability of the Kingdom must be changed, removed, defeated."
"And you can fully count on me to help you do whatever is necessary to achieve your goals," her companion hummed. Whatever is necessary.
The sky had been set ablaze when they spotted the silver-haired girl on the other side of the river making her way into the slums. Subaru's heart skipped a beat, leading him to forget his previous thoughts of caution. He had realized that it would be weird enough that two strangers were waiting for her in the slums, the place Puck had warned her about multiple times. And yet here he was, going straight over to her, making all his previous thoughts irrelevant, following his desires. But he wanted to try. He wished at least she'd remember.
"Emilia, you're really safe," he said, feeling nothing but relief.
The silver-haired girl glared at the boy who just jumped in her way.
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Emilia asked warily, placing her left hand on the green crystal above her chest.
"Not you too…," said Subaru, letting his head hang low. But she's safe, I haven't failed yet. Helooked up, shaking off the feeling of loss, and pierced the sun, "My name is Natsuki Subaru and I promised to help you!"
But Emilia didn't seem to relent, "Answer my question, who gave you my name? And what do you mean, promised to help me?" she insisted.
Subaru realized that he had put himself into a corner. What should he answer? You? Puck? Both would just retort they don't even know him. What else is there? "You, but I can time travel so you don't remember?" As his duress grew visible on his face, a third voice chimed in.
"Excuse me, Emilia-sama was it?" Felt interjected, "Subaru and I were waiting here for you," she said, apparently helping Subaru to escape his inability to offer an explanation.
Emilia shifted her glare over to Felt, "And you might be?"
"My name is Felt, I'm a local here and offer tours through the city. And someone hired me to give you a tour, Emilia-sama," she said with a smile, showing understanding for the other girl's mistrust.
While Emilia moved a finger to her cheek, seemingly thinking about what Felt had offered, Felt moved over to Subaru,
"Look, I don't know what happened between you and your friend, but maybe you can sort things out if you can convince her to let you accompanying us," she whispered.
Subaru's eyes lit up. Of course! I can just rebuild our relationship, that shouldn't be too hard. It hadn't come to Subaru's mind to ask why Felt was concerning herself with his troubles.
"But you two don't belong together now, do you?" Emilia asked, "Both of you spoke of their respective duties, but separated. If Felt is the guide, how would you help?"
Surprising both Felt and Emilia, Subaru had come up with an explanation within mere seconds, "My Emilia's smartness is as great as her beauty. It is true, I met Felt by mere coincidence here. But like I said, I promised to help you. I thought since the slums can be pretty dangerous, it would be best to make sure you're not alone," he said, masking his insecurity with false bravado.
Felt grinned at Subaru's quick and smooth recovery, while Emilia seemed to process what was said. "My" Emilia might have been a bit much, but… hehe. And we were attacked here, so the rest of my statement is hardly refutable. Patting himself on the shoulder for his fast thinking, he awaited Emilia's response.
"Who was it that hired you?" Emilia finally asked Felt. "There are not many people that would know of my visit to the capital today."
"Then it seems logical that it would have to be one of them, no?" Felt answered. "Who do you think wouldn't tell you about it?"
"It must have been Roswaal then. Typical," she said, slightly annoyed.
Felt grinned. "Bingo, you got it right."
Emilia let her gaze change between Felt and Subaru. After some moments she shook her head, and Subaru could have sworn he heard her mutter "that weirdo" with some irritation. It did sting a bit to be labeled as such by both Felt and Emilia within a short time span, but he tried his best to shrug it off.
"While I'm not sure why I wasn't informed of any of this, I guess it would be a waste to decline the tour, especially if you already got paid for it," Emilia said to Felt. Then she turned to Subaru, "And if you've promised to do so, I won't force you to break it."
It was clear she wasn't completely happy, but would go along with it, be it only for pragmatism.
Maybe she did recall Puck's plea to not go alone. Speaking of the cat, where is he? It's not five yet. Although, he wasn't around all the time yesterday either, so maybe he's just taking a break. Living a true cat's life.
Felt gave Subaru a slight nudge with her elbow, smiling at the boy's success, to which he reacted with a thumbs up. "Now that that's settled, Felt, we'll follow your lead!" he said jauntily.
Thus the group of three set out to explore the slums anew.
As she did the first time, Emilia noted the bad state the slums are in. This time though it was Felt who answered her.
"Yep, this is how life in the slums is. Not as nice and comfortable as in the rich and higher districts. People here are more concerned about getting something to eat than having nice houses. They can be glad to have a roof over their heads. Sleeping while the wind is howling through cracks is normal. The summers are hot, the nights are cold and the winters even colder. But I'm sure you wouldn't know about any of that."
Subaru shook his head, "No, where I come from such places truly don't exist."
Emilia looked thoughtful, apparently having taken no offense to the girl's rather snide remark, but throwing Subaru a curious glance. "Please tell me some more about everyday life in the slums."
Felt continued to explain things while they made their way through the streets, "What's more to tell? Most people here struggle each day for food. Though there are plenty that rather spend the few coins they make on booze and waste away," she said, letting her disdain be clearly picked up. "I'm not like them, I fight each and every day to get me and the one I care about out of here. But most people don't even try to get out of this place."
Subaru and Emilia looked around. While there were all sorts of people—humans and demi-humans alike—loitering around, he could also see several young children hiding in the houses, watching the group in fear as they passed by.
"But Felt, aren't you a bit too hard on them?" he asked, gaining surprising support from Emilia.
"It's not like they can do much about it, can they?" she added.
Felt snorted. "Of course, they just need to work harder. But most don't even do that, they lament the whole day, doing nothing to improve their situation."
Subaru closed an eye, her words hitting him rather close to home. After all, did she not just describe his life on Earth, not going to school anymore and just wasting away? Emilia had closed her eyes just as well, though her thoughts remained a mystery for the boy.
Apparently noting that the two had fallen silent, Felt guided them to some interesting spots. They came to a halt before a building that was unusually large and in good condition compared to anything they saw in the slums so far. Felt had guided them explicitly to it, yet neither Emilia nor Subaru reacted. Eventually, the boy spoke up.
"What is that? It looks to be in quite a good shape."
Felt rolled her eyes. "Very funny. This is one of the few churches within the slums. They give out food to young kids once a week. Though I wonder how long they can keep up, with more and more people being driven into the slums," she explained. Subaru was a bit lost, but he wouldn't risk to anger anyone by asking who or what they worshiped, so he remained silent.
"So they do some charity work at least," Emilia commented, sounding slightly surprised. She regarded the building with a pensive look, seemingly giving the information some more thought—though keeping them to herself.
"Yeah, considering they otherwise barely do anything for the common people, it's astounding." Felt's sarcasm was clearly audible, leaving no doubt how little she thought of them, to which Emilia and Subaru merely nodded, be it out of agreement or conformity.
They continued their tour through the darkening slums, with Felt pointing out some more interesting spots and hidden paths and Emilia and Subaru every so often asking some questions. They definitely got much more information this time around, but the mood was far heavier than yesterday when they had not been directly confronted with the grim reality of the slums and with possible fates the slum dwellers awaited.
"And of course there's also things such as violence. You can't be too careful here, you'll never know what might target you," their guide finished.
Subaru blanked. "Felt, could you repeat that?" he asked.
Felt sighed. "Sure… there's lots of violence in the slums, it's a rough plaster," she said, continuing her tour, now leading them over a small square absent of lighting.
"No, not that, the other part," he said with an absent-sounding voice.
Emilia turned to Subaru, causing the three to halt, "Is something the matter?"
Felt looked over at Subaru, confused. "You can never be too careful here, you'll never know what might target you?" Felt repeated almost word by word, though not without a questioning undertone.
Target. Target. How could I be so dumb? How could I forget that? Subaru panicked. He forgot what the voice had said up till now. The memory of his last moments came back, having only been washed ashore due to Felt's wording.
Emilia wondered about the boy's strong reaction to the theme of violence. Wasn't that the reason he accompanied them? "Felt, maybe continue with another topic," she said, eyeing Subaru with a worried expression.
Felt blinked, "Okay… I'll mention a few things about criminality, it's pretty bad in the slums. The guards barely show up, even if called and more often than not it's far too late when they arrive," she said, moving closer to the two.
"Though you have to understand, being a thief or something like that is still much more preferable than selling your body or doing some very nasty odd jobs."
She stood now close to both Subaru and Emilia, "Which is why I hope you'll forgive me for this."
I knew it. I knew it would pay out to wait together with the black-haired boy for the arrival of the silver-haired girl. She entered the slums just as my client said she would. It was almost comical how easy she was to spot, presenting the green crystal in such a manner. When I saw such an expensive-looking piece being worn so defenselessly, I really had to hold back a grin.
Ah, but the girl protected it when Subaru had approached her. Simple hit and run really wouldn't be possible, no wonder my client had insisted on a trick, so I had to play my role. I was sure binding Subaru some more into the ploy would be helpful. Not only would he draw much more attention onto him, away from me, he might even distract my target, creating an opening.
While I do feel a bit bad about using Subaru like that—despite his appearance and my initial shock, he seems to be a good kid—business is business, and I won't waste an opportunity like that. After a little build-up he got his act together and was able to convince the silver-haired girl to accept the offer, so I think that alone was well worth the effort.
But I have to say, he's a quirky one, a mix of boldness and foolishness that can hardly be healthy in the long run. Calling a friend "my" while having some sort of quarrel. The only thing more suicidal had been to say that to a half-elf, ha. Whatever. I'll lead them around some more, show them what might be of interest. I just have to wait for the right moment.
The tour through the slums was nothing too special. I gave them a few brief explanations and showed them interesting spots. And this Emilia is surprising me as well. Not only didn't she even think about leaving a short prayer—nobles normally love pointless gestures—she was also highly unreceptive for my slight provocations. Some would let their guard down when they get all worked up over them, oh well.
Luckily shortly after sunset an opportunity presented itself. It was how I had hoped. Subaru is distracting Emilia, and with this I'll be able to sneak close enough to her. Now I'll just conclude my explanation of criminality—how ironic—stretch out my arm and…!
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Emilia said, glaring at the stymied thief.
"Ouch!" Felt cried out, retracting her hand from the crystal that emitted a violently pulsating shimmer of green.
Subaru snapped back to reality. He saw Felt trying to get a hold of Emilia's—or rather Puck's—crystal…but moments before her fingers connected, her hand had been encased in a thin layer of ice. Judging by her violent struggle against the spell, trying to get rid of the ice even at the cost of her glove, it must have been quite painful.
Emilia on the other hand assumed the same defensive stance she had employed yesterday, though this time the ice shield floated between her and Felt, with Subaru standing outside of it.
"Felt, what are you doing!?" Subaru asked the girl, showing his confusion and anger.
"That was your plan all along, wasn't it? Waiting for an opportunity, Puck saw right through you," Emilia said to Felt, revealing she had anticipated such a move.
"And you," she turned to Subaru. "Don't act so innocent. You were in it as well, weren't you?" Emilia said, accusing Subaru of complicity.
Subaru violently shook his head, "No, I had no idea! How could you even think something like that?" he said deeply hurt, alone the mere thought being painful.
In the short moment of Emilia's inattentiveness, Felt made for an escape, running into one of the many streets that led to this square. Seeing this, Emilia gave chase, not wanting to let the girl get away, "Get back here you little thief!" she shouted, as she ran after her.
Subaru followed suit, dashing after them. Thief or not. Targets. If they're being targeted, there's some real danger lurking somewhere. If only I had remembered earlier. The boy chastised himself, even though there is little sense in condemning oneself for forgetting something.
Felt's escape was short-lived, however. She led them to a dead-end and, presumably to escape over the roofs, quickly gained height, performing wall jumps that would put any speedrunner to shame. That is, until she stepped on a well-placed piece of ice, robbing her of any grip. Unable to somehow stop her fall, she crashed down to the ground, where an angry Emilia already waited for her. "Now tell me, who's behind all this, who do you work for?" she asked, her eyes piercing Felt.
Subaru had caught up, now standing beside Emilia. While he was just as interested in the answer, he was far more concerned about the potential attacker having already set their sights on them. He scanned their surroundings, looking out for anything strange. After all, the situation looked eerily similar to the last time they were attacked.
The three of them in a remote alley, devoid of any other person, and—, "Emilia, behind you!" he shouted in panic.
The half-elf spun around, shifting her ice shield in position just in time. Behind Emilia, a black-haired woman had descended, swinging her kukri knife with force towards the half-elf.
"Oh my, how surprising," the alluring voice said as her weapon bounced off. Using the momentum and force of the deflection, the woman jumped over them, blocking their only escape route.
It was the same black-haired woman Subaru had seen Felt talk to earlier. She was clad in a very revealing dress, which Subaru surely would have appreciated, had she not just turned out to be a murderous fiend. Everything seemed alluring about her, head to toe. Though one was left to wonder why she would wear high heels to fight—and how she was able to move that quickly and silently despite wearing them in the first place.
Felt shouted out in shock, "What are you doing, Elsa? Why would you attack her, that wasn't part of our deal!" revealing her surprise, which earned her a skeptical look from Emilia.
"It's quite simple. Since you, a useless gutter rat, have failed to do the job, it looks like I will have to do it myself," the woman said, taunting Felt, "at least you weren't completely worthless, if only in serving as a distraction."
"I'm sure you would have attacked all of us either way, you monster" Subaru said, stepping forward. The image of their last meeting was now very vivid in his mind, them all lying in pools of blood. He was overcome with a desire for revenge, to pay her back for their last meeting.
The wicked woman seductively licked her lips. "My, aren't you a smart one? It's true, none of you would have lived to see tomorrow, regardless of the outcome. Though I have to wonder how you became aware of that," Elsa said, smirking.
Both girls' breath hitched. Felt regarded Subaru with widened eyes, her mouth slightly ajar, while Emilia had instead narrowed her eyes, glaring at Elsa. From an outsider's perspective it must have seemed weird to group both Emilia and Felt together becoming future victims of Elsa, instead of assuming Felt to be an accomplice still. But his moment of admiration was short-lived.
Subaru took another step forward, wanting to voice his anger. Just as he was about to yell at Elsa, he felt a hard pull. Someone had grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back, carrying him off his feet due to the unexpected force.
"Do you have a death wish!?" yelled Felt, still holding him with a tight grip.
He was confused as to what she meant, only now seeing that Elsa had made a move. The sharp and unexpected gust of wind blasting through the alley, together with her stance—knife held to the side, standing almost exactly where he just had. No doubt, she had made a slash. Subaru hadn't even registered her coming into striking range, and now he would have already been doomed again.
Fear rapidly replaced confusion, skipping any form of realization, as the boy was left no choice but to acknowledge that he stood no chance against a monster like her. He tried to move his limbs, but they wouldn't move anymore, his racing heartbeat now completely occupying all of his senses.
Emilia used the moment of distraction, firing multiple volleys of ice shards towards Elsa, but the assassin blocked every single one of them with ease, playfully swinging her kukri knife.
Felt tried to galvanize Subaru back to action, shaking him at his shoulders, but he wouldn't budge—it looked like he wasn't registering anything, not even the girl's words. Seeing that their alleged protector was out, Emilia stepped forward, taking on the burden of fighting, while Felt continued to get the boy back to his senses.
"You mentioned this being a job. Who hired you, what is the reason for this attack?" Emilia asked, firing volley after volley towards the assassin.
"Do you truly believe someone needs a special reason to wish for your death?" Elsa asked provocatively, pouring scorn on Emilia. Elsa now smoothly transitioned between blocking and dodging the many magic projectiles flying her way, constantly displaying her sinister smile.
"So you refuse to answer. Fine then, I'll make you talk, one way or another," Emilia said, intensifying her barrage.
But the assassin drew closer, reducing the distance between her and the group with each failed wave of attacks. They were cornered here and judging by her movement, Elsa was intent to keep it that way. Realizing that it would only be a matter of time until she'd be forced into close combat entirely, Emilia summoned six oversized icicles constantly floating around her acting as additional defensive structures.
After a last failed offense, it was now Elsa's turn to dictate the flow of the fight. The assassin used a multitude of angles to attack, but whenever a slice threatened to bypass the defensive barrier, her weapon clashed with the icicles.
Subaru meanwhile had still been unable to move but watched the spectacle together with Felt in amazement. To his eyes Emilia's defense seemed impenetrable, even with Elsa drawing closer and closer the murderer was unable to land a hit. The boy looked on in awe, as to try and forget his shame and guilt over being unable to do anything.
Emilia on the other hand knew it was a war of attrition and one where she was at a considerable disadvantage. Magical ice or not, it wouldn't be able to withstand the constant onslaught of steel forever. And without any possibility to gain some distance, there was the constant threat of getting sliced open as soon as either her ice was broken or her mana ran dry.
But even though she was aware of her worsening situation, there wasn't really much she could do about it. Between the numerous and furious slashes, she threw a glance at the two people she was currently fighting to protect. Seeing the hope in their eyes, she knew she couldn't let them down—they were counting on her.
Unfortunately this also meant she couldn't risk getting them involved, which inhibited her movement considerably. So she held out alone, seeing icicle after icicle break down, dissolving under the constant pressure
When only two of her icicles left, Emilia realized that soon a critical point would be reached where a slash may break through. Seeing that Elsa had not slowed down at all, there was only one thing left to do.
She pushed her ice barrier forward, allowing Elsa's blade to deeply cut into it.
Sacrificing her primary defensive instrument had opened a slim window of opportunity. With her weapon cleaved deep into the ice shield, Elsa had nothing at hand to deflect the two icicles that now flew past the shield. One of them crashed into her chest, disappearing without leaving any apparent damage behind. The second however was able to connect, burrowing itself deeply into her left eye socket. The icicle gave off a red glow, as blood began to spew out from the wound, changing quickly to a trickling.
Subaru's eyes sparkled at the massive hit Emilia had landed, certain that the assassin had at least to pull back. No, how would someone even be able to survive an icicle to the head?
And yet, to his and Emilia's shock, Elsa seemed unfazed by the attack, maintaining the eerie smile marring her face.
Despite the icicle in her head and the blade stuck in the ice shield, the assassin mounted an attack. And with Emilia having used up her resources for her counterattack, she now stood wide open.
Unable to dodge in time, Elsa managed to sneak a kick past the barrier. Her heel connected unhindered and with full force into Emilia's torso, sending her flying as if she'd been hit by a truck.
A loud crash, the sound of things breaking and shattering, echoed through the air as Emilia bounced off the wall, the ice around her crumbling into fine dust. Instead, now splinters of wood and chunks of stone swirled all around her as she fell motionless to the ground, half-buried by debris.
Elsa ripped the icicle out of her eye and tossed it disinterested aside. Her face did not have even a scratch.
"Ah, that was fun," she said, letting her knife rotate with one finger, "who's next?"
Subaru didn't want to believe his senses. He tried to shout out to Emilia, but the discordance between mind and body still made it impossible to use either effectively.
Felt shot up and drew the small knife dangling behind her back.
"Sorry to have gotten you involved in all of this," she said to Subaru, using her last moments to express regret and free her consciousness.
"Oh, have you suddenly found the will to fight? I would have expected you to try and find a way to escape," Elsa said, belittling the girl's decision.
"You would have hunted me down anyway, so might as well take my chance," she said, gritting her teeth and glaring at Elsa.
Before Subaru could even have hoped to say anything the girl's muscles tensed and she dashed forward, using her speed-enhancing ability which had saved Subaru's life before to give her a chance to attack.
But where Subaru barely was able to perceive motions, the assassin had to take a mere step aside to evade her attack perfectly and spun around in return.
Subaru's eyes widened even further from shock, his mind frantically processing what just happened.
Elsa's blade sunk into Felt's left shoulder. But instead of being stopped by bone, it cut through her body like it would through warm butter. The blade traversed her heart and all the way down to her right hip, where it magically appeared again. A fountain of red erupted from Felt, coating walls and ground with layer upon layer of dark red.
Had adrenaline not readied his body for shock, Subaru was sure he would have had to puke right then and there, realizing that Felt effectively had been cleaved in twain. He covered his mouth in disgust, fighting against intense nausea, his stomach revolting from all the gore.
"How wonderful, a thief turned fighter. Not the wisest of decisions, yet her bravery is certainly far greater than yours," said Elsa, as she turned to Subaru.
The boy still didn't move, not having escaped the rigidity yet that befell him since Felt had prolonged his life. He sat there, thinking all would turn out well. Sat around, while they fought for their lives. And now both Emilia and Felt lay unconscious—or dead before him.
"What's that? Is there not a shred of fight in you? You're the only one left," Elsa said mockingly, letting her gaze shift from Subaru to the girls and back to him, her irritating smile never wavering.
Subaru's legs began shaking, as he finally was able to force himself to get up, his glare filled with nothing but hatred.
"Excellent, there's still something left in you. If only you had managed to summon it sooner. Well, will you at least offer me a good fight as well?"
Subaru drew the dagger he had appropriated from the thugs earlier and held it like one would typically hold a sword, pointing it towards Elsa. His fear and inexperience both were clearly visible—his hands were trembling even more than his legs.
"Die!" he shouted from the bottom of his heart, charging towards the murderer, his mind overcome with blind rage.
Elsa leaped two steps forward and casually slapped the dagger with her own blade away like one would swat a fly.
"You'll have to try a lot harder than that," the woman mocked.
Subaru scowled at her, trying another attack since Elsa made no attempt of her own to retaliate. A second and a third attack followed, which elicited nothing more than a snide chuckle from Elsa.
"It's a shame. You have no skill and no blessing. I hoped you would at least try something interesting, but you're nothing but a waste of time like that," Elsa said, antagonizing the boy further.
In the blink of an eye Elsa stood before Subaru, her blade poised for a precise slash. The boy raised his dagger in panic, trying to somehow prevent the attack. To his surprise he could feel the impact of something on the dagger.
Convinced of the successful defensive move he readied himself to taunt Elsa himself. He opened his mouth and coughed out blood, could feel a metallic taste spread inside.
Joy changed to horror, as he covered his mouth, trying to hold the blood back. He lowered his gaze to the dagger, or rather the rest of it. Where once the blade of the dagger had been, there now was nothing above the blood-specked hilt. He let the dagger fall in dismay, realizing Elsa must have cut right through it.
Worse, he followed the trajectory and saw a gaping hole in his midriff. With trembling fingers he tried to put pressure on the opening. But when his senses finally conveyed the damage the body had sustained, his mind went blank.
He fell to his side, now squirming and writhing from the pain that no amount of adrenaline could hope to quench or make bearable.
"Does it hurt?" he could hear Elsa ask. Her face had become a blushing mess, her eyes shining at the sight of the boy's state, while he could do nothing but curse her.
She squatted beside him, lifting the cut edge of his blood-soaked jersey.
"Ah, as expected, what a beautiful color," he could hear her say with delight. He could feel it. Could feel foreign things burrowing in his bowels. That alone would cause nothing but excruciating pain.
But his mind was already occupied with nothing more than pain and fear. Now on the brink of death, his mind did anything to avert itself from facing this fate. He clung to these horrible feelings instead, further intensifying and completely overwhelming him with them.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. I don't want to die. Please. Something. Anything. It hurts.
"Does it hurt?" Elsa asked once more, her voice filled with eternal bliss. It hurts. "Does it hurt?" It hurts. "Does it hurt?" It hurts. "You're dying." I don't want to die. "You're dying." I don't want to die.
Subaru's mind began to flicker. His brain was overwhelmed with Elsa's ecstatic voice, with terrifying fear and unimaginable pain, inching second after second closer to death.
"Slowly," he heard her distantly, "slowly", he barely could hear her anymore, "your body loses its warmth." I'm scared. "… dead yet." I'm scared. "Not… ." I don't want to die "…" ––– Ah… I'm dead.
With this last thought, Natsuki Subaru departed from this world.
There she sat, in her ethereal realm, amidst a sea of endless green, sipping in peaceful quietness. Curious how long she had still to wait, she looked at her argent book, letting her fingers trail along the ridged edge of its cover. But it would be too disappointing to simply open it now, wouldn't it? Giving the thought further importance would yield little insight either way. There was a meticulous order of events to be followed, or rather, it would come into effect, no matter what lay between pastness, nowness, and futurity. Though it was curious when the trickster had decided to interfere.
I wonder. I wonder if he's a sinner. I wonder how he tastes. Wondering is too exhausting. I wonder if he'll be okay. I wonder if he'll find love. I wonder indeed. And so she wonders about the message that would raise the curtain to their final act.
The Star has arrived.
"Hey kid, you gonna buy something or what?" asked the man standing impatiently in front of Subaru.
Hearing these familiar words, nausea spread through Subaru's body and his head spun, unable to deal with the transition of fear, pain, and death, back to life and normalcy.
All he could to was utter, "I just can't…," moments before collapsing and losing consciousness.
The next thing he felt was a splash of coldness, shocking him awake. He opened his eyes and found himself on the ground, face dripping with water as the appa salesman looked down on him with a worried expression. In the man's hands rested a bucket still dripping with water, making it obvious to Subaru how he'd been brought back to reality.
"Better yet?" the merchant asked. "Can't have you lying unconscious before my stall now, can I?" he said as if to excuse his action. "Rest up, and if you're better, get a move on," he said before returning to conduct his business.
Subaru wiped the water out of his face. Normally one might be irritated or angry about getting splashed with cold water, but Subaru had far more pressing matters to think about. There lay a myriad of questions and emotions ready to erupt.
As Subaru took in the scenery, he realized he had returned to this appa salesman—Kadomon once more. He returned after he died. This time, there was no room for doubt that he died.
His shaky hand wandered down to his abdomen, palpating the region where he had bled to death. Where Elsa… he could still see her sadistic smile when he closed his eyes, vividly imagining her fingers digging through his innards, causing him nausea anew. He rang with the idea but slowly came to accept that he was really killed by her. And that he had an ability that undid it. Maybe it'd be best coined by cause and effect, or maybe effect by cause? Yes, that sounded better.
The thing that made him special,『 Return by Death 』, gave him yet another retry, a new life.
"A new life, huh…," he mumbled. With a blank stare he watched the inhabitants of the city enjoying their peaceful lives. "But wouldn't that mean that… I don't owe Emilia anything? If this is a new life, then she never saved me. So I don't owe her at all," he concluded. That's right, there is no need to further trouble me with any of these horrible things. Why should I risk enduring pain again?
"Hey kid, if you can mumble some nonsense, you're fine enough now, aren't you? Get a move on instead of sitting around here any longer," the appa man said mildly annoyed.
"Yeah yeah, I'll be moving. Bye Kadomon," he said, leaving a baffled-looking merchant behind.
With this huge burden of responsibility shed, he decided to go in the opposite direction of where his adventure so far had led him. Sure, his start had some hiccups, but this was still a fantasy world! Surely there would be plenty of things to do for him instead of worrying about some strangers.
Maybe he could properly explore this world instead—certainly beat being stuck in this city. Perhaps his hero journey would only really begin after he left this tutorial place? He was still summoned here, after all. Then again, it's not like he owes anyone anything. Maybe he should Just forget about helping others altogether.
"That's right, who'd help a stranger anyway… if there's nothing in it for them…," he said with a quieting voice, choking on his own words.
As he let his freed gaze wander about again, reality caught up with him. How people around him regarded him. How they refused to even acknowledge his existence after having seen him—just like back home. How otherwise their faces darkened instead, showing him an even worse reaction than he was used to.
—And most importantly, how those were the vast majority of reactions he had amassed so far. Ultimately reinforcing what he had just thought about. Not a single one of them would help him—as he learnt wandering the streets of this place, bloodied and alone. Yes, not a single—
Before his eyes flashed scenes of Emilia kneeling beside him, healing his many wounds. Of her extending a helping hand to offer him a place to stay.
He thought of Felt as they waited together for Emilia, them letting some stranger tag along. Of them both fighting, while he just sat there, useless.
His face contorted, he was filled with shame. "But that's not… what could I even do?" he said, his voice flailing with bitterness.
Subaru's mind wandered back to Elsa's smile, while she took his life. To the despair and terror he felt in his last moments.
Subaru gritted his teeth and began walking. His steps grew faster and faster, until he broke off into a sprint. He didn't know where he was, nor where he should go. He just wanted to run away. To run away from all this pain and suffering. With his mind pelted by tragedy, failure, and death, it was his sudden instinct to run forward.
—As if that would somehow change anything.
He ran for as long as his lungs allowed him to. From time to time he could hear someone shout angrily after him, but he didn't care. He just had to get away from it all.
Out of breath, he stopped on a huge plaza. Here everything seemed idyllic. Colorful flowerbeds surrounded by green grass, trees in full bloom, a waterspout fountain entertaining any passerby, and complicated patterns in the mosaic pavement of the street allowed his mind to rest.
The scenery was an absurd contrast to what he had seen so far from the city. It was almost unimaginable that this place and the slums were connected only through a few, though very long, streets—and now that he looked down on the lower quarters of the city, some good height. He leaned against a low wall, placing his plastic bag on top of it.
He gazed at the many people going about their lives. None of them would care about his plights. Most even seemed to disdain him! So, why should he? Even here in this calm environment he could feel the piercing gazes of the others, scorning him from afar. Was that not proof enough?
But whenever his ego had almost convinced itself, he could see amethyst eyes look at him. They held no particular expression, but they still welcomed him, in either of his lives. Something within him stirred, causing him to bite on his lip. No, he was sure that it would be true even in the next and any reality.
"But I shouldn't think about a next one, I don't want to die again. Still, I can't just leave them to that fate. They helped me, were kind to me, so I owe them, regardless if only I can remember that," he said with a newfound determination.
"However, I'll need a plan. Elsa will attack them in the slums, that much is clear. The first time she killed Felt, and then us. This time she attacked the three of us. And fighting her doesn't end too well…," he said with a sullen voice.
"I can't get them involved in a fight again. But maybe someone else? I wonder how well Puck can fight… but he's never around… huh. Why?" Something dawned on Subaru. "Elsa always attacks after sunset. That's… not too helpful to know, but it means I've got some time to think of a plan."
But while Subaru was occupied with his soliloquy, the world around him continued to turn.
"You there, what's your business here?" an inquisitive voice asked.
Suspecting that it was directed at him, Subaru turned around. Before him stood a man in full armor, a helmet covering all of his face. Judging by the question, he seemed to be a guard. And his hand rested on his sword.
Subaru gulped. "What is it? I'm just resting here," he answered.
"I was told that a suspicious person was madly rambling to himself," the guard said, turning his head a bit.
Subaru followed the gesture. Behind the guard across the plaza, two women were observing them intently. They wore elegant dresses, causing Subaru to suspect they were some noble ladies. And in turn, probably quick to call on a guard for some triviality.
"Mad rambling, huh? No, no, you got it all wrong," he assured the guard, "it's just a habit of mine, no need to be worried."
"It seemed to me they were quite right, and you have not answered my question yet," the guard said insistently.
"I did tell you, I'm just resting here. Don't you have something better to do?" the boy asked, crossing his arms. He was getting annoyed by the guard's persistence, or rather, pestering.
"It is my duty to see to the well-being of good citizens, which were troubled by your presence. You are disturbing public peace here, where you seem to have no business of being," the guard decided.
"Troubled by me just being here? Gimme a break. And as far as I can see, this is just a normal plaza, who are you to tell me I've got no place here?" the boy asked with growing exasperation.
"Do not play innocent here now, your behavior is more than enough to unnerve some. This is a peaceful place and I intend to keep it as such," the guard said, unrelenting.
A surge of rage shot up Subaru's spine. He had enough things troubling his mind, there was no need to be bothered by some guard now. Especially not for something as nonsensical as this.
"I just wanted my peace and quiet here too, now bugger off!" he said with a raised voice, its tone strained. The frustration about his powerlessness, his painful deaths, being regarded like that wherever he went and now getting distracted by some nonsense, it all boiled over.
"You seem to be far too agitated to be simply left here. Why don't you accompany me to the guard station, where we can… clear up the situation and calm down a bit?" the guard said. He made it clear that this was less of a well-meant suggestion and more a coercive order.
But Subaru was not in the mood for either. Most pressingly he had to do something about the whole Elsa issue, and this guy was wasting valuable time.
"I don't have time for any of this, I need to find a way to save her!" he shouted.
The iron-clad man seemed to freeze for a moment. "Save her? Who?" he asked with a sharp voice.
Subaru blinked. Something changed in the man's behavior. The boy couldn't quite pinpoint how or why, with the man's face being hidden. Either way, he had more pressing sorrows still.
"What's it to you? If you have some decency to let me help the one I promised to help, then leave me be already!" he insisted.
"You're dodging the question," the guard stated, his voice remaining related to a razor. "Spit it out, who is it that you promised anything, that would ask someone like you for help?"
The mean-eyed boy flinched from the harsh question. What right did that jerk have to ask him that – even if his skepticism was not that wrong?
"A beautiful silver-haired half-elf, you bastard!" he shot back. "En-vi-ous?" he gloated.
Upon hearing these words, the guard's posture grew rigid and much to Subaru's shock, the man drew his sword. The realization that it might have been a mistake to provoke a guard hit a bit too late. The unsheathed blade brought back memories of the thugs and Elsa, unsettling the boy.
"A half-elf you say… with silver hair?" the guard said with a slight hitch, his voice showing a hint of horror. "It appears my initial judgment was correct, you are far too great a threat to be left ignored. In the name of the Kingdom, you are under arrest!"
Subaru recoiled. "Wait a minute, hold on, what?" he asked, confused and incredulous. "Arrest, is that a joke?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with panic. "I… I don't have time for something like that… I need to save her!" he shouted.
The guard moved closer, aiming the tip of his sword towards the boy. Subaru stumbled backward. While it had come to his mind that running away here could only have severe consequences, he still had to get out of striking range. And maybe he was still able to turn this around by talking.
Subaru grew desperate. He had to get rid of this stupid guard so that he– wait. Guard. I'm such an idiot. Here I thought about how to get someone else to fight, and the answer was pestering me the whole time. But I guess it's too late now for that… no. I'm sure I can turn it around, I'm innocent.
"No, really, you're completely misunderstanding here. I don't know why you'd consider me a threat, I didn't even do anything!" the boy pleaded.
"Do not resist any further," the guard said, drawing closer again.
"Are you even listening? Please, you're a guard aren't you, why won't you listen?" Subaru said, new anger arising from being deemed some criminal suspect.
But the man didn't seem to relent. He moved menacingly forward, having turned deaf to the boy's words, stirring Subaru's ire.
"You know what, screw you! I've had enough of this!" he said, fuming. Not only made the reactions of the guard no sense in the slightest, there was no justification whatsoever for this guy's behavior. Thinking that trying to run away would be seen as an admission of guilt, Subaru decided to do the opposite, to push past him.
Unfortunately, this time no one was there to stop him from a dangerously foolish action.
Subaru gasped for air. He could feel a terrible pain coming from his chest area. How his lungs felt heavy, inflexible, and clumping. His breathing became short and erratic, not lasting for even a second.
The boy's gaze wandered slowly downwards. A red metallic object stuck in his chest, blood spewing out all around it. Subaru could feel how his blood froze, his legs losing all strength, in turn causing him to collapse.
He rapidly lost strength and feeling, his senses retreating back into his head. He didn't register the guard removing the blade from his chest anymore. How his blood quickly left his body through his ruptured lung and heart.
Why, why, why? What did I do? I need to save her, need a plan… help… and instead I… I…
With his soul burdened down with nothing but sorrow, Natsuki Subaru lost his life.
Author's Note II:
Again, many thanks to my beta readers, [EmiliaNatsuki] & [LookingGlassInsect]! It is thanks to their many tips and suggestions that I was able to improve my writing this quickly and hopefully give you, the readers, a more pleasant experience.
And of course another shout-out to [TheColourPurple123], whose suggestions influenced my story planning as well!
I cannot recommend their stories enough, go give them a read if you haven't.
Reviews from Chapter 1: The Star has arrived
In general: Thank you to everyone who expressed their interest, enjoyment or kind words; it makes writing an even greater joy. And I do hope the changes Subaru sees himself confronted with will keep you interested. Furthermore, please continue to let me know what you thought of the chapters, it does help to keep up a writer's spirit.
nai3ryc: I hope the build-up of slight changes will rekindle your interest, or even elevating it with more to come. Though Emilia will of course be a core character to the whole story.
ChadBaru: Thanks! There's no worries about that, I do have extensive plans, and already more chapters in the making. So it's not a question if I post them, but when.
GrumpyOnue: It would be some interesting self-insert of me as the author to narrate in 1st person perspective. So it might rather be a character—though if it is Pandora or someone else, I wonder.
Jonathan Cardoza Sanchez: Thank you! And indeed, it seems Emilia too behaves a bit differently.
Ovion's Curse: Thank you. I do wonder how right you are with your observations. There surely will be more things to consider as the story progresses.
prabhjiv: Thank you! Indeed, I wonder when Subaru will find out why he's being treated like that. Though for now he seemed to be busy to find a solution for an even more pressing matter.
WarlockofVainglory: It does seem like he could remind them of something. Or stands out, for whatever reason. Whether that is because of a connection to a Witch / Warlock is left to be discovered.