Prophecy of the Star

by Vallhart

"Behold the Star of an unknown sky, its light may bring ruination surpassing the Witch, or lead to salvation for all it shines upon." Subaru dreamt of being special. Confronted with a world where his arrival is expected—where the Dragon gives a prophecy, just for him, how would this dream unfold? And how would those holding ambitions further their own goals with this knowledge?

10. Resolution of Vengeance

"Alright, I think that's far enough. They won't be able to find us here," said Felt from a crouched position. She had been cautiously spying through the battered wall of a ruined house, in which the group had taken refuge in.

Escaping out of sight from the Golden Coin gang and leaving the burning loot house behind, they had traversed the slums far from the wide, open main roads. Even if the gang had been immobilized, that didn't mean there was no other danger lurking in the poorest district of the city. Especially now, with multiple gangs fighting amongst each other, potentially being drawn to the source of the eye-catching pillar of black smoke which was likely visible all across town.

Having gained some distance, they settled down among the sorry remnants of some houses, each one worse than the next. But for their purposes, it was enough to have some secluded space to collect themselves and discuss what would be done next.

Going back to the group, Felt sat down, completing the circle in which they were sitting.

Rom had heaved some larger stones from piles of rubble around them, allowing at least some alternative to sitting directly on the floor.

Crossing her arms, Emilia threw Felt a questioning glance. "So you think they'll be after us, even though I told them to stay away…"

"I'm pretty sure they will… no matter how much you just intimidated them," said Felt, looking worried at Emilia. "You can't just expect a gang to give in if you tell them off."

Rom nodded. "That's right. Even if your spirit defeated them before, it's not likely for them to just give up like that. Especially not after you've humiliated them."

"I did no such thing!" Emilia protested.

Subaru wore a wry smile. "Maybe not you, Emilia-tan, but Puck did." Pointing to the grey cat, he continued. "I mean, he practically muzzled that haggard guy."

"So what? He can be glad that it was only that," said Puck, licking his paw. His light-hearted voice and carefree behavior showed him to be devoid of any form of guilt or remorse.

Emilia had closed her eyes. "So it seems like all bandits are the same in the end, huh…" Her voice had a slight hitch, and her face a rather sorrowful expression.

Upon hearing that, Puck momentarily lost his playfulness. "Lia… I could have… you know."

Emilia's eyes blazed up. "That would make us no better than them, Puck!" Her voice surged with conviction, surprising both Felt and Subaru.

"So that's why you didn't want to kill them, huh? I hope you won't need to regret this naivety," old man Rom commented, now closing his eyes in return—as if musing about a memory from the distant past.

Shaking her head, Emilia retorted, "Killing them would not have undone what they did… Would you have gone for revenge, over protecting Felt?"

He slowly opened his eyes again. "No, I'm not one for revenge. If you're as old as me, you'd have an unending list of people to take revenge on… better to forget all about it." That didn't sound like he wasn't thinking about revenge… just that its pursuit wasn't worth it, in the end.

"Besides, in this case, protecting Felt and preventing these thugs from attacking—ever again—goes hand in hand. Leaving people like those around when they already showed to be willing to go to such extents, will just lead to them coming back for more," Rom stated as a matter-of-fact. "And by the sound of what you said to the great spirit there, you already had similar such experiences, which isn't much surprising."

Subaru closely watched Emilia's reaction, her having given them an unexpected glimpse into her past. But hearing that and then that last part, and seeing Emilia grabbing onto Puck's crystal… Subaru got the feeling that there was more—but he didn't quite get it. Maybe it's just old man Rom expecting a girl like her to run into some bad people, as was normal for people from the slums?

"There are other ways to keep oneself safe still. I threatened them to forget about it all. That should be enough," Emilia said, though she sounded much less convinced than before.

Subaru felt conflicted. When Emilia had told Puck that killing the thugs wasn't an option, he was confused. Not so much that Emilia had rejected the idea… but that he didn't. At that moment, he would not have minded the thugs dying. After all, they had just tried to literally burn them alive, something which he himself had gone through, knowing the full horror such a death would have entailed. That feeling towards the thugs being killed was nowhere near the same feeling that had crept up shortly before he met Reinhard… But it was still a certain passiveness to it, which he had not expected—which didn't feel right.

No, if anything, what Emilia now had said, that felt right with him. To kill someone… that would have made them no better than the Golden Coin gang. While he could certainly understand Rom's perspective, that was still nowhere near the right thing to do… it would just have been easier. And so—

"Emilia-tan's right!" stated Subaru nonchalantly. "Killing the thugs wouldn't have changed what happened… and might even have made you enemies for life." Keeping a serious face, he nodded to her, reinforcing his support.

"Would've been a short life if we hadn't escaped the loot house," Felt remarked with a grimace. "But… I can see it being impossible to avoid them, once you begin an open fight. At least until either side gives up… or you kill their boss."

"There you go with killing again," Subaru said shaking his head, and earning himself a stuck-out tongue from Felt.

Noticing they wouldn't make any progress discussing that, Subaru decided to change the subject. "But anyway, what now? With the loot house gone, and the Golden Coin gang maybe still on your tail, what are you going to do?" Directing his gaze on Rom, he could see the man sigh.

"Even with the loot house gone… I'll be fine," he said, though his voice lacked the former strength. "I still got a lot of connections and several safe stashes. I'll just lay low for a while, and wait for things to blow over."

"You're just trying to sound tough," said Felt, violently shaking her head, to which old man Rom made an unreadable face… but he didn't deny it.

"It's nice that you don't want to worry Felt," said Emilia, nodding slightly to Rom, "but I think you only worry her more with that."

Rom seemed to have been somewhat hit by her words, twisting his mouth while looking guiltily to Felt, who in turn crossed her arms.

"But I have an idea. Let's all head back to the Astrea estate. I'll ask Sir Reinhard—or Carol in his stead—to extend their hospitality to you as well."

Rom's eyes opened wide. "Hmm? Oh, no. No, that would rea—!"

"Don't you say no now!" Felt interjected. "Big sis is really trying to help you here. Not only would you be safe there, but I'd also know you're ok. Not to mention that we can discuss what to do, once I get out too." Judging by how Felt's voice cracked a bit at times, and her almost desperate tone… she really didn't want to hear a "no" again.

Rom too seemed to notice this… and still hesitated. Was he that much against being dragged up to the noble district? Did he dislike the idea so vehemently?

"I don't really have much of a say in all of that… as I'm just a guest there myself," Subaru began hesitatingly, "but considering that Felt took such great effort to see you again, even considering sneaking out right before their eyes, and this today being such a close call… I think it'd be best to accept Emilia's offer." Not to mention that if something were to happen to him now, after they survived the whole ordeal would have been…

With an even deeper sigh, Rom lifted his club and let it fall to the ground again, letting a dull sound reverberate through the ruin. "Alright, alright. If you really insist on it, I won't say no. Just hope they really won't mind."

"Good," said Emilia, smiling slightly. "And I'm sure they won't."

Subaru smiled as well. It seemed Emilia was determined to use her status once more… wherever she knew it or not.

"So it sounds like we're heading back to the noble district then," said Felt… though she didn't sound exactly happy.

Well… it was a bit more enthusiastic than on other occasions. No wonder, with potential danger still after them. Subaru just hoped that Emilia's threat would keep the thugs from pursuing them.

As he wondered whether the Golden Coin gang would really stay away, a prolonged yawn drew the attention of the whole group to its originator—a transparent Puck, who landed in Emilia's palms. "Well… looks like you'll have to get there without me," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"It's alright, Puck," Emilia said, lifting him to his crystal. "We should be able to reach it just fine. I can handle a couple of common thugs."

"I'm sure they'll have learned their lesson." With a last nod, Puck disappeared. It seemed it had gotten quite late already… something Subaru completely failed to notice. At least Puck was confident that the thugs would stay away… that way his disappearance wasn't as concerning.

"The spirit's optimism aside, we should probably still get moving," said Felt, having gotten up and back to spying through the holes in the wall facing the road. "We should at least try to get out of the slums before nightfall… we won't be able to make it to the noble district before then anyway."

She peered back at the other three, who traded gazes before nodding. Leaving behind the broken house, they set out towards the upper parts of the city, where they expected to find safety.

---

Being called to the palace two times within a few days was not even for the Sword Saint a common thing, at least not after—.

After being given a mission with the highest priority, he immediately prepared for his departure. After lunch with his guests, he had informed them of his absence, and set off shortly after.

Though not on a ground dragon, as any other would've done in such urgency. No, as Reinhard was sent alone on the mission, and potential danger was imminent, he set off on foot—and used a fraction of the powers that were bestowed on him. And such urgency was needed.

After having been informed of a potential threat having entered the country, only a couple of days later, the capital lost contact with a border guard outpost. Such outposts, contrary to what the name might imply, stood some time away from the border proper. Equipped with conversation mirrors connected directly to the capital, they served as communication hubs and command posts for several smaller guard posts, which controlled actual roads and border points throughout the kingdom.

Missing a daily report was therefore unusual, as some later shift was expected to make up for it even in the event of accident or failure. Which didn't happen. And with a known threat inbound, the Sage Council had decided to let it be investigated as quickly as possible.

Setting off around noon, arriving shortly after nightfall. What normally would have taken multiple days, he could travel in less than a half.

There was quite some commotion when Reinhard arrived at the border outpost. Situated apart from the nearby settlement—a small hamlet that thrived well under its protection—stood the stone building that served as the local hub, coordinating communication and providing living quarters for the guards from distant corners of the kingdom.

As these outposts were usually far behind the actual border—at least far enough away for Reinhard to visit them unconcerned—they weren't as lively as an actual border post, where tolls had to be paid, or wares were checked.

And yet multiple wagons stood around, the ground dragons drawing them seeming restless. As did the guards who saw him approaching.

Deciding not to make any hasty judgement, he placed a faint smile on his lips, and approached one of the guards—a middle-aged man, with deep shadows under his eyes. "Good afternoon," he said with a calm voice. "I have come from the capital regarding a missing report. Did something happen?"

But the man before him barely looked at him. If anything, his eyes seemed to look into some distance. "There was an attack…" he whispered hoarsely, making Reinhard's smile vanished instantly. "An attack, and they… they…"

With a shaky hand, the man pointed over to the wagons covered in cloth.

Reinhard had assumed wrongly. These weren't wagons from merchants transporting some goods. They were used to transport people. He should have seen it the moment he looked into the man's eyes. These eyes had met death very recently. Placing his hand on the man's shoulder, Reinhard continued with a calming voice. "Where is your captain? I need to speak with him."

But the man merely shook his head. It seemed their captain too had fallen. "The vice-captain is inside," The man shuffled to the side, letting Reinhard pass through.

"It seems I was too slow," mumbled Reinhard as he went inside, immediately noticing how the walls were covered in red.

---

Unfortunately, the path out of the slums had not been free of trouble. As soon as the group stepped outside the ruins, they noticed pairs of thugs patrolling through the streets, keeping a watchful eye open—with their weapons already drawn.

Even though they could have probably overwhelmed them, in the end they decided staying hidden would be the smarter option. Should they get spotted they'd either have to fight or run, with both being worse alternatives to just sneaking past. Not to mention that they could belong to a different gang altogether, just looking for trouble as well.

But avoiding those roaming thugs had taken a while, and the sun had long taken its leave before they were finally getting close to the border of the slums. Now they hid just around the street corner, in some overtly shady alley.

"Alright. Just a bit ahead, and then there's the bridge," whispered Felt. "The same bridge we used to get here… it's the only path directly into the merchant district without going through the residential one, and at least that part of the city should be properly guarded."

Subaru could definitely remember a lot of guards patrolling through the marketplaces in a previous loop, where even Felt pointed out that there were more than usual. So once they would make it across that bridge, they should be in relative safety. Or, maybe even now, as there should be a guard on the bridge already. And the thugs surely wouldn't just pick a fight with them… maybe.

Peeking out from cover, they found the streets to be deserted. Nodding to each other, they left the cover of the last alley and made their way over to the bridge—in complete silence. As if emanating even the tiniest bit of noise would uncover them immediately, blowing their cover. Though... they hadn't really seen anyone for the past few minutes, almost as though the slums had turned into a ghost town. Regardless, in the idea of being better safe than sorry, Emilia took the lead in the open area, leading the group right to the bridge. Yet just as they were about to reach it, a shadow appeared on the other side.

"Well, well, well, what a coincidence." echoed a voice across the bridge. Seeing the shadowy figure block the way over the bridge, the group halted.

As the silhouette stepped onto the moonlit bridge, Subaru gulped. By his side, Felt took a step back and exclaimed "You can't be serious."

"Did you really think you could hide yourselves? Or escape?" The voice dripped with hostility, but was in no less way conceited. The weak light illuminated his face, warped in an expression of hatred. "This is our turf. And you were never getting away alive, you filth."

Before them stood the haggard man, blocking the way out of the slums.

But it wasn't only him. As he moved forward, more people stepped out of the shadows of the tall houses behind him—and they looked undoubtedly not like the ordinary thugs from before.

Men clad in armor and wielding swords… far from the makeshift or poorly-maintained weapons the Golden Coin gang members had been using so far. And while the armor was nowhere close to the one city guards were using—looking more like patch-worked together looted pieces than proper gear—it was leather and metal protection nonetheless. Compared to these, the thugs so far appeared as nothing more than a goon squad.

Even worse. As they too stepped forward over the bridge, Subaru noticed another difference. These men looked older—way older than the thugs from before. Grey hair was the most commonly shared trait among them, their age more in the range of Grimm or Rom's. If they survived this long in the slums, combined with their equipment… Subaru had a bad feeling about this.

Following his first instinct, Subaru took a step back. And so did Felt, while Rom lifted his club, holding it now raised with both hands.

"Seems like they weren't quite intent to listen, Miss half-elf," said Rom, throwing Emilia a questioning glance.

But Emilia merely narrowed her eyes, glaring silently to the bridge.

"How rude of you to leave us already! We were looking forward to showing your kind our full hospitality!" shouted the haggard man.

On the haggard man's word, Subaru could hear more noises—coming right from behind them. As he turned around, he could see another group of men appearing… The very same thugs from before. As it seemed, they had hidden in some alleys and lay in wait for them.

Subaru didn't get it. They had avoided fighting so far, putting such effort into remaining hidden. So how could they have ambushed them, or even known that they'd be here? And now with Puck gone, and them being surrounded…

Worry crept into his heart. Worry that even though they got away from the loot house, they're now faced once more with mortal danger. Because this time the thugs would certainly not give them any head start—and without Puck, it looked even worse. Not to mention that the carefree cat had probably angered them even more before.

Subaru gritted his teeth. Looking around, he realized there was no way to escape fighting.

"Why do we have to see your ugly mug again? Shouldn't it be the actual boss leading the ambush at least?" shouted Subaru. It was a desperate attempt to calm his nerves.

"The boss?" The man repeated the words as though perplexed. Then his face warped into a deranged smile, and he laughed maniacally. "The boss is dead. Killed by filth like you. All I do is lead us to avenge him." he yelled, earning himself a loud cheer from all the thugs. He pointed his finger at the group. Felt shook in the corner of Subaru's eye, yet the other two held steady. "We'll honor his memory, and get rid of you disgusting creatures!"

The hate-filled shouts made Subaru grit his teeth. A bead of sweat dripped down his chin, but he wiped it off before turning to the others. "What now…?" Subaru exclaimed, momentarily overwhelmed with dread of yet another desperate struggle.

"What do you think there is left to do? We're surrounded," said Rom, heaving up his club. "There's only one way now. So, Miss, how do you suggest we do this?"

Emilia took a deep breath after she had taken another look around. "We'll need to break through to get to the upper parts of the city," Emilia said with a firm voice. "I should be able to take care of those before us, but I don't think I can protect you at the same time from the thugs in our backs." Her voice held a certain sadness… a tinge of disappointment.

"You can leave that to us, then," said Rom, turning to the group of thugs behind them. They had just blocked off the closest alley and roads so far, but not come any closer.

"Yeah big sis, don't worry!" said Felt, drawing her weapon and joining Rom's side. "We'll hold them off, somehow. So just focus on those ahead!"

That only left Subaru… weaponless. Useless. Where Rom had already accepted to fight, he was still hoping for a miraculous escape. While they readied themselves to fight… he was sidelined again.

When Emilia took another step forward, summoning a floating ice shield and shard, the armored men scoffed. "What do you think, men? Cutting down that thing as a nice warm-up for him?"

The armored men chuckled. "Not like we haven't had plenty of fighting today already."

Hearing their modest boasts, Subaru narrowed his eyes and took another look at the men. And in doing so, could spot the small traces on their armor, that would go unnoticed in the dim lighting unless one was looking for them. Red traces.

"Just leave it to us. We told you it would come to that anyway, and it's better like that. Would've been surprised if he would've been caught by your trap, you still got a lot to learn."

The haggard man shrugged. "Just get it done. Dead is dead, no matter how. No better way to take revenge."

"It's still better if done directly," one of the men insisted. "But yes! Men! Let's avenge all those that have fallen to such demi-human scum, or been dragged down by their existences!" He raised his fist, spewing words of malice to pump up his men. Their cries resounded through the empty alleys, sending chills down Subaru's spine.

"What loudmouthed bastards," said Rom, throwing a disgusted gaze back towards them.

"We'll show them, old man Rom. They'll choke on those words!" Felt growled, her expression turning into a deep scowl.

Emilia raised a hand, summoning several small ice shards. Her voice rang, marred with disbelief, her eyes cold and hard as ice. "Is that the whole reason? Just your hatred for demi-humans…?"

"It's more than reason enough," the haggard man spat. "Now, get them!"

As the Golden coin gang advanced, the battle began… and Subaru couldn't do much more than sit around at the sidelines, trying his best to not get in anyone's way. Though really he just stood in the middle of Emilia on one, and Rom and Felt on the other side of the road, covering anything behind them—him included.

The armored men advanced slowly, carefully approaching Emilia, as she began to shoot her shards of ice. Much to Subaru's awe, a single ice shard was enough to send one of the men flying, causing him to break through the railing of the bridge and tumble right over into the river. As two other men hastily rushed over to help their colleague, she had just taken out three enemies with one attack. Combined with the defense her ice shield offered, he expected her to be safe for quite a while.

On the other side, several thugs closed in on Felt and Rom, with many more standing ready, being simply held back by the broadness of the road—which Rom was able to block off almost alone. But they still had to fight several thugs.

Felt had begun to dance around the thugs, using her speed to outmaneuver them and dodge any of their attacks. Even as they tried to surround her and jump on her when she had gone in a bit too deep, she simply jumped upwards, using one of the thugs' heads as a springboard, and landed well within safety again. As for the damage she did—some of the clubs were little more than stumps.

Rom meanwhile had focused on brute strength—not unsurprising, given his physique. Diving right into a group of three thugs, a single smash sent one of the thugs flying, while the other two tumbled backwards, remaining on the ground… and not getting up too quickly again.

Observing them fighting their way out of this trap… They all fought valiantly—And then there was him, Natsuki Subaru.

Clenching his fists, Subaru cursed his inability to do anything useful. He was reminded of previous loops, where he was just as helpless—having either to find a weapon lying around or simply watch as those around fought.

He cursed himself for his inability to help. He should fight with them…! They were in this position because of him to begin with! There were plenty of weapons in the loot house too! He should just have taken one of them. Or maybe even a knife from the Astrea estate. Hell, even the wooden training sword would have been better than… This. Standing around, being absolutely useless.

All he could do was watch his friends fight, risking their lives while he had to hope for the best. Emilia had kept the armored men well at bay… forcing them with her shards into defense.

Rom had meanwhile rammed one of the men straight into a wall. Subaru could almost hear the man's ribs breaking, as he went to the ground, doing nothing more than twitch a little—just enough for Subaru to be sure that the guy wasn't dead… yet. Clearly intimidated by this, the others sure as hell looked fearful—even more so than at the very beginning already.

Though at the very moment he wanted to shift his attention to Felt, continuing his observation of the fight, Subaru's attention was forced back to Rom—or rather, to his blind spot.

As Rom was occupied by pushing back another group of thugs, one of them had pressed himself alongside the house walls limiting the road… and slipped past him.

Subaru's mean eyes met his hate-filled ones, and a deep scowl began to deform on the other man's face. The thug raised his blade, and Subaru took a step back.

Scanning Subaru, the scowl made way for a foul grin. Subaru gulped. The man must've realized that Subaru didn't have a weapon on him. Feeling a bead of sweat roll down his forehead, Subaru's eyes frantically scanned the ground for anything useful.

Not only had he been useless so far… now he was also gripped by fear. Though he had been fearful from the very beginning, fearing what another confrontation with the Golden Coin gang might bring, now that he was directly confronted he found himself unarmed.

As the thug slowly drew closer, Subaru took another couple of steps back—a desperate attempt to buy time and avoid the inevitable. His gaze turned to his friends… who were still holding off the mass of thugs. To Emilia; She stood alone against over a dozen armed men, jumping, dodging, striking, and counterattacking.

As he observed her, he took a deep breath. A figure of silver, dancing in the evening light. Somehow terrifying, yet also one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen—despite fully knowing that this wasn't the right time or place to think about that, he couldn't help himself to do it. Seeing Emilia stand her ground, fearless and noble, he wouldn't let himself be weighed down by fear either. Because seeing this made him realize… this was his fight.

And this is what he would fight for.

Subaru clenched his fists and narrowed his gaze—he really wasn't ready. No, if anything, resolving to fight against someone armed without a weapon was stupid. But it was all he could do now, so he resolved himself to win. There was no alternative in his mind.

Banishing his fears, he scanned his surroundings—and a faint smile formed on Subaru's lips. Avoiding the thug by taking another few steps back, Subaru had been pushed against a wall. A wooden wall, which by the feeling of it was even less solid than it looked.

"What's the matter, too afraid to attack?" Subaru taunted, raising his voice.

That was all it took for the thug to scowl in anger and finally rush towards him. Swinging his blade, he slashed.

The sword sunk deep, and Subaru's eyes widened.

---

It had been an unusual day so far. In the morning their dear grandson was practicing in the garden… together with their unusual guest. Though, if she were honest, none of them were usual. In more than one way, even. She had been quite surprised when her grandson had appeared with such a group at the estate—them being wounded, or otherwise showing signs of serious fighting.

As soon as the silver-haired girl had let go of him, the black-haired boy began to bleed… profusely. She had assisted her for over an hour until that black-haired boy had been properly treated. And while the maid would have never shown it, she could very well remember the shock when he had woken up, revealing his eyes. With a deep sigh, she shook her head. She wouldn't want to linger too long on such thoughts. Instead, she took a sip of the tea that was steaming before her and turned to her husband.

"A silver-haired half-elf… a royal candidate. What interesting times," said Carol, as she put down her cup. "And Julia's grandson supporting her candidacy. Though… it is said he is quite the eccentric."

She and her husband were taking a well-deserved break, resting in the kitchen. Tending to the Astrea estate was no simple task. Especially not while also wielding the responsibility for their guests while Reinhard was out. Though… it was more accurate to say they took a break after said guests had announced to head out. Against their advice and despite the mild suggestion to reconsider. But they had been in no position to refuse a guest's wish. Especially if the said guest was a candidate, guaranteeing the safety of the others.

Grimm made a guttural sound, followed by a slight hum. Despite the deep noises, his face was soft, as he looked over at his wife.

"You're right dear. Felt, a girl found in the slums, being a candidate our grandson wants to back is no less interesting, isn't it? She'll have a long way to go if she wants to have a standing chance," said Carol, closing her eyes. "She's a wild one."

Carol had chased after her in the morning and afternoon, both already… trying to do what Reinhard had tasked her with. Prepare her to be a candidate. "And yet," she said, a faint smile forming, "I can tell she has a heart of gold."

Felt had not just managed to escape Carol at each opportunity. After she had caught her in the morning, Carol had talked with Felt for quite some time. They were surprisingly quick to form a connection, she felt—judging by them freely chatting, where Reinhard had told her he didn't get many answers.

Though she could understand her grandson's potentially too forceful approach… after he had told her about his suspicions. Blonde hair, red eyes.

Grimm coughed slightly, drawing Carol's attention to him.

"Ah, you're right. It has been too long already. We should head back to work," she said, collecting their cups and washing them by hand, while Grimm dried them afterward.

After another hum of Grimm, Carol sighed. "I cannot deny being worried about them," she said, as she dried her hands. "Especially with the city in such uproar."

As they stepped outside, back onto the floors of the estate, she moved to the window, from which a large swath of the city could be seen. "I just hope they will be safe."

---

Subaru rolled to the side—and the sword hit.

With a frantic pull, the thug attempted to get his sword out of the brittle wood, into which it had dug in—Just as Subaru planned. Though it was even better. It had edged itself into the house wall. Instead of simply holding the man there for only a moment, it was properly stuck.

With a wide grin, Subaru grabbed a loose piece of wood—a plank, which had been leaning against the wall, spun around and swung it as hard as he could against the thug's head.

There had only been one slight miscalculation in Subaru's plan. He planned for the thug to run headfirst into the brittle wall… giving him an opening to grab the plank. However, not only the wood used to build the wall was brittle.

With a cracking noise, the wood splintered… into a great many pieces. Subaru looked dumbfounded at the stub in his hand—the sorry rest of the plank he just used as a weapon. Not only was the plank far lighter than Subaru expected, but it also broke into multiple parts, leaving him after a single hit with nothing more than a worthless piece of trash.

But where Subaru looked dumbfounded, the thug looked angry instead. He hadn't budged… in the slightest. Subaru's attack seemed to have been completely ineffective. The thug slowly turned his head, regarding him with an even angrier expression.

Subaru threw the stub away, hastily reaching for another piece of wood leaning on the house wall—but not quite getting to it in time.

Because the thug let go of his stuck sword… And punched Subaru instead, square across the face.

Stumbling backwards, Subaru blinked rapidly to do away with the blurry vision… though that did little against his ringing head. Rubbing his reddened cheek, he kept an eye on the thug, who was able to capitalize on Subaru's failed attack.

With his blade being stuck inside the desolate wood, he instead drew forth a small knife from behind his back, wearing an overconfident expression. Though this time, the thug did not let Subaru retreat. With his hand raised, he moved forward—too quickly for Subaru to think of an elaborate plan.

So he did what any honorable person would do in a fight; with a hasty dive for it, he picked up a handful of dirt and hurled it right into the air. Or rather; right into the thug's face.

Shouting a curse, the man halted his charge, forcefully rubbing his eyes with both hands. That moment of a slip-up was all Subaru needed.

Dashing forward, he planted a fist deep into the thug's stomach area, making him audibly exhale, followed by a gurgling groan. Now the thug was stumbling back, barely able to stand.

But Subaru wouldn't take any chances—he immediately set after. With another perfectly-placed fist—an uppercut right to the underside of his chin—he sent the defenseless man flying onto the ground. He hit his head on the dirt and made some kind of grunt, then stopped moving.

Heavily breathing, Subaru rubbed away the sweat and dirt that had amassed on his cheeks. He waited a moment, still keeping his defense up… but the thug remained motionless.

With cautious steps, he moved beside the thug's body. By the neutral expression and the bit of drool slipping out of his mouth, it seemed he had been fully knocked out. Subaru regarded him for a moment… and then turned away, sighing deeply.

Despite his victory, he didn't waste time lingering on the thought. Instead, he looked to his friends again, which he neglected to do during the heat of battle.

But as he took in the battlefield, he realized nothing much had changed, really. Emilia still single-handedly kept away all the armored men with her ice magic, and Felt and Rom were still facing a vast number of lowly thugs, slicing and bashing to keep them away.

After having pushed away another wave, Rom suddenly turned around to him.

"Here boy, catch!"

With wide eyes, Subaru stretched out his hand—and retracted it immediately again, taking a hasty step to the side, which was followed by a light, metallic ringing sound.

"Don't just throw a sword at me!" shouted Subaru with partially exaggerated anger.

"Stop standing there, looking like—ugh—a maiden in distress!" Rom continued fighting as he bellowed. Smashing his club onto the sword of another thug, making both weapon and man fly off for an impressive two meters before continuing. "You don't want us to do all the work now, do you?"

The thundering voice hit Subaru like lightning, striking deep into his mind. Even though he defeated one thug for good… the others were fighting more and longer the whole time. Even if he didn't feel useless—he didn't change much by defeating just one thug and then just standing around.

Hit with consternation, Subaru grumbled mildly and picked up the tattered weapon. It was a partially dull blade, the kind the goon squad was using. And yet, Subaru's face conjured a smile. For now, he too would be able to properly help them.

He nodded decisively to the old man, who had thrown a glance back. But as another thug rushed at him, he was forced to turn away his attention. Both, the valiant giant and nimble girl were fighting for their lives, counting on his help.

With confident steps he entered the fray on Felt's side, who had so far been fighting two thugs at once. She threw him a look and nodded, then shifted her attention to the thug closest to her. Right off the bat, Subaru's appearance had forced them to shift their attention to him, making them split up.

Energized by his victory, he made the first attack… which was blocked without any effort. Subaru narrowed his eyes—this would not be as easy as he hoped. Still, he had a bit of training with Grimm and Reinhard. While his body had forgotten the motions he did with them, he could still remember some of their advice. That certainly would be enough for some goons.

Or so he thought.

With neither his weapon nor his skills particularly sharp, he was quickly forced into a defensive position, his initial vigor waning.

Not uttering a single word, the man slashed at Subaru, who hastily raised his blade. Metal rang with metal, as Subaru parried his amateurish strikes. Not that Subaru looked any better—it was all he could do to keep his fingers from being cut off in the middle of it. It was an even match, in that regard.

However, it was certainly not with the sheer number of thugs just laying in wait for their turn to fight. Whenever one of the thugs messed up with their attack and would've allowed Subaru a counterattack, another one took his place, and Subaru had to defend against that one instead.

"Man, is there no end to them?" Subaru exclaimed. He could feel how his arms got heavy, as he blocked another strike. He had barely recovered from an injury, after all—something which he was all too quick to forget or ignore. The metal sword, crude though it may be, was still far heavier than the wooden ones he practiced with, and blocking these strikes was not like in training either. The moment he messed up, or didn't put enough force in it, he'd get seriously injured.

Felt huffed. "There's nothing to be done about that!" Dodging the thugs' blunt strikes looked easy, but it was surely no less taxing. "Just gotta wait… until big sis gets through!" She said this, as she kicked away yet another thug… though he just got replaced by another one, waiting already for his turn.

Yet despite his lack of skill, and despite them being able to switch, he actually managed to hold them off so far. Looking over at Rom, he could see the giant still beating down multiple thugs at once… so at least he hadn't needed to be worried about him too much.

Instead, he directed his worry towards Emilia. Judging by the many ice shards dug into the ground and surrounding walls, it had been a severe fight on her end so far, with the armored men being kept well at bay. Although… the shining red specks on her floating ice shield gave away that she had been forced to push them back, or that they at least had come close enough to actually leave blood on it. As much as Subaru admired her strength… it didn't look like she was able to create an opening yet.

Unfortunately though, by looking away for a moment too long, he himself had given the enemy an opening. He noticed movement from the corner of his eye, and turned to see a middle-aged bald thug swinging his club. Subaru raised his sword in panic, just barely being able to deflect the attack—but in doing so, he lost his footing. Thrown off-balance, he stumbled backwards, desperately trying to stay afoot.

But it was for naught—Subaru's feet gave way, and he fell to the ground facing upwards, with his sword falling to the side. The thug gave chase, raising his club overhead for a mighty swing. Being left with nothing to defend himself with, he rolled to the side—just in time to evade the brutish attack.

Where his head had been, a tiny crater had been imprinted into the dirt. Subaru gulped, as he realized that even a tiny moment of hesitation could have meant his head being split up instead.

As the thug was raising his club again, Subaru's eyes widened. Propping himself up on his elbow, he extended his leg—and swung it right into the thugs'. The thug's eyes widened… at the pitiful attempt.

Subaru expected to swipe the man's legs, being able to turn things around. Instead, the man didn't even recoil.

With a heinous grin, the man looked down at Subaru, who was now wide open. He raised his club again.

Having given up any chance to dodge an attack, all he could do was to raise his hand in a desperate attempt to somehow lessen the hit he was about to get. As the club came crashing down, he held his breath.

"You idiot, watch out!" shouted Felt, as her blade was diving full force into the thug's club. A swirl of yellow and red danced around the man—making him howl up. With her foot having sunk right below his ribs, he was sent tumbling away.

Huffing, Felt ripped her blade out of the club that had been dropped. "Subaru, you okay?"

Shaking his head, Subaru scrambled to his feet and picked up his sorry weapon. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Felt nodded. Despite her harsh words, her face was filled with worry. "Don't let your guard down like tha—hrk!"

With a contorted face, Felt sank to her knees, her left arm gone limp.

"Felt!" shouted Subaru in panic. A thug, different from the previous one, stood behind her—taking another swing. Instinctively, Subaru threw himself against the man, tackling him away. "Back off!" he shouted, quickly raising his sword.

Though what really caused them to halt, was a roar. A loud roar, coming right from the other side of the road. Rom's eyes rested on Felt—and the thugs in his way were sent flying.

Convinced that they wouldn't attack immediately, Subaru looked back to Felt. She was clenching her teeth, and tightly gripped her left arm.

As much as Subaru would've wanted to ask about her well-being—it was only a brief respite. In the corner of his eyes, he could see more thugs storming forward. There were still well over a dozen thugs behind the ones fighting, cheering them on to take them down, only being interrupted by the yells of those getting smacked around by Rom… if they were able to make sounds after that.

And with Felt having rushed over to help him, the ones that were being kept in check by her before were now cornering them too. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he realized just how much he fucked up.

Up until that slip-up, they had been able to hold them off somehow. While Felt's dodging and his blocking had not done much to reduce the number of thugs, they were at least able to buy time. But now… Felt had been wounded. Because of him.

However, another loud thud brought his train of thought to a standstill—that, and the frantic shouts of men. Rom had smashed the thugs right in front of them aside. He had fought his way over to them.

"How bad is it?" asked Rom, now single-handedly keeping the thugs at bay.

"They landed a… lucky punch," said Felt, with a suppressed groan, "nothing more." Taking Subaru's hand, she got up, slightly moving her left arm again. "Hurts… but nothing too serious."

With her scrunched-up face and pressed voice, she couldn't fool anyone. But Subaru wanted to respect her show of strength. Especially because they still had the Golden Coin gang surrounding them.

"Nonsense."

A harsh voice resounded, causing both Felt and Subaru to flinch and turn to its source. Behind them appeared a woman, clad in black, keeping her strict gaze on them.

"Felt-sama, you are in no condition to fight anymore," she said, pointing to Felt's arm, hanging limply by her side. "Please rest and leave your enemies to us."

Subaru didn't quite understand. Out of nowhere stood Carol beside them, still clad in her head maid uniform… though also equipped with a fine, long blade of light metal color and a golden guard, perfectly fitting her dignified appearance.

With a dumbstruck expression, Subaru looked at her, muttering a single, questioning "Carol…?"

"Yes, Subaru-sama. We were quite worried about you heading to such a dangerous place," she said, pointing over to where Emilia fought.

Had been fighting.

Where Emilia held off the armored thugs so far, keeping them constantly at bay with her ice shards, was now an unnatural calm. Potentially caused by the appearance of Grimm, standing beside her, wielding a metallic, shoulder-high shield.

"How did you find us…?" asked Felt, just as baffled.

"The smoke," she said, looking up to the dark sky. "When we saw smoke rising up from the city… no less coming from the direction you headed to, we had to ensure your safety."

Subaru nodded slowly. Of course. If their guests head out to the city, and all of a sudden something very unusual happens, you would at least head out to bring them safely back. Especially if one of them is a candidate to become King, and guest in a noble's home.

If anything, they were lucky Carol and Grimm had found them here… though the sound of their fight would have probably alerted anything around them. Be it for them to stay away, or instead be drawn to the trouble themselves.

Although… by now any fighting noises had died down. The eerie silence had only been interrupted when one of the men on Emilia's end of the road spoke up. One of the armored men standing besides the haggard man—the same one that had argued with him before.

"You're Grimm Fauzen, no?" he asked hesitatingly, pointing to the butler.

The addressed, however, remained silent, merely nodding.

"And then that over there would be… Carol Remendis? No, Fauzen as well, is it not?" His voice was filled with… awe? Subaru wondered why they'd recognize the servants of Reinhard like that.

With a sign of the haggard man, the thugs behind them stepped back, allowing the group to catch up to Emilia. It seemed hostilities had momentarily come to a halt.

"That is correct. If you know who we are, do you still see reason in continuing this?" Her voice was clean and cut right through the air, making the group of armored men exchange some worried gazes.

The armored thug whispered something to the haggard man and stepped back to the others.

Shaking his head, the haggard man spoke up. "Hey now! We were the ones who found him, and we'll be the ones to strike him down! Though your help will be greatly appreciated!" the said, before turning to the whole Golden Coin gang.

"Rejoice, men! More heroes of the Demi-Human War have joined us in our fight against the vile creatures, allowing us to finally bring justice to them!"

Loud cheers erupted from the armored men, while the thugs on the other side showed relief.

Subaru on the other hand was even more confused than before. Did the Golden Coin member just say that they'd… help them? As he let his eye wander around, he could see perplexed expressions on all his friend's faces—with the exception of Rom, who still had his back turned to them, facing the thugs instead. Throwing a questioning glance at Carol, he could see her hard eyes dangerously narrowed. It seemed the maid did not like what she heard.

Surprisingly it was not her though, who spoke up. With a clattering sound, Grimm raised his shield and sank it into the ground again, accompanied by a simple, rough "Wrong." While Subaru couldn't see his expression, he had no doubt about it being just as displeased as Carol's.

Slightly irritated, the haggard man made a step forward, scratching his stubbly chin. "Wrong?" he repeated disbelievingly. "Hey look, we already offered you part of the fame. We're not going to let you have all of it!" Despite his uncompromising words, he gestured as if to still invite them, reaching his hand out.

"You are wrong if you believe we'd ever help you," said Carol, clarifying her husband's intentions as she raised her sword, pointing it to the haggard man. "You are here, attacking the young master's guests, babbling nonsense of a thing more than half a lifetime ago. Why do you speak such rubbish?"

"Your master's guests…?" the haggard man repeated slowly. "Is that the reason why you're here?" Carol's unwavering gaze and Grimm's steadfast stance confirmed the thought.

"I see. Then I'm left to wonder… if you've been deceived, or have gone mad over the years," he shouted anew. "Either you don't know who it is you're protecting, or you will die just as well with them!"

"The only one who is mad appears to be you," retorted Carol briskly, her chastising eyes crossing the haggard man's accusing ones.

"I am mad!" the haggard man said with an unnerving calmness. "Mad at you, who have abandoned the righteous cause! All the good work you've done in the past, sullying it with protecting these creatures! Mad at you, who spit on the hardship that these men have gone through, comfortably resting in the nest of a former hero!" He pointed his arms to the armored men, who wore a conflicted look. "Mad at you for ignoring their plight, all the suffering and pain they were faced with after you returned to your sparkling lives of luxury! To ridicule their fight for a better life, and to exact revenge!" He was now fully enraged, his voice already strained from having it raised for that long, and shouting out his hate as loud as he could. "Mad at you for betraying the tens, hundreds of thousands of humans that perished in the war against those fiends!" A raving madman, only concerned about his own words.

Or so they thought—until they heard his final point. "Mad at you… for protecting one of them who caused all that. Or what do you have to say in your defense—Valga Cromwell?"

To Subaru, what the haggard man said sounded like nothing but baseless hatred. A pitiful attempt to justify his prejudice, while simultaneously berating those who thought differently. However—

Rarely had Subaru seen such a flurry of emotion on that many faces. From pure hostility to utter confusion, then disbelief… and at least some finally back to hostility. Though when Grimm turned around, with a dark expression on his face, Subaru gulped. He had already seen the man's cold eyes when he had reminisced about his time as a soldier. And it looked about the same now. Searching for help, he looked over to Carol—who regarded the giant with even more hostility.

Slightly worried, Subaru looked at Emilia. But she held a hand before her mouth, looking like she's been thrown deep into thought. As he was about to turn away, their eyes met, and hers quickly wandered over to… Rom. C-rom-well…

Turning slowly around, he could see the giant was still turned away from them—though he had let his club rest on the ground.

Being the first to say something after the haggard man's accusation was Felt. "What… what are you saying?" she shouted, though with an audible hitch. "Did you get beaten on the head when they kicked your ass in Flanders?"

"Flanders…" the haggard man slowly repeated. "Yes, I want revenge for Flanders. Revenge for what these monsters did there. The same kind of monsters like Cromwell…!"

"He's not!" shouted Felt back. "Old man Rom's got nothing to do with any of you, nor with Valga Cromwell!"

The haggard man scoffed. "You can pretend all you want, girl. At least the two of them will recognize him. Just as our men did."

And judging by their gazes—they did. Leaving Subaru to wonder just whom they recognized. Why that seemed to matter, all of a sudden.

"You're wrong!" said Felt, her voice devoid of conviction. "Granpa's—"

But a hand on her shoulder made her stop. Angrily she looked up—only to be met by Rom's sorrowful eyes.

Her eyes widened in shock, as she gritted her teeth. Though she quickly opened her mouth again—only for her voice to be choked, unable to utter a single word. Only her defiant expression gave away what she might have wanted to say.

With a self-satisfactory grin, the haggard man continued. "So you see! Join us, or step aside! To rid us of this scum!"

Much to Subaru's shock, both Carol and Grimm's expressions did not soften as they regarded the giant standing besides him. But they wouldn't really…? "Hey, Carol, Grimm, cut it out," said Subaru with a shaky voice, moving to Felt's side.

Taking a deep breath, Carol turned, facing Rom. With a tight grip around her weapon, and an even more narrowed gaze.

"Dear guests… step aside. This man must pay for his crimes and all the suffering he has caused." Her voice was uncompromising and filled with resentment. They really must hold a grudge against him… or at least against Valga Cromwell, whoever that was. He somewhat had the feeling that it wasn't the best moment to ask who that was.

"Shut up!" shouted Felt, shaking Rom's hand off and instead positioning herself protective before him, stretching her arms to the side. "Rom's my family, he didn't hurt anyone!"

"Felt-sama, he's—," began Carol, but she was immediately shouted over by Felt.

"It's a lie! And even if not, it doesn't matter!" she shouted with a strained voice. "I'll never forgive you if you harm him!" Her eyes held no less amount of determination than the servants'.

Carol and Grimm were visibly shaken by her statement, having gone silent and hesitant in their movements. Even a short exchange of gazes didn't reignite their resolve.

"Regardless of who he is," said Emilia, walking over to Felt's side as well, "he is Felt-chan's grandfather—her family. I do not think Sir Reinhard will approve of you attacking him unprovoked. Especially not after I offered him protection from these criminals—even if it was before I heard of who he might have once been."

Her clear voice seemed to reverberate through their minds, as they hesitated, their gazes losing a bit of sharpness.

"That aside… these thugs have attacked all of us," Emilia said, pointing straight to the haggard man. "That man has shown nothing but vileness and hatred, burning down homes and wounding Felt. If anyone here has proven to be scum, it is him."

Emilia positioned herself right in front of all of them; the maid, the butler, the armored men, and the haggard man, upright and unwavering—unpardoning. Subaru was inspired by her steadfastness, puffing his chest out as well. He had fought so hard to get Rom to safety—there was no way any words of that haggard guy would undo that now.

The haggard man laughed. "Don't think you're in any different regard than the leader of the demi-human scum, monster! They won't be swayed by your empty words!"

A dangerous glint appeared in Carol's eyes, as she turned towards the haggard man. "You're wrong again," she said, her voice sharp as before. "You have attacked the guests of house Astrea. No matter what your," she stopped, taking a short glance at Rom," …reasons might be. In the name of our young master, lay down your weapons or face the consequences."

Smugness quickly turned to rage upon hearing the maid's words. "So you'd really side with them? Protecting that villainous scum after all he's done!?"

But Carol ignored the man's ramblings, turning to the group instead. "Dear guests, please forgive us our outburst. We didn't wish to worry you." Her bow was directed to Emilia—and she mentioned Rom with no word. But it seemed to be at least a temporary peace.

Emilia nodded. "Let us focus on taking them down, then. They don't seem to be willing to give up." As Emilia raised her hand again, conjuring her ice shield, the haggard man turned away.

"Men! Former heroes or not, they have grown senile and forgotten for what they once fought! Betraying not only you, but all that is right! Let's make them regret it!" While not all of the armored men looked happy about this turn of events, they reluctantly readied their weapons. The thugs facing Rom did the same, though, unlike their more experienced counterparts, they certainly looked as eager to fight as before.

The maid raised an eyebrow. "Emilia-sama, please allow us to take care of these thugs."

But Emilia shook her head. "I have promised to protect them, so I would feel bad if I were to leave the fighting to you now."

Subaru could feel a tinge of guilt rise up within him. It was without a doubt him asking for help that made her feel responsible. Meaning it's his fault she insists on fighting.

"That aside, it should be quicker with us fighting as well." Though Emilia did not specify it, it was clear that old man Rom was meant just as well—and Subaru too would continue to fight.

Faced with the candidate's determination, Carol stifled a sigh. "Of course Emilia-sama. Dear guests, just please don't hesitate to call out to us should you need immediate support."

Resolved to fight, they took position. The thugs in their backs were the first to charge forward, being intercepted by Rom and Carol, with Subaru serving as backup. Though in the end… he was hardly needed there. While Rom again stopped the brunt of the thugs at first, taking a wide swing to throw them back, Carol jumped in the air—and disappeared.

Confused, both Subaru and the thugs looked around, searching for the maid. But when several men yelled up in pain, it became clear where she was—right above them.

Jumping in the air, changing directions left and right, she slashed and stabbed from an aerial position, raining cuts down on them. Whenever even one was brave enough to look up and attempt to strike her down, she just jumped mid-air… changing direction and evading them. After three jumps, she returned—and her opponents were either falling back or disarmed.

Their side had been completely under control. The goons stood no chance against Carol's technique, while Rom had already before taken on most of them. Feeling a bit obsolete, he resolved to help Emilia's side instead.

There the fight had gone a bit slower. Unlike the thugs rushing blindly forward and being thrown back, the armored men were much more careful in their approach.

This was probably wise, as Grimm stood imposingly right before them, undeterred by their numeric superiority. When the first armored man attempted to land a strike, Grimm moved his gargantuan shield with baffling speed, smashing the blade away, and immediately following up with a kick… knocking the man out cold.

All the while Emilia had taken up her ranged attacks again, not only keeping those away from Grimm who had attempted to interfere in his counterattack, but also attempting to immobilize them.

But as Subaru observed them, he could notice something else. Behind the armored men, on top of the bridge, stood the haggard man, overseeing the fight. With hateful eyes he kept both the armored men as well as the other thugs in view, using his lone position to keep an eye on everything.

There he stood, hiding behind his men. Letting them do the dirty work. Subaru scowled.

With firm steps he walked over to Emilia, who threw him a questioning glance as he approached. "Subaru, what's wrong?"

"I've got an idea, Emilia-tan."

---

It has been three days. Three eternally long days had passed since our defeat at Flanders. What started out as a minor feud because of the name—because the demi-human scum claimed we had stolen their name, whereas we merely established ourselves as superior—ended in the complete annihilation of our gang in Flanders. And the boss… the boss…

"You really sure about this?" asked the elderly man accompanying me. A man with grey hair and a deeply scarred face, who'd been part of the gang since the very beginning.

I clicked my tongue, forced out of my thoughts. "I don't like it either. But this guy's been said to know a lot and sell info for the right price. I know that our boss had made some deals with him, so it's worth a shot." If anything, that guy was our best chance. But I didn't want to say that.

After we had been thrown out of Flanders, we returned to our main hideout in the Capital… after our expansion failed. I had to know why. Need to know why.

"Alright then. Just give me a sign if things go wrong and I'll get us out." Even if the guy had a certain amount of reputation, one could never be careful enough when dealing with people of the same trade.

So we entered the place—a tavern. Being frequented by travelers and merchants alike, it did not appear to be a hotspot for the underworld. Far from the shoddy, dim-lit taverns of the slums, as one could find them in the lower parts of town a plenty. Not a place for my ilk, or where one would expect shady business to be conducted… And yet it was here, where one could meet that information broker, should one know how to contact him.

I went on and sat down already on a table close to a wall, while my colleague… my underling went on to order the stuff. An appa pie with peeled appas, a room for the night, and sautéd beef with soysame oil. Whatever the hell sauté even means.

A burly man—the bartender—approached us, handing us the key, while informing us the food would be brought to us in our room on the bottom floor. Of course the food wouldn't come. With an understanding nod, we sent him away, and went on to search for the room, whose number corresponded with the edged-in number on the key; zero six.

Finding the corresponding room, we knocked three times, then entered. It had been locked from the inside; a safety measure to ensure only those who were meant to enter could do so. Turning the key, I took a deep breath. This could get messy.

But when I opened the door, I was surprised. I expected there to be at least two people inside… that the guy would bring in a bodyguard of some sort, just as I did bring someone else for protection. And yet, there was only a man dressed in a butler uniform inside. He certainly didn't look like someone of the trade.

"Please have a seat. My Master will be with you shortly," the man said… in a pretty monotone voice. His eyes also lacked a certain spark, which struck me as weird. Though maybe that's just how all servants were after a while—I certainly wouldn't grovel to a noble.

Waiting on the guy, I sat down, with my bodyguard standing right behind me. Exposing my back was in no way an option. Not after what happened in Flanders.

A couple of moments passed. Then, a minute. I grew impatient. After they had made such a ruckus about not being too late, this really got on my nerves. Just as I was about to demand his presence, a voice suddenly echoed through the room.

"Welcome, welcome. Please excuse my slight delay, I had to make sure we would be undisturbed," spoke the voice… coming right from the little object sitting on the table before them. Coming from a small, golden medallion.

"What's this?" I asked, perplexed. "I was told I would meet you here… so where are you?"

"Please forgive me. For reasons concerning my own safety, I will not personally attend. So I'm using a magical device to communicate with you. But we can talk right through this device here laying before you, I can hear you well," the voice explained… in an almost patronizing way. But then it turned conciliatory. "My servant will not hear a thing of what we discuss. So rest assured, it all stays just between us."

While his voice bugged me quite a bit, I could understand the idea. He didn't have to risk anything if he could just stay away. Still… that guy must charge quite the prices to be able to afford such a thing.

Grudgingly I nodded. "Alright, fine. Let's get down to business then," I said, attempting to overcome my initial worries. "We're wondering if you can help us with something."

"And by us you surely mean the Golden Coin gang, right?" the voice said. Said, it wasn't really a question.

"That's right," I confirmed. We had arranged this meeting, so it wasn't surprising that he already knew who we were. "About the… incident… in Flanders." That sounded way too hesitant. I shouldn't have slipped up. Not when we finally have a chance on a clue.

"Flanders… yes. I've heard about it. A terrible tragedy, my sincerest condolences," the voice said downtrodden. "Your boss and I had made some very profitable deals. It was quite shocking to hear of his death."

I narrowed my eyes. It hurts. To think that the boss died. And I was unable to do anything against that demi-human scum. The Black Silver Coin gang…

"No one should've known," I began, as I attempted to maintain my composure. With success. "We were about to deal a massive blow against the Black Silver Coin gang. We had found one of their warehouses, full of valuables—their most important stuff, from loot to weapons, even cash should've been stored there. But when we got there, it was empty. Nothing but junk."

It had been a calm night. Our scouts had spent weeks preparing maps for us to use, making sure the Black Silver Coins were unaware of any of our plans. No suspicious movement had been reported. So we should've just been able to scoop up all the stuff onto the wagons we organized, and make a run with it. We had even found out which guards to bribe, to let them pass unhindered with the stuff. It should've been our grand coup against them.

"And then their fighters showed up." Demi-humans were beasts through and through, not to mention the swarm of human traitors helping them, and we didn't expect a heavy fight. And we got beaten… decimated. Our boss took as many with them as he could… and told me to bring the rest of our men out of there… lead them in his stead.

"I am aware," the voice said. "The word has spread already, I fear."

I balled my fist. Of course, it was already known. When someone as big as us failed… there are plenty just waiting to take advantage of that. But that was not why I'm here. If anything, it wasn't even secondary. The most important thing now was...

"That doesn't matter," I said with a pressed voice. "If you already heard about that… maybe you also have a clue on who did that. How they found out." There, I laid out what I wanted from the information broker.

There was a heavy silence in the room. That guy's servant had not made a single noise since they started. And my companion had decided to remain silent during the negotiation. Now it was up to the broker to say if he got what I needed—and to state his price. As outrageous as it might be.

"I heard a rumor. Of a connection between the Black Silver Coin gang and an influential figure in the slums." His words made me sit up. And suspicious. "The leader of the Black Silver Coin gang… you surely have heard of him. Doltero Amule."

The name made my blood boil. I needed to restrain myself from shouting. "Of course." Keep calm.

"So apparently he has an old friendship, going back years. Many years. All the way back, to when his kind threatened the safety of the Kingdom." I wasn't sure what he was getting to, so I waited for him to continue.

"That old friendship… is with the owner of the loot house. Old man Rom." I needed to think for a moment. Rom was a demi-human, that much was clear. But he mainly specialized in buying and selling stolen goods. He was well-respected for one of them even among our own members, giving them fair prices for even big hauls.

"But maybe, you will recognize a different name. Valga Cromwell."

My breath hitched. Valga Cromwell? "Are you kidding around?" My voice was raised. One of the leaders of the Demi-Human Alliance… is supposed to sell stolen stuff in the slums?

"I am not. My information is always correct," the man said briskly. "Supposedly, that Rom had gotten wind of your plans, and warned his old demi-human friend. You understand?"

My companion had become agitated, I could see it in his eyes. Did he believe him? Did the owner of the loot house have anything to do with the death of our boss? It could be fitting. Demi-human scum banding together like rats. To me, it was not as outrageous as it sounded. Not to mention… the stories did say that Valga was a giant, standing far above any normal man. And how many giants could possibly still exist now, after the war?

"So you're saying he's behind it?" I asked probingly.

"The connection is there," the broker said. "Think about it. You, a human gang, trying to oust his old demi-human friend. He must've been dearly thinking of the old times, as he let you run into the trap." His words were sweet and slick, but I didn't notice it right away.

"Valga Cromwell…" I said. My gums hurt. I had clenched my jaw tight, and my cheeks felt hot. I could get my revenge. But I wasn't an idiot. That was what I wanted, so now…

"What do you want for that info?" Even if he had already given it to us, I was too blind to realize it.

"There is a girl often seen around the loot house. A girl named Felt. I need to know what's up with that, she has stricken my interest. Bring her to me, that will be your payment." The terms were non-negotiable. Not that I had protested. Kidnapping a single girl was hardly a job worth of notice. That happened to dozens of slum dwellers daily, and it interested him little what would become of them.

"Understood. If the info about Cromwell is true, we'll pay up. We know how to contact you."

"Ah, there is one more thing," the man said, as I was about to get up already, making me sink back into the chair again. "When you have confirmed that is Valga… there is a merchant you can seek out. He will sell you something to… appropriately punish the killer of your boss." His voice sounded calculating and harsh. But in this context, it was more than acceptable.

"A merchant? We have enough weapons, what could a merchant offer us?"

"A more fitting punishment for all that he did."

Even though the man had refused to show his face, it felt like those words carried the weight of a wide, calculating smile.

---

"So it's really him, huh," my senior said with eyes full of hatred. "To think that he lived right under our noses this whole time."

It had taken less than a week to get rid of all doubts. Calling together all of our veterans, I had them observe the loot house and confirm his identity, while also keeping an eye out for the girl. It fit.

It fit… too well. I had not noticed it back then. But his slick words had gotten to me. Blinded by my desire for revenge, I had not considered him to simply try and use us. But now I did.

"We'll strike when the time's right. Then we'll get to that merchant… and pay them back. These demi-humans. But even if his words were to be mistrusted—he was right about this man, Rom, being Cromwell. And we have plenty of members that look forward to taking their first taste of revenge. Preparation for what we'll do, once our strength is restored."

I gripped the edge of the table tight. In his room inside our main hideout was where the boss would always show us his plans. Even now, I hadn't cleared out his belongings from his personal desk. I was not worthy.

Everything would be fine soon. Now that we had a lead, we could properly avenge him. And on that note—

"As for that guy's reward… it would be such a shame. In killing Rom, the girl would, unfortunately, perish as well. If he thought he could use us, we'll make him regret it—he won't be using the proud and mighty Golden Coin gang to his advantage, or take us for fools unpunished."

---

So close. We were so close. Those DAMNED DEMI-HUMANS! I was brimming with rage. We had them trapped. There was no way for them to escape. And then it was revealed. Valga Cromwell had colluded with a witch. Unforgivable. Unthinkable, even, though not surprising that filth like him would repeat his past actions. Thanks to her, they escaped. Felt, Cromwell, both escaped.

But this would not be the end. I had planned to use the method that the broker suggested. Burning them alive… what a nice, painful way to enact revenge. And so unfortunate; the girl would've burned with them. That Felt, that had gone into hiding the moment we wanted to strike. But luckily she showed up. Otherwise, we would've needed to hope that she simply shows up, either out of habit or curiosity about what happened to the loot house.

But now, that it would come to an open fight, I called together all our remaining men. The veterans would die for their chance to take revenge. They were displeased when I told them I'd just make him suffer and disappear for good. Now they'd get their chance. Them and the boys would surely be enough to take down even a Witch and her vile spirit.

We knew where they had come from. Could guess they would try to take the shortest route. So there we'd wait, wait that they'd run into a trap again. And then get our revenge. We'll rid the world of Cromwell, that demonic witch, and the rest of the filth with them.

Only then, will the boss be able to sleep soundly.

---

"…!" A shocked expression.

"Hah!" A triumphant grin.

"Give up!" he commanded with a loud shout, letting it echo through the whole road.

As both sides of the fight turned towards him, their eyes widened in shock.

At the top of the bridge stood Subaru—towering over the haggard man, pointing his blade right towards his neck. The haggard man was kneeling on all fours, facing them, his face contorted into a wild mix of hate and fury.

"If you don't want your leader to die, give up!" he repeated again, slightly pressing the sword against the man.

Felt's mouth was wide agape, and she stared blankly at the unbelievable scene. Somehow, in the midst of the chaotic fight, Subaru of all people had taken their leader hostage.

The thugs on the other end of the road looked uncertain, their fighting spirit having waned—and even the armored men looked shaken. It seemed the battle had swiftly come to an end.

Subaru rubbed his nose—it felt nice for a plan to actually fully work out. Smiling contently he looked over to Emilia, who gave him an approving nod.

When he spotted the haggard man all alone, he had an idea. So he went over to Emilia;

"You want to attack the man at the back?" she asked, visibly baffled.

"Yeah! He's their leader. If we can take him out, or even get him as a hostage, they'll have to give up!" Subaru counted on them wanting to protect their boss, in the end, more so than winning the fight.

"But Subaru, that's really dangerous. And how would you even get to him?" Judging by her tone, she was worried more about the former. Which was terribly cute.

"I need your help for that!" he said, flashing her a grin. But judging by her questioning gaze, she was not exactly happy about that. "While you and Grimm are fighting the armored men, I'll sneak under the bridge over some magical ice, and sneak attack him from the other side!"

His enthusiastic voice though seemed to do little to convince her still. "What if he can fight back? We won't be able to help you…"

"I don't intend to fight him, or any of them," said Subaru, shaking his head. "I'll take him hostage and threaten to kill him if they don't surrender."

"Subaru, you woul—!?" Emilia asked with a shocked voice, but was quickly calmed by Subaru crossing both arms to an "X".

"No, I wouldn't! We wouldn't!" he said with a cheeky smile. "But they don't know that. All we have to do is make them think they need to give up… that we're as evil as they'd be."

"That shouldn't be too hard," mumbled Emilia, looking worriedly at the river.

"Also; this would end the battle real quick! Meaning we don't have to seriously hurt or kill anyone… even if we don't want to."

Emilia opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, and then crossed gazes with Subaru. He looked determined. He must've looked determined. It was all he was focusing on.

"Just be careful, alright?" she eventually said, though not without a slight sigh. "And if you need help—"

"I'll shout for Emilia-tan's love to reach me as loud as I can!" There was no shame involved in that statement.

As she saw him climb down, stepping on the conjured path of ice, she whispered a "Dunderhead," though Subaru had no chance to pick that up.

The rest was simple. Subaru got up on the other side, waited for the right moment, and then snuck up on the haggard man, ultimately taking him down. A full success.

But just as Subaru had pressed his blade against the haggard man's neck, and shouted with confidence at his victory, the man's eyes flared up. Ignoring the threat entirely, he rapidly turned around to slash at Subaru. Despite Subaru at first pressing the sword harder against his neck, at that very moment willing to draw blood, it didn't do anything like that.

The blade's dull edge merely slid across the skin, doing no damage. The haggard man must've realized this would happen, when the blade pressed against his neck before.

Instead, Subaru pulled it back at the last moment, hastily blocking the haggard man's strike.

Having broken free from Subaru's grasp the haggard man got up, and the fight resumed—with Subaru now being cut off from the others, facing the leader of the Golden Coin gang alone.

Subaru's heart was racing. He had no idea how strong the haggard man was. And he had enough trouble against the thugs from before.

"You truly are the worst," the haggard man suddenly said, leading Subaru to tighten his grip. "Betraying your fellow humans for that. At least I now get the chance to properly take revenge on things like you."

With a lunge, he closed the gap between them, attempting to pierce Subaru right away with a jab. But Subaru managed to dodge it, stepping to the side, and made a clumsy counterattack.

Much to his surprise though, the haggard man looked no better than him in defending from it, going a couple of steps backwards.

"You should've just burned."

Subaru's expression warped uncontrollably. He didn't just…

"You and all that scum. Fire. That would have been fitting. Making you disappear from the face of the world." His serene calmness had greatly unhinged Subaru. No, if anything, it was just fueling the rage he felt. To be confronted with that, by the very guy who…!

"Free the world of you scum, then all could be well."

His blood boiling with hatred, Subaru saw only red. He charged forward—leaving himself completely open. Too great was the pain and terror that emerged, which the Golden Coin gang had caused him. He couldn't hold back.

A deranged smile appeared on the haggard man's face. "See this! This! Fighting for demi-humans! How dreadful!" he shouted, as he blocked Subaru's strikes.

"Fighting for a witch! A witch!" Subaru mistook sword for hammer, and began to bash on the haggard man's guard. "Betraying all of humanity!"

Subaru roared and charged forward. As the weapon of the haggard man was barely more than dangling around, being wielded almost half-heartedly, he kicked it out of his hand and dragged him to the ground.

But once they both had landed on the ground, the haggard man suddenly fought back. "You scum!" he shouted, punching Subaru right across the face.

Being faced with the horrors of the past loops, being faced by the haggard man's murderous desire—that he wished they would've all burned to death, just like that time—Subaru lost it.

"You monster!" yelled Subaru, throwing a punch of his own. "You tried to burn us!" Another punch. "Burn Emilia!" Another. "Felt!" Another. "Rom!" His knuckles bled.

The haggard man sat up and wrestled him to the side. "He's a monster!" A punch. "He killed thousands!" A smack. "Killed our friends!" A hit. "Killed our boss!" A jab.

Punching the haggard man into his gut, Subaru pushed him down to the ground again, kneeling on his chest. "I don't care for your shitty reasons!" Raising his fist, he sank it down full force, causing a stream of blood to erupt from the haggard man's face.

He didn't want to hear it. Couldn't hear it. There was only a deep, constrictive feeling of rage and hate boiling inside him, robbing him of breath. And the man responsible for all of it, lying right before him, spewing more of his hate.

"You little shit!" the haggard man shouted, his voice strained from the constant raised pitch. "I'll have my revenge! I'll kill all of you!"

Revenge. Subaru's eyes narrowed. Killing all of them. His vision blurred.

The haggard man had brought so much suffering to those he cherished. Had cursed, wished death upon them, harmed them, killed them. Revenge.

They were the only ones nice to him. They were innocent. And he burned them alive, made them scream their souls out in pain and agony. Revenge.

The haggard man landed another punch on his gut—but Subaru ignored it. His hand wandered instinctively to his side. gripping around the ground. Grasping air.

Grasping air. Grasping for air like he did, as the fire incinerated them. Grasping for air as he tried to help them. Couldn't help them. Couldn't help himself. Incinerated him.

Another punch, but Subaru didn't register it. He didn't care anymore, about the pain or fear. It just fed into what he wanted to do, right now, above all else. Feeling metal, he tightened his grip, and raised the object—his sword. Raised it, as he was still kneeling on the haggard man's ribcage, overhead. Revenge.

With a shaking hand he aimed the sword down at the monster below him. Could see how the tip was unsteady. Could see the haggard man scowl at him, regarding him with nothing but disdain. "Come on, you treacherous bastard. Drench your hands in human blood, just as your filthy friends did, go on!" he wheezed, splattering a bit of blood from his broken nose with an ear-splitting shout.

With blind fury, Subaru lowered the blade.

…

It was only a few centimeters away from the haggard man's skull. Away from the man's head, who has ordered him to burn to death. Who had him thrown into the fire. Lured into traps. Lured his friends into traps and killed them.

And yet he couldn't do it.

Natsuki Subaru was a lot. A disappointment. A liar. A good-for-nothing. But he wasn't a killer.

What… am I doing? Wasn't that what I had admired, supported Emilia in, not even too long ago? So why am I…?

Loosening his grip, he lowered the sword to his side, regarding it in disbelief.

I would've almost… would I really have…?

Distrusting the strength of his own resolve—having supported Emilia wholeheartedly in hers… or maybe not as wholeheartedly as he thought?—had left him shaken.

In the first place, he wasn't even from this world. All his life, he had lived peacefully and away from danger.

So why am I…?

"Pathetic," the haggard man scoffed. As Subaru was snapped out of it, he could only barely follow what happened next. A metal glint had appeared from the haggard man's pockets. A rapidly-approaching metal glint.

A thick coat of liquid splashed right onto his face, running slowly and idly down his cheek. An unnatural warmth spread all around him, yet he could feel coldness pass by.

As he looked down at his hands, he could see them being drenched in it. Red. Blood. Subaru closed his eyes. It seemed he had failed again. But there was something amiss.

Something didn't feel right. Or… too much felt right. He felt alright. He didn't feel pain. Where he had greatly suffered… this time there was nothing. Instead, he could hear wheezing. Strained wheezing.

As he slowly opened his eyes again, he first blinked a couple of times, looking up. Still, no pain set in. Emilia stood near the end of the bridge amidst downed foes, with an arm outstretched towards him. He could see her widely opened eyes, their surfaces having taken on a shimmering taint.

Following her gaze, he looked down… and saw it. A myriad of red dots. Sitting atop a forest of icicles. All peeking out of the haggard man's chest.

Subaru's eyes shot wide open. A knife lay on the haggard man's side. The wheezing was his pitiful attempt at breathing. And Emilia… Emilia did…

"Monster," the haggard man spat, coughing violently. A wave of blood spewed forth as he spoke, making him gurgle in his own blood.

"You'll rot in hell…," he shouted. More blood sprinkled Subaru's jacket, as he twisted his neck to look down the bridge, stretching it out to Emilia. "You and your filthy witch…"

His hand dropped to the ground, as the haggard man drew his last breath.

---

Author's note:

Chapter 10 finished! The longest one so far. Probably a bit too long, even, but it wouldn't have felt right to split it up, just because a lot was happening.

A bouquet of "thank you"s to [LookingGlassInsect], the beta-reader of this chapter, fixing the many typos that may or may not have found their ways into the story at first.

Reviews since Chapter 9: Flames of Hatred

notanyone19: Well, content of this chapter aside, Emilia had talked about the Demi-Human War in Chapter 5, so it definitely happened. But it could've been an explanation for the increased tensions.

zard 428: A fighting chance against whom? Sin Archbishops? That alone would put him into the highest echelons of the Re:Zero world. If your question can be understood as: "Will he become stronger than Wilhelm?", then: No.

Could he be at least theoretically a bit stronger than canon Subaru… that will depend on him. It's not impossible.

SentinalSlice: Heh, that's a nice idea. Though I wonder if Puck would be willing to teach him if that was his intention. It could certainly be a motivator to learn it properly.

Shukkets: Nice.

Chris8719: Well, canon-wise Emilia's "absence" from dangerous situations was needed to both expose and shatter parts of Subaru's isekai-mindset, as well as showing him to blindly idolize Emilia for a good while (while also punishing him, since with her it would've been far easier). It also led to their fight after the Royal Selection, which was nothing short of superb. Though I do agree that the price for that was quite high.

Glad you like the various EmiSuba interactions, though I would've hoped nothing less! As for the eventual commission, I'll be looking forward to it.

I'll remind you that Sphinx is a half-elf, since Ryuzu Meyer is one. So Rom being acquainted with at least one other special half-elf is canonically well established. And canon-Rom did not seem too shocked when Emilia appeared, in the end.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

MetalCrue: Thanks! I do hope to be able to show the progress as both, believable and noticeable / meaningful, while keeping the constraints of the story in mind. Good things take a while, and what better thing is there, than EmiSuba?