Subaru would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Emilia had recieved a summons to the Capital and he had begged her to let him join.
It took a bit of time, but she folded and let him accompany her with a simple promise. A promise that he doesn't cause any trouble.
How hard could that be?
It was harder than he thought.
Here he stood, on the sidelines with the knights of the other five candidates, listening as everyone just insulted one another.
If it wasn't for one of Emilia's small Stands cradling his hand he would have lost it.
Still, he had to watch as the blonde haired woman he had met earlier (Priscilla if he was correst) and the majority of the crowd just insulted Emilia. The other Candidates (A green haired woman known as Crusch, a short purple haired girl known as Antasia, and surprisingly Felt) just watched with varied expressions as the insults rolled out.
He watched as the other knights, those who had the gall to say they fought for the people, just let it all happen.
He felt Emilia's Fight as One tighten their grip on his hand. At this point he wasn't sure if he was comforting her, or she was comforfing him. His jaw clinched and his other hand tightened as the head of the Council called for everyone to calm down.
He could feel Emilia's eyes shift to him, almost begging for him to stay patient. 'Fine' he mouthed to her, making sure few would suspect him of it.
He stood quietly as the Council began talking about the upcoming election. How a mysterious tablet known as the Dragon Stone would record tasks and announce them to the world. How the people would elect the leader with the vote affected by what the Dragon Stone announces.
So, Subaru had an idea, a rather crazy idea, but for now he would have to wait for later, when he and Emilia would return to their room at the inn while Roswall flew back to the manor.
Rem just sighed as she watched the fool pace back and forth with a scowl on his face while Emilia had a sad look on her face. From what she had gathered the meeting was a farce, filled with those in authority insulting miss Emilia when they had the opportunity to do so.
Though the fool said he had a plan, what that plan entailed was a different question entirely.
A knock at the door drew her attention away. Both Emilia and the Fool turned as well, the former with raised brow while the latter eased out of his scowl. Opening the door she was greeted by Reinhardt, his gaze taking in the room.
"Miss Emilia, Subaru? I wish to talk with you both?" Reinhardt said. Rem could see the fool's scowl change to surprise before someone else stepped into the room. It was a short blonde girl with deep red eyes and a lone fang.
She stood tall for a moment before letting out a huff and looking at them. "Those guys sure were assholes huh?" she asked.
"Miss Felt please, language." Reinhardt admonished as Emilia and the Fool looked at her in a slack jawed manner.
"So... Anyway, since you guys are the only one we really know..." Felt trailed off as Emilia stepped closer.
"Are you here to make a request?" Emilia inquired.
"Nah, well perhaps... But I'm here to offer a deal." Felt said as Reinhardt pulled out a scroll from his belt. "I spent five days writing this." Felt proclaimed as Reinhardt passed it too Emilia.
Both Rem and The Fool joined in looking the scroll over. The writing was barely legible, but it got its point across. Felt wanted an alliance.
"Miss Felt, we are officially rivals in this election, why request an alliance?" Emilia inquired.
"Ah.. Its simple. Most of those assholes in power despise us. They called you The Witch and referred to me as a Gutter Rat. They're scared of ol' Rein and have no idea what to think of Big Bro." Felt said while pointing to the Fool.
"Big Bro?" The Fool questioned, only to be ignored.
"So I say we stick it to them by sticking together. I mean come on, I saw the look Big Bro had when those bastards were insulting you Emilia." Felt bolstered.
"That does lead to my own question." Reinhardt interjected as Felt huffed. "It would appear that all three of you possess those unique spirits now rather than just Subaru, how so?" Reinhardt asked.
Emilia was about to speak up when Rem's hand shot out and grabbed The Fool's wrist. He winced for a moment before presenting his injured palm to the duo. "The metal piece." was all she said as Reinhardt crept closer to it.
"Please don't touch it?" The Fool asked. Reinhardt glance shifted to him before he stepped back and stared at it.
Felt took this as a challenge and rushed right up to the Fool's hand. She looked The Fool right in the eyes and poked the metal piece.
All The Fool could do was let out some mixture as a sigh and a mournful cry as Felt jumped back and held her now bleeding finger.
"He did warn you Miss Felt, still to think such strange powers could come from a mere piece of metal." Reinhardt said as he took a hold of Felt's shoulder and guided her out.
"But wait, the offer?" Emilia inquired.
"Take a few days to looked it over and think, I'll be taking Felt back to the mansion." Reinhardt said before Felt's eyes darted around the room.
They just watched as the two left before The Fool spoke up. "Do you think she'll be fine?" He asked.
Rem wasn't sure, but she had good faith that Felt was just fine.
Subaru sighed as he looked out the window of the carriage, watching as the greenery changed to woodlands and a massive tree came into view.
He looked back to see Emilia rereading the scroll once again. "Anything interesting?" he inquired.
"While the writing is messy and difficult to read, but Felt has raised a few points thay would make a partnership beneficial." Emilia replied before rolling the scroll up.
"As long as she isn't trying to take over the world or something like that." Subaru commented before the carriage suddenly stopped. "Rem..? What's going on out there?" Subaru asked as a heavy mist surrounded them.
He took note that Emilia's expression began to turn to panic before Rem banged on the roof of the carriage. "We need to flee now!" She shouted as the carriage shook.
Subaru heard a deep echoing call from the mist, and his every instinct screamed danger.
"What... The Hell...?" He sputtered out as the carriage began moving back the way they came. "Rem?!... Rem can you see the road?" He called out while sticking his head out of the window.
"The fog is too thick, I can't see that ground or the road." Rem called back.
Subaru summoned his stand and prepared to to have it make a jump when a shadow eclipsed the carriage. He turned back, coming face to face with a massive horned whale heading straight for the carriage.
In a panic he felt Emilia grab onto him as he prepared to make a jump with his stand.
Ome moment they were right in the path of the whale.
Then the sound of a dial turning echoed out and the carriage now stood farther back, the whale still in view.
"Subaru, we need to go farther back." Emilia called out as the whale disappeared back into the mist. "Hurry Fool!" Rem called out as well.
Concentrating Subaru let the dial on his stand shift back, Before they shifted, the back of the carriage now missing. The whale had struck again, taking a piece of the carriage with it.
Subaru was now next to Emilia, clutching the stump of his right leg.
Emilia's stand was quick to act as Rem pulled them both out of the wreck of the carriage. Normally he would complain about such handling, but such a situation called for other actions.
They couldn't see that Whale, even with all three of them looking in every direction.
He could feel Fight as One sealing the wound, but the fact that he had lost a leg despite shifting with his stand.
Its a terrifying thought.
Another cry echoed out as Subaru pushed his stand to the limit to get them out of there.
Then the ground around them shook. Dirt and bits of grass were thrown everywhere. The three of them were thrown to the ground, Then Subaru shifted.
Landing on the hard ground and letting out a hagard cough. Subaru tried to regain his bearings as he looked around him. He was alone, barely a few feet away from a massive cloud of mist that seemed to devoir all around it.
"No... No No No..." He shouted as he tried to get up, his missing leg further impeding him. "Emilia, Rem!!" He shouted while dragging himself closer to the mist. Then he stopped, taking a moment to collect himself before having his stand shift him back into the mist.
He landed in ruined ground, the sound of fighting echoed around him.
He could see Rem and Emilia trapped in the fight of their lives. Rem utilizing Happy Face to the fullest, a massive assortment of blades seemingly jutting out of the joints and cracks of the doll like main body. Emilia was jumping and dodging with Puck now by her side, ice magic firing off at a near constant rate.
Not wanting to waste time Subaru had his stand shift him to Emilia's position, knowing that he would only impede Rem. Emilia grabbed onto him the moment he was close and pulled him into a piggy back of sorts.
Any feeling of embarrassment lost as the desperation of the situation only grew.
There was only so much Rem and her stand could do against a creature as large as the Whale, even with all the blades on her stand and the power of her mace. It would take an army to do any meaningful damage to the monster.
Then, without an sort of prompting, the Whale flew up, once again disappearing into the mist around them.
Rem turned back, catching sight of them and rushing over to regroup.
Then she was gone.
Subaru felt his blood run cold as the Oni maid just disappeared. "Rem?" He called out.
"Who?" Emilia asked.
"What? Emilia? Rem? She just disappeared in the mist" Subaru claimed as he looked Emilia in the eyes. The elf girl considered his words brfore her eyes widened, sadness evident.
"The Whale, it got her..." Emilia stated before she jumped back. Subaru felt an intense whiplash before he noticed that Emilia was far away from him. He was now on the ground with a throbbing pain in his skull.
He couldn't feel his legs.
Taking a mere glance down revealed why.
In a single moment the whale had bisected him.
All he could see as his world was consumed by darkness was the sight of the whale rushing towards Emilia, his hand stretched out in desperation.
