Current Area:

Capital of lugunica

Total Deaths:

2

"My name is NATSUKI SUBARU." He said this while turning his hips and pointing at the sky.

"Not only am I clueless but I'm broke beyond compa- eh are you okay?"

Subaru was about to end his introduction until he got a clear look at the lady he was staring at, specifically her eyes.

One minute there brimming with life and the next there hollow and bags can be seen under them. The sudden stark contrast in aura made a slight chill run down his spine. It was jarring how quickly her expression had changed from such an innocent and inquisitive gaze to a look that oozed melancholy.

The girl took a look of her surroundings, as if she was completely unsure as to where she was at the moment.

Puck and Subaru looked at her with increasing worry until her lips parted.

"So that's how it is huh" The half elf spoke but not a sliver of her previous demeanor was there. Her voice was steady but lacked the original upbeat attitude in it. It was flat and without a distinctive emotion.

Pucks instincts were flaring up to new heights upon seeing his daughters expression. His worry was starting to mold over into hostility towards the boy in front of him. The slight traces of miasma had increased nearly 3 times over the moment he introduced himself. While usually he would dismiss the odor as a byproduct of some outside cause, the fact that it had effected his daughter the moment it flared up raised multiple red flags.

Subaru would've noticed the very prevalent hostility directed towards him if he wasn't busy focusing his attention on the girl in front of him. Alas his tunnel vision and lack of tact drew him to step forward and try to understand what exactly was going on with his new aquatience.

Unfortunately the moment he stepped forward a wall of ice separated them. Subaru was shocked to say the least however Puck was even more so as he wasn't the one that conjured it, it was the Half-elf.

"This is beyond absurd "

Her voice, that could be mistaken for silver bells, lacked any form of emotion or volume. It was low to the point that Subaru couldn't properly hear her.

"if you stay by me you get hurt, if you stay away from me you get hurt... I honestly thought that my appearance was the only thing that connected me to that vile witch but it seems that's not the case. Just like the witch of envy I cause suffering everywhere I go."

She wasn't speaking to anyone in particular but the weight of her words expressed to everyone present how serious she was at this moment.

"Lia..."

None of this was making since to the great spirt. No matter how much he tried to rationalize and figure out why she had this massive tone shift, none of this added up.

"Uhh I can't tell what your saying behind this wall of ice. If you wanted privacy with "sir furball the third" over there you should've just said so."

Subaru said this as he slowly maneuvered himself around the ice wall to come face to face with the depressed elf.

"look I get it. I'm not exactly John Wick in terms of fighting and my deduction skills are average at best but I'm sure I can still-"

"Why do you always do that..."

Subaru was cut off from his speech as the half elf interrupted him with clear anger on her face and her hands digging into her skirt.

"Stop being so...so self depreciating!"

The Half-elf was now face to face with Subaru with hot tears streaming from her face

"And stop acting like your some sort of nuisance! This whole day has been dreadful! Everything that could've gone wrong, did go wrong! The ONLY saving grace was that I met someone like you and even then-!"

Subaru tried to cut her off and try to figure why this gorgeous woman was chastating him for something so insignificant and why she was so distraught but his instincts were telling him to keep his mouth shut and let her just... get it all out.

"The ONE TIME I can be friends with someone and they..."

Emilia bit her lip in frustration.

"Im nothing like you. Even though you were hurt at the loot house you tried to save me while i did nothing!"

Her eyes fell to concrete floor. The weight of everything that had transpired fell on her like a mountain. So many regrets. So many mistakes. Even if she was the only one that remembers it did nothing to ease the pain she felt.

"Od this all just fell apart so fast! I failed to protect them... I failed to protect you... everything i did amounted to nothing and I-!"

BOP*

The half elf blinked and her tears stopped pouring from her eyes as confusion took her. Subaru had karate chopped her on the forehead with little force but enough to grab her attention. He looked at her with an incredulous look, as if he just heard the most ridiculous story of his life.

"You're really not making any sense right now."

The Half-elf looked down cast. Realizing that everything he's done for her was essentially erased. From his perspective she sounds like a mad women spouting nonsense.

"Y-your right I'm not making any sense at all... look just forget I said all-"

"Let me finish. I stayed silent throughout that speech of yours but that last part kinda pissed me off. You called me out for self depreciation but here you are beating yourself up over nothing! Last time I recalled you saved me back at the alleyway not the other way around! And I definitely don't remember you doing nothing when those thugs attacked me!"

The Half-elfs mind was haulted once he interrupted her again and then immediately went into overdrive once he continued.

' Your wrong. I only did that so I could gain information from you. I-I didn't...I wouldn't... I'm not that type of person.'

"And another thing! That look are on your face, I DONT LIKE IT ALL! It's the look of someone who's given up! I don't know where I am and I don't know who you are but the person who saved me shouldn't be wallowing in despair! In times like these your supposed to grit your damn teeth and push forwar-"

"AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW!?"

This time it was the Half-elf who interrupted Subaru. No longer devoid of emotion but rather looking at him with a mixture of hatred and sadness.

Puck was beyond shocked. Not because of the sudden outburst but rather the statement itself.

'D-Did Lia just swear?!'

"You think its that easy? To just forget all your failures and push through like nothing happend? To see the corpses of the people you could've saved and act like it never happened?! WELL ITS NOT!!"

Subaru was beyond shook with how angry she got all of a sudden and immediately felt a tinge of guilt after realizing that whatever she's referring to... it wasn't just about her insigina.

"Because of my incompetence people got hurt."

Flashes of Rom and Felts corpse crossed her mind

"Because of my ineptitude I got hurt!"

Flashes of the Half-elfs arm being severed crossed her mind.

"Because of my slothfulness YOU GOT HURT!"

Flashes of Subaru holding his bloodied stomach in pain raced through her mind.

"SO STOP!! please just... leave me alon-hgk!"

This time around it was the Half-elfs turned to be suprised by a sudden hug. The boy had seamlessly wrapped his arms around her arms and upper back. Her mind went to an immediate hault as she tried to assess what kind of mental gymnastics one would have to do to think that THIS was the appropriate action to take after all that.

"I-Im sorry. Its just im not very good with my words so I just did what felt natural y'know?"

Subaru was seemingly as shocked as she was for being so bold towards someone he didnt even know the name of. Weither it was guilt for being the cause of her distress or because he wanted to pay her back for saving him earlier he wasnt quite sure.

The Half-elf wanted to push him away. Every thought in her mind was telling her to get away from this boy before she somehow hurts him again however her arms wouldn't listen to her pleas as they slowly crossed Subaru's back, reciprocating the hug. Her hypocritical nature made her truly disgusted with herself but It was overshadowed by the immense elation from holding onto him.

Puck, for the first time in 400 years, didnt know what to do in this situation. On one hand his suspensions towards the boy were at an all-time high, seeing as he was the only factor for his daughter's distress but on the other hand he saw the desperation on both there faces. Each for entirely different reasons that he was not aware of but he knew that separating these two right now was not a good idea, regardless of how much it ate away at him.

"Stupid"

Subaru and Puck looked at the Royal Canidate with confusion on there face. The Half-elf started to mercilessly berate the boy while clutching on to the boys track suit to the point of ripping the fabric.

"Dunderhead, niccumpoop, bonehead!"

"PFFT who the hell says "dunderhead" nowadays!"

Subaru couldn't help but make fun of the Half-elfs childish insults while she clutched onto him with her head digging into his chest.

A slight smile adorned her face as the tears started to trickle down and stain the boys jacket. Her eyes were still shut and the tears wouldn't cease but they were no longer due to miseray. Instead they were due to the euphoria of having this stupidly kind boy wrapped around her arms.

The heat she felt from his body wasn't fading. Blood wasn't spewing from his mouth and abdomen. He wasn't trembling in pain. He wasn't a cold corpse. She could feel his chest going up and down in a steady pace, slowly but surely calming her shaking arms. She could feel his heart beating in a steady rhythm that felt like music to her ears. She could feel his breath ticking the top of her head as she slowly let go of her vice grip on the back of his track suit and proceeded to wrap her arms around his waist.

He was alive.

"Hehe Fool, dummy, lamebrain!"

"Strong words for someone who got snot all over my chest."

"S-Shut up you!"

The atmosphere was astronomically lighter compared to a couple secounds ago and it didnt go unnoticed by any of them as they started to feel there previous unease wash away. The Half-elf felt lighter then she has ever felt before since awakening in that frozen forest, warmth was encompassing her on the outside and inside thanks to something as simple as a hug.

"You really are an idiot y'know?"

She said this with a large smile on her face, no longer crying, and staring straight into the boys eyes with her chin resting on his chest.

Subarus heart skipped a beat after making eye contact with the silver harried beauty. Usually he would have a retort at the ready but he was at a loss of words due to his face becoming beet red after finally grasping the situation he was in. His mind was only focused on helping the despairing girl in front of him so it just now dawned on him that he was embracing the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eye's on.

After a couple of seconds, the Half-elf was the first to let go of the embrace and proceeded to look at one other with a pletroa of emotions swirling in the boys mind while the girl only had one, gratitude.

"*inhale* haaaah. Jeez luweaz that was... fwooh I really needed that."

"Y-Yeah. I'll admit there was probably a better way to help a damsel in distress like you but im sure my dad would give me an A for effort! Usually it would be a V but we'll save that for after the end of this quest!"

He said this with a smile so bright that the sun would be jealous. The Half-elf was well aware of it his blinding enthusiasm and gave out a hearty chuckle in response.

"Gosh Subaru you say some of the strangest things I swear."

"*Ahem*"

The boy and girl looked towards the bystander that was a witness to the display of affection and immediately became embarrassed after realizing how this interaction looked from the outside looking in. The bystander in question looked at both of them with a neutral look but a small smirk could be seen on the felines face.

"Well that was definitely... something. I'm sorry to break up the moment but we still gotta theif to catch right?"

He felt a little bad for interrupting the moment these two were having. He didnt like this boy cozying up to his daughter but suspensions aside so far he's been nothing but a positive influence on her so he'll stomach it for now.

"Ah crap your right, kinda lost the plot there huh?"

The nasty eyed boy was now on alert as he scratched his head in a sheepish manner.

The Half-elf's mood shifted into a more serious expression. Her mind ran in circles trying to figure out a way out of this predicament. She'd be damned if any of these people get hurt again on her watch.

'Alright... Felt. Old Man Rom. The Loot House. Cloke. Ellior Forest Crystals. The Assassin. Insignia. Puck. The Sword Saint. Subaru... All these factors... if I utilize them all correctly then just maybe... Felt will arive at the loot house first so that will give me more then enough time to warn the 2 of the impending danger. My previous persona worked quite well... until the last part. Ill need to come up with an excuse to not reveal my identity until after that monster leaves. Old Man Rom seemed trust worthy enough to be more specific with how im involved with the insigina. hopefully he'll catch onto my identity without Felt or the assassin getting clued in, it'll be tricky but I think I can manage. Now Subaru...'

Flashback=

"The doctor said that his heart was crushed. A truly heinous crime but there were no traces on how it occurred aside from the thick coat of miasma on him and 5 pressure tears on his heart resembling a hand."

'That hand from earlier...that horrid thing must've been what killed Subaru! So it truly was my fault... And then theres that miasma trace, dosen't that mean that he's loved by the witch!? Puck didn't say anything about it so it must've appeared after I tried to tell him about it. By the dragon this makes no sense whatsoever! Why did it attack him instead of me!? No matter, I know better now, So long as I don't bring up those previous...ends in any way everything should be alright! That being said I absolutely CANNOT allow him to be at the loot house incase a fight breaks out. The insignia doesn't matter anymore so long he's out of harms way. But how do i give him a proper excuse to separte without causing suspension tow-'

"Yo Ice Queen your spacing out again. That's a pretty weird habit of yours yknow."

The Half-elf came out of her thoughts before she could finish them. Her frustration was immediately quelled as she decided that overthinking it was a waste of time at this point. Now was the time to act.

"I have a pretty good idea where that thief went towards. She stole my insigina but nothing else meaning there's a high chance that she was contracted to do this right?"

"Makes sense to me but if that's the case there might be a third party involved no?"

Puck said this with an inquisitive look as his contractors deductive skills suddenly went up a notch. He had a slight hint of pride but he'll mention it to her later.

"If that's the case they'll probably be doing there buisness somewhere secretive. Maybe the slums?"

"Lia I see where you mind is at but that still only nettles down our search to 1 massive district."

The half-elf put her pointer finger to her chin and gave off an aloof expression.

"Not necessarily, since we know that a third party's involved we can assume they'll conduct there business in a well known place. It needs to be a place shady enough to do pretty bad deals but not enough for someone to backstab the other afterwards with no consequences, Something like a tavern or common place of buisness."

The Half-elf was well aware of her multiple leaps in logic but ultimately it was hard to dispute her deduction as there were vary few leads that Subaru or Puck could think of. While Puck was hesitant to grasp at straws, Subaru was pumped as they finally had a decent lead.

'Man this Lia girl is pretty smart! I guess she needed a good cry and a hug before her gears started turning huh? I couldn't have figured all that out in a million years and she those it likes it nothing! Feels like I'm kinda useless here heh heh... Ah well who the hell cares I'll show off how cool I am once we find that thief and put and end to this quest!!'

As he thought this he slammed his fist against his palm and looked towards the Half-elf and great spirt with newfound conviction.

"Alright we got ourselves a lead! lets head there right aw-"

"NO!!"

His conviction immediately turned to confusion and a bit of betrayal as he was under assumption that they were going to find the thief together.

"I-I mean. its all just a theory right? I feel like we'll cover more ground if we separate from here. If i find the thief I'll shoot magic into the air to let you know where I am."

"Hmm...sounds good but what happens if i find her first? Sadly my starting equipment dosen't come with magic."

The terms Subaru was using were lost on her but she got the main idea of what he was saying. He can't use magic.

"I-I see then I'll um"

"Thats not a big deal I can you teach a spell that'll alert us of where you are easily."

The great spirt said this in a nonchalant tone but Subarus eyes immediately sparkled while the Half-elf's was conflictd due to the potential wasted time. Then again having a way to notify her of any immediate danger (i.e the assassin) was always welcomed.

'Him coming across her before she makes it to the loothouse is not out of the realm of possibility. I reeeeally want to believe that the chances of that happening are zero but... I can't risk it.'

"Puck what type spell did you have in mind?"

"It's a spell that requires almost no mana in its first stage so it should be fine. He dosen't even need an affinity for it."

As he said this she automatically realized what spell he was referring to as it was the first one he taught her as a spirt arts user although its completely useless in combat especially in its early stages.

"Ah I see, your referring to shinya."

"Ooooh what's kinda spell is that, sounds cool!!"

His enthusiasm was apparent to both of them causing them to wince at his overreaction to a very meager spell.

"Its a yang based spell that functions as a yin spell. Its primary purpose is to blind your opponent with a flash of light. It's most basic form creates a simple bud of light that you can move around at will. Its el form creates a ball of light in your hand that will immediately expand and blind anyone that looks at it when it those so. It's ul form emanates light around your entire body and blinds anyone that looks at you. It's Al form creates a dome of light that leaves anyone that opens there eyes while inside permanently blind and gives them slight burns across there body. It's a pretty underwhelming spell overall."

Pucks explanation of the spell left Subaru with his mouth wide open. A million ideas surged through his head on how to use this potential new ability.

"ARE YOU KIDDING! That's an awesome spell and your saying that a novice like me can pull it off!?"

"Well the chances of anyone not being able to do it is almost none so you'd have to be pretty worthless to not be able to do it first try."

"DONT ADD THAT UNNECESSARY PRESSURE ONTO ME!"

"Hehe if your able to make light heartened comments like that then this next part should be rather easy"

As Puck said this the floating feline moved towards the top of Subarus head and started to ease his mana into Subarus gate.

"Usually I'd give you a visual aid on how it works but this type of spell requires a sense of imagination to really get the hang of it. Just say Shinya once you got a feel for it"

"You got it puck, fantasizing is what I do best! myon myon myon myon myon."

Subarus mind started to shuffle through a dark tunnel of sorts, focusing his inner psyche on the core that boomed like a drum the more he drew closer to it. Once he was close enough to the point of actually feeling it, a light started to form in front of him. As it grew it started to thump similar to a heart beat, similar to the booming sound that surround it, growing louder and faster the more he focused onto it. Once it reached its peak, Subaru internally and physically cupped his hands under the light and uttered the word.

"Shinya."

Subaru began to open his eyes and was met with a flickering light in front of him. After seeing this he immediately put his head down so neither of them could see his face.

The royal candidate was a but saddened at his reaction. She knew the spell wasn't all that great but she didn't expect the boy to become depressed over it.

"H-hey it's no big deal. It was my first spell too so I'm sure you'll learn some really great ones in the future!"

'Hopefully I'll be the one to teach you'

The atmosphere turned bleak again as the boy stared at the ground with the small light meeting his gaze. Neither of them knew how to cheer him up until...

"This is...SO FREAKING COOOOOLLL!! LOOK AT THIS!"

As he said this the floating light started to move along his hand and go towards the Half-elf with increasing speed and started to circle around her. The boy was grinning ear to ear as the light followed his every command. The Half-elf and great spirt sighed at his antics, one out of relief that he was happy with the results and the other with annoyance that he was this excited over the most basic of spells.

"Even if this is novice stuff it's huge leap for me. THANK YOU MASTER!"

He said this as he bowed his head with the upmost respect towards the spirt.

"Gosh Subaru your really silly y'know that?"

That Half-elf couldn't help but form a warm smile at his overreaction meanwhile the spirt was exasperated and a little smug that the boy was praising him like this.

"Hehe well just try to use the spell sparingly for now your gate is really weak so later on you can use it as a means to strengthen it without inconveniencing anyone around you"

"I see so it's like magic training wheels of sorts"

"I don't understand that term but sure we'll go with that"

'First spell acquired! I'll admit my fantasy adventure had a rough start but now I'm finally making some progress here! Having Excalibur would've been nice but having a silver haired beauty and a magical cat teach me about magic is DEFINITELY the better route, I've always wanted to be a mage class!'

"ALRIGHT! looks like we gotta game plan here!"

As Subaru said this the light he was emiting disappeared and was replaced with an even brighter shit eating grin on his face. Pumping himself up to finish off his first quest!

The Half-elf and Puck couldn't help but feel a little enthusiastic seeing how eager he was to get this ordeal over with.

Puck more so as the Half-elf knew exactly what was in store for her should her plan fail.

"Mmhm, if neither of us find the thief by night fall we'll rendezvou back here, understood?"

"Sounds like a plan Miss... come to think of it I don't think I ever got your name. Lia is a nickname right? If im gonna give you a pet name I'd wanna be somewhat original with it rather than piggybacking off another."

The Half-elf felt a sharp tinge of guilt as her untold sins continued to pile on top of eachother. She internally cringed for thinking this boy was too untrustworthy to say her real name back in there first true introduction. It would be simple to just tell him her name now but...

'I don't want to hear him say my name, not after everything I put him through.. if we, no WHEN WE make it out of this I'll tell him but for now.'

"Once we get my insigina back maybe I'll tell you as a reward."

She teased the boy in an attempt to avoid a direct answer. Any reasonable person would've seen right through her act however Subaru was already wrapped around her finger. His back became as stiff as a board as he did an army salute.

"YES MA'AM YOU CAN COUNT ON ME!"

The boy turned on his heel and marched into the opposite direction.

The Half-elf looked at him as he walked away in such a goofy fashion. She couldn't help but stare and smile warmly at him for a couple extra seconds. Then her face took an immediate 180 as she realized how she had to manipulate the poor boy to keep him away from the imminent danger.

' If everything goes as plan then this might be the last time I see that wonderful boy again... It's for the best. He deserves better then to die due to my incompetence. This curse, even if I end up dying again I won't allow him to be a victim of my problems no matter how much it'll hurt to never see him again. Jeez I've technically only met him for one day and I'm already this sad about leaving him heh. Subaru... please be safe.'

1 hour 45 mintues later=

"*inhale haaaahh"

'Back here again'

The Half-elf was now once again face to face with the door that caused her so much pain and suffering. As she went to knock on the door her hand abruptly stopped. Memories started to flash in her mind and latch onto her like steel chains.

Subaru bleeding out, The numbness she felt on the floor across from him, the horrific scene of Felt and Rom laying in there own blood, the wicked smile and disgusting dagger of that monster, her own severed hand, the corspe of the boy she tried to keep away, her own heart being puncterd by that same dagger.

Each moment of miseray attacked her at once as she stared towards the gate of hell in front of her. Her legs were becoming shaky and her breath was uneven. Her own skin felt foreign to her as a giant lump formed in her chest that made her feel a thousand pounds heavier. Every cell in her body was screaming, begging her to not knock on the door.

'I-I have to do this. There's no one else who can. If I don't do this every one is going to die. I can't let it h-happen again. I have to be strong for them, for him! How am I going be queen of a nation and save an entire forest of people if I can't even save the people infront of me!!'

With new found conviction she slowly raised her hand again shaking even more so than last time with visible sweat dripping from her palms.

'I have to do this.'

Her hand was edging closer and closer to the door.

'I HAVE TO DO THIS!"

Her hand was now only centimeters away from the door.

'I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE TO I HAVE'

She stopped...

She proceeded to rest her own arm on the door and sobbed in a hushed manner over her inability to do this one simple act.

"I can't do this"

She said those words with an immense amount of self loathing. She cradled her arms and proceeded to collapse on the ground due to loosing strength in her legs.

Puck came out his crystal to see why his contractor was so distraught only to see her on her knees and quietly sobbing in front of the door. His immediate response was to try and comfort her but it was no use. She stopped shaking and the tears stopped but the crushing weight of her cowerdice wouldn't let her move another muscle.

"Im just so usele-"

"Didn't we already do this song and dance Ice Queen?"

She immediately shot up and turned 180 to who the voice was. She was met with the face of an all-to-familer sharp eyed man in strange clothing, only now he had a flower adorning the left side of his hair.

"W-wait why are you?! I don't?! I don't get-!? How are you even!?"

The half elf was starting to hyperventilate from the potential disastrous consequences of this. She started to grab her head and shake her hair violently due to the overwhelming stress.

'I don't understand WHY IS HE HERE!? What are the astronomical chances of him showing up here?! D-Did I say something to let him know off where I was going?! This dosen't make any sen-'

"Lia! CALM DOWN!"

"Eick!"

Puck had a more aggressive and authoritarian tone then he would've like but it did its job in stopping the poor girl from messing up her hair any further.

The boy on the other hand was dumbfounded with this predicament.

'Man this is the second time this girl has broke down in front of me. I seriously feel like I'm missing some context here.'

"Uh hey?"

...

...

...

"Hi"

...

..?

"Subaru...why are you here?"

"Well it wasn't that hard. You did say that we were looking for a tavernnor something."

"Alright fine but I could've been looking anywhere, why here specifically!?"

Subaru flinched a bit as she raised her voice at him. He still couldn't piece together why she was so on edge but he knew for a fact that being honest was the best course of action right now.

"Well... back when you were having that breakdown, you mentioned something about me getting hurt at a loothouse? I asked some of the people around here if they new a thief that occupied one and this was the spot. Seeing you here is probably a good sign all things considered!"

Pucks eyes widend at this. While Subaru didn't think much of that revelation, Puck immediately saw the issue with that statement.

'Lia, why did you mention the loot house specifically? We only made that deduction a little while ago after speaking with multiple people and spirits alike. It's almost like you kne-'

"Right I get what you mean! I was saying alot of things that didn't make sense wasn't I? I already had a good theory that the thief was probably going to sell it but my mind got all jumbled up trying to make sense of it all hence why I said loothouse specifically!"

As if she could read the spirits mind she immediately came up with an excuse for her almost lethal mistake. For Subaru it made alot of sense. The amount of stress she's probably under from going on this wild goose chase would make anyone crack a little. It didn't exactly explain what she meant by people getting hurt or corpses but he assumed she must have had a tramatic past that's been haunting her to this day or something so he thought it best not to pry. Beautiful girls always come with baggage its isekai 101!

Puck on the otherhand wasn't buying it one bit. Her trying to come up with an excuse further soldified that something was VERY wrong here. This boy may not be an intentional threat but he is definitely having an effect on his daughter, a true enigma. Of course these questions would have to be put on the back burner for now as more pressing matters were at hand. If what his daughter said about getting hurt had any weight to it then it would be best to be extra vigilant for the time being. If he notices even a slight amount of hostility directed towards his daughter he would not hesitate to do what needed to be done.

"So... ya gonna knock on the door or?"

She flinched ever so slightly at his words. Subaru noticed this and decided to take the initiative.

He walked over to the door with an aloof expression. The Half-elf's eyes scanned every area of the porch they were standing on. The paranoa of being attacked and any given moment was edging over into irrationality. There was no turning back from here on out. The moment he opened that door all hell would-.

Subaru stopped at the door handle and looked towards the Half-elf. Said girl was still looking ahead of the loothouse with Subaru on her right.

"Hey."

A slight yelp escaped the Half-elf's lips as a warm hand touched her shoulder, breaking her out of daze. To her right stood the young boy, looking at her dead in the eyes with stern conviction.

"Its gonna be alright."

She didn't understand why he chose to say that now of all times. She didn't understand why he was being so serious all of a sudden. She didn't understand why someone who was clearly in the most danger, would be the one reassuring her.

She didn't understand why it was exactly what she needed to hear.

Nevertheless the Half-elf took it upon herself to face the door and consequently her fate as well. Whatever happens from here on out, one thing will change.

No one will die today.

Knock knock knock*