Current Area:
Old Man Roms Loothouse
Total Lives:
2
It's been 5 mintues since the start of...whatever this was. Subaru couldn't find any opportunity to step into the conversation between the now concealed Half-elf and the giant.
'Jeez I knew I was in the dark here but now I seriously feel like I'm out of my element! This girls been talking about someone named Felt and brought up something about mana crystals and so many other variables to the point I'm not even sure if we're even trying to get her insigina back anymore. Hell that's the only thing she hasn't brought up so far!'
"So lemme get this straight" The giant continued with clear skepticism on his face.
"Not only do you want to hire Felt, but your willing to pay for any goods i've got as an "incentive"?"
"Yes" The Half-elf said plainly.
"And your doing this on behalf of one the 5 canidates but you can't tell me which one it is?"
"She requested to remain anonymous."
"But she wanted her status to be known."
"...Yes"
"You do realize this is-"
"Im aware of how strange this all sounds but I can assure you that no harm will come to her or you under her care"
The half-elf interrupted his skepticism in hopes that her words could alleviate atleast some of his worries. His brows relaxed a little but then immediately became more strained as he proceeded to ask his next question.
"Alright I won't bother asking why a canidate of all people would want to employ her as I'm sure that's outta yer "need-to-know-" basis so I'll skip that fer now. What I do want to know is why are you really here?"
"I-I don't understand what you me-"
"Don't play dumb missy. That cloak of yers can hide your emotions pretty well but even I can tell that your shaking like a leaf. There's something else going on here."
The Half-elfs facade, or the attempt of one, started to faulter after hearing the giants accusation.
"That... would be better off discussed once Felt arrives."
The giants gaze became razor-sharp
"And you know that she'll be coming hear how exactly?"
The giants accusations were becoming more and more aggressive as time went on.
"You underestimate my connections Sir Rom." She said this with a slight hint a superiority to drive home how vast her "supposed" connections were.
Rom suspiscions of the 2 individuals only increased from the statement but he knew better then to act reckless if her "connections" weren't the forgiving type.
"I see... then make yourselves comfortable" He said this as he poured himself a drink, purposely neglecting to give either one a glass.
40 mintues later=
"Damn, old man you seriously did all that?! Ive met a couple veterans back home but none of them have done a quarter of the crazy shit you've done!"
"I'm not exactly proud of it but i ser as hell got results."
The giant proclaimed with a haughty laugh as he tapped his own leg and took another chug of booze, fully immersing himself into the conversation with the other-worldly boy.
"Hey im not judging I just didn't expect something so gruesome." Subaru said this with a slight shiver and a weary but relaxed smile.
"That's mild compared to the shit that damn sword demon did! Lemma tell ya-"
While the mystery women stayed in relative silence, only chiming in every now and then, Subaru and Old Man Rom were having casual banter without a care in the word. The Half-elf thought it strange and slightly vexing that he could be so cordual with someone he just met. It fascinated her how quick he could turn the atmosphere from tense to light hearted with just a couple of words, another thing to add to the increasing lists of Subaru's weird quirks.
'First myself and now Sir Rom, next thing you know he'll be giving Felt headpats.'
The Half-elf blushed a little at the hypothetical adorable scene but immediately became rigid when she heard a knock on the door.
"For a rat"
"Its me gramps open up!"
Reluctantly he opened the door to reveal the yellow haired thief.
"Seriously, whats the point of having a password if your just gonna ignore it every time!" The giant light heartedly exclaimed.
Felt ignored his suffering as her eyes were sparkling with anticipation to tell her grandfather of the crazy day she had. They then narrowed a little once she caught sight of the two individuals in the room with her. The black haired boy looked at her with curiosity while the concealed woman gave her an unreadable expression. Normally she would be creeped out and on the defensive with the way they were looking at her but her instincts were telling her that they meant no harm.
"Yo Rom who are these two bozos?" She says this while pointing at the 2 strangers. Said stranger looked at her with a look of annoyance while the other gave no visual response.
"Jeez and I thought your first impression was bad!Who the hell raised you brat!?" Said Subaru with sarcasm being all too apparent.
"You say that like I've met you before. Have I robbed you by any chance?" Felt put her fingers to her chin and looked up towards the ceiling in an attempt to remember there first interaction.
"You seriously don't remember me?! I was getting assaulted by those 3 mob characters and you flat out ignored me when I asked for help!"
He exclaimed this while dramatically pointing at her with increasing fury, gaining another chuckle from the old man.
"3 mob?- Wait your that weird guy that was rambling on about me summoning you here or something along those lines right? Back in the alleyway?"
Subaru had the wind taken out of his sails after that comment. His ears were red in embarrassment.
"AAAAHHH forget about about that part OK! You were the first character that looked somewhat distinguishable so I assumed you must've played an important role in- y'know what this is going nowhere and I'm not helping my case here..."
He said as his arms drooped in a defeated manner.
"Well I was only able to follow like a 5th of whatever you were saying but if your looking for an apology then I'm sorry for not going out of my way to help a total stranger who was speaking utter nonsense while I was on a job. Happy?"
"...I guess when you put it like that I- WAIT NO! Your still the bad guy here! You were literally in the middle of doing a crime!"
Once he said that Felt grew tense and instinctively took up a defensive stance. She looked towards her grandfather to gauge rather or not to retaliate. Surprisingly he was relaxed as ever. Seeing as Rom was completely unbothered by the fact that there 2 visitors know about her "profession", it was safe to assume that they weren't a threat, or atleast not at this very moment.
With that in mind she gave a curious look to her grandfather.
"Alright Rom spill it. What the hell Is going on here?"
"Its a bit...complicated" The giant said with an exasperated sigh.
"The bad kind or the weird kind?"
"...It depends"
5 mintues later=
"WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!"
Felt knew today would be weird considering that she was hired to steal a trinket of all things, but now today was becoming almost absurd once she heard all of this.
"Your bafflement is understandable but I hope you'll think carefully about my proposition." The concealed women inquired.
"What the hell Is there to think about!? Not only are you offering me a job but also a place to stay? If I didn't know any better I'd think you two were slave dealers!"
The two people in question looked at her incredulously and both immediately tried to clear the confusion.
"Wh-What?! NO I WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING!" The Half-elf exclaimed.
"OI OI you can't just accuse us of something heinous like that. What do you think we are, savages?!" Interjected Subaru.
"Just calling it how I see it scary-eyes, you gotta admit it's a little too good to be true."
"Well... there is one thing I require in exchange" Said The Half-elf.
"And here's the catch" The blonde girl muttered under her breath.
"I would like to bid against your current employer for that Insigina"
Everyone including Subaru was shocked at her request. Old Man Rom and Felt were confused and VERY suspicious on how the hell this mystery women knew about her Job. It was one thing to get hired for a job, it was another thing all together for said employer to know about an item that she stole not even 4 hours ago.
Meanwhile Subaru was shocked that everything was going so smoothly.
'Damn she's good! Buttering them up with those promises and then dropping a bomb like that?! Seriously, her negotiation skills put door-to-door salesman to shame!'
"Thats...actually that's fine. Nevermind how you know all that but as long as bidding against my employer and me getting that job are two separate things then I don't see any problems with it"
"Im glad we could come to an agreement now hopefully you'll employer will be just as reasonable." She said the last part with a hint of disdain that thankfully went unnoticed by everyone.
Knock Knock Knock*
And as if right on que the person in question arrived.
When she arrived the atmosphere could be described as one thing, mixed. Felt was beaming with excitement. Rom was indifferent. The new individual had a calm and calculating look on her face. Subarus nerves started to get the better of him as a bomb shell of a women just appeared in front of him. The Half-elf gritted her teeth with barley contained anger.
"~Hmm, I must admit I was not expecting so many faces today. I'm guessing complications arised~?" She said the last part with a sweet but deadly tone that made the half elfs skin crawl with fear, anger and disgust all at once.
"Complications? Nah I wouldn't go that far, come to find out your not the only one looking for this little trinket." She says this while pointing at the two bystanders.
"~Ah, now that is... interesting~"
"5"
' Were finally at the end point.'
"10"
'Now all I have to do is give them my cloak after this monster leaves and...'
"15"
'Please... just let this day end already'
"20"
"20 holy coins in total...quite alot of money for a simple trinket wouldn't you say?" The old man inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Well my employer comes prepared at the very least~" The dark haired women commented towards.
This situation was becoming more and more tense as the bidding went on. 2 mysterious challengers that have connections with a dragion canidate, a less then trust worthy woman, a third party that isnt even present, and they all are wanting this same trinket. It was obvious to Felt and Old Man Rom that this item carried alot more weight then either of them expected. Felt was excited beyond belief to have potentially 20 holy coins in her possession AND a place to live with her grandpa meanwhile said grandpa was severely on edge throughout the whole ordeal, not knowing who to trust in this situation.
"I offer my magic concealment cloke. It should be around 25 holy coins, more than enough to exhange for the item."
The Old Man looked at the concealed woman with a glare cold as ice once she said that.
"You might be able to fool some random gutter rat with that but I'm a expert on these things and that "cloak" of yers could barely come up to 5 holy coins."
The Half-elfs face lost all color once he said that. This new information completely destroyed any semblance of a plan she had. All her hope came crashing down and was left with confusion and dread.
'NONONONONO!! I DONT UNDERSTAND!? WHY IS HE LYING!? DID I SAY SOMETHING WRONG THIS TIME? PRICES DONT JUST CHANGE, DO THEY? WHY IS IT 5 NOW!? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WH-'
"Uuh if that's not enough I don't mind trading this then" The black haired boy Interjected while holding a mysterious box like item.
Everyone's ears perked up once he showed the mysterious device. The Half-elf saw the boy as a pillar of hope once he said that. She had no idea what that item could do or how much he could bargain for it but she prayed with all her might that it would be enough.
The boy got out of his seat to show off the device like he had a performance memoriesd for this exact purpose.
"Behold! The technology that comes from the days of tomorrow! I present to you the CELLPHONE!!" The boy said this while doing several dramatic poses and showing off the bright screen to further grab there attention.
...
...
...
"AREN'T YOU GONNA ASK WHAT IT THOSE!? THAT WAS A MASTERFULL SALES PITCH RIGHT THERE!!"
The Half-elf couldn't help but chuckle at Subarus antics meanwhile everyone else looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"Well were sorta waiting on you tell us what it those. I have literally no idea what im looking at." Said Felt with a curious look.
"Right right still sucks that my sales pitch was entirely wasted. *Ehem* Now first off if you 2 two could look this way please?"He says this while pointing at Felt and Elsa.
Felt had a perplexed look but reluctantly followed meanwhile Elsa did as instructed with no hesitation.
Snap*
"OI WHAT THE HELL DID YA DO!?" Roared the giant while reaching for his club.
"WHOA calm down big guy, It's not a curse or anything! Just take a look and see."
Subaru flipped his phone over to show the audience the ability of his device. The results were as expected with many of them looking quite shocked to see both Elsa's and Felt's image captured in time on the small metal box.
"WHOA THATS AMAZING BIG BRO!"
She looked at her own reflection and gawked at how accurate it was.
"This is pretty neat although I look way prettier then that painting shows." She says this with a "hmph" reminiscent of the average tsundere.
"~That is most certainly impressive. I know a couple of people that could make great use of that. You truly are one of a kind.~"
Subaru became extremely flustered once the sultry women started praising him.
"I-I wouldn't g-go that far! I Just have p-people that look out for me y'know!"
"~And modest to a fault? My my you truly are a rarity amongst men.~"
The boys cheeks were crimson once she said that. This wasn't lost on the Half-elf as she gave Elsa a spine chilling glare. She didn't know why this interaction made her blood boil so much. Despite her previous talks with Felt and Rom being roughly the same, something about the way Subaru acted around Elsa made her reaaaallly want to get this over with.
'Subaru you dummy...'
"Hmm a metia like this may very well be one of kind" Said the giant with a calcuting gaze.
'Seems like the kid was there back up incase the mystery girl's scam didn't work out. Honestly none of these people seem trustworthy. Having Felt work for these 2 is a definite no go but as far as the trinket goes along with the concealed cloak...'
"I'd say this along with the cloak of concealment could get you around 25 Holy coins. Seems as the bidding is in the kids favor unless you have anything else to match that?" The giant concluded while anticipating the women's answer.
"~ Unfortunately It appears my business here is concluded. Its a shame I couldn't match your price but the fault lies with my employer~."
The Half-elf flinched once she said that.
'Almost word for word from last time... Let's hope you stick by that this time.'
"Welp that was way more intense then it needed to be sorry it had to be this way miss...?"
"Elsa Greinhart, by the way if you don't mind me asking I'd like to know what you plan to do with that item?"
"Oh were gonna ret-"
"Our employer requested to remain anonymous so you'll excuse us for not relaying you that information"
The Half-elf interrupted Subarus almost very lethal mistake as calmly as she could without raising suspensions towards herself. It worked quite well but her heart was racing a million miles per hour. The only thing keeping her from vomiting right there was the sheer closeness of her goal. Getting the hell out of here.
"~I see... that man is sharp one I'll give him that. *Sigh* it truly is a shame."
"What do you-"
Woosh*
Klinck*
A blade went directly towards Subaru's stomach only to be blocked in a split second by an Ice sword! The hooded figure and Elsa were now locked in place each trying to gain leverage on the point of contact.
"I should've known it wouldn't be this easy..." As the cloaked women said this a gust of cold wind pushed the assassin back as well as her cloak revealing her face. "So long as I breath you will not hurt anyone here...YOU MONSTEEERR!!!"
The Half-elf charged the women at near blinding speeds, slashing at the assassin with the skills of a novice but with enough speed and power to keep Elsa on the back foot.
"As expected of my daughter! I'd best not hold back since your giving it your all like this!" Puck exclaimed with higher enthusiasm then usual while choreographing his attacks with the Half-elfs relentless assault.
Felt and Rom took defensive stances in hopes of finding an opening in the fight but the Half-elfs ferocity was making it nearly impossible to assist her.
Subaru was shocked to his very core. One second he's having a leisure conversation with this above average black haired beauty and the next a dagger is edging towards him only to be stopped by a women of white and silver. He always found his new companion to be exceedingly gorgeous but that split second she saved him once again and that powerful speech made her truly seem like an angel in his eyes, or a valkyrie.
The battle between the assassin, Half-elf and great spirt was increasing in speed the longer it was prolonged. Elsa was almost entirely on the defensive throughout the fight, not due to being outclassed but waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. The Half-elf was fighting completely on emotions and instincts. Puck took notice of this and decided to play the role of support and cover his contractors blind spots as much as possible, while there coordination was not perfect it was more than enough to keep the assassin at bay. A kick, a parry, a jab of a knife, shattering of ice swords with the immediate conjuration of another. It was a constant cycle of blades crossing ice. Debris from the battle spread across the floor in various places causing the temperature to reduce significantly from the Royal Canidates magic.
Puck conjured a well timed ice pillar towards the assassin but was immediately parried. This was a diversion however as the Half-elf appeared neared her blind spot and give the women a spinning roundhouse kick to her right arm, causing her to fly into the opposite direction and leave a small crater from where she landed.
The Half-elf knew all to well that she wouldn't go down that easily but she used the moment to get her message across towards the bystanders.
"*pant* All of you *pant* GET OUT OF HER NOW!!" The Half-elf roared towards the 3 while staring directly at Subaru.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!? You owe me 25 coins no way in hell am I letting you take this crazy bitch all on your own!"
"Felt you won't be able to do anything with the coins if your dead! Besides If my luck is back in full then we might be able get out of this scot free." Subaru Interjected Felts argument with one of his own. While Felt was confused with the boys all-of-a-sudden conviction and even more so with his terminology, she understood that the boy had a plan in the works.
"Felt I want you to make a mad dash towards the main street until you find-"
Before the boy could finish his statement a black dagger came charging towards him. The Half-elf could only watch in horror as her companion was once again going to die due to her ineptitude. Her worries were for not however as before the knife could make contact, Old Man Rom blocked the knife with his club.
"Damn that was way to close! Thanks gramps!" The boy exclaimed with a cold sweat running down his back
"Don't mention it kid. Do me a favor and stop almost dying in my shop, corpses are bad for buisness!" The giant said with a slight smirk in a mocking tone
"Damn that's cold!!"
While they were bantering the assassin decided to change her method of attack. She started to dart around the room at ridiculous speeds. Not fast enough to be untraceable by the Half-elf but fast enough to not predict when, how, or who the assassin would strike.
The Half-elf switched into ranged attacks in an attempt to catch Elsa in the barrage of ice attacks but each attempt was in vain as the assassins crept closer and closer to her target at near blinding speeds.
The sultry women stopped for a split second near a corner of the room and the Half-elf immediately pounced towards the women with seething hatred and a ice hammer in hand. Once she closed the gap she immediately slammed the hammer down with all her might causing ice and wooden debris to scatter everywhere! her eyes became wide in shock as the only thing present from the impact was a now caved in cloak that dissipated shortly after.
Before the Half-elf could comprehend what had happened the assassin was across the room from her and now face to face with the 3 spectators. Rom attempts to charge, with his club in hand, at Elsa but she easily maneuveres over the giant and positions her heels on the back of the giants head. She then proceeds to use the man's occipit bone as a booster pad, effectively knocking him out while simultaneously dashing towards Felt at impossible speeds. Due to her divine protection of wind, Felt was able to barely dodge the first attack but the next attack she wasn't so lucky as a diagonal kick sends her flying towards Subaru. The boy was able to catch her in time while on one knee but was met with the most bone chilling smile and a dagger racing towards them both! The Half-elf saw this and immediately rushed towards Subaru in a desperate attempt to block the incoming attack but she was simply to far to reach him.
OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT!! GOD THIS HAD BETTER WORK OTHERWISE WERE SCREWED!'
As he thought this, mana started to form like a cyclone within his chest and extend to his finger tips. He then proceeded to throw his hands in front of him with Felt leaning into his chest.
"FELT COVER YOUR EYES!!"
Felt did so with no hesitation. The Sultry assassin was only inches away from mutilating the 2 victims in front of her but before she could claim her prize-.
"EL SHINYA!!"
A small orb appeared before every one present and then immediately expanded and flashed everyone with a blinding light! Everyone minus and Subaru and Felt were blinded for a couple seconds. Elsa was so shocked that she immediately dwarted 180 degrees opposite of her intinital assualt while gaining distance from all her opponents.
'This boy is either a genius or the luckiest man alive. To use a spell such as that at the most opportune time... he truly is one of kind.' The assassin thought to herself with a hint of admiration and frustration towards the boy.
"Felt get outta here and find the red head!" Subaru exclaimed not wasting the opportunity given to him.
Felt no longer questioned Subarus methods as she darted for the door at impossible speeds.
The Half-elf and Elsa were trying to regain there vision meanwhile Puck aimed multiple ice shards towards the women as he was unaffected by the spell. The attack makes contact with Elsa and immediately skewers her multiple times. Elsa starts to dodge the rest but is noticeably slower than last time meanwhile her intinital injures started to heal at ludicrous speeds.
' Okay now that's just cheating!' The boy thought while panting heavily.
"Subaru are you alright?!" The Half-elf had finally regained her vision and immediately dwarted towards Subaru expecting the worst. To her relief he wasn't hurt, Just breathing heavily.
"*Pant* Im alright Ice Queen, seriously thank Puck *pant* for teaching me but that spell took WAY more outta me than the other version!"
Puck took a slide glance towards the boy with a small hint of astonishment.
' I know it's a really basic spell but to use the El form so soon. Kids got talent I'll give him tha- *gak* damn already!?'
"Lia...looks my time is up. I've never seen you that aggressive before and while it was a sight to behold you gotta rein it in from here on out."
The Half-elf looked at her father with a bit of frustration at his inopportune leave of absence but she knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.
" Alright Puck I won't let you down, I promise!" Said the Half-elf with flames in her eyes.
Puck smiled at his daughter's conviction as he slowly dissipated into small orbs and retreated into the crystal.
"~Oh? And here I was hoping to see the bowls of a spirit for the first time. Truly a shame he had to leave so soon.~"
The boy and the half elf looked towards the seemingly uninjured assassin, one with unease and the other with unbridled wrath.
"I never knew I could hate someone so much..."
"~Hmm come to think of it your attacks from earlier did feel rather personal. Intense rage but also a slight hint of fear behind each strike. Tell me was it a previous contract? Perhaps I've killed someone dear to you? I'm awfully curious since I never leave witnesses~."
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!! HOW CAN YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT! YOU'VE HURT SO MANY PEOPLE AND FOR WHAT!? WHY DID YOU EVEN ATTACK US THIS TIME!?"
Subarus ears perked up from that last question.'This time? What those she mean by that?'
"~Well Im in an really good mood so I guess I'll humor you. You'll be seeing the angels very soon so whats the harm? My employer was very specific about when to attack. By his words he said if the original holder of the insigina is not present during the deal then I was to claim the insigina and give it to him, kill everyone present and kill anyone that were to show up in the next 3 hours. If the original holder shows up or an envoy of hers, then everyone present must be assassinated and I was to leave immediately along with the insigina and give it to mama. Those that answer your questions dear~?"
Subaru was confused and honestly creeped out with how specific the killing aspect of her job was. While she cleary enjoyed doing it, the very act to kill was not of her own volition. Had her instructions been slightly altered then they would've had no way to defend against her especially if it was sneak attack. Subaru was very shakend up with how easy his life could've been snuffed out in this fantasy world and her sadistic attitude while saying all of that only further increased his anxiety. Without even realizing it the boy was shaking and started to slowly back away from the blood thirsty assassin.
The Half-elf on the otherhand was... surprising calm. Not because she was numb to the entire situation but rather it felt like the pieces have finally fallen into place. This was certainly a living nightmare for her but now she's no longer being drowned in uncertainty and confusion. It's as if an unkillable demon was exposed to be a bear this whole time, while still extremely dangerous, the situation seemed... beatable. The finish line was in sight so instead of feeling despair she was filled to the brim with zealous and conviction. Her hands were no longer shaking from fear or rage but from alertness, ready to take any hit thrown at her. Taking advantage of the sudden momentum she walked infront of Subaru in a protective manner and gave him a slide glance that emphasized the feeling of "leave this to me".
"~Oh? I had thought my explanation would leave you bit more distraught? Your a strange one...miss?~"
"A monster like you dosen't get to speak my name. I swear upon my father and the magrave household... I WILL DEFEAT YOU!"
Steel and ice clashed against eachother in waves far more intense then previously. No longer was the assassin on the backfoot. The two fighters were now going back in forth with no sign of either backing down. While the Half-elf was becoming more and more precise with her swings as the fight escalated, the raw difference in experience between the two was starting to show. Each hit the Half-elf missed was an opportunity for Elsa to give her wound after wound. Her skin was starting to stain with red all over but she showed no signs of letting up.
'I can't give up! Subaru, Felt, Rom, Puck, there all depending on me! We will make it! We have t-'
The Half-elfs downward swing was met with a parry that vibrated the entire room, shattering the sword! A crazed smile appeared on the monster in human form as her dagger was only inches away from the Half-elfs stomach. Fear of her life being snatched away again crossed her mind until she saw Subaru in the corner of her eye. He rushed forward and shoulder tackled the women! Under normal circumstances the assassin would've seen it coming a mile away but her attention was entirely focused on disemboweling the girl in front of her. She staggered for only a split second as Subaru immediately went to the ground from exhaustion. Elsa prepared her dagger to end the wretched boy right then and there but before she could she was met with a punch in the face that sent her flying, courtesy of the Half-elf!
"Subaru! Are you alright?!"
"Im A-OK Ice Queen! Just glad I *huff *huff got that assist in time!"
"A-O what? No matter, just stay behind me and let me take care of this." She said this with beads of sweat rolling down her chin. Her words, while encouraging, were fake confidence as she was on her last legs after that risky manuvere.
Her arm was shivering from the punch. She enhanced her arm with mana and coated her arm with ice to make sure she did significant damage but at the cost of her right arm going limp afterward. Her body had streaks of blood everywear and her dress was rags of its former self. Her legs started to wobble from exhaustion as she grabbed her right arm with her left.
Subaru wasn't doing any better. That stunt he pulled took every ounce of energy he had after performing the pervious spell. While physically he was less damaged by far, the fatigue was making it hard for him to stand up straight let alone fight.
Elsa emerged from the debris with little effort. As she looked at her soon-to-be victims, the people in question took a step back out of fear. No longer did the sultry assassin have a smile on her face. The sheer amount of killing intent oozing off of her was enough to make the most stoic of men sweat bullets.
"As much as I've enjoyed are little dance I thinks it's about time I ended this"
Her voice no longer carried any hint of amusement as she dashed towards the two with near unfathomable speed. All they could see was a blur as she was now face to face with the raven haired boy. She placed her finger tips on his chest before delivering a devastating 1-inch punch to his sternum! The boy shot to the other side of the room and smashed into the wall, coughing up blood as he made contact!
"Suba-!"
Before she could finish saying his name she was met with a blade going directly towards her face. Time started to slow for the Half-elf as she was staring death in the face once again.
'NONONONONO!'
Flashes of the many corpses she seen in the past few hours appeared like shards of glass from a mirror in her head.
'I CAN'T DIE! NOT LIKE THIS!'
Each shard showed a painful memory of her past mistakes stained with blood.
If I die then everyone dies...'
The shards became redder and redder as time moved in reverse showing each moment until it shows the last one of Subaru clutching his stomach while promising to save her.
'So that's why...'
The shard hits the ground and shatters into multiple pieces. The shards then merged together to show two silhouettes in blood red standing side by side holding hands. The only distinguishing features was the man on the left's church robes and the women on the right's pointy ears and short hair.
'I CAN'T DIE HEEEEEEREEEE!!!!'
BOOM*
The Half-elfs desperation was met with an all encompassing explosion from the ceiling! Each bystander was flung into multiple directions with the barely conscious Subaru being the only one out the the blast range.
The Half-elf immediately got up to see what had caused the destruction but before she could further question it, a voice boomed across the loothouse.
"That is quite enough." The voice represented power in its finest form as a man came out of the dust and debris without a scratch on him.
The man's bright red hair was a dead give away of who this was. The moment the Half-elf gazed at the new individual, hope had simmered into her heart.
Reinhard Van Astrea, The Sword Saint, had arrived.
"Re-Reinhard?! How did you- I mean when did you- I-I don't understand! How are you here-?!"
The girl said this with tears running down her face. For a split second she thought she was imagining him. He appeared exactly when she needed him and not a secound to late nor to soon. She would be laughing at how ridiculous it all was if she wasn't so awestruck.
Reinhard took a knee to inspect the girl to make sure she was alright. As he inspected the girl he cursed himself for not arriving sooner.
"My apologies for the late arrival miss, had I arrived sooner I could've prevented this." He said this with a downcast look. Not daring to look the women in the eyes.
The women in question looked at him in bewilderment. He had essentially saved the day just by appearing yet he's apologizing like he's the one at fault here.
"I-I-"
"Damn is my luck crazy or what!? Thank god I asked for your help when I did *hahahack-! *cough cough* right *cough* broken sternum. " Subaru had interrupted the Half-elfs stuttering with less then steller words of acknowledgement towards the knight.
"As am I Subaru, had I known the situation would be this dire I wouldn't have separated once we crossed the slums."
"Yeah I'll admit the "split up and look for clues" idea was not one of my best moments but hey it all worked out!" The boy said this with clear embarrassment on his face.
The Half-elf was confused beyond belief. Despite her trying to take care of this all on her own and keep Subaru out of this, the boy had found a way to not only find her but somehow brought the Sword Saint with him. He had effectively done more for her then she could've ever done for him. Offering his metia, saving Felt and herself, bringing the strongest knight to aid her. All of these miracles from a boy who has no idea where he is, not a coin to his name, and by far the weakest person here. He was responsible for all this. The girl looked at the boy as if he was a Saint himself. She vowed right then and there to pay back her dept in full once this was over.
KA-CHINK*
Elsa had attempted to get the jump on the Half-elf but was met with a rusty sword parrying her attack. Reinhard stomped the ground, causing a staggering shockwave towards Elsa. He then proceeded to kick her to the left side of the building with immense force!
"Elsa Greinhart, The bowel Hunter. To think I'd have the opportunity to apprehend you hear of all places."
"~The feeling is mutal sword saint! Today has truly been an exhilarating one! So many wonderful pray ripe for the taking!~"
She charged the man from multiple angles with all her might. Each attack was met with a perfect parry without a hint of fatigue. Charge, attack, block, charge, attack, block. It was a neverending rhythm for the duo.
"Man healing magic is no joke I feel good as new!"
"Don't move around so much I'm not done!" The Half-elf scolded the boy while healing the bone fracture in his chest.
"Sorry sorry! Is he gonna be alright? he hasn't attacked a single time yet."
"He's buying time until I'm done healing you. Once he strikes he'll absorb all of the surrounding mana, making me defenseless."
' Wait those she gain mana from the atmosphere? How come she dosen't use her gate to conjure magic? I'll have to ask sensei Puck about it later, that sounds like it could come in handy!'
As Subaru thought this the faint glow on her hands dissipated. She tried to get up but exhaustion hit her like a ground dragon as she fell directly into Subarus arms. The boy had a mixture of embarrassment from holding the beautiful girl for the second time, and guilt for being the cause of her fatigue.
"Oi Reinhard! Go ahead and do your thing!"
"P-Please me careful against that monster!"
Reinhard looked at the two before giving them a heartwarming smile.
"Don't you worry. Hunting monsters happens to be my specialty."
As he said this a massive aura formed around the sword saint. The Assassin took notice and proceeded to take a stance. The master swordman did the same as his sword started to glow blue and vibrate profusely.
"Elsa Greinhart, The bowl hunter."
"Reinhard Van Astrea, of the line of master swordsmen."
The assassin rushed towards him with twin daggers in hand. The sword saint lifted the glowing sword overhead as an all encompassing white light illuminated the sword. He brought the weapon of pure destruction down on the women with an earth shattering BOOM, effectively eviscerating her along with the loothouse!
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"YOU GOTTA TEACH ME THAT!" The boy had interrupted the silence with a shriek of astonishment. He was grinning like a mad man after seeing what was effectively a final move straight out of an anime!
"Im afraid that would take far longer then either of us have the patience for although im more than willing to teach you the basics."
"Tch of course it wouldn't be that easy, I think ill stick to magic for right now. Ive always liked the mage class anyways!"
Reinhard was a bit off put by his choice of words but brushed it off as he approached the 3 with old man rom slowly regaining consciousness.
"Uuhh my head. What happene-OI WHO THE HELL RECKED MY SHOP!!" The giant exclaimed while servaying the area.
The trio all gave a lighthearted sigh towards the collateral damage. Before the old giant could pop a blood vessel from rage, he was met with a blonde blur rushing towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"OLD MAN ROOOOOM!! IM SO FREAKING GLAD YOUR ALRIGHT!!"
The girl was balling her eyes out while embracing the the old man. Any animosity the giant had immediately dissipated as he wrapped his right arm around his granddaughter.
The Half-elf couldn't help but shed a couple of tears upon seeing this.
' All that pain and frustration... it all feels like a bad dream now. I can't help but laugh at it all in hindsight. All that work to try and protect everyone and somehow It all worked out despite almost all of my plans backfiring...thank Od that this terrible, terrible, day is finally ov-'
Her thoughts were interrupted as a black silhouette burst from the rubble and headed directly for Subaru! The Half-elf was quick to react as she pushed Subaru out of the way.
'THE STOMACH! SHES GOING FOR THE STOMACH!!'
She used what very little mana she had left to conjure a huma shield and concentrated the mass into a smaller but far more durable version right in front of her of her stomach.
KLING*
The blade bounced off of the shield with a sharp echo vibrating throughout the destroyed building! Elsas face showed a deep scowl as she immediately darted backwards onto the top of the rubble with the moon illuminating her.
"Silver haired girl... I'm sure we we'll cross paths again. Until then keep those bowls safe for me."
Reinhard attempted to reach for her but it was all for naught as she was already long gone in a flash.
Subaru turned his body and was now laying on his butt and palms. He was about to get up till he saw a hand extend his way. The Half-elf was on one knee and offering her hand towards him. The moonlight illuminated her silky smooth hair and pirecing amethyst eyes but they also showed the many bruises and cuts she had gained. To Subaru, this was how he imagined the perfect hero would look after a climatic battle. The irony of being on the receiving end of this cliché almost made Subaru laugh.
"Im sorry I put you through all this..."
Her voice was downcast as Subaru grabbed ahold of her hand. She hoisted him up with ease and looked at him with a sorrwful expression .
'J eez what is up with everybody apogizing for being superheros.'
Reinhard was disappointed with himself far more then the Half-elf at the moment. Atleast she was able to protect someone. He lamented on his lack of diligence and decisiveness as he starred at the ground in frustration.
"Tch. I doubt that was an empty threat." The red head said this with only a hint of the shame he felt actually showing.
Felt saw his worried expression and slowly let go of her grandpa. She walked over to him and proceeded to give the man the hardest pat on the back she could muster.
"Hey don't worry about it Rein! Next time she comes around you'll put her on the dirt for sure!" As she said this she raised her fist towards the sword saint for a fistbump.
Reinhard was taken aback by her positivity of the situation. He was the sword saint and he just failed at something that should've been rather simple. While it wasn't a direct assignment given to him, by all accounts he should be held responsible for this debacle. Cleary the red eyed thief didn't see it this way as all she gave was words of encouragement and a toothy grin. Reinhard, while still a little hesitant, decided to just roll with it as he reciprocated the fist bump.
"Glad to see my best friend and arch nemesis are plotting behind my back."
Subaru had walked over and joined the conversation. The sword saint looked at him with a warm smile with Felt having a smug one.
"Not everything's about you big bro, I'm just giving credit were credit is due. It's not like you did anything."
"* gasp* how dare you! If it wasn't for me you would've gotten cut in half!"
"Oh please, I could've easily dodged that attack. I just wanted to give you the satisfaction of thinking you actually contributed something."
That comment made Subaru go red in the face from rage.
"Alright listen here you thieving little shi-!
"Subaru you really shouldn't be using such vulgar language towards a young lady. Im sure she appreciates your valor throughout all this. I certainly do considering I wouldn't have even been in the vicinity had I not bumped into you earlier."
"Ahhhh you can't just completely dismantle my will to retaliate like that! Your the worst Haruo!"
Reinhards shoulders drooped and his expression became sullen once he heard that.
"...I apologize for my lack of takt. I'll try to be better."
The massive tone shift made Subaru cringe. He felt an immense amount of guilt despite knowing full well he was just joking. Or atleast Subaru thought he knew? It's fairly obvious Reinhard isn't use to receiving positive feedback so it would make sense if he took Subarus slight jab to heart.
"Hey hey hey I didn't mean it jeez!"
"Tch tch tch look at what you did big bro. You went and got Rein all depressed again. And you have the nerve to call him your best friend."
Felt was feigning shock and crossed her arms in disappointment, all with a smug smile that held no innocence whatsoever.
"OH JUST JUMP OFF A BRIDGE YOU!"
"Tehehe"
Felt responded with a barely contained snicker while Reinhard looked at the two with confusion.
The Half-elf would take a picture of the scene if she knew what a camera was but alas all she could do was take in the moment for what it was. The girl then proceeded to approach the 3 and give a downward bow.
"?"
"Woah what's this all about!?"
"Miss I assure you there's no need to prostate yourself like this!"
The thief, the raven haired boy, and the sword saint were confused on why the the half-elf thought it nessicary to do something like this. Meanwhile the Half-elf wasn't budging from her position as she bit her lip in frustration.
"Im soooooo sorry for involving you all into this mess! I know there's no proper excuse and people got hurt due to my incompetence but I promise I can compensate you al-"
"By the Buhda can you shut up already!!"
The Half-elf shot up immediately after the sudden outburst. She was confused and honestly a little hurt by the sudden outburst.
"look I'll admit I wasn't expecting an assassin to pop up on my first adventure but everything's fine right? Why are you beating yourself up like this?"
"A rather brash way of putting it but I agree with Subaru. There's no way you could've predicted this so you shouldn't hold yourself responsible especially when you prevented so many casultes"
Her breath hitched once he said that. He had no way of knowing how wrong that statement was but his words cut deeper than any wound given by the assassin. The amount of "casultes" that they were unaware of where weighing on her consciousness like boulders.
"Y-Your wrong I-I couldve, I should've-! *inhale* *exhale* y'know what fine you two win on that front but as for you Subaru." She says while pointing towards him.
"Not only have you helped me retrieved my insigina but you also saved my life back there. Your getting a reward, no ifs ands or buts about it."
The Half-elf had him corned here. She already had a good idea of what he was going to say. Something along the lines of" I did the bare minimum compared to everyone else" or some other self deprecating notion in an attempt to weasel out of his much deserved reward.
"Really? Thats a hell of alot of power your giving me."
Subaru took a moment to truly think on his answer. He took it upon himself to cross his arms, close his eyes and sit criss-cross on the floor.
' Hmm there's like, a million things I wanna ask for but I guess this one takes priority above all else.'
"Alright, I've got it!"
The girl had no clue what the boy was going to ask at this point. Maybe a place to stay, magic instructions, a surplus of money? She had no way of knowing.
"Alright, please tell me what it-"
"WHATS YOUR FREAKING NAME!!"
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...
"Pffffttt hahahahaha Subaru you freaking dunderhead I was going to tell you that regardless!"
Her cheeks were red from laughter.
"It's your fault for being such a tease about it! We spent pretty much the whole day together and not ONCE did you tell me, hell you even made a game out of it!"
"Yeah you got me there" The Half-elf said with joy and a slight amount of embarrassment.
She walked towards the boy and brought him in for a hug and placed her chin directly on his shoulder with her mouth only inches away from his ear. She couldn't help but notice the flower still in his hair. The one that she had in her first life when the 2 helped that little girl find her parents.
'No matter the life time this boys kindness will always shine through huh?' The Half-elf thought as she edged even closer to his ear causing the young man to blush profusely.
"Emilia...Just Emila"
"E-Emila huh gotta admit it fits. you definitely look like a-"
"Hmm, Subaru? SUBARU!?"
"OY BIG BRO YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"Subaru-san?!"
"KID?!"
The boys body went limp in the girls arms before he could finish his statement. Emila immediately brought herself and Subaru lower and tried with all her might to heal whatever injury he had sustained. she tried with all her might but there was no mana left in the atmosphere and she couldn't risk using her gate and potentially hurting him. All she could do in the situation was hold him close and pray that his heart wouldn't stop beating.
Rom, Felt and Reinhard gathered around the two with various degrees of worry.
"NONONONONONO PLEASE WAKE UP!! WAKE UP PLEASE SUBARU DONT DIE!
She started to panic as the boy wouldn't respond to her pleas. Tears started to form in her eyes as she immediately assumed the worst had happened somehow. Her arms were trembling in fear and her voice was shaking as she repeated the same mantra aloud.
"DONT DIE DON'T DIE DONT DIE DON'T DIE DONT DIE DON'T DIE DONT DIE DON'T DIE DONT DIE DON'T DIE DONT-"
"Emila-sama! Please calm down, Subaru is fine. I just checked him with my divine protection. Its just an extreme case of mana exhaustion, he'll wake up on his own in due time.."
Reinhards reassureance brought enough clarity for the Half-elf to slightly loosen her grip on the unconscious boy. She studied his form and to her absolute relief it seemed that Reinhards assessment was correct.
"O-oh I see"
A ridiculous amount weight came off her shoulders as she repositioned herself on her knees and laid the boys head on top of her knees. She looked at the Boy's unconscious face for any signs of discomfort. There was none to be seen but her gaze lingered on him a little longer than nessicary.
'Geez your like a baby right now. How can you sleep so peacefully after all that? I'm a little envious.'
As soft smile could be seen on her face as she began to slowly stroke his hair.
"Right, now as for those 2."
Reinhard chimed in with a statement that immediately gained her attention.
"Subaru gave me a rough description of the who the thief was..."
"Reinhard please don't arrest them! They didn't know what they were getting into!"
Reinhard took a moment to process what she said. Stealing an insignia is a high crime but considering the circumstances...
"Hmm normally I would abide by my knigtly code but seeing as I'm off duty right now, I can't really act on it now can I?
"Tehe your a bad knight!"
Reinhard scratched his cheek with a slightly guilty but light hearted smile.
"Soooo am I still getting the job or?" Felt held her tounge in hopes of them forgetting she was even present but once they had discussed that she was getting off pretty much scott free, she decided to capitalize on it.
"YES OF COURSE! Er *ehem* I mean, per are agreement, you being hired was another buisness entirely so of course the offer still stands. As far as the insigina goes... I think we can both agree that saving your life is a pretty good exchange right?"
"Damn lady you drive a hard bargain." She said with a hint of amusement.
"Ya really outta take better care of your belo-EH?!"
Before Felt could give Emilia her insigina back, Reinhard had stepped in and grabbed her wrist.
"H-hey let me go!!" Felt struggled against Reinhards vice grip on her wrist to no avail.
"OI WHAT DA HELL ARE YOU DOING ASTRAEA!!" Old Man Rom yelled at man and was about to intervene however before he could Reinhard spoke up.
"My apologies sir but things have become far to complicated as it stands" As he said this Felt fainted in his arms.
Emilia was shocked at the swords saints complete 180 tone. One second he's extremely carefree and the next he's completely serious.
' Why is Reinhard acting like this? He Just said that they were off to hook so whats the problem here? And why did he look directly at my insignia when he-... By the dragon that can't be possible!'
Once she took a glance at her insigina still in Felts hand she understood how grave the situation was now.
"Reinhard I understand why you have to take her now and I won't argue against you on this but..."
"No worries I can gurentee you two will meet at a letter date but I have to notify the council immediately of this."
"Ya better have a damn good reason for all this sword saint..." The giant stared hatred infused daggers at the red haired knight. He didn't have an once of patience for him but he knew better than to try and attack the sword saint.
"*Sigh* this day has been...so darn exhausting."
"Indeed... This will probably be the last time we can stare at the moon with comfort for a long time."