In the greatest depths, clad in shadows they were, sitting alone and thinking about the only thing they had throughout time eternal. The promise made eons ago, yet still ever-present in mind. She prayed, for the days gone by and for the days to come, for the only thing that mattered now, or ever truly. Their power combined brought forth the everlasting cycle, now turning anew.
In the loftiest skies he resided, dreaming of the future ever so distant, guarding the blessed path that he himself aided to design, adhering to the ancient promise. In his slumber he noticed a small stir in the fabric of the world beginning to draw its circles. A wordless whisper was all the reaction that could be evoked, containing the words that would bring about the change they hoped for, this time.
The Star has arrived.
"Hey kid, you gonna buy something or what?" asked the man standing impatiently in front of Subaru.
But Subaru didn't register the question. He grabbed his chest, panting heavily. The recent feeling of breathlessness still haunted him, and his mind was clouded by confusion. He stood disoriented there for a while, but the sound of jingling coins brought him back into reality, forcing his attention to his surroundings. Subaru's eyes met the merchant's. He could see Kadomon frowning.
Right, the appa salesman again. I'm here, after... guard. A death without any meaning, not accomplishing anything...
Kadomon seemed to grow impatient, causing Subaru to deeply exhale. He could feel his desire to retort, to lash out, but it was more important to get away from here quickly and deal with this whole mess. No, to find a way to fix it. To find his place in this world, after having died too often, clueless.
He put up a wry smile. "I'm broke beyond compare… but I'll buy something when I come by again, Kadomon," he said defiantly. When he would return here once more, it wouldn't be by Return by Death, but through his own volition. This was Natsuki Subaru's resolution.
The merchant blinked, likely surprised by the boy's weak, yet persistent reaction. Then he smiled faintly. "That's a good attitude. Best of luck till then kid," he said in encouragement.
Subaru gave a thumbs up and walked away. While only confusion filled his mind, this was the first time he didn't just get told to go away. Ironically it was this time Subaru who wanted nothing more than to get away quickly. Not only to escape the scornful gazes all around him, but he also needed room to think. And in the end nothing was more suitable than turning to a well-known location for that—a secluded alley. However, this time he made sure it was some good distance away, so he could…
"WHY? Why? This doesn't make any sense!" he shouted, hammering against a stone wall. His knuckles started to bleed, but he continued his punches. "I don't get it, why did that happen? I needed help! And that guy! He! He…!" Subaru's voice became strained, his frustration breaking forth.
Having gained enough distance and seclusion, he let out the anger that still lingered from his past death. How he got attacked for nothing.
"I just want to save her and was deemed a threat? That's just insane!" he shouted.
Having released the worst of his frustration by tainting the wall with a hint of red, he now stood there in silence. As his anger ebbed away, so in turn rose the pain from his abused hand.
"Hah… that hurts, but it's nothing compared to…," he said, though quickly falling silent again. His memories jumped between Elsa's and the guard's blade. Elsa's was far worse.
"To defeat Elsa I need help. Guards apparently won't be much of a help, the opposite even. I could try to thwart Elsa's plan, but then I would still need to warn Emilia that she's after her."
Most probably would have been discouraged by the guard's action, but to Subaru it reinforced a thought. That in the end it would fall onto him to save Emilia, just as he promised. If anything, it raised his conviction further.
"And Felt's in it too, somehow. She tried to steal Puck's crystal, but Emilia didn't fall for that. However, she seemed to have no idea about attacking anyone, and she died just as well," Subaru concluded. He felt sad thinking about it. But even if she's a thief, he wouldn't just condemn her to death like that.
"But what am I supposed to do? I don't know anyone, can't fight myself… damn it! I just need help!" Subaru yelled. He leaned headfirst against a wall, drowning in silence once more.
This silence only got interrupted when a new source of sound appeared. Echoing from the walls, he heard footsteps, and judging by the sound of them, they came steadily closer. Subaru turned his head, wondering whether he should be worried or relieved that someone had found him here. His cry for help was real after all, even if it was made without believing someone would come. Or him lacking any idea how someone could help against the monster that Elsa was.
But what he saw let his blood boil anew. He yelled for help. He really meant it. And all he got is another irrelevant encounter with—
"TonChinKan," he said, growling at the three men that closed in on him, spinning around to face them head-on.
"How do you know our names?" the lanky one asked surprised.
Subaru blinked. "Your name is TonChinKan?" he asked, baffled. He intended to insult—not greet them. He already knew why they came here after all. It was nothing that warranted friendliness.
"You could say I'm Chin. He's Ton," the lanky one said, as he turned to the burly one, "and this is Kan." The short one snorted. "But that's completely irrelevant!" Chin said as if to remind himself of his intention.
Subaru chuckled. "Yeah, it is. Just like you are. I don't have time to waste for any of you."
"Shut up! Hand over your stuff, or you'll regret it for the rest of your short life," Kan shouted.
Right. I yelled for help and what did I get? These thugs again. Here to rob me. Threatening to kill me, just like... Is that really all there is to this? Is this all I can hope for?
Subaru placed the plastic bag down before him. He already knew how to defeat them. While he went mentally through the fight to prepare himself, a darker thought crept its way up.
If it's really that harsh, then… do I need to adapt? Is that the lesson of these beatings? Hah, calling beatings a lesson, what a twisted way to think. No… that can't be right now, can it? But maybe just for a bit… maybe I need to think like that, just for a moment. For some people. For situations like these.
With his mind and heart weighed down by dangerous musings, he set out to open the attack against Chin, who stepped too close once more. But before he could dash forward, an unknown voice echoed through the alley.
"That's enough."
The thugs turned around in shock, as did Subaru, directing his surprised gaze to the newcomer. While at first Subaru was worried, thinking that another guard had found him and would do him injustice, he was instead quickly taken in by the stranger's aura.
Not only did his clear and gallant voice sweep away Subaru's darker thoughts, it immediately forced all attention to its wielder, ending whatever hostility might have erupted some mere moments ago. Such was the power of the young man that stood before them.
The moment Subaru could see him, the gallant man's flaming, red hair caught his attention, only being remotely rivaled by his crystal-clear, blue eyes, reflecting the vastness of the sky. While neither his black shirt, nor his white mantle had any elaborate decoration on them, they still rounded off his gallant appearance. And what his clothing lacked in decoration, his sword compensated for instead. A golden hilt, far mightier than what a conventional sword would have, and the blade overall much broader. This weapon surely was befitting for someone of his stature, Subaru's was sure of it.
Seemingly almost ignoring the threat posed by the thugs, the young man moved forward, not showing the slightest hesitation—he seemed to be utterly unworried by their hostility. It was only after he had placed himself in between the thugs and Subaru, that he acknowledged their malicious intent, facing them, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"I will not allow you to trouble this young man any further." It was a statement that allowed no room for doubt of its truthfulness. His words further underlined Subaru's impression of his righteousness—of him being a man full of candor.
Judging by the look on the TonChinKan's faces, they too shared that sentiment. They looked absolutely terrified, slowly but surely backing down, while keeping their attention fully directed on the man that stood before them.
"It can't be… a sword with the markings of dragon claws… you're Reinhard? The Sword Saint Reinhard?" Ton stammered.
"It seems my reputation precedes me. Then I do not need to introduce myself. Though the title would not have been necessary," he added with a faraway voice. "I will leave you one chance to retreat, otherwise you will have to compete with me, by my honor as a knight."
Sensing, or maybe even knowing the man's words were no empty threat, the thugs backed away further. After some hastily exchanged gazes full of panic, the three thugs ran away as fast as their feet carried them. The prospect of having to fight the man was enough to make them flee in terror—they were even too afraid to throw a single gaze back.
The young man waited until the thugs were truly out of sight before he turned around to Subaru. Despite TonChinKan's terrified reactions and the challenge he had issued, he seemed to be absolutely relaxed, simply smiling gently.
"I am terribly sorry for my late arrival," he said, the humbleness catching Subaru completely off-guard.
He was now even more in awe. Not only did someone come to help him after all, but this man seemed far too humble about it, even apologizing to him for not coming sooner. If he compared this humbleness to what thoughts just previously coursed through him... If he compared this man's awe-inspiring presence to how people seemed to loath him. He felt bad. Bad to be even near the man—that saint. These past few hours did not boost his confidence whatsoever.
"Sir… Reinhard was it? I, Natsuki Subaru, am truly grateful and deeply indebted for your help," he said, putting his hand over his heart.
"You can just call me Reinhard, Subaru. No need for formality." Just like that, the man had closed the gap between them, even being one of the few to show him friendliness.
"Still, you came here to help me, didn't you? I can't be thankful enough for that, especially since I had already thought no one would come," Subaru said, hanging his head low.
"It was good of you to call for help either way. A fight could have been dangerous, especially for anyone unarmed," said Reinhard, mustering Subaru from top to bottom.
"But Reinhard… while I am of course truly grateful, why did you come? You don't strike me exactly as a guard," the boy said. Which was a good thing. And he looked far too outstanding to be a mere guard, that is.
"Ah. I am off duty today and was pursuing another task. Though I must admit, I did look out for you after that commotion on the main street earlier," Reinhard said.
"Commotion…?" Subaru tilted his head.
"Why are we not moving forward?" a fiery female voice asked in mild annoyance.
Her sole companion lifted the red velvet curtains and peeked outside the cabin window. "It seems there's something blocking the road, princess. Some sort of commotion or protest mayb—"
"Spare me with these irrelevant squabbles, Al," she said, as she conjured a fan out of her cleavage. With a trained motion she opened it and slowly fanned herself some cooling wind, hiding the lower half of her face behind it.
The man was sure that his mistress was frowning behind her fan, being displeased by both the hold-up and his talking, thus he thought of a way to bring her to other thoughts. "But princess, isn't calling the growing discontent within the populace irrelevant a bit too much? After all, even the people in your domain have begun to voice some dissatisfaction," he said, sinking into his cushioned seat. The statement was bold to make, but the helmeted man was completely relaxed, leaning comfy into the soft pillows.
The woman closed the fan with a snap. "It is no wonder there is so much unrest. They are merely sheep without a herder. Deeply yearning for the leadership mineself will provide them with. Let them be unhappy for the moment, it will only make them realize how much their lives can and will improve serving under mineself," the woman proclaimed with a complacent smile.
In moments such as these, the man was glad that his face was completely hidden under the helmet. Else his dear princess might have seen that he too smiled, content with her mood change. Shortly after, their dragon carriage was in motion once more, leaving all negative thoughts behind.
It did take Subaru quite a while to dig up that memory, as it seemed so insignificant in comparison to what had happened to him since, and felt like it lay in a faraway past. "Ah, you mean the guy who attacked me before a crowd. Wait, am I in trouble for that?"
"No. Quite the opposite," Reinhard said in a reassuring manner. He must have noticed the worry in Subaru's voice. "I wanted to inquire if everything is alright after that."
"You really are a saint, huh…," Subaru mumbled.
Reinhard shook his head. "No, that's more a title because of my family." When Reinhard said this, he momentarily broke off his smile, his voice having become distanced.
Noticing that it seemed to trouble him, Subaru left it at that. No, there was something more important lingering on the boy's mind.
If everything's alright… does that mean… should I ask Reinhard for help? But he did already go out of his way to help me. Wasn't that enough? On the other hand, I really am stranded. If he's at least half as righteous as I take him to be, having already some sort of reputation, then maybe…
Subaru commanded all his courage, swallowed his pride and said, "The truth is Reinhard… I called for help even before the thugs arrived. I'm actually in need of help for something else." He said this as he lowered his head, unable to face the knight in a moment of such weakness. And there was still the lingering fear of the knight turning away, of needing to find a solution all alone. Or worse—
Reinhard blinked in surprise. "Is it something I could be of any assistance? If it is so troubling for you, I would gladly offer my help," said Reinhard, going a step closer to Subaru.
Subaru's fingers trembled. "Do you really mean it? Would you really help me?" he asked with a hollow voice. He did not forget the guard's reaction to his plea for help—and what followed.
"By my honor as a knight, if it is something within my power, I shall aid you," Reinhard reaffirmed.
"I need to save her," he mumbled. Then he raised his head, his gaze connecting directly with Reinhard's, and repeated, "I need to save her. From Elsa."
There, he said it. Now there was only praying that his heartfelt plea of help would reach the knight.
"Save her…from Elsa?" he repeated thoughtfully.
"Yes, I need to save her. A girl, silver-haired, an incredible beauty!" Subaru exclaimed, earning himself a sympathetic gaze from Reinhard. Though the knight otherwise showed no reaction, seemingly waiting for Subaru to continue. "And Elsa is… an assassin. If I don't do something she will… she…" Subaru's voice died down towards the end, robbed of any power.
The knight looked to be in thought for a while, slightly rubbing his chin. "An assassin named Elsa? Are you certain?" Reinhard asked, reconnecting with Subaru's gaze.
"More than certain. She has black hair and a kukri knife as a weapon," said Subaru, drawing the shape of her knife in the air. Though the mere thought—memory of it sent a chill down his spine.
"While the name of that weapon—'kukri', does not seem familiar to me, its shape does. A blade originating from the north, if I'm not mistaken. Combined with the name… there exists a rather notorious assassin who might fit your description. An assassin named Elsa. Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter," Reinhard said sternly.
Subaru's hand instinctively wandered to his abdomen, where he received lethal wounds. Or would have. "Bowel Hunter… that's a revolting name. But I get the feeling it fits."
"That is a grave matter, Subaru. How did you come to this information?" the knight inquired. Subaru should have expected that question. But he had not really prepared himself for it.
Subaru began to stammer. "Ah, well, that's…" He had to tread between a fine line of neither coming across as a liar nor a lunatic. To reveal the truth was out of the question, not even Reinhard could have been expected to be that patient. "I uncovered her scheme when I fought against her," he eventually said, settling for that line of explanation.
"You fought against the Bowel Hunter and survived? That is no small feat," Reinhard said, surprised.
"In all honesty, 'fought against her' sounds like a bit too much. It was a very one-sided beating. And I wouldn't exactly call it survived either," Subaru said, though the latter half devolved more into mumbling. "Still… do you think you can help me? If she really is a notorious assassin I wouldn't want to ask too much of you taking her on."
Even if Reinhard was kind enough to help, Subaru didn't want to endanger him just like that. He felt bad enough about asking the man for help in the first place, not to mention what would happen if he would become responsible for his death as well.
"I appreciate your concern, but this is something a knight is expected to take care of. Aside from that, I believe my strength should suffice for this, even if barely," Reinhard said in an assuring tone.
Subaru could feel how his sorrows and the burden of it all tapered after hearing Reinhard's words. Hopefully this would indeed be the turning point of his struggle against the monster that Elsa was. He needed that spark of hope now, elsewise the dark thoughts might sneak their way in again.
"Thank you, Reinhard. I'm really sorry to ask this much of you. That isn't the proper way to start a friendship at all," said Subaru, expressing his disappointment about his own weakness.
"Friendship?" Reinhard asked with evident surprise. Had Subaru been more attentive, he could have seen it clearly written on the Sword Saint's face, an expression one would rarely be able to see.
"Ah. Seems like I overshot a bit," Subaru said, scratching the back of his head.
"No, no. Friends, that sounds… wonderful." As Reinhard said this, he smiled—a smile that touched Subaru's heart.
Man, it's almost unfair how charming he is. I have to be careful, else he might leave a far better impression on Emilia after all of that. Oh who am I kidding, he definitely will. I did not consider that. Wait, what am I even thinking about that? First I need to make sure it all goes well!
Chastising himself for getting distracted with his daydreaming, he turned to Reinhard. "There's only one issue now. I don't know exactly when and where she will attack. I know it will be shortly after sunset, and around the slums, but I can't give you anything more exact for now…," Subaru realized.
"That sounds indeed problematic. As much as I would like to, I cannot simply accompany you from now until sunset, since I have to take care of another matter as well," Reinhard said apologetically.
"No, no, that would have been far too much to ask of you anyway," Subaru said, not wishing to give his new friend a bad consciousness about that. "There's this large wooden bridge at the slum entrance, close to the merchant district. If you could be there around sunset, I think someone will be able to call you for help there," Subaru said.
Reinhard nodded. "While this sounds vague, I think I know which place you refer to. The eastern bridge to the southern slums."
"Ah, sorry, I'm rather new around here. I can't name any places properly, not to mention orient myself too well. The southern slums, huh…" he said pensively.
"If you allow me the question, Subaru, where exactly are you from? Neither your name nor your clothing appear too familiar."
Remembering how Emilia reacted when he had answered that question, he should probably be even vaguer than before. It would be bad if Reinhard would grow skeptical and reconsider helping him. "Let's just say from some faraway place in the east you probably never heard of."
However, Subaru's worries seemed to be unfounded, since Reinhard left it at that. While Subaru would have liked to chat a bit more with the knight, he realized that even now with his help, he would still need a solid plan on how he would distract Elsa until the time had come, given that there was no guarantee that she wouldn't act sooner. She did attack earlier the second time compared to the first time already. And it could prove fatal if he didn't account for that possibility to occur again.
"Now Reinhard, I don't want to keep you away from doing what you actually intended to do any longer. I'll see you again around sunset, right?" he asked, wanting to reassure himself one more time.
"Of course Subaru," he said, as they walked out of the remote alley together back onto the main street.
With a last goodbye, Subaru parted ways with the knight, running off in the direction of the southern slums. Had he looked back, he could have seen a pensive-looking Reinhard, his eyes following the boy intently until he vanished from his line of sight.
"How worryin'," a calculating female voice said, as she was done sifting through some documents that were spread out on the desk before her.
"Is something the matter, Anastasia-sama?" one of her companions asked, the one sitting across her.
"I ain't sure. Accordin' to some reports, there's iron wares shiftin' left 'n right, but not the right kind. The worryin' type, if ya want to put it like that," she said, still pensive.
"Could it be… weaponry?" asked the man sitting across, following his lady's words attentively.
"Just them. Increasin' demand all across the Kingdom—nah, not just that, in practically any region of the world. Worryin', innit?" the woman said, snapping with her finger.
"Indeed Anastasia-sama, combined with…," the man began but stopped himself in time.
"Nah, yer right, ain'tcha? I hafta be real careful to check our wares. Else somethin' of my stuff might go into the wrong hands. Want to support some minor strikes, nothin' escalatin'," she scoffed.
The knight smiled pleased at his mistress' words, feeling relieved about their shared viewpoints.
"Ah, but Julius, I hafta apologize. I shoulda not get that drawn in by the new reports. Ya came around and spent ya break with me here instead of doin' somethin' relaxin'."
"Please worry not Anastasia-sama, I am honored and grateful that you allowed me to enjoy a break in your company," he said, lowering his head.
"Mimi wants to eat something too!" a joyful and energetic voice chirped, regarding the person whose lap she occupied with sparkling eyes, "can we go to the place with the extra meaty burgers?"
"Of course," Anastasia said, hugging the younger demi-human girl, "looks like it falls onto Mimi to look after us takin' proper breaks. Come Julius, ya hafta grab a bite too, it's gonna be a long day," she said, as she put on her purse. "I ain't gonna take a no from ya!"
Thus the trio set out to take a well-deserved pause.
With newfound vigor, Subaru marched through the merchant district right to the slums. By now he knew a few routes to take. But instead of going directly there, he thought about scouting for some remote place he could use to lure Elsa out. Or tempt her into action.
Instead of just dumping all his burdens and relying completely on Reinhard, he resolved to think of another plan, possibly working before his newfound friend had to risk his life in a fight.
That's right. If I can get them away from the slums somehow, that should mess with Elsa's plans. But… I have the feeling she will attack regardless. Therefore I have to stack the odds as much against her as I can. Luckily, I have just the idea of how to do that.
His grin at the thought could not be diminished in the slightest by the many scornful gazes that surrounded him. No, he would be victorious this time. Natsuki Subaru will make it happen.
He peered into some side alleys while walking down the streets to the slums, searching for something particular. And after a while, he came across a place that seemed very promising.
That might work. Now onto the next step. Just about in time, Elsa should be gone by now and Emilia nowhere near the slums yet.
After a good while he reached the eastern bridge of the southern slums, as Reinhard had named the place. And indeed there she was, the blonde-haired girl, covertly keeping an eye on anyone that approached—probably on the lookout for Emilia.
As he crossed the bridge, Felt too eyed him cautiously. That hurt Subaru more than he had expected. This time there was no initial awkwardness that carried him through. She viewed him with the same mixture of negativity as anyone else did so far—minus some exceptions.
But his plan required him to shrug it off. Still, he sure hoped things would improve after this hard-hitting first day.
"Felt," he said, going up to the girl, with a straight back and not the slightest sign of his doubts.
"Huh? What do you want? You wanna make trouble?" she asked him surprised, which turned quickly into a glare. She jumped off the railing she had sat upon, just like last time. And assumed a more tense posture, moving a hand upon the small sword on her back, unlike last time.
"Woah, calm down. Elsa sent me. There's a change of plans," he said in a lowered voice, indicating whatever would be discussed was meant for few ears to hear.
Felt came closer. "From Elsa? What are you talking about?" Her attitude indicated a mix of annoyance and wariness, much to Subaru's relief. As long as she wasn't only suspicious of him, that was a win already.
Subaru nodded, realizing he will need to convince her properly. So he recited their plan as well as he could—silver-haired girl, entering the slums here, giving her a tour, stealing green crystal.
The blonde girl relaxed a bit, seemingly buying that the boy was involved in the plan—and how could she not? He knew about it as if he would have seen it already.
"Alright, so you had a message from Elsa, what is it?" the girl finally asked, allowing Subaru to intervene with his own plan.
"She wants you to leave or shake off the girl in the merchant district, not the slums. So give her only a very short tour of the slums, and lure her there with the promise of some interesting trivia," he said conspiratorially.
"I knew there was some catch to it. Should have seen it coming. It was too naive of me to think I could finish a job like that smoothly on my turf," Felt moaned, voicing her dissatisfaction.
That was more than fine for Subaru. It did seem like she bought it just nicely. Now there was only hoping that it would go as he had hoped for.
"I left a symbol, an eye in a triangle, at some alley connected to the street going from this bridge. Lose the girl somewhere around there. Elsa said she'd pay up for the additional inconvenience, so don't worry," Subaru said. This should placate her enough to accept the new conditions.
He had managed to keep a straight face throughout this conspirative meeting, putting up all the effort he could to make it seem like he'd be in cahoots with Elsa. All the information he gained so far was at play here, if this wouldn't work, he had to completely rely on Reinhard.
After some more bickering, the girl folded. "Fine. As long as she pays up, I don't mind. Aside from the whole thievery thing, it's harsh to just leave someone stranded in the slums. That's why I normally pull that trick in the upper parts of the city anyway. It's also further away from my turf, so harder to associate with me. Yeah, sounds like a good idea, all in all," the girl said. She did convince herself that it might work out better for her in the end even better than Subaru could have.
In her world money must have mattered above all else, aside from maybe her own safety. Otherwise it would have been weird of her not to at least question Subaru a bit more. Though on the other hand, he already came in the name of her contractor, so what exactly would she want to criticize?
"It's settled then. I look forward to a job well done," Subaru said. The boy took his leave. While he did think about staying a bit longer or even trying to accompany them again, he decided this time he would try to intervene in the whole mess even earlier. And if his plan would work, they were safe from Elsa anyway, or at least long enough to meet with his newfound friend.
"Ah, such a pretty color," the woman said, as she glanced at the person lying before her. "It seems you took good care, as expected from such a self-important person." The woman smiled, watching to ensure the completion of her job. After all, it was paramount that today's duties would be fulfilled without error. The woman's mind was already occupied with her next job, only waiting for the man's dying breath.
Were it any lower target, she might have waited until night to strike, so she could enjoy it a bit more. But in this case she had received intel about a short window of opportunity that she had to use. And then there was the issue of the other job. The street rat should buy some time, however. Or at the very least provide an opportunity.
With the man's death, the first stone had been set in motion, now her time limit began. She slipped out of the opulent bedroom, taking great care to remain unseen and not to alert anyone too early. The servants wouldn't dare to disrupt their master outside of an emergency, so it should take some time before the body is found. An hour, maybe two.
Unseen to the eyes of anyone, the assassin left the noble quarter, gracefully dancing over the rooftops. Having laid out the most optimal route and secured its usability, she reached the slums well before sunset. And now she would wait, wait for another opportunity to see what she loved.
Out of breath, Subaru sat down in this remote spot he found, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Hidden between two alleys was a small, yet open plaza. A place of green amidst the many houses and shops—a rare sight within this district, judging by what he had seen of it at least. This place was remote. It was spacious enough to offer enough movement in a fight. And even more important, one of the entries was now blocked with boxes and boards formerly scattered around both alleys. In other words, his preparation had been completed.
"Now there's nothing left but to wait," he said, followed by a heavy sigh. "I'm sure Felt will convince her that there's something worthwhile to be seen in the merchant district again. In the end, she was able to fool us both for close to an hour until she tried to steal something. I guess I don't need to worry too much about that," he reassured himself.
Truth be told, he was quite worried. What if Felt failed to bring them out of the slums? What if Elsa attacked earlier this time, while he waited here? What if Reinhard got distracted or wouldn't come? What if they didn't show up and Subaru would find them only after—
So he waited, hidden behind some crates and sheets of cloth in a corner of the plaza, hoping his worries would be unfounded in the end. Each minute felt like ten as they dragged on and on—more than half an hour passed like this, leaving him constantly on edge. The sky had an orange tint by now, though sunset—his feared deadline—had not yet drawn close.
"There they are!" Subaru exclaimed, almost shooting up, be it only to shake his legs back into action which had gone dead. But before he blew his cover he hunkered down again, reminded of his plan. "Keep it together, they're really coming to this plaza—I'll be sure to say sorry after this, Felt." The two had moved down the marked alley, coming into hearing range.
Remaining hidden, Subaru continued to observe them. Felt pointed out some interesting spot, Emilia listened intently and… nothing else happened? Then it dawned on him. Last time Felt tried to steal the crystal after he distracted them somewhat. Well… after he remembered that Elsa had set her sights on them, that is. Still, he needed to do something, before they would just leave this place again. If there was the slightest chance Elsa would deviate from her plan, it would be here, out of sight of anyone. With a sigh he took out a coin from his pocket. A riffled 10 yen coin.
Now if that isn't a good sign. Bring me luck! That always works in video games!
When neither Emilia nor Felt were looking towards his hiding spot, he threw the coin in a wide arc, wanting to make sure it landed a good amount away from him. It was meant to draw their attention to something, but certainly not to him right now.
It seemed this tiny coin and its clear, metallic ringing was all it took for Felt to see an opening. Shortly after they both turned around, startled by the noise, the thief once again tried to get a hold of Emilia's green crystal. And once again her hand was encased in ice. Deviating though was, that the cat spirit Puck manifested, freezing the poor girl's feet to the ground.
Felt looked terrified, desperately trying to pull her legs free with her remaining not-yet-frozen hand. "What's the big idea!? Let me go!" she squealed.
That's… uh. Sorry Felt, but it's still better than getting sliced open, trust me on that one.
"Looks like you were right, Puck. She did have malicious intent from the very beginning," the half-elf said, ignoring the squirming thief. Her melodious voice was once again weighed down by sadness, revealing her disappointment over the thief's action.
"Don't worry Lia, as long as I'm around no harm will get to you," the cat said with a wink.
While Emilia and Puck were distracted, Felt used her chance and switched to a different method to free herself. Gritting her teeth, she hammered with her frozen hand on the encasing ice freezing her to the ground. Her face was strained from the pain these attempts seemed to cause. Still, she continued, hoping either would break and thus allow her to get away.
"You can struggle for all you want, that ice won't break that easily. Now tell me, what did you do that for, why would you try to steal Puck's crystal?" Emilia asked, her voice devoid of warmth.
But the thief just glared at her, not giving her any answer.
Subaru though had only a minor part of his attention directed at Felt's misfortune. No, he needed to be ready if Elsa would try a surprise attack again. While he had hoped that luring the two targets away from the slums might already have been enough to disrupt her plan, part of him suspected she was here. Ready to strike at any moment.
While Emilia and Puck continued to question Felt, Subaru kept an eye on potential pathways to attack—the one unblocked alley entrance and the rooftops. It was thanks to his preparation that he was able to narrow the area he had to look out for that woman.
Though he hoped the assassin wouldn't even know where they were right now, he would stay vigilant. And despite him being mentally prepared for it, his breath still hitched when he saw a shadow rapidly charging at the girl he promised to protect. But he was ready.
"Emilia, behind you!" Subaru shouted, jumping forth from his hideout.
While both Emilia and Felt flinched by the sudden shout and subsequent discovery of whom it came from, Puck immediately manifested an ice shield with a light clap of his paws, seemingly unsurprised. His magic protected Emilia from the assassin's first strike, which was followed by multiple rapid high-speed cuts. But the spirit seemed to have no trouble warding off the assassin's attacks, summoning and dissolving little shields of ice wherever Elsa struck, forcing her eventually to step back.
Subaru sighed deeply. The worst had been averted. "Nice save, Puck!" the boy shouted, as he gave a thumbs up to the grey cat, flashing a bright smile.
While every other party in the plaza seemed confused by the sudden appearance of an unknown, black-haired boy, the grey cat returned the gesture with a toothy smile. "Thanks, stranger!"
Elsa eyed the interloper curiously. "And who might you be, ruining my plan just like that?"
Felt too did seem to have several questions lingering on her mind, as she glared at Subaru with squinted eyes, beating stronger on the ice that still held her immobile.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru, and I'm the one who will stop you, you monster!" Subaru growled, positioning himself between Emilia and Felt, though mindful of staying outside Felt's range. Just to be sure. He wasn't afraid of a little girl now, was he?
"Natsuki… Subaru? What are you doing here?" Both, her tone and gaze were inquisitive. Not outright accusingly, but heavily questioning his presence—and probably motives.
While she did not remotely regard him with hostility, her lack of familiarity still hurt anew. But he had to remain steadfast. The worst had been prevented for now, but that was only the beginning.
"Let's save that for later, we've got bigger problems. I doubt she'll just retreat now," Subaru said, pointing to Elsa.
And indeed, the assassin brandished her blade, licking her lips before the meal that had presented itself before her.
Subaru shuddered—the glint of bloodlust in her eyes was haunting, and her deranged smile devoid of any warmth despite its lascivious nature—it truly scared him. But this time, he wouldn't just be useless on the sidelines. Or, that's what he would have liked to say. Fact was, he didn't have any weapon, and he lacked any skills to draw out their fight effectively. With an indecisive expression he remained in line with the two girls, not stepping forward as he'd liked to do.
"You seem to be quite sure of that," Emilia said, throwing quick glances between Elsa and Subaru.
Subaru smiled wryly. "Let's say it's more than just a hunch. Isn't that right, Elsa? You won't give up till all of us are dead" he said, turning to the assassin who so far still had not initiated another attack.
The woman hid her face, pretending to be embarrassed. "How cruel of you to just out my intentions like this. I simply must know how you found out." It seemed Elsa didn't mind at all to confirm Subaru's claims—what did it matter if she were to kill them here, anyway?
"If she's serious, let's make the most out of the remaining time, Lia," the grey cat spirit said as he began to summon a wide array of ice shards, cooling the air around them. The sky was already ablaze in deep oranges and reds. It wouldn't be long until sunset arrived.
Emilia threw a quick glance at Subaru and Felt. The latter had by now abandoned her attempts to free herself, in part because she too must have sensed Elsa's killing intent towards all of them and seemed intimidated by it.
"You two, if you can't fight, go in cover behind that tree there," Emilia said, as she pointed to the sole tree in the corner of the plaza. With a quick wave of her hand, the ice immobilizing Felt was undone and the girl was free.
"What's this all about? That wasn't part of the deal with Elsa…" Felt said glowering, rubbing her now defrosted extremities.
"It was a trap set up by her. You're in danger, so get into cover!" he said, dragging Felt with him behind the tree. They both peeked out from behind it, watching the ensuing fight.
Emilia meanwhile had kept a close eye on Elsa, making sure the woman wouldn't attack the others as they were about to get to—relative—safety. After they had disappeared behind cover, their uneasy staring contest came to an end.
"Why are you after our lives?" Emilia asked while Puck fired off the first projectiles. Unfortunately though, the assassin had not been distracted, having begun to evade the projectiles as soon as the first one was sent flying towards her.
"Asking a question while attacking, how unbecoming," the assassin said, as she danced around the incoming ice shards. "It's simply part of the job, it's nothing personal."
"So someone hired you to kill us? But who? Why?" she asked, accompanied by an ever-increasing rain of ice.
"I'm sure you understand that I will not reveal my contractor to you now, don't you? Besides, I doubt there are too few people in the world who would want you lot dead," She sneered as Emilia narrowed her eyes. The snark had hit a mark.
The constant increase in incoming attacks had forced Elsa to actively block them with her knife, no longer being able to simply dodge them. Compared to last time, it seemed she really was cornered by the constant onslaught.
So Puck really does make a difference. Maybe they can take Elsa out like that!
Indeed, the pair of spirit and spiritualist seemed able to corner Elsa more effectively, with Puck even able to chat casually with her. But as events seemed to be finally looking up, Subaru felt a rough tug that forced his attention away from the fight.
"What have you gotten me into?" Felt asked, letting out her frustration at the only one near her.
"Don't act like this is my fault! You are the one who wanted to make a deal with a murderer!" Subaru shot back. "The only thing I know is that she's after the both of you, and I won't let that happen." His words were clad with such conviction that Felt backed off.
She just opened and closed her mouth without uttering a word. Her expression changed from surprised to thoughtful, so Subaru left it for the moment at that and continued to watch the fight.
A stalemate—no that was not quite accurate. Puck looked relaxed, while Elsa's movement range was considerably narrowed. It was almost like—
"Got you," the cat said, as Elsa stepped into something that froze her foot to the ground.
With an amused smile the assassin looked down. "Hmm, looks like y—"
But she didn't get to finish her sentence. A massive spike shot up from the ground, crashing directly into her chest. The assassin vanished behind a fog of pulverized ice.
A thick veil of crystalline-shimmering red mist began to spread, enveloping the plaza in an uneasy quietness. Felt jumped up, celebrating their victory, while Emilia just deeply exhaled, letting loose some of the tension she had amassed during the fight. Cautiously, Subaru too came out of their hiding spot. "Is it… over? Really over? Have we won?" Subaru asked, his voice shaky from both disbelief and anticipation.
But not all of them were in a cheery mood. A simple, "Not yet," from Puck alerted them and shattered Subaru's hope of a quick happy end.
With a few slices the assassin had forced the mist to clear up. There she stood, without a scratch visible, but instead having lost part of her dress? No, her cape, that's what disappeared.
"My, how interesting. And here I thought I would get to see the guts of a spirit, but it seemed I held you in too high regard," the assassin said, as she regarded her opponents.
Subaru's face crumbled. She's still alive. But… why in too high regard? He landed a hit and was the only one to see her still being alive. So why? But when his eyes wandered back to Puck, he understood. His fur lost color, slowly turning transparent. Small, bluish balls of light floated away from his body. It was something Subaru had seen before, and so he too knew what it meant—time's up.
"Sorry Lia, I tried to finish it in one blow and exhausted the rest of my mana for today. You know what to do if there's no other way," the semi-transparent cat said, finalizing it with a yawn.
"It's alright, Puck. Now that she's out of tricks to use, I'm sure we can handle the rest." Undisturbed by the still luring threat, Emilia tried to speak in a gentle voice with Puck. But Subaru wondered. Was she truly that confident—or was it an attempt to appear strong, so as to not worry Puck too much? Puck gave a weak smile, as he disintegrated into many lights and returned to his resting spot.
Emilia reinforced her ice shield and summoned a couple of ice shards, readying herself for the second round of her duel against Elsa. But while Subaru admired her determination and will to fight, he was reminded of how this encounter would more likely than not end, filling his heart with fear.
Images of Emilia crashing into a wall, of Felt being sliced apart, and of Elsa's fingers digging into his guts flashed before him. Subaru cowered back behind the tree. His hope had been shattered, Puck alone couldn't defeat Elsa. And with that, the outcome was clear.
"What's wrong? She almost won, yet you look like we're half defeated," Felt chided.
Subaru lifted his head, regarding Felt in surprise. "Felt, you need to do me a favor."
Without Puck's additional firepower the tide of the battle had turned. She knew it. While she was no bad fighter in any regard, she could neither use more than a fraction of her power here nor was this an optimal match-up. If anything, she would need to try and keep that woman constantly at distance. Then there were those two…
Abandoning them was out of the question, especially since one of them had warned her of an incoming attack. She wouldn't be that heartless. So she kept up her barrage, trying to land a hit on the assassin while simultaneously keeping her at bay.
But the assassin circled now around her, each circle drawing a bit closer. Emilia looked for a way out. Moving closer to a wall would endanger her to being jumped upon by a well-executed air attack, so that was out of the question too. She felt like a sitting duck—and well, she really was.
"So, are you on board?"
"If what you're saying is right, yes… Though I'm really not sure whether it isn't thanks to you I'm in this whole mess to begin with," Felt said with some annoyance.
"Believe me, she wouldn't have let you get away. Alright, when the moment comes, I'll count on you!" he said, patting the thief's head.
"Hands off, you! Alright alright, I just hope you're right, I won't come back if no one's there!" she said, stretching out her tongue.
It was probably played lightheartedness—letting them both escape their dangerous predicament—but it was better than cowering in fear and doing nothing. Or so he thought.
Now it all depended on timing. That, and that his assumption was correct. Else things would get worse even more quickly. But he could worry later about that.
The fight had now changed to close-quarter combat, with Emilia repeating her tactic of a floating ice shield and small icicles as a counter against the countless slashes of Elsa.
"Now!" Subaru shouted, jumping forth with the short sword burrowed from Felt in his hand. Emboldened by his battle cry he charged at Elsa, forcing the assassin to immediately change focus. She was quick to intercept the newcomer to their fight.
"Emilia, cover me!" he shouted, well aware that his own fighting skills would not keep him alive for too long. But he had to change something, do anything to try and prevent the inevitable outcome.
His charge had forced Elsa to relent on her attacks against Emilia. On the other hand, he was now completely open for an attack, and if she were even to carry out a single serious strike, he'd be in trouble.
But Subaru had realized something by now. Elsa was toying around with them—except maybe against Puck—and she did seem to draw out and enjoy the fight, meaning she would more likely than not avoid finishing him off with a single, quick blow. Elsewise it would be quickly over, that was clear.
Still, he would rather take this death than see the fight come to its nightmarish conclusion. No, he wasn't going to die here. His goal was set. With a great leap backward, he dodged Elsa's strike, preemptively abandoning his charge.
The very moment the assassin set out for another slice, the wave of ice shards flared up once more, forcing her to defend against them.
"Don't think you can forget about me," Emilia said, as she slowly shifted towards Subaru.
Subaru smiled confidently. Elsa took his bait in attacking him, now standing farther away from the open alley entrance than both him and Emilia. Then a blonde blur dashed away.
Elsa's smile vanished abruptly, her gaze picking up a dangerous glint. "I fear I can't let you get away," the woman said, as she reached for a holster affixed to her leg.
Noticing the metallic glint, originating from two blades, that had now come from her formerly free hand, Subaru threw himself at Elsa, completely disregarding his own safety for a minute. His blade clashed with hers', but it was only a diversion. Caught unaware, Elsa let her defense slip up and Subaru's real attack connect—his palm struck her left elbow, throwing the aim of whatever she had taken into her hand off track.
During this, Felt had almost reached the exit of the alley. Then a cry of pain echoed through it.
Subaru turned around and saw a glint of metal reflecting out of the alley's wall. A tiny blade.
But that's only one, so…
Protruding out of the girl's left leg was the other—it had found its mark. "Felt, are y—!"
But he didn't get to finish his sentence. Elsa had spun in one fluid motion and kicked him, causing him to stumble away, grunting in pain from the hard kick. He forgot how much power Elsa's kicks had, and how unwise it was to turn his back on his enemy, even if he was concerned about his friends.
Out of the corner of his eyes he could see how Emilia prevented Elsa from attempting another attack, keeping her under constant fire and pushing her back, as the assassin had overextended for her chase. "Are you alright?" she asked Subaru, who was still lying around.
Subaru bobbed up and assumed the closest he had to a fighting stance. "Yeah, I'm fine, more importantly—!" He turned around, but the alley was empty.
"So she got away…" Subaru said relieved.
"Helping the small girl flee was nice of you, but that was reckless," she scolded.
"My heart flutters with how concerned you are for my well-being," Subaru chirped.
He could have sworn to hear her muttering "dunderhead" after having cast her next wave of magic, broadening his smile further.
"However, she didn't just escape. Help should be coming soon, we only have to hold out a bit more," Subaru whispered after he shifted over to Emilia, now being covered by her floating ice shield as well.
"Are you two lovebirds quite done? I am growing rather tired of all this. If you have nothing left to entertain me…," Elsa said, having put on her smile once more.
"Emilia, if you have another ace up your sleeve, now's the time for it," the boy said with reddened cheeks.
The half-elf threw Subaru a conflicted look but remained silent. Eventually, she shook her head.
"How disappointing," Elsa said, before charging at Emilia.
With rising bloodlust the assassin charged in, swatting most of the projectiles with her blade while dodging the rest. She had closed the gap within mere moments. Elsa once more rained down cut after cut, trying to land a hit past the ice barrier. Subaru deflected a select few that came too close, tanking some minor cuts, while the floating pieces of ice were sacrificed for the others.
Still, while Emilia did her best to keep her away, the increased movement of the ice shield, and the need to cover Subaru with it as well, put up too much of a strain on her. After several flurries of slashes, all but one icicle had broken down and disintegrated into mana.
"This is looking bad," Subaru said, eyeing the alley entrance where he hoped help would appear.
Sensing his inattentiveness, the assassin saw the opening and spun around them. The last icicle tore deeply into Elsa's leg, as she hit Emilia with her shin. The impact caused Emilia to crash into Subaru, sending them both flying.
Subaru's head rang. He had tried to lessen Emilia's crash, but he was cushioned by her instead. From the corner of his eyes he could see Elsa moving slowly closer. Hastily, Subaru staggered to his feet, grabbing the short sword lying close beside him. Emilia didn't move yet. It was all on him.
—Meaning this is probably the end. But she's still breathing. I won't give up yet.
He stood defiantly before Elsa, gripping the sword so hard, his knuckles whitened. "I'm not gonna let you harm her… any further," he said. It would have been better to say 'at all', but it had been somewhat too late for that.
"How cute. I wonder if your bowels will match," she said, blushing slightly—probably at the prospect of fulfilling her sadistic fantasies.
"Wait! There's one more thing!" Subaru said, biting on his lip. He looked down the alley once more. Still no help. "You wanted to know how I found out, right?" He had to buy time. Each second could be decisive.
"Oh, do you wish to negotiate your way out of this?" Elsa asked, lowering her blade and keeping some distance between them.
"I doubt there's anything I could offer you to let me get away alive. And definitely not us both. I won't abandon her, and you have your sights set on her life no matter what." He had to restrain himself from glowering at her. He needed to buy time, not provoke her any further. Instead, he stole some glances at the still empty alley, getting disappointed each time anew. "And I don't think you're too fond of any witnesses anyway. No chance you'd make a deal."
"Then, you hope to enable another escape?" the assassin spoke.
"No. I'm just trying to use every minute I have left…" he said, smiling weakly.
"Then speak. You're lucky I'm curious. There is little use in prolonging this otherwise."
Subaru exhaled deeply. "I saw you and Felt talking in the slums. Knew what your contractor was after, and heard about the girl's trick. Didn't take much to fool her with that into leading Emilia into the city. I actually hoped you wouldn't attack here—either not find them, or avoid striking so publicly. But it seems I was wrong," he admitted. "But maybe this place was a bit too well chosen. In case you were set on attacking, I wanted to bait you into attacking before sunset. Hoped we could defeat you together in battle were you to show up. But… that didn't turn out too well, all in all."
Subaru looked behind. It seemed as if Emilia was about to regain consciousness. Elsa had an amused expression while she listened to the boy's monologue.
"But I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. …I wanted to do it all alone. Thought no one would help me anyway. Still, I had to try. Not endanger someone else to be gutted by you," he said, letting his animosity against Elsa flare up again.
"That's why I won't give up just yet!" he shouted, as he tried to stab Elsa into her heart. But the woman batted the knife out of his hand with a swift strike, disarming him.
"You've got guts. I can't wait to see them…", she said blushing, as she raised her knife for a fatal strike.
—"That's enough!" A thundering voice echoed through the plaza, as a red flash jumped between Subaru and Elsa, causing the assassin to leap back.
Subaru blinked. Even the vile woman had immediately backed off when his friend made his entry. Before him stood his long-awaited helper, the red-haired knight. "Thanks Reinhard, that was way too close…" Subaru said, falling to his knees from the sudden release of tension.
"Are you alright?" he asked, mustering the boy who had sustained a few light cuts so far. Then he saw the person lying beside him. "You can leave the rest to me, just stay behind me and watch over Emilia-sama," Reinhard said, as he turned to Elsa.
"Reinhard? The knight of the famous family? Oh how I am rewarded for my patience," she said, sounding very excited.
"And you are Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter," Reinhard stated, acknowledging his opponent. He looked around and picked up the short sword Subaru dropped earlier, appropriating it for the fight to come. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I will have to use this as a weapon."
While the two exchanged formalities, Subaru shook Emilia lightly by her shoulder, "Emilia, are you alright? Help has arrived, come on."
Her eyes fluttered open, followed shortly by her sitting up. "What happened?"
"Help has arrived," he repeated with a smile, sitting down beside her. "Elsa landed a hit on us, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," the girl said, quickly staggering to her feet, causing Subaru to get up again as well. He wanted to let her take her time to rest, but it seems his concern was unfounded.
Emilia let her gaze wander around, seeing the newcomer in a stand-off with the assassin. Reinhard had assumed a defensive stance with the short sword in his hands.
"Is that Sir Reinhard?" Emilia asked in surprise.
"You know him? Yeah. I told Felt to go find some help—speaking of which, where—?"
"How nice of you to… think about me too," a female voice said, panting slightly. In the alley entrance stood the blond-haired girl, holding her bloodied leg.
"It didn't go quite as planned, huh…" Subaru said as he and Emilia walked over to the girl.
"I got the help, didn't I?" she said, drawing a grimace.
"You were the one to call for help?" Emilia asked.
"I did," the girl said proudly. "Hurt like hell to walk like that, but it beats getting killed."
Emilia regarded Felt thoughtfully for a moment, before moving over to her.
"Hey! What do you want!?" the girl asked, attempting to limp away.
"I'm going to heal you, so stop being difficult," Emilia said, pulling her back. "We will sort out the rest afterward, but for now I'll take care of the wound."
Felt looked over to Subaru, who nicked as to reassure her.
Emilia kneeled down beside Felt, inspecting the wound closely. "Hold still," she said, as she lay her hands on the still bleeding wound.
After a loud yelp and some suppressed curses—Emilia had removed the small knife with a quick pull—the girl began to relax, letting the healing magic do its work.
Meanwhile, Elsa tried her luck to fight Reinhard—but the knight deflected each of her strikes, barely moving. Subaru was flabbergasted. It wasn't even close to a challenge for him to keep up.
Grinning at his friend's display of skill, he watched them, joined in by Felt and Emilia after the girl's leg had been restored.
I don't want to jinx it yet, but by the looks of it, I did it!
Without breaking a sweat, the knight kept the woman at bay, making it seem as if Elsa was a novice fighter. "I advise you to surrender," the knight stated, after having blocked several strikes unfazed.
However, before Elsa could answer, a sudden noise interrupted the fight.
Elsa halted momentarily. "Looks like I ran out of time, just as it was getting interesting…," she said before she jumped into the far corner of the plaza.
The trio of Subaru, Emilia, and Felt looked around, wondering what had caused the sudden noise.
Reinhard too looked around, showing a slightly worried expression, yet keeping his guard up.
Bell-ringing. First one, then two, and after not too long, the sound of nothing but countless bells ringing filled the air.
As the others were distracted by the noise, Elsa made a sudden and vicious turn. She spun around, throwing two knives toward the group of three.
Reinhard quickly stepped in, causing one of the knives to lose its trajectory and curve into a wall. However, the second one flew by, aimed at—
"—Emilia!" the boy shouted, throwing himself sideways and pushing both girls out of the way. Then an all too familiar feeling spread through his body.
Warmth.
"—Hrk!"
Warmth. Pain. Pulsating pain. Searing pain. He could feel it. How the knife had dug itself deep into his abdomen. How it had torn apart his flesh. Subaru fell to the ground, holding his pierced gut.
Lying on the ground, he could only hear muffled voices, as his vision became blurry.
Elsa frowned. "I shouldn't have played around for too long..."
Reinhard charged at Elsa but stopped when the assassin jumped higher and higher until she reached the rooftops. "Instead of chasing me, shouldn't you find out why the city bells are ringing?" the assassin taunted him. "I will come again—take good care of your bowels until then!"
Conflicted, the knight turned around, "Emilia-sama, are you unharmed?"
But she ignored him, kneeling beside the boy who had caught the knife aimed for her.
Subaru's consciousness flickered. He saw a silver silhouette leaning over him, talking to him. Sadly, her words blended in with the noise around them, drowning in it. But in a last moment of clearness, he could hear them. Through the sound of the city's bells, a far weaker yet every bit as sharp voice rang out. It was like silver bells, asserting their dominance over the rest.
"Subaru, hang in there!" she shouted, as she tried to keep him conscious.
With the last strength he could muster, he turned his head to the wonderful source of that soothing voice, connecting with Emilia's sorrowful eyes.
Looks like I messed up in the final stretch… damn it… at least I kept my promise this time…
With these final thoughts, Natsuki Subaru's world darkened.
"Will he make it?" the blonde-haired girl—Felt asked.
"I stabilized him for now, but it will take some more time. And… I'm not sure whether I can heal wounds of this severity," Emilia said, dropping backward, visibly exhausted.
"You'd better be, he saved us!" Felt said.
"So it seems. After you've brought us into this death trap, that is," Emilia snidely remarked.
"I didn't know!" Felt raised her hands to defend against the accusation.
"Uh-huh. We will discuss this at length, be sure of it. As soon as the more pressing things are looked after. Maybe Sir Reinhard will be back soon," Emilia said, looking around for the man that had excused himself momentarily, after leaving the boy in her care.
"I don't like the sound of that," Felt said, eyeing the alley that would let her get away still.
"Your friend and you will have to do a lot of explaining," Emilia said sternly.
"My friend? I thought he was yours! Didn't expect you to be this close, considering—"
"We aren't," Emilia cut in sharply. "I've never seen this boy before in my life."
"Neither have I," said Felt, sounding lost. The girls exchanged some confused gazes. Emilia wasn't sure if the girl would lie to her about something like that. She looked down at the stranger.
Just who are you? Why did you do that then?
In the corner of her eyes Emilia noticed some movement—Reinhard had returned.
"Emilia-sama, were you able to restore his health?"
"No, I only stabilized him. Depending on how deep the wound is, I will need to consult with another healer to fully close his wounds. I'll need to ask someone within Roswaal's domain for this."
"I see… but that might be difficult at the moment," the man said, somewhat hesitatingly.
"And why is that? A dragon carriage should be at the ready to bring me there today," Emilia said.
"Has it something to do with the city bells ringing?" asked Felt.
"Indeed, it has. While I do not know the exact circumstances as of now, all I can say is that due to some incident, the city gates have been closed. It is not possible to enter or leave the city."
"Does that mean my driver did perhaps not even get into the city? Furthermore, that would mean…" Emilia looked down at the boy, whose breathing had become heavy and strained.
"—Where do you think you're going?" Emilia asked sharply, stopping Felt her in her tracks.
"Ah… you see… I thought you were discussing what you were doing next. I got nothing to do with that, so I'm going home," Felt stated.
However, Emilia was not fooled by her put-up easiness. The girl obviously tried to escape, sneaking away while Reinhard and she were discussing what to do next.
"You were involved in this somehow, I'm afraid I have to object to you just walking away like that," Emilia said coldly.
"Do you truly believe this to be necessary, Emilia-sama?" Reinhard asked. "Since I'm off duty today, I would have let her get away, considering she did take great pain to reach out for help."
"I think it is, considering she did lead me here where we got attacked, I need to hear what she knows. It was an attempt on my life, after all," said Emilia.
"Very well. Please forgive me, I did not know of this," the knight said, bowing slightly.
"Hey, I got attacked here just as well! Who knows if she returns, I don't want some big target on my back just for being close to you again!" Felt said, pointing to Emilia.
Emilia squinted her eyes but said nothing.
Felt shook her head and went over to Reinhard. "My sword," she said, stretching out her hand.
"Of course. Thank you very much for allowing me to use it," the knight said, handing her the short sword back that he still carried with him.
"You just took it. But since you protected us, I won't sweat that detail," the girl retorted, taking it from the knight and sheathing it again behind her back.
"However, Felt-san, under these circumstances I must ask of you to wait until we have decided on how to deal with your apparent involvement in all of this," the knight said.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Fine, just hurry up then. I certainly won't tag along to some stupid guard post though," Felt spat.
"I will keep that in mind," said Reinhard, as he walked with Felt over to Emilia and Subaru. "Emilia-sama, you intended to return today to the Mathers domain, correct?"
"Yes, I was to meet with a maid to return there, or organize with her an inn to stay, should I have wished to remain longer in the capital. It seems I will have to do the latter though either way," she said, as she gazed down on the boy who still breathed uneasily. "But due to these circumstances…"
"Emilia-sama. Please allow me to invite you to stay at the Astrea estate, I would be most honored to receive you as a guest. This of course is also extended to your friend," Reinhard said with a slight bow.
"Oh. No Sir Reinhard, I can't—eh. Did you say friend? To whom are you referring?" she wondered.
"—I meant Subaru. But judging by your confusion… if you don't mind the question, in what kind of relation do you stand to him?" the knight asked, visibly confused.
"In none, really. I'd never seen him before getting attacked."
"… This is rather surprising to hear. He said he would need to save someone—which I presumed to be you, Emilia-sama," Reinhard said, mystified.
Emilia remained in contemplative silence for a while, thinking about the Sword Saint's words. "In that case Sir Reinhard, I would be inclined to accept your offer. Be it only to do something about the boy's health here," she said.
"Finally. In that case you don't need me anymore, right?" Felt said with an innocent voice.
"Additionally," Emilia said with great emphasis, "if I may ask of this—could you also welcome Felt there as a guest? Until the circumstances have been cleared up at least. There is also the issue that Elsa did seek after her life as well…"
Felt opened her mouth as if she wanted to loudly protest, but the words were stuck in her throat.
"Of course Emilia-sama, this seems more than adequate. Felt-san, would this be an acceptable arrangement, as an alternative to the guard post?" Reinhard asked, smiling.
With pressed lips, Felt eventually spoke up. "Fine. Just until the whole mess is cleared up though. And you better serve up some good food."
"Let us make way then, I would not wish to jeopardize this boy's health by further waiting," Emilia said, as she slowly got up, carefully carrying Subaru with her.
Author's Note:
This marks the end of canonical Arc 1. From now on, things might deviate increasingly.
Many thanks to the beta reader of this chapter, [LookingGlassInsect]! Blessed be his patience, which certainly gets tested by continued questions and suggestions.
And a continued shoutout to both [EmiliaNatsuki] & [TheColourPurple123]. Their plethora of writing tips having a lasting effect on the writing quality of the chapters and story.
By now I am sure you won't be surprised when I say: Go read their stories as well!
Reviews from Chapter 2: Return by Death
In general: Thanks to the continued expressed interest and friendly words. :)
SUFFERING FANATIC: Thanks! There are at least several more chapters prepared, so it will continue for quite a while.
Jay Shawn Green: Well, he'll certainly be more wary of those who look like guards, clad in full armor. Though neither Julius, nor anyone of the royal guards, maybe aside Marcos, really wear metal.
prabhjiv: Thanks! And yes, one might wonder what lead to such drastic changes for Lugnica. Especially since there is no shortage of potential perpetrators in the RZ world. And as you said… how these changes in turn might affect Subaru's journey.
Wicked.A: Indeed, early Subaru did not have yet to adapt too much and walked through the world without too many worries. Ideally, he could keep that carelessness, but… well.
A. J Savage: I mean, he did figure out RBD 1-2 loops earlier than in canon, so… there's hoping!
Im The Person: No worries, the opposite if anything: Thank you very much for the extensive review!
Well, wanting to help a silver-haired half-elf certainly would raise eyebrows regardless. I doubt there's too many even in canon that would be too happy hearing these words.
It is very interesting to see your thoughts and theories concerning the possible meaning of what Subaru being the "Star" might entail. Though I fear the answers will have to come with how the story unfolds. :)
demedichi: And thanks to you as well for sharing your thoughts about the fic so far.
Heinkel as the Sword Saint, that'd be something. Not even his mother believed in him, so that might be a stretch. And it appears Subaru didn't want to leave things to chance this time, though.
As for the Sage or the Witch connection; reasonable thoughts, I'd say. Though I wonder what it would take for the Sage to be regarded as villain. How would they have sealed the Witch of Envy without the third hero?