A/N: Things are gonna get pretty crazy! This chapters a bit longer, because I sorta want to push things along. After all, I'm excited for what's to come and I want to get through it fast- But I also don't want to forgo these first precious moments of character development... The struggle!

Either way, don't forget to drop a review to let me know how it's all going!~

Chapter Three

The Path to Success

"Hey son… You look awfully pale."

Subaru gulped, his eyes staring intently at the appa. The man holding it seemed a bit taken aback as he gazed at Subaru.

"Look… I don't know what's wrong, but.. Take this and just get outta here, will you? Jeez."

As the seller tossed the appa to Subaru, the boy managed to catch it, surprised as he looked at the man that was shooing him away. Subaru turned away, feeling himself shivering a bit as he began to walk away, realizing he must look terrible if that guy was helping him out.

Another death, he thought. His last memories were a warm feeling, at least… Damn, that hurt! But the memory of his attacker's magic was too much to ignore. He angrily took a bite of the appa, shaking his head. I won't be put down that easily though!

"Come at me!" His sudden shout alarmed some people around him, and at that moment, he caught a slight glimpse of somebody moving amongst the crowd on the street. For a split second they had peaked around the others in the crowd, before moving back. "Gotcha…!"

He was certain of it— That tanned cloak, while not sticking out much, was too vivid in his mind. That girl was tailing him this whole time, maybe even since he first arrived. But what made her strike, and why did she seem to only wait til he was alone?

Subaru found a solid answer as he stopped, coming face-to-face with Julius Juukulius.

"That was a bold proclamation," the violet-haired knight stated with his usual smile. "May I request a moment of your time?"

"Eh? Me?" Subaru acted innocent, looking around.

"Indeed." Julius bowed his head. "I am Julius Juukulius—"

As the knight made his polite introduction, Subaru was piecing it all together with what he had.

She doesn't attack me when I'm with Julius, she waits til I'm away from him, he figured. And also if it takes long enough, she doesn't seem to be around anymore.

Though he couldn't be sure about anything, all Subaru could do was work with the facts— He was able to go to the Poor District just fine, just as the Sun was setting. Yet also, if he took too long, could he justify helping Meili get to her sister if she was doing… that?

At least two bodies had been in that room. Subaru instinctively clutched at his stomach, wondering if the big guy he'd seen first was Old Man Rom…

"…and may I inquire as to what your name is?"

Subaru looked up at the tall knight before him, not knowing how he must look at that moment— But he gave the best grin he could, suddenly pointing to the sky with his empty hand.

"Me? Of course I'm—" He hesitated, then shook his head. "Subaru! Natsuki Subaru! And don't ya forget it!"

Julius merely blinked at Subaru's odd pose, which was garnering looks from those on the street around them. This time, as opposed to when he had given Julius a false name, the man seemed a bit more relaxed, as if he knew Subaru was telling the truth.

"I see.. Is that a hint of a Kararagi accent, perhaps?"

"Kara— huh?" Subaru scratched his chin. "Yeah, of course! That's why I look a bit weird, ya know!"

Julius smiled softly. "You have given yourself such a description, not I," he said with a hint of humor. "I must ask that you assist me in a certain matter, if it is at all possible."

Subaru nodded and leaned in closer. "I know what you want, but I've got a problem of my own." He thumbed back behind himself. "There's a person tryina kill me! You're a member of the Royal Knights right?"

"This is true.. But, are you certain of this?"

"Yeah, she's got an awful temper. She uses some kind of wind magic— But long story short," Subaru said, putting a hand on Julius' shoulder as he tried to sell his words. "I know where the gems are. If you help me out, I can totally get them to you."

Julius eyed Subaru for a moment. "How would you know where they are, might I ask?"

"This little girl pawned them off to me," Subaru said with a shrug. "I already got rid of them in the market, but I can find the person I sold them to!" Subaru winked and nudged the knight.

For a moment he seemed to hold an expression of both skepticism and disbelief. Eventually, Julius sighed, running a hand along his violet hair. "I see, that does make things quite complicated, and it is my duty to assist any citizen who is in danger."

Subaru hoped his sigh of relief went unnoticed as he went into his pocket and produced his cell phone. It was the first time he'd decided to check it, after watching the thugs destroy it earlier, and was surprised to find it working just fine. He lifted it and snapped a picture of Julius, who seemed taken aback.

"Here, look at this," Subaru said, turning his phone and showing him the picture. "I can capture a moment in time with this. It'll surely be enough to get the gems back."

"A Metia..?" Julius seemed surprisingly wary of the device as he saw his own face within it.

The guy with magic and crazy reflexes is stumped by my ancient relic of a phone! Subaru grinned as he felt like it was the first true win he'd experienced since coming to this world.

"So, will you help me out? You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

"I would rather not do such a thing— But I shall assist you," Julius nodded. "Such is my duty, after all."

"Alright!" Subaru couldn't help but cheer a bit. This was a much better outcome than being suspected of a crime— Still he'd have to be careful, because Julius didn't really seem like the type to not see through Subaru's plot eventually.

I hope that's secure enough, he thought. As he had distracted Julius with his phone, the boy had managed to slip the small sack of gemstones into his pocket. While an obvious place, it was certainly better than it being open to being taken like it had once before. A little misdirection was always the key to lying through your teeth!

That's why Subaru lifted his hand that was holding the shopping bag, pointing down the street to where he knew his pursuer was.

"Over there. She's got pink hair, red eyes… Er, I'm not sure about much more than that," Subaru stated.

As he had feared, Julius eyed the bag in his hand. "May I ask you to show me the contents of that first?"

"Oh, this?" Subaru acted innocent as he opened it up, showing the contents. "It's just some food I brought with me. It ain't much though," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Julius eyed the contents then turned his attention down the street once more.

"I apologize for prying. I will return shortly, Natsuki Subaru— Please stay with him, Brother."

Subaru looked to the side, jumping a bit as he saw Julius' brother standing there. When the heck did that guy get here?

"Yes, brother!" The boy stood firm. He was about Subaru's height and likely age, and seemed to be quite a stern person, especially when he shot a glare over to Subaru.

"It is possible that more danger is around, so please call for me."

With that, Julius walked off. Subaru was surprised to not see him fly away quickly, but figured it must be due to the busy street and not wanting to cause an unnecessary battle. Still, Subaru was quite overjoyed with how things were going, already feeling his spirits rising.

Then he looked to Julius' brother, and he felt the happiness waiver again.

Why does this guy gotta be here?

"What are you looking at, miscreant?"

"Who says 'miscreant' anymore," Subaru muttered. He recalled something from before he'd used Return by Death the last time, and said, "Joshua, right?"

Joshua narrowed his eyes at Subaru, scoffing. "Correct. I presume my wonderful brother, the Spirit Knight himself, told you so?"

"Sorta." Subaru looked around, wondering where a certain girl might be hiding. "Hey, I'm gonna go check that out over there."

"Huh?" Joshua watched as Subaru walked away. He looked around nervously. "Y-You should certainly stay here til the great Sir Julius returns!"

Subaru headed towards the nearby market stalls, eyes and ears peeled— Though he figured that there was no way he could see Meili coming if she wanted to strike.

There was also the issue of the boy following Subaru like a shadow. He didn't know or like him, but getting him involved would be potential trouble.

Subaru found his chance at escape as a wagon carrying large bales of what was presumably hay was coming their way, being pulled by two burly men. Quickly, as it passed, Subaru suddenly jumped across the opening between the men and the hay bales.

"Hey—!"

As Joshua cried out, Subaru kicked with all his might, toppling over the large bales. That caused cries of surprise from the men as hay went everywhere, causing havoc in the midst of what was a fairly busy area of the market.

Absolutely booking it out of there, Subaru made his way along the streets aimlessly, trying his best to turn suddenly and take different routes to throw off any pursuers. Then, as he came to a bridge leading over one of the canals going through the city, he slid down the embankment and went under the shade of the bridge.

Catching his breath, Subaru leaned against the stoney riverbank, wondering how good of a job he did.

If she's good, then I'm sure she can find me, Subaru thought, wiping sweat from his brow. But then again, what the hell am I supposed to say when she shows up?

It wasn't a full-proof plan, but at least he'd made it this far. With a little luck, maybe he could actually pull it off—

"Are you crazy or something?"

The voice made Subaru turn suddenly, surprised to find none-other than Meili Portroute standing a few yards away, looking at him incredulously, with her small demon beast in her arms.

"Damn you're good," Subaru muttered, putting a hand on his rapidly beating chest. "I haven't even recovered yet!"

The girl removed her hood, glaring at him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

This was only the second person he'd really had the opportunity to talk to in this world. The only chats that got him anywhere thus far were either with the pretty-boy knight, or with this very girl when she was on her last threads of life. That thought made Subaru hesitate before saying anything, remembering how she's died…

"Whatever," Meili spoke. "You have something of mine, so give it back!"

"You're the one who passed that crap onto me, who said you can make demands like that?!"

Meili was taken aback by this response. "Tch… It doesn't matter if you want to give it, I'll just take it anyway."

She started to walk closer. Subaru had to think quick, knowing that it wouldn't be smart to trifle with this girl despite her age.

"Meili Portroute, you want to go to your sister, right?"

The girl stopped, her olive-green eyes widening in surprise. Subaru gave as gentle of a smile as he could as he produced the small bag from his pocket— Those cursed jewels that were the source of all of the fuss thus far since his arrival.

"H-How—"

"Let's just say I know things," Subaru said with a wink. "But do you know where she is?"

Meili scoffed. "Of course I do! He never loses a trail," she said, looking down at the beast in her arms.

"Eh? Is that how you found me so fast?"

"He did mark the bag, so of course—"

"Mark?" Subaru stuck his tongue out and held the sack from the top. "This thing has dog piss on it and I put it in my pocket? Blah—"

Meili watched Subaru's antics with mixed feelings. At first she wishes to treat him as purely hostile, but seeing him like this, she quickly realized he was a bit of a joke.

Subaru noticed her shift in demeanor, glad that his show of charm had worked— Though he hoped it was for a different reason than looking like a fool.

"Look, I just want one thing," Subaru said, lifting a finger. "I want to go with you to see her."

"Why would you want that..?" The girl raised an eyebrow at that.

"I've got my reasons," Subaru said with a grin. "In exchange, I can help you get through the city without any more knight chases. How about it?"

"You'd just slow me down—"

"Yet that Knight chased you all the way here, didn't he? Doesn't seem like you're making good speed anyways."

Meili scowled at Subaru's correct counter words. Of course, the boy had no clue where they had come from or what sort of past had led up to them coming to the Capital City.. But he had gleaned enough to truly poke at the girl's words with what he knew.

"I see your point, but you seem unreliable," Meili told him straight up. "And a little creepy."

"Aren't you the dangerous and unreliable one here, technically…" Subaru rubbed the back of his head. She had a point, so how could he sway her into giving him a shot?

It was possible that maybe Meili reuniting with her sister would stop the murders in the slums… But then again, if that woman really is an assassin, it stood to reason that she was going to fulfill her tasks no matter what. Or worse— More people might die if they're both together.

If I'm there, maybe I can sway it into a new direction, Subaru had decided. At some point, something will go the main character's way, guaranteed!

"You can trust me, I've got a fool-proof plan to hide your identity til we get there!"

The girl seemed conflicted, looking at the bag that Subaru held up. After a moment, she clutched the beast against her tighter and sighed.

"And what kind of plan is that?" She asked, her eyes narrowing at the boy as he grinned.

"I feel like you are asking to die."

Subaru ignored the mutter of the girl walking beside him. He nearly let out a laugh, but managed to contain it– After all, the 'disguise' he'd given her was quite ridiculous.

Meili Portroute walked with the plastic bag he had brought with him to Lugunica over her head, two crude eye holes made in it. Subaru had convinced her that skulking around in the shadows and wearing a hood only made her more suspicious, and that hiding in plain sight was the way to go.

This getup obviously caused more eyes to gaze at her, but they were more confused than anything else. As the two passed a few people wearing garbs similar to Julius', they got a few confused looks from them before they paid them no more mind.

"See? Toldja," Subaru whispered.

Meili growled, and the small doglike creature beneath her cloak did as well.

"Sheesh, a 'thank you onii-chan!' would be nice!"

"… What's your name anyways, mister?"

Subaru watched as one of the reptile-like creatures carrying a passenger coach went by, still dazzled by the sight of fantasy creatures.

"Subaru," he said, giving the girl a grin. "Natsuki Subaru, the Hero that this world's been waitin' for!"

As he said that, the girl looked at him with wide-eyes, though he couldn't really tell thanks to her ridiculous disguise. They had just passed into a clearing where the Sun was fluttering in and illuminating the boy beside her, making him look much cooler than he probably could have ever known.

"Can I ask something?"

"If you must," Meili said in a standoffish manner, looking away from him.

"Your sister.. She's here to kill some people, I think," Subaru said, picking his words as carefully as he could. "Any ideas why?"

Meili looked down at the stone street beneath their feet for a moment.

Ah, a secret I bet, Subaru thought with a sigh.

"…She's here to retrieve something."

"Huh?"

Meili let out a reluctant sigh. "Killing is just if things go wrong. She… Doesn't have to!"

Subaru thought about that for a moment. Stealing something huh…? So those people she killed just pissed her off?

"Elsa can be saved," Meili muttered.

As they neared the edge of the city's outskirts, there seemed to be one last salesman who seemed on their lonesome way out here. The way his rickety cart looked however, it seemed apparent he probably belonged to the Poor District.

Still, as they came closer, Subaru's stomach rumbled. He sighed.

"Damn, I had a couple of bites of appa and that's it today.. All this running around is getting to me," the boy mumbled.

"Then why not get something?" Meili wondered aloud.

Subaru shrugged. "I'm totally broke!"

"Hmph. You really are useless," the young girl commented.

About a minute after passing the cart, Subaru was surprised as Meili lifted a small, yellow fruit towards him. He watched as she ate another from her left hand, the bag lifted up slightly.

"That's for me..? Nice!… Wait, where did you—" Subaru took the fruit. "Right, I forget who I'm talking to... Well, thanks."

Meili muttered something through a mouthful of fruit. Subaru grinned at her, and she caught his look. Swallowing the bite, she asked, "What?"

"Nothin, nothin. You just definitely seem like a normal kid sometimes too, huh."

She scowled and looked away, which only made Subaru think she was even more of a child.

Despite everything in the current situation, Subaru felt a strange sense of calm. Even after what he'd been through so far in this world… It seemed like it could really be a nice place.

Subaru wouldn't know it, but Meili felt a need for that missing companionship, something taken from her in her training under the Assassin Organization, otherwise she'd have never entertained being near him.

Eventually he looked towards Meili again, and she seemed to be deep in thought as they walked. So much so, that she didn't even look ahead of herself— Though, to be fair, the ridiculous disguise did make it hard to see.

"Hey, watch it—!" Suddenly, Subaru pulled the girl aside as she nearly walked right into a broken-down carriage. They had just reached a bridge that led along the dirt path going towards the Poor District. "That was close, you should watch where you're— oof!"

Subaru stumbled back a bit as it felt like he'd hit a wall himself— But, looking ahead, he saw that it was, in fact, a person.

"Hm…?"

Recovering, Subaru rubbed the back of his head and bowed it slightly. "Sorry! I'll pay better attention next ti—"

He stopped as he saw how brightly the Sun seemed to shine off the person's armor. They were quite a large man with a chiselled face and green hair squared off, his overall look screaming something at the back of Subaru's mind.

A Knight…!

If his intimidating appearance and gleaming armor said anything, it wasn't good news. He gazed down at Subaru with an unreadable, stern expression.

"Apologies for being in the way," he spoke in a deep voice that matched his appearance.

"N-No, it's totally my fault. We'll be going," Subaru said, waving a hand as he took a step forward.

Quickly, one of the man's large gauntlets clasped Subaru's shoulder, stopping him. Subaru didn't dare move, especially since a couple of others stood nearby, wearing similar garbs to what Julius wore.

The large man gazed from Subaru to his side. Subaru looked towards where Meili had been beside him… But she wasn't there.

Eh…? Damn, she's good, he thought, something he expected to occur a lot being around her.

"You said we, did you not?"

Subaru gulped and shrugged. "O-Oh, that was… A royal 'we'. Like… Me and my ego. Just a joke!"

"Hm." The man didn't let go, his eyes scanning the area. They had come to a bridge that would have led them towards the Poor District. It was just Subaru's luck to run into someone like this— Last time he'd come here, it was a clear path. "You can tell me if something is of the matter, citizen. I, Marco Gildark, will do what I can."

Subaru watched as Marco pulled his hand away and put it to his chest, bowing slightly. His words certainly seemed honest enough— Especially since someone like him could probably snap Subaru in half, yet he was willing to bow to a random person such as himself.

So, Subaru decided to do something rare— He was polite.

"Sir Gildark, I assure you, I'm fine," the boy said, bowing down as far as he could, staring down at the stones below and hoping his fear wasn't showing. "I-I'm just clumsy! It's a curse, really. I bet my many many girlfriends will berate me for it!"

Marco showed no signs of humor, nor any emotion really. He merely nodded as Subaru brought himself back up, standing up straight.

"The Royal Guards serve the people. Do no hesitate to seek us out," the large man spoke, offering a final bow of his head before turning to walk the way Subaru had come. The few other knights followed in his wake, showing just how important he must be.

"Sir, where shall we continue our search? Reinhard is—"

The voice of one of the knights trailed off as they left Subaru behind.

Crap, that was super close—!

Subaru clutched his chest and breathed in and out. He then looked around the now empty bridge.

"Alright Meili, come on— Eh..?" He patted his pocket, not feeling anything there. He searched all over, only the snacks from his bag and his phone on his person. He let out a yell of frustration.

"You people are all seriously screwed up!"

Subaru stared at the door of Old Man Rom's warehouse. The door wasn't cracked open, and judging by the Sun's position, he had made it at least an hour before his last trip here.

This is my only play now… I'll see what the hecks going on in here, and if I can make things go smoothly!

Unsure whether Meili and her sister would be here or not, he hesitated, memories of the gruesome scene he'd seen in a previous life popping up in his mind. He shook them away, eventually able to muster up the energy to throw the heavy wooden door open.

"I come in peace!"

Subaru's proclamation echoed in the old building. Inside, a large giant of a man and a small blonde girl looked towards him in confusion…

But there was someone else there as well. Somebody Subaru didn't recognize from his last harrowing visit…

The girl had pale skin and long silver hair, her purple eyes glittering in the fading sunlight that trickled in from the wide-open doorway. Her long flowing white-and-purple garb helped her stand out even more, but that was nothing compared to a certain feature that Subaru noticed immediately—

"An E-Elf?!"

Unable to help the outburst, Subaru watched as the girl glared at him and turned away. Her ears were pointed, but was he incorrect? Unsure, he slowly began to head inside, assessing the situation at hand.

Currently, the elf girl had a hand raised towards the others, and what looked like spikes of ice were floating around her. The others were standing up, as if ready for a conflict— And Subaru had just waltzed in on it.

"What do you want?" The large man spoke warily in a deep, raspy voice.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to barge in," Subaru said, as if he hadn't just thrown the door open loudly, "but… Are you Old Man Rom?"

"Depends on who's askin'," he said, narrowing his eyes at Subaru. The blonde girl standing across the room also seemed to be throwing a mean look towards Subaru.

This is totally a bad situation! He thought, holding his hands up innocently and smiling. Everyone here looks like they hate my guts already!

"I uh… I came because someones gonna steal something?" Subaru sounded unsure, because he was unsure himself.

The small girl grinned and smacked the table with a hand. "Ah! Are you the one coming for the insignia?"

"The what?" Subaru tilted his head.

The silver-haired girl seemed to perk up at the girl's words, then her glare seemed even more intense on Subaru. He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"No way! I have no clue what the heck you're talking about…"

"Then get the heck out of here you bum," the blonde girl suddenly shouted, taking out a knife from behind her back and hurling it at Subaru. He managed to duck as it stuck into the wall near where his head had been.

While that distracted everyone, the girl made a break for a small rickety window that was lazily boarded up— But the elf girl fired a couple of icicles her way. As they slammed into the window planks, the girl scowled and faced her again.

"Felt, be wary of this one," Rom told the girl. Then, he narrowed his eyes at the elf girl. "Even a half-elf is still trouble."

"I only want my insignia returned to me," the half-elf demanded. "This is the last time I shall ask. It truly means a lot to me."

"W-What the hell..!" Subaru, feeling left out after nearly getting killed, got up and pointed a finger at the girl named Felt. "Look, I've got my fill of dangerous lolis already! Just give me a sec to figure things out—"

"My my, it is quite noisy in here."

Subaru froze as the familiar, gentle voice filled his ears. Turning towards the doorway, he saw the last person he had hoped to see.

Elsa, Meili's supposed sister, entered the warehouse. The air of dangerous elegance followed in her wake, but everybody except Subaru seemed to be unfazed by her.

Of course.. They don't know how dangerous she is! He instinctively clutched at his stomach, and gasped as Elsa suddenly turned his way. Her eyes looked down at his hand on his stomach, and she suddenly licked her lips.

"Have we met before, I wonder?"

Subaru gulped, not answering her as she turned her attention back to the others in the room.

"Another annoyance, sheesh," the small girl grumbled.

"I am here for the insignia. Though, this is not the nice welcome I was expecting," Elsa stated with a thin-lipped smile.

Her eyes looked towards the half-elf, who was now in the middle of Elsa and Felt. The girl seemed to be more nervous now— After all, this insignia seemed to be the crux of the conflict.

That left Subaru completely out of the loop. He could see Rom reaching for a large club behind the bar, but what was Subaru supposed to do? Whose side was he even supposed to be on?

The answer became clear when Elsa surprisingly looked his way once more.

"You helped my sister, correct?"

Subaru nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah, I did."

Elsa smiled. "You should go to her. I am not in a very good mood, you see," the woman stated, her words conflicting with her oddly soothing tone. "I think I want to kill everyone in this building because of it."

The already-tense mood changed completely. Rom, Felt, and the half-elf seemed shocked by this proclamation. Subaru was as well, but his eyes trailed over towards the open doorway.

Go to her? What the hell… Where is she?

"I'm afraid negotiations are over," Rom said suddenly, lifting his large club and bashing the end hard on the bar counter. "Everyone should leave, if they know what's good for 'em."

Elsa closed her eyes, still smiling— Subaru was the only one who could see the slight twinge of pain in her expression, and that made him even more worried.

"I'll… go to her," Subaru confirmed, heading to the door and out into the street.

Am I a Coward— No, this is more important!

Subaru had to tell himself that, despite his fear, running out and looking around— That's when he spotted a small trail of blood that seemed to go around the back of the warehouse. Feeling his breath catch in his throat, he followed it towards a small broken well, where he saw her.

"Meili…!"

The girl had her arms wrapped around her knees, and was sobbing. As Subaru came close, he hesitated, realizing the blood trail didn't lead to her.

Instead, the demon beast lie a little ways away, slashed open. It wasn't the small dog that Subaru had always seen— On the contrary, it seemed to have turned into a much larger form, nearly the size of a person. Its innards were spilling out, and its throat and stomach seemed to be split cleanly open.

Holding himself back from retching at the horrid scene, Subaru knelt down beside Meili.

"What happened? Did your sister…?"

"Get away from me," the girl grumbled, wiping at her tear-stained face.

Guessing it didn't go smoothly… Subaru noticed the glittering gemstones scattered in the dirt around them.

"What did you want those for anyways?"

Meili sniffled and turned her head away, gazing down at the dirt. "It doesn't… matter.."

"Of course it does! I want to know what the hells going on—"

"Why?" The girl practically hissed. "Why do you care?"

Subaru shook his head. "Because I do. I'm here, so you aren't alone, ya know?"

The girl hid her face in her knees, and Subaru sighed. A sullen kid was going to be hard to deal with, but at the same time, there was a potentially deadly battle about to happen inside the warehouse.

What am I supposed to do?! Is this another dead-end?

It was time for Subaru to stop his heroics, just for a moment. If there was any hope of stopping what was coming, he needed more help.

Turning away from Meili, the boy shouted, "Grr… Someone help! The Royal whatevers– Just, someone!"

"Natsuki Subaru."

The familiar voice surprised Subaru, whose eyes widened at the sight of the knight who had seemingly appeared from thin air before him during his shoutfest.

"Julius!"

The violet-haired knight stood with his spirits flowing around him, their power seeming to make the cape-like end of his uniform flutter behind him majestically.

"You got here fast! You're something alright," Subaru said with a grin.

"My brother did well in following you the entire way," Julius replied with a small smile. "Thus I was able to know where you had gone."

Shocked, Subaru could imagine the frail-looking Joshua tailing them here. Somehow, it pissed him off that someone like that managed to out-maneuver Subaru. Am I really just the worst in this world?!

"Well, nevermind that– There's some dangerous stuff going down here!"

"I have gathered that much," Julius said. He then looked towards Meili, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Is that girl alright?"

Subaru looked at the ground, nodding. "...Yeah. I think so, just… Look, I'll look after her, get in there and do your thing!"

"My duties are quite split here," the knight stated, glancing towards the warehouse "But I cannot ignore this deathly presence that I can sense within these walls. For that reason alone, I will be forced to trust you yet again, Subaru. Though the punishment of defying someone of my status twice will be quite swift."

"Heh… Yeah, let's just forget me running off and start on a new foot," the boy said nervously.

Julius smirked slightly, before he leaped into the air, landing on the building's rooftop. Subaru watched in amazement as his spirits swirled about him, creating a white-hot glow along his blade, rainbow patterns flashing around him.

Then, in one swift motion, there was a loud CRASH as Julius descended into the fray of the warehouse.

Going in through the roof for a dramatic entrance… I'm not sure if I hate or respect that guy, he thought.

Getting down on one knee, Subaru refocused on Meili. "Look, whatever the heck happened, we should clear out of here. Everyone in there is probably gonna–"

"Shut up," she muttered. Slowly lifting her head, Meili gazed at him with her olive eyes filled with anger and sorrow. "We were… We were supposed to escape… I don't understand… I want to live a normal life with big sis, why does she…" The girl trailed off, her voice going from sorrowful to something more of a snarl. "I'll… I'll save her… I don't care what it takes!"

Subaru watched the girl's change in demeanor and the ferocity in her eyes as she stood. Then he heard it– The loud roar of something that made his blood run cold. Before he knew it, something large swooped in and landed nearby, making Subaru fall onto his bum, gazing in horror at it.

"W-What the…!"

The beast before him was something else entirely from what he'd seen thus far. It was larger than a lion, which its head looked similar to, but it had the torso of a horse… Or perhaps a goat? Its long snake-like tail swiveled behind itself, as it bared its large fangs towards them, giving off an aura of power and dominance that made Subaru unable to move.

Meili, however, approached the beast, as if unfazed at all. Subaru watched her, both amazed and frightened, as she got close and reached a hand out to touch its muzzle.

As the darkness of night fell upon the Poor District, Subaru truly learned just how dangerous that young girl could be.

To Be Continued

Next Chapter: The End of Shadows

A/N: Something I always hope is that the story doesn't seem too random. There's a lot to introduce for the future, but I sometimes feel like my dialogue and encounters can be a bit forced.. Hm... Food for thought, food for thought. I'm signing off!~ Thanks for reading thus far! See you in the next chapter!