A/N: The arc is truly kicking into gear with this chapter- Things are gonna get crazy! Hope you're all ready for some big headway and action!~

Don't forget, leaving reviews helps me out a lot!~ :)


Chapter Eight

Trick of the Trade

Subaru's blood was still cold by the time he sat across from Oslo Suwen. That strange kid, Stern, had ran off before he could question him about what he'd meant, the lack of his presence actually much more concerning than him being there.

It was one thing to mention Subaru's smell, which he was particularly feeling odd about due to the Witch's scent… But how did the boy know his name?

Still, there was no backing down now. He needed to put it all out in the open to gain the knowledge he needed.

"I'm afraid I don't have long for too much pleasantries, but what has brought you to our city, Subaru?"

Oslo offered him some iced water poured from a nearby pitcher. Subaru nodded in thanks, but wasn't feeling particularly trustful enough to drink anything.

"I uh, just came with some people I know," he said, keeping it vague. Oslo smiled.

"Ah, with Miss Hoshin, hm?"

Subaru's surprise must have shown, because the bearded man nodded as if confirming his words.

"She has been wonderful to the city. It is unfortunate the result of our recent negotiations. But I'm sure we will meet again one day," Oslo continued, sipping at his cup.

"It had something to do with those gemstones, right?" Subaru decided to ask that burning question.

"Sorry, I won't put everything said behind closed doors out in the open," the head of the Suwen Trading Company said with a smile. "After all, if you were truly trusted by her, you would have been present, correct?"

Subaru couldn't argue with that. After how he'd acted earlier, it's be amazing if they trusted him at all… Besides that, though, he was here for a different reason.

"That's alright, I'm actually here because…" Subaru tried to rack his thoughts together, deciding he shouldn't give too much away. "There's a person… from Gusteko here. I want to find them."

Oslo didn't seem surprised, nodding slowly. "I see. A dangerous person?"

"Sort of."

"If you're implying a member of the Assassin's Organization is present, this is harrowing news."

Once again, Subaru must have slightly reacted, because the man across from him looked down in thought.

Damn, he's too good, I need a better poker face, Subaru thought bitterly.

"Subaru, If I may— How did you come across such information?"

Subaru leaned forward onto his hands to conceal his mouth, hoping that might help conceal his inner thoughts.

"I just got a hunch that they'll do some bad here," he answered bluntly. "And I've gotta take care of anything bad, even a hunch, or people might get hurt."

Oslo smiled and nodded. "I see. Then I might know a thing or two.. Could you enlighten me to what you might trade for this information?"

Subaru had been prepared for this. He reached into his track suit to pull out his phone— But the man held up a hand to stop him.

"Exchanging information is a lot more satisfying than trading it for coins," he told Subaru.

"Ah… Uh…" Subaru scratched his chin. What did he know that this guy didn't? He seemed pretty knowledgeable, and very good at reading people. Giving him information about the internal affairs of Anastasia's camp sounded rough, but what about what happened at the Capital less than a week ago? "Have you heard about the battle in the Capital?"

"Hm? I've not heard of anything like that for a while, please go on."

Subaru smirked. "Well, I can't just blurt it all out at once, right? I'll say it involves a member of the Royal Selection, and—"

He stopped as Oslo seemed to tense up. His friendly demeanor faltered slightly.

"I see. I hope it is nothing bad."

"Er, I mean… You could say that," Subaru said, unsure of how to put it lightly. "But do we have a deal?"

Oslo spread his hands before himself. "Weave your tale, Subaru. I will stop you if it is something I have no interest in."

Nodding in understanding, Subaru began to tell a partial tale of what happened in the Capital— How the Bowel Hunter ended up fighting a half-elf girl that was part of the Royal Selection. He left out mentions of himself, Meili, and even Julius, not trusting himself to say something that would make them look bad.

"…and now that half-elf is trapped in ice it looked like," Subaru finished. "Apparently the Dragon Insignia is with her, those things they use to tell whose been chosen? I don't really know what happened after, but the Royal Guard were all over it."

Oslo seemed intensely interested in this information. As Subaru finished, he reached to a cabinet nearby, producing a stain-glass bottle, pouring its contents into his water cup. The smell of alcohol hit Subaru's nose as the man drank most of it in one go.

"Intriguing." Oslo smiled. "That is quite important information and goes well with something else I've been told."

"Then…?"

He nodded. "Yes, I will tell you what I know. Though I fear your story is much more important.. I can tell you that several members of the Assassin's Organization have been reported across Lugunica recently. This is odd, since they are generally very secretive and hide their actions… Now they've openly taken credit."

Subaru gulped, knowing what the cause must be, but doing his best not to show it.

"Many in this city monitor those who arrive at its gates, not only to judge their pockets, but also their heart," Oslo explained. "This morning, a pair had arrived who were highly suspicious. They seem to have vanished in thin air shortly after, and haven't been seen since."

"This morning? A pair?" Subaru looked down at the table, thinking hard. They had arrived in Picoutatte at about noon. Was it possible for two Assassins to arrive before they even got there? "Do you know what they looked like?"

Oslo spread his hands helplessly. "Unfortunately, nobody seems to remember. We are all too fearful of retaliation to do much, and we understand we would be helpless to fight them."

"You're pretty important, right?" Subaru looked around the empty room. "I'm surprised you don't have a buncha knights hanging around."

Oslo smiled. "Keeping an open air of friendliness is good for business. Either way, I am the only of my family currently here. I purposely gained my Brother's wrath earlier to get him to leave out of fear for his safety— Ah."

Looking like he'd said too much, Oslo shook his head and poured more drink. As he drank, Subaru nodded and stood.

"Thanks for the info," he said, offering a hand to the man. "It'll help a lot.

Oslo rose and took Subaru's hand. "It is unfortunate our meeting is short. You look a bit rough, Subaru. Worrying about the actions of the Assassins won't do you any good."

Subaru smiled a bit. "I can't afford not to worry, ya know.. Oh, and what's up with that kid. Stern, was it?"

"Oh, he's sort of.. An Apprentice." The man shook his head. "Unruly, but he'll be great one day."

"How did he wind up here? He seems like a spoiled rich brat or something," Subaru commented.

Oslo held a hand to his chin, thinking. "What did you say?"

Subaru tilted his head a bit. "Hm? I was just joking—"

"No no… It's… Somethings…" Oslo rubbed his head. "How did we meet..?"

Confused, Subaru looked at the bottle of alcohol on the table, wondering just how strong it was. Oslo suddenly stumbled from the table, and Subaru stepped forward to help him out.

"H-Hey! That might be it for the booze, man," he told him.

"I can hold my own at drinking… I'm just.. I can't." He looked to Subaru, his eyes wide. "I can't remember how I met Stern."

That was when a cackle could be heard. By the time Subaru turned, the rooms candles and chandeliers all got snuffed out at once.

No, not again—! Subaru panicked, reaching for his face, but quickly realized he wasn't blind, the lights had merely been taken out. The curtains to the room were drawn, but by now the Sun was probably fully down anyways. Crap, this isn't good..

Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, Subaru turned it on and held it forward, taking a picture with the flash.

What he saw in that brief flash of light was terrifying. Oslo's eyes had rolled back, and he stood slightly trembling. The boy with long black curls, Stern, had his crooked teeth buried in the man's neck.

"What the hell..!" Subaru quickly began to back up, releasing a barrage of flashes that made the boy hold up a hand, wanting to keep him at bay. Eventually Subaru felt the door behind him, quickly opening it and rushing out into the main hall, where flickering candlelight illuminated the path to the front door.

That kid.. Is he one of the Assassins, then?

As Subaru grew close to the front door, he has a feeling what was going to happen next. After all, there were apparently two Assassins in this city.

Once he got close, Subaru dove to the side just as a hatchet hurled across the room, sticking into the door where he would have been. A voice growled.

"You're somethin', huh."

Turning, Subaru watched someone drop from the ceiling. They were incredibly tall and slender, their white hair and deathly pale skin practically making them glow in the candlelight. Only one violet eye was visible through a strange half-hood that they wore.

"The other Assassin…"

They scowled at that, their long boney fingers reaching behind themselves to produce another hatchet.

"Ku ku ku…. You smell like the girl. You're protecting here, I'd bet on it."

Their voice was incredibly grating and awful to hear, like nails on a chalkboard. Subaru looked to the door, wondering if running out into the dark streets would even make his situation better. The city, while it did have guards, was quite relaxed, and this part of the city in particular didn't see much foot traffic.

I need information… Even if I… He couldn't bring himself to even think the word 'die', less fear take hold of him. …I gotta figure this out!

Steadying his resolve, Subaru had to grab the hatchet impaled into the wooden door with both hands to yank it out. He tested its weight, noting the chips in the head and worn down handle, likely from overuse.

"Using my own weapon against me?" The Assassin sneered. "You're somethin'. Ku ku ku."

They made it across the room in about two seconds. Subaru's athleticism and limited swordplay practice saved him as he managed to move out of the way of their swing. However, whether surprising or not, they hurled another of their hatchets from seemingly out of nowhere while he was on his backfoot.

Forced to knock the weapon away with his own, the Assassin was already on him in mid swing. They brought their hatchet up, hooking it into his left shoulder. He let out a gasp of pain and kicked them with all his force, sending the sticklike man backwards.

This is.. nothin! Looking at the gash in his shoulder, Subaru held the hatchet he wielded in his other hand. Escaping seemed like the only option now for sure

Suddenly, the room doors swung open. He looked over, seeing Oslo Suwen wandering in, his hands searching as if unable to see anything. The wound on his neck was pilfering blood with every step he took.

"Hello…? Is… Is anyone here? H-Help.."

Subaru's eyes widened. He couldn't quite tell, but it was obvious that Oslo was blinded now. If curses worked by touch, then that must mean that the kid Stern was the one who held that ability.

Then what the hell can this guy do? Subaru wondered.

"Ku ku ku, you think you can look away?"

Subaru turned just as his slender opponent came in low, almost like an animal, so low to the ground that he hadn't even noticed him. They slashed at Subaru's ankle with a hatchet, eliciting a yell of pain as he fell to his knee.

Flailing his weapon, Subaru only managed to catch the tail end of the man's long white hair as he slithered past him. By the time he turned to face the Assassin, he was leaning in close, face to face.

"You can forget now. Then you can die alone," they sneered, letting out their long, drooly tongue, pushing it against Subaru's shoulder wound—

Then Subaru opened his eyes, finding himself staring at the stars above. Sitting up slowly, he looked around to find he was lying on a street corner, feeling incredibly cold.

"Huh…" He looked down at himself. There was a large cut in his right shoulder for some reason, and pain in his leg made him notice a large gash there as well. "Did I.. Fall asleep outside?"

Nothing made sense. He had wandered to this section of town, but the Sun was barely setting. He recalled words being exchanged… Something about a brother, and then..?

Subaru winced. He noticed dried blood marring the stone beneath him. Whatever had happened, he needed help immediately. A slow painful death didn't sound appetizing at all, and there was still time to save Meili, even if his search yielded no results.

Don't worry, I'll definitely save you guys!

It was easier said than done. Subaru could hardly walk, hobbling along the dark streets. He felt his pockets, noting that it didn't seem like he'd been robbed. There really was just a gaping hole in his memory.

"Dammit… Move body, move!" He willed himself on, becoming slower and slower, til he finally collapsed near the large fountain at the city's center.

Leaning against the structure, the cold water droplets feeling good against him, he watched as late-night carriages came and went, not paying him any mind.

Don't fall asleep.. He grit his teeth, trying to force himself to stay conscious. Come on…!

But it was useless. Soon, Subaru fell asleep, his skin incredibly pale.

By the time the morning Sun arose, Subaru had managed to stay alive, but just barely. His eyes couldn't see much beyond the stone right beneath him, as he tried his best to hold on.

Then it came back to him, all at once. A flood of memories. Oslo Suwen… Stern… The creepy hatchet guy. That's right! They were the Assassins, and they're hiding at the Suwen Trading Company. He had to tell everyone, he had to—

Within moments of the memories returning, Subaru's injured arm and leg exploded into a mess of gore, eliminating all traces of life left within him.


Subaru gasped, instinctively gripping his shoulder as he saw a worried expression form on Anastasia's face.

"Subaru? Are you feelin' well?" The girl lowered her hands. "I didn't think this choice would cause you this much discourse."

Barely registering her words, Subaru replayed the events in his head. What had happened? The Assassin had licked his wound, then suddenly he'd forgotten the entire encounter. By the time it came back to him…

The memory of the pain he felt when his arm and leg exploded sent chills down Subaru's spine. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as much as he could.

There's a reason, I just… I just need to… He closed his eyes, feeling tears welling up. His shaking was growing more and more intense, his boggled mind and painful memories becoming too difficult to deal with—

Then, suddenly, a hand touched the top of his head. Opening his eyes, he watched the purple haired girl standing beside him, her hand gently petting his head.

"I can tell that ya' have something going on," Anastasia said. "This often works for my subordinates. How does it feel?"

Subaru had to take a moment to breathe, wiping tears away and shaking his head. He could totally imagine the Pearlbaton triplets and possibly even Ricardo enjoying such a gesture, or perhaps vice-versa with how large he was compared to Anastasia.

"I'm.. fine, I…" He thought about how dire their situation truly was, and how he couldn't tell any of them about it. In his last life, he'd pushed everyone away, and yet here… This girl was comforting him. "It doesn't feel bad."

Anastasia smiled and pulled her hand away, crossing her arms and gazing down at him.

"The choice is yours, but I can respect if your business takes you elsewhere," she said. "Ya' know that Ricardo can take care of Meili, right?"

Subaru nodded slowly. "Yeah, of course. Julius too, they're way more dependable than me.."

"Self-pity is a good trait to an extent, Subaru," Anastasia said, shaking her head. "But you gotta' raise yourself up, or everyone will use you and leave ya' behind."

He watched as the girl turned and picked up one of the gemstones that were laid out on the desk, holding it up to the fading sunlight that was flittering in through the open window behind her.

"Any trouble can be fixed for tha' right price," Anastasia told him. "Keep that in mind, always."

Gazing at the glittering yellowish gem, Subaru hesitated before asking: "..What's up with those? Are they really that important?"

Anastasia smiled. "More than you know, Natsuki Subaru."


By the morning of the second day in Picoutatte, Subaru still hadn't answered Anastasia's question. She'd given him til they left the city in five days— Then they would have to leave him behind, due to not wanting those outside of their circle to have too much information.

It was understandable, but made things even more dire. That night, barely able to sleep, Subaru had figured some things out, at least.

Oslo Suwen had no recollection of meeting his 'apprentice'. It seemed like the tall Assassin partnered with Stern, if that even was his name, may have some sort of curse related to memories.

They used that to infiltrate an important person's business that easily, Subaru thought. That's… insane. They could practically own the city at that point!

As soon as the memories had returned to Subaru, he'd died. Just like the blinding curse, it seemed that there was a short duration of time where the impeding effect would impair the victim, then kill them.

That means literally nobody in this city can be trusted outside these walls…

Even that wasn't true, but he liked to think that everyone here could hold their own. Well, everyone except himself and Joshua, at least. Perhaps Anastasia as well, but surely they wouldn't allow the Assassins near her anyways.

His next move was vital. Their target was definitely Meili, but taking control of the Suwen Trading Company likely had dire consequences as well.

The conclusion Subaru came to wasn't a pleasant one, but he couldn't see any other way.

He approached Ricardo in the early morning, finding the half-asleep beast returning to the Inn, letting out a large yawn.

"Oh hey, Subabro. You look awful."

"Thanks, I feel awful," Subaru said with a self-loathing chuckle.

Ricardo raised an eyebrow at him. "Glad ya' got over the sparring match. I thought ya' might hate me forever or somethin'."

Subaru shrugged. "I get it, it was a trust exercise."

"Damn, you saw right through me!" Ricardo laughed. "Well, what can I do for ya'? Made up your mind about Lil Boss' offer?"

Subaru wanted desperately to say yes, to simply join the Iron Fangs again, to feel proud to be a part of something.. But he had to shelf that for now. It wasn't time for that, it was time to use his advanced knowledge and his cunning to get to the future he wanted.

It was time to stretch the truth like his life depended on it.

"Captain.. Can I tell you something, even if it sounds crazy?"


It was a bit past midday when Meili stepped out from the back door of the Inn, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight above.

"You look like someone who's been locked away forever."

The girl looked over to see Subaru grinning at her, on the back of a Liger with brownish-tan and white fur. She approached, the beast seeming wary of her.

"You already learned to ride? That's—"

"Impressive for me, huh?" Subaru shrugged. "It's just one of my many talents now."

A hearty laugh signalled Ricardo's approach. "That's right, I guess this guy's full of surprises!"

Meili looked at her Captain, then turned away a bit sheepishly.

"…What's happening? I thought I wasn't supposed to come out yet," she said bitterly.

"Well, things have changed a bit," Ricardo said, patting her head with a large hand. "This guy convinced me. It was tougher talkin to tha' boss but… Here we are!" He gave a toothy grin.

Meili looked at Subaru, who thumbed to himself. "Bottom line is, we need your help with a whale hunt."

The girls eyes widened. "W-whale…?"

"I know that sounds scary, but ya' got the best odds of helping us clear the path," Ricardo told her, kneeling down closer to her height. "We're gonna make sure the paths clear then head right back."

"But…" Meili took a deep breath. "I d-don't think that's a good idea. I.. I might—"

"What? Attract it? Don't worry lil flower, we'll high tail it at the first sign of danger, faster than Hetaro seein' his own shadow!"

Not seeming convinced, Subaru offered her a hand and his best reassuring smile. It felt fake to him, but this was important— He had to make this plan work, or else his will might crumble altogether.

"I know you'll be able to keep me out of trouble. It's more for me, ya know," Subaru said cheekily.

Meili puffed her cheeks out, turning away. "…I'm not useful.."

"Eh? That thing that kicked my ass in the Capital might say otherwise," Subaru said, extending his hand further. "Li, if you don't trust anyone ever again, then how can you reach your sister again?"

She glared at Subaru, clenching her fists. Ricardo crossed his arms, looking down at her sternly.

"When I found ya', you had no hope for the world," the wolfkin said. "Now since comin' back from the Capital, you've got a lil more life in ya'."

"Because your sister is alive, and as long as you're okay, you can get through to her!"

Meili sniffled, shaking her head. "T-That has nothing to do with this."

"Of course it does! The fact that you're dealing with all that turmoil… You're super strong!"

The girl looked to Subaru, the light of the noon Sun illuminating him. It was like the time in the Capital, how she'd seen him for a brief moment as someone dependable, not just a strange boy with weird mannerisms.

Her hand hesitantly reached out to his, stopping before grabbing it.

"You're not alone."

At those words from Subaru, she finally grabbed his hand, letting him help her up onto the Liger's back behind him. Ricardo let out a howl.

"Alright! Then let's get this goin'! I wanna be back for some dinner before we leave this city behind for good!"

As Ricardo mounted up and they left the Inn behind, it was the beginning of Subaru's master plan.

He had convinced Ricardo that Assassins were onto Meili's location, and that taking her away would divert not only their attention but also help the people of the city from being caught up in their wrath.

Subaru expressed worry about the White Whale, knowing that a plan to clear a path had already been made. Since Ricardo had no idea how Subaru knew of the plan, he could only assume the boy had great intuition, leading more credibility to his plan.

Together, the three would ride out of the city. If the Assassins followed, Mimi and Tivey were prepared to give a signal to tell them they were coming. That meant the plan was working.

For starters they needed to make sure their enemies took the bait. Subaru took a longer path around the city, much to Meili's confusion. He purposefully went past the Suwen Trading Company building. Unfortunately, he didn't run into the Assassins, but he made sure that they knew.

"Ain't riding on a Liger super fun, Meili?" He asked the question loudly, slowing as they passed the building.

"I-I can't even tell if you're controlling this thing,"

She complained, clinging to him.

A small bit of movement from the corner of his eye confirmed it for him— He'd definitely seen a window curtain move for a moment. It was time to get the hell out of there.

Meet back with Ricardo at the front gate, they headed off. The Ligers were quick and nimble, letting them get across the plains beyond Picoutatte quite fast. By the time the city was a fraction of its previous grandness in their view, they heard the signal.

A loud screech— From a magic technique that two of the Pearlbaton siblings could use at once. It was low due to the distance, but still rang out to be heard even over the wind that was picking up.

After a moment, the sound went away. Subaru looked to Ricardo, who nodded.

They stopped it short, that means that only one of them left the city.

Subaru feared the pair might split up. It helped confirm that there might be more to their plan than just killing Meili. After all, if they had Picoutatte's trade in the palm of their hands, then why ruin that?

"Ow—!" Subaru jumped as he felt a pinch on his side, looking back at the narrow-eyes Meili behind him.

"Is there something I'm missing, Dumbaru?"

"Ah, well, uh…" He let out a nervous chuckle. "Whoa look! Is that the White Whale's fog?"

As the girl looked at an admittedly strange cloud formation in the distance, Subaru set the Liger off again. The girl yelped and held onto him as they rode off further with Ricardo behind them. They kept their speed lower than what was possible for the beasts, knowing they wanted their prey to catch up to them.

That's right, come at us, Subaru thought. We'll get you, bastard!


The sky was growing darker overhead as they came to the edge of the forest to the side of the path leading north from Picoutatte. Usually it would be advised to go around the forest and stick to the main path, but that didn't seem possible for their plan.

Setting up a campfire, Ricardo offered to go check the forest out, but insisted he'd be close. Subaru waved him off and sat across the fire from Meili, the girl staring into the embers.

"Whatever you two guys have planned, I'm not gonna like it," she muttered.

Subaru couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, honestly.. You might not."

She eyed him. "..Can you tell me already?"

Subaru almost joked again, but then stopped himself. It wasn't fair to keep Meili out of the loop forever, especially since it was her life in jeopardy.

"Alright alright," Subaru said with a sigh. "The Assassin's Organization found you, so were baiting one of them out here to—"

Meili shot up. "W-What? Why would you do that?!"

"Well, there's— Er.. I think there's at least two," he explained. "This seemed like the best plan, and it'll help us confirm their true motives!"

The girl's fists seemed to tremble as she tried to contain her anger. This reaction was surprising to Subaru, who expected anything but that.

"Subaru.. You guys are.. Are.."

"Reckless? Yeah, I know—"

"No!" She suddenly shouted to interrupt him. "Do you think we just… Did jobs for fun?! Mother would… hurt us, if we failed, or came back without payment."

"Huh..? Mother..?"

Meili held her hands over her head, squatting down. "It won't be just me.. They'll want more. They'll want compensation…"

Subaru thought about that. It definitely helped the theory that they were tricking Oslo Suwen in for monetary gain. But there were lots of traders there, could they

No, someone there held something incredibly valuable. After asking Anastasia Hoshin about the gemstones Meili had stolen, the ones that had brought him to this path, what had she said?

"More than you know, Natsuki Subaru."

His eyes widened. "Ah, damn…"

They were going to attack Anastasia. Subaru had decided it was unlikely, but with Oslo under their control, it made sense that they'd know about the gemstones and would pursue their wealth. Whoever 'Mother' was, she'd likely be pleased to receive such wealth on top of Meili's demise.

"Yeah… I don't think we can ever go back to that place," Meili said in a shaky voice. "It's… It's gonna be terrible."

A howl pierced the night, shaking Subaru from his thoughts. He stood, looking out into the darkness beyond the forest's edge.

"This is whole thing's about to get way worse," he told the girl. Confused, she watched him approach the Liger that Ricardo had ridden. There, a scabbard for a short sword lay. Subaru drew it, examining the blade in the campfire's flickering light.

If we can take care of things here and get back, we can stop the worst from happening, surely!

Meili had stood as well, but Subaru moved in front of her, holding the sword in front of himself, gazing out into the blackness of the night.

But which of them is coming? Is it Stern, or the creepy guy? Subaru wondered. That guy seems pretty combat focused, so… Surely it's him!

He got his answer when something was hurled at them through the darkness, curving in to miss Subaru and hit Meili. They turned towards it, and Subaru managed to swing his blade to deflect the projectile.

Just as expected, a soft scurrying could be heard from behind him. While he was in mid-swing, his opponent would strike.

"Captain!"

As Subaru shouted, he looked, seeing the incredibly thin, white-haired Assassin crawling on all fours towards him from the darkness. As his hatchet came up to strike Subaru's leg, another figure leapt into the fray.

"Not today, ya' bag of bones!"

Ricardo's large blade came down, driving the Assassin's weapon into the ground. They jumped backwards, standing unnaturally, their violet eyes glaring at them.

"Ku ku…. So.. Annoying," they said in their high pitched voice.

Lifting his big blade towards their foe, Ricardo grinned. "Speak for yourself. Might wanna eat some grub every now and again, sticko!"

"Captain…!" Meili had incredible worry in her voice.

"I know. Curses, right?" The wolfkin gave her a reassuring smile. "As if I'd take a hit from someone like this!"

With that, the wolfkin jumped forward. The Assassin drew two hatchets from their person, spinning them and rushing forward.

The flurry of deflections and blows that ensued were nearly invisible in the darkness. Subaru stayed alert, knowing at any point that the crafty opponent may strike.

"Watch out!" Suddenly, Meili pushed Subaru aside, just as a hatchet flew out from the darkness above, nearly landing right on his head. It grazed the girl's arm, making her wince.

"Meili! Dammit.." Subaru hadn't even thought to look up. The crazy Assassin had really hurled a hatchet into the air to surprise them. "Are you alright?"

"Of course.. Someone has to look after a fool like you," the young girl said with a pained smile, holding her arm. It wasn't a major cut, but it was for sure bleeding.

"Heads up!"

As Ricardo shouted, the Assassin suddenly swooped in low towards them from the shadows. As Subaru prepared for a low blow, they popped up into the air, surprising him.

That's when a blade flew past Subaru, nearly slamming right into the Assassin's head. Luckily for them, they managed to deflect it, but that gave Subaru a good opportunity to bring up his leg and kick them in the side, sending the thin attacker off into the dark.

"That's right! Back off!" Subaru turned, seeing Meili standing resolute, glaring off into the darkness.

"I'm Meili Portroute of the Iron Fangs!" She shouted confidently into the night. "You won't get me! Because… Because—"

"—I'm not alone anymore!"


To Be Continued

Next Chapter: The Final Choice

(Subaru Death Count: 5)