A/N: Here's this week's chapters! A little earlier then normal since I'll be busy later. Again, shout out to ShuTDowN for catching the small errors on the last few chapters.
Chapter 29: Beastslayer
The sound of panic filled the forest. Crashing through brush, jumping on fallen logs, dodging tree trunks, and ducking under branches, YN and Subaru were running. Running for their lives.
During their fight with the mabeasts, YN and Subaru had fought together with Ram. While Ram was easily able to lay out beast after beast with her wind magic, YN and Subaru struggled to, but ultimately held their own. Only wounding some with his loaned sword, Subaru was assisted mainly by YN, who with a few casts of Jiwald, had slayed several.
However, after slaying many of the unending hoard...
Subaru: Gha! I thought you said you could fight!?
Being held under Subaru's arm, the pink haired older sister maid responded to his complaint.
Ram: Ram fought, didn't she? Only my strength hadn't lasted as long as I'd hoped.
Struggling to keep up with Subaru and Ram now, YN began to lag behind.
Using so much of my mana back there might not have been such a good idea. I barely have any strength left to carry myself forward.
Running through the forest, Subaru was close to ten or so paces ahead of YN and widening the gap. Looking to his side, a single mabeasts had begun a close pursuit of Subaru with the maid still under his arm. One mis-step, one obstacle, the beast would tear into them both.
Raising his arm, YN summoned the last shred of mana in himself, sent it to his palm, and fired off the last spell he could muster.
YN: Jiwald!
The light from his spell escaped from his open hand, scattering before him and enveloped his target. Letting out a final roar of pain, the mabeast was no more.
They're safe. For now.
YN's final clear thought rolled through his mind before he became very weak and fatigued. Trying his hardest to keep running, YN's legs eventually swayed too much mid-stride, making him lose his balance and begin to tumble.
Seeing a deep, but narrow natural trench in the ground ahead of him as he began to stumble, YN knew he would need to jump over it in one go to keep the pursuing mabeasts far enough away.
Approaching while still running, YN readied his footwork, preparing to bend his knees and shoot forward. Getting up to the edge, YN attempted to propel himself across, with all his might he pushed off.
But no jump came.
After his knees and other joints bent to propel himself forward, no launching motion came. YN did not have the energy or stamina, his body would not let him. Without being able to cross over the trench, YN's inertia nonetheless continued forward, landing him a one way trip, downward.
Trying to brace his own fall, YN held his hands out forward to catch himself, but when the ground came, the same lack of strength his legs experienced was also true for his arms trying to brace his fall.
With the sudden impact, YN rolled and tumbled into the trench. Sliding downward, YN grabbed for whatever he could. He felt his hand grab bark. A branch.
Trying to pull himself up, YN quickly realized this branch was not actually attached to anything, and instead the motion of trying to catch himself had worked against him, causing him to fall to the bottom of the trench, the branch he pulled covering him.
Now motionless at the bottom of the trench on his back, YN spit the dirt from his mouth. Realizing the situation still at hand, he had fully expected that a few mabeasts had followed him down into the trench.
Readying mana in his hands, he prepared to fight for his life.
Yet, as the branches still laid over the top of him, peering through the detached brush that covered him, not a single mabeast seemed to notice.
YN laid in wait running on pure adrenaline, what little mana he still had was poised and ready to fire at his command. From between the leaves and twigs, YN watched above him, as he heard the hoard of beasts pass over and around him, a few jumping over the trench as he had planned too.
At the bottom, all the sounds of the forest seemed to funnel down to him, and the vibrations of many running beasts filled his body. The scene lasted for another few moments before silence fell upon the area around him.
YN waited for more beasts to pass overhead, surely that wasn't all of them. Waiting a moment more, YN struggled to pull himself up to a crouching position, pushing the branches he had drug down with him off.
Standing now, he looked all around himself.
I think the beasts passed.
The forest at this point was silent, any and all creatures or birds that made sound had evacuated the area from the mabeast hoard.
Putting his hands on the slope of the trench, YN figured he had fallen several times his own height, and getting out wasn't going to be an easy task.
YN: If I had all my strength I might be able to pull myself out, but right now I'm just too weak for that.
Looking down the trench's length, YN saw a series of rocks embedded into the side where he might be able to get a footing on.
Making his way across the trench, YN approached the first large rock, one of a few boulders that had been knocked down into the trench somewhat recently, either from erosion or something else.
Getting ready to hoist himself up onto it and make it to the next rock, YN paused at the sound he heard.
The sound of chains. Very specific chains.
Turning to the direction of the sound, it was in the way YN had come from before falling into the trench. The sound of chains repeat, getting closer.
Without any further hesitation, YN pulled himself up onto the first bolder, only to climb back off it on the other side. He crouched down behind the bolder, and peered over the side of it, trying to get a good look but not risk exposing himself.
Only a few moments later, with the sound of chains getting louder did she appear.
Stepping out of the forest and to the edge of the trench, Rem approached.
YN's heart fluttered for a moment, seeing Rem alive and well, but quickly noticed the state she was in. With her horn illuminated, Rem's clothes were torn in various locations, perhaps they were new tares, or the same from the previous night. Walking to the edge of the trench, Rem starred up into the sky.
Is she all together right now, or is she frenzied like last time? I can't tell...
YN desperately wanted to call out, in the chance Rem actually wasn't frenzied. Before he could make up his mind, Rem began to sniff the air, seeing this, YN's heart stopped and sunk.
Oh no. She smells the Witch's scent. She's going to find me isn't she? This might be really bad.
Feelings of fight or flight raced through YN. Does he bunker down? Does he now immediately run away, giving himself what could be precious seconds of time before Rem locks in on him?
His mouth going dry, YN was frozen.
Stopping her sniffing, Rem's face turned to a grin, one filled with insanity and malice.
Getting ready to choose something to do, YN's hesitation was beat by Rem's next action. Bending her knees, Rem jumped and propelled herself forward, over the trench and then some.
Standing back up and looking in the direction Rem had gone, YN was stunned she had passed over him like that.
She's got to be... Ram and Subaru!
Wild thoughts and speculation of what Rem's intentions were whirled through YN's mind, but he didn't have time to contemplate. Pulling himself back onto the bolder, YN climbed the rest of the way out of the trench. Ignoring his own fatigue, YN forced his muscles to pull himself upward.
Reaching the top and back on to the forest floor, YN gave himself one large breath before bolting in the direction Rem had gone.
YN could see light and the sky behind the trees in the direction he was running.
A clearing! I might have a better chance of seeing what way Rem was following Subaru and—!
YN: —Hk!
As he thought, YN approached the "clearing" past the trees in the direction he was running, only to be met by a sharp, steep, and sudden cliff edge he had nearly fallen off of.
Catching himself, YN gulped his heart back into his chest and took a careful step back.
The ground below the cliff edge was extremely far down. Looking over the edge, it was apparent there were mabeasts down there, although from where YN stood, they may as well be ants.
Looking over the cliff edge, a shine caught YN's eye.
Getting closer, YN peered at the shiny object embedded into the cliff face, nearly half way down.
YN: Is that—?
Focusing his eyes, there was no denying it. Broken off in the cliff, was the end of the sword Subaru had been using as a walking stick earlier that had been loaned to him.
Having a thought of secondhand pity of Subaru for having to tell the young man he had borrowed the sword from that he had broken it, YN quickly cast the thought aside as he noticed two familiar specs at the base of the cliff, huddled behind a boulder.
There was no mistaking the pink hair, even from this far.
Ram! Subaru!
It hadn't appeared they had fallen the entire way, but if they had, they would certainly be much more red.
Noting the location of his comrades, YN observed the rest of the large clearing at the bottom of the cliff. Dozens and dozens of mabeasts populated the ground. All circled around one spec in the very center.
That spec however, was another familiar one. Squinting his eyes, YN could make out the familiar hue of blue.
YN: Rem... she's—!
Quickly realizing how surrounded she was, YN knew Rem had no way, or perhaps even no care, for how outnumbered she was.
Deciding that it was pointless to just watch, YN looked to his left and right, trying to see what would be the quickest way down off the cliff.
Although Ram and Subaru were off to the left, YN could see no easy or quick way down from that side allowing him to regroup with them, and going right was clearly, vastly quicker. Not wanting to waste any time, YN headed right, running along the cliff face and down the gradual slope.
Occasionally taking glances at the situation, it was clear Rem was in a fight she ultimately wouldn't be able to win.
Just past halfway down the slope, YN was getting much closer to the action, and could see what was taking place in greater detail.
What appeared to be Subaru had emerged from the bolder, and Rem was taking swings at him with her morningstar. Seeing the situation worsen more, YN ran faster, taking no more opportunities to look at what was happening.
Reaching the forest below, YN made his way to the rocky clearing at the bottom of the cliff.
Hiding behind one of the trees at the beginning of the clearing, most of the mabeasts at this point were concentrated at the opposite side. YN could no longer see Subaru and Ram, but he could see Rem in the fight of her life.
Kicking and punching and whipping and smashing, Rem took out beast after beast.
Staying out of sight, YN was powerless to do anything to assist in the situation.
Observing the battlefield, YN saw to the opposite side of the clearing, the same small dog that had been the orchestrator of the landslide that had nearly killed him.
There it is again! That has to be the leader of the mabeasts! If I can sneak around, I can use my trump card and—
Before YN could finish his strategizing, a new entity entered the fray.
Subaru: AAAGGGHHH!
Running out from behind a boulder, Subaru charged forward, with a certain familiar pink haired maid slung over his shoulder.
What is he—?!
Stopping halfway between where he'd come from and Rem, Subaru twisted his torso, putting the energy from his charge into what appeared to be a throw.
Subaru: Hey Rem! Catch!
Springing his torso back the other way around and with his hands on Ram's calves, Subaru launched Ram forward and upward, Rem bound.
The rest of the world seemed to stop and watch the scene before them.
Gliding through the air, arms held out in front of her, all eyes were on Ram, including Rem's.
Falling slightly, and sloping downward, Ram approached Rem, who was slowly beginning to hold her arms, ready to catch her older sister.
Finally reaching the blue haired maid, Ram was caught in her younger sister's arm. Both Subaru and YN immediately saw the change in expression on Rem's face, and her lack of hostility, even in her frenzied state, towards her sister.
Seeing his opening however, Subaru charged forward, a broken sword held above his head.
What is he doing?!
Subaru: AAAGGGHHH! REM!
Looking back, Ram shouted to the charging hero.
Ram: Her horn Barasu! Now!
Within striking distance, Subaru closed the gap, reading his sword, projecting the flat of the blade outward, ready to smack Rem right on her horn.
So, hit the horn, she'll calm down? That's so cliche!
Taking his opportunity, Subaru took one final bound, but YN could see a twinkle of doubt in his eye, an expression that lacked the ambition to follow through.
Taking an odd step, Subaru stumbled with his strike, a strike that Rem easily sidestepped.
Subaru: Oh crap! I hesitated!
Stumbling forward past Rem, Subaru turned and tried to regain his composure. Seeing the act of hostility, Rem instantly returned to her frenzied state.
Reaching back with her free arm that still held her morningstar's handle, Rem set forth to strike Subaru down.
Normally, in such a position, still holding her sister, Rem would not be able to adequately strike Subaru accurately enough that he could not just dodge, especially with her off-hand. However given the circumstances and the positioning of the mabeasts around them, Subaru had nowhere to run to, and nowhere to dive to without being far enough from any mabeasts to safely recover.
Damn it! If Subaru dies its—!
Cutting off his own thoughts, YN immediately saw a larger danger.
Upon the boulder it sat, the head mabeast let out a commanding, yet tiny howl as it cast forth it's magic as it had the night before. It's eyes glowing, the ground beneath Rem began to quake as she finished reaching fully back on her swing to Subaru.
Looking downward, even in her frenzied state, Rem could easily tell what was about to happen.
In the mere fractions of a second she had left, Rem looked to her older sister, still being held up by one arm. Ram exchanged with Rem a look of exhaustion before nodding her head down.
Rem's mind raced, trying to comprehend everything around her. Her instincts, burning, told her to prioritize her sister. "Keep Ram safe. Ram will be hurt too if you don't get her away".
Dropping the handle to her morningstar, Rem pushed Ram away. Away from ground that was quaking beneath her feet, and away from herself.
Rem had left herself to be the sole sacrifice to the head mabeast's magic.
No sooner had Ram cleared the affected area, the ground violently projected itself upward beneath Rem, sending her flying.
Up, up, and up, Rem flew. Several times higher then the tree canopy around them, such a fall would not be recoverable. Without her morningstar in hand either, Rem could not hope to even break her fall or redirect her energy.
Reaching the apex of her flight, Rem began to return back to the ground.
Her trajectory taking her in his direction, YN sprang to action.
Running out from behind his cover, YN made himself known.
YN: Rem!
Going as fast as his legs would let him, YN rushed to catch the falling maid. Although exhausted he commanded his legs to move faster. He had to get there. He had to catch her. Nothing else was acceptable.
A feeling of terrible urgency began to overwhelm YN as he saw Rem fall lower and lower.
Concentrating as hard as he could, YN would not let himself hesitate as Subaru had, he could not let himself lose his footing due to his emotions overwhelming him.
YN knew he was close, so close but yet so far from being able to reach the falling maid.
Letting his instincts take over, YN let his legs throw themselves forward in a jump, letting them slide forward, letting himself become lower right before reaching Rem, letting himself maximize how much space he could cover before she hit the ground.
Reaching his arms out as he slid across the ground, a featherweight of a young maiden fell into his waiting arms.
Kicking up a small dust storm, YN held Rem tight as he slid to a stop, holding her close.
Still in her frenzied state however disoriented, Rem pushed herself away from YN, while still staying in his arms.
With an arm under her legs, and an arm behind her shoulders on her back, YN shook and called to Rem.
YN: Rem! Please! It's me! YN! Rem you've gotta snap out of it!
Beginning to get her bearings again, the maid in his arms began to fidget around, trying to get away before her strength could fully return.
Taking the hand of the arm under her legs, YN reached for her hand, trying desperately to get a hold of it.
With assistance from his other hand, YN clasped Rem's hand inside his own. Their palms touching each other, Rem seemed to freeze still from her thrashing.
Her eyes began to lose their wild look as they slowly moved along with her head to face YN.
Their eyes meeting, YN could not prevent himself from smiling.
YN: Fancy you dropping by, Rem.
A smile also growing on her face, Rem's horn began to slowly dematerialize.
Rem: Y-YN, k-kun...
Slowly, Rem's free hand began to reach up to YN's face. The closer her hand came, the more and more her horn disappeared.
Rem: YN is all h-healed now...
Her horn fully subsided, Rem's fingertips lightly brushed YN's face as her arm fell back to Rem's side.
Her eyes shutting, and the hand that YN held going limp, Rem spoke more.
Rem: Rem is so happy... so happy that YN-kun is okay...
No longer having the energy to stay conscious, the blue hair maid shut her eyes fully and went to rest, her body drained of all her energy.
Ram: Barasu! Go left at that fallen log!
Jumping over a rock, Subaru took a sharp left as instructed as a mabeast flew toward him.
Ram: Fula!
Casting wind magic from her fingertips, Ram shred the mabeast to pieces.
YN: Ram!
Putting his free shoulder forward, YN body-checked another pouncing mabeast to Ram's left flank.
Knocked off track, the beast was thrown forward, away from Ram. Not giving it a second chance, with a flick of her finger, she commanded her wind magic, slicing it's neck, dispatching the beast.
Running again, the three currently conscious ran through the dark forest with the mabeasts continuing to pressure them.
Following Subaru who had taken point, Ram soon outpaced him, taking the lead spot, while YN brought up the rear, slightly encumbered with the target of their rescue under his arm.
Taking Ram's suggested path, the three found themselves making distance from the mabeasts behind them.
Running for a while longer, it was clear there was a need for a rest, else they collapse from exhaustion. Heading into a bushel of shrubbery, Ram waved for Subaru and YN to follow her.
Huddled together among an opening in the middle of the shrubs,, the three caught their breath and let their legs rest.
Subaru: Do you *huff* have any idea how far we are from *huff* the barrier?
Nodding her head, Ram answered.
Ram: We're getting closer to the barrier, but it's still not entirely close.
Punching the ground, Subaru let his frustration be seen.
Subaru: Damn it!
At the sound of his strike hitting the ground, the blue haired maid under YN's arm still began to stir awake.
Rem: Why...
Somewhat startled to hear Rem's voice suddenly, YN looked down to her under his arm.
YN: Rem! You're awake! Here, don't move I can carry you more comfortably for you now if you just—
Rem: Why? Why did you come?
YN: Huh? What do you mean? Why else other then—
Rem: It would have been easier to leave me!
Turning her head back down, tears began to form in her eyes.
Rem: No one else would have to get hurt... YN-kun wouldn't need to be hurt again... For you all to show up, it makes it pointless now! Rem wasn't able to save YN-kun, and now Rem isn't able to save Subaru-kun now either.
Her tears beginning to well up more, Subaru spoke up, trying to help.
Subaru: None of that matters now, me and Ram and YN are probably torn up a lot worse then you are. Ram's passed out twice, YN fell down a hole, and my shoulder is dislocated.
Perhaps not using the best word choice, Rem hung her head once more.
Rem: It's all Rem's fault... Rem has to take responsibility for her actions, and atone for them. If Rem can't do that, then Rem will never be able to help Nee-sama, or Subaru-kun, or YN-kun... Nothing will have changed for Rem! Rem will continue to be the same as back when—
YN: Rem.
Cutting off Rem's words, YN stopped her.
Rem: Yes?
Setting the maid down from under his arm, Rem turned to face YN on her knees while the rest continued to squat down low in the brush.
Going down to one knee, and placing a hand on Rem's shoulder, YN spoke.
YN: Getting mad, storming off, and trying to fix everything yourself isn't a solution. It never is, and it never will be. You've got to learn to rely on others. To lean on others.
As Rem continued to hang her head, YN turned back to Ram. Having used the same topics she had spoken to him about earlier that day, YN exchanged a look with Ram for reassurance.
Getting a nod from the older maid sister, YN turned back to Rem, putting a hand on each of her shoulders now.
YN: I know you can't just decide to rely on someone, to just lean on them. You might not be able to with Subaru, and you might not even be able to with your sister, given the place you put her in your heart, but Rem...
Looking up to YN, the tilt of Rem's head let her bangs angle, allowing both of her blue eyes to lock with YN's.
YN: You can always rely on me. You can lean on me. I promise you that.
Her eyes forming with tears once more, Rem's voice quivered with a mix of emotions.
Rem: YN-kun...
Hearing the sound of nearby brush and foliage being rustled, Subaru stood up slightly to poke his head up and out of the brush the four currently resided in before quickly ducking back down.
Subaru: Damn it!
YN: I can't believe they're back to being so close, so quickly.
Turning to Ram, Subaru asked a question with great agitation in his voice.
Subaru: Which way should we run?
Ram: Straight to the left at full speed. But what's our plan?
Subaru: Well—
YN: Ram, you carry Rem. Subaru you make sure no beasts get close to them. I'll run right and draw the mabeasts attention.
Rem: You can't! YN-kun won't survive that. If you... If YN-kun gets hurt again badly like before. Rem doesn't know what she'll—
YN: I've... I've got a plan.
Grabbing the single item in his pocket, YN held it in his closed hand, the one item he had grabbed from his desk before departing to the village the previous night.
Placing it back in his pocket, YN turned to grab Rem once more, placing her on her older sisters back.
With the three standing up in the brush now, they prepared to go their separate ways.
Rem: Why? Why are you doing all this, YN-kun?
YN: Well, because it's like I just told you. You can rely on me.
Placing a hand on top of Rem's blue hair, YN smiled at the oni. He could feel the softness of her hair as he placed his hand, and the smoothness as he lifted his hand back up.
YN: Now go. I'll do what I have to do.
With that, Ram set out, running to the left. Just as Subaru went to follow, he was stopped by YN's hand on the back of his shoulder.
Turning back with a "Hmm?", Subaru heard what YN had to say.
YN: Remember, I'm non-essential.
Subaru could only reply with a look of mixed emotions. Unable to find the words to answer, YN's hand on his shoulder turned to a push, urging Subaru to continue with Ram.
YN: I'll catch ya around.
With that, YN ran to the right, down a path of certain uncertainties.
As Ram and Rem were already off, Rem turned her head to see YN, running off, away into the direction of the mabeasts.
Rem: YN-kun!
Ram: Rem, don't look back. You'll make all of YN's efforts meaningless now if we don't escape.
But Rem could not bring herself to look away as she road on Ram's back.
Running, YN knew that at any moment, he could be attacked by beasts waiting to his side.
Only a few paces later, still within Rem's vision, YN found himself at the mouth of a small forest clearing. And at its center, the puppy that had bitten the village children. The arbiter of the entire situation, the curse deaths, everything.
The head mabeast.
Stopping at its appearance, the small beast's eyes began to glow a dark crimson red color.
Not sure what to expect, YN readied himself, placing what little mana he had in his palms, and the singular item in his pocket into his mouth.
As he did, the singular beast before him began to convulse. Almost as if it's skin began to boil, the little beast began to grow and grow.
It's body enlargenning, it's fangs, teeth, claws, and snout all began to grow to monstrous proportions.
Soon, the once little beast was now a full grown monster. Now, in this form, it was truly worthy of being called the Head Mabeast.
Unleashing a mighty roar at its complete transformation, Rem, from her sisters back, could easily see from her distance that the beast now stood three, perhaps even close to four times YN's height.
Seeing the immense danger YN was in now, Rem turned back to her sister, tightening her grip she held to stay on.
YN: You're not the only one with an ace up their sleeve either!
Raising his hand, YN pooled every last bit of mana he had into it.
It's not much, barely enough for a single Jiwald. But with this...!
Taking a bite of the item in YN's mouth, the Boku fruit Emilia had given him, but not used, YN felt an immense rush of mana flow through him.
Feeling the mana pour in, YN commanded it all to his hand
Rem: Nae-sama!
Turning back to see what had upset Rem, Ram fell over to her side by Rem's hand.
With both of them collapsed on the ground, it was Rem who immediately rolled over, looking to face YN, certain he was going to die.
With terror in her heart, and tears in her eyes, Rem called out, a near scream.
Rem: YN-kun!
The pressure of all this new found mana continuing to pour into his hand, YN readied himself.
With the beast's eyes glowing, it raised it's mighty paw, as big as a knight's shield, and with claws as long as swords and just as sharp, ready to kill YN in a single swipe.
I sure hope I can do this, but it's my only chance.
Maximizing the amount of mana he felt his hand could withstand, YN cast his magic, a spell he had only heard of in his explanation of magic.
YN: Take this! El Jiwald!
An immense heat escaped YN's hand.
Except while warmer than his normal Jiwald, it was not the same blinding cascade of scattering light being emitted from his hand, but rather a concentrated amount of light. On each finger tip a beam of light was projected.
Quickly seeing the difference, YN had not entirely expected El Jiwald to be similar, but he did suspect there might be an unforeseen difference.
With his open palm facing the beast, YN closed his palm halfway, having each of his finger tips face and point at the beast. As the light was brought in quickly, it burned the skin of the beast as his fingers came to center on it, causing it to flinch, delaying its paw swipe.
With each of the five beams of light now focused on the beast, the immense heat of them drilled their way into its chest, straight down it's entire body, through the entirety of its abdomen.
Such complete shock and pain had stopped the beast completely.
No more than a second or two of the beams of light being affixed to the beasts chest, the lights made their exit on the back of the beasts body.
YN had drilled five complete holes through the entirety of the head mabeast's body.
With the light subsiding and ending, the five, or rather ten wounds in total began gushing an immense amount of blood.
Dropping it's paw, the beast staggered backward and coughed up a large amount of blood.
Howling in pain, the beast stumbled from its left, and then to it's right, before falling to its side.
Letting out a final whimper, the head mabeast that had towered several times YN's height, laid defeated at his feet.
An uneasy amount of adrenaline showered through YN, a mix of emotions of accomplishment, relief, disbelief, and many more. However, it was short lived.
With the familiar feeling of extreme mana loss, YN collapses to a single knee, heaving and huffing for air in exhaustion.
Another sensation filled YN's immediate attention. The sensation of danger. There was danger around him. Forcing his eyes to see clearly, YN saw in the treeline all around him were mabeasts. Several. Then a dozen. Dozens. Too many to count.
In his current state though, YN did not even have the strength to stand, let alone run away or fight.
YN continued to huff and breath heavily. There was nothing else he could do.
Finally, after a tenuous stare-off, one beast charged, then five, then ten. Twenty. More. All charging at once, unprepared to show YN any mercy for killing their "leader".
Closing his eyes, YN prepared to feel the pain of being shredded to bits, only letting a few last words slip out.
YN: Please keep Rem safe, Subaru...
The first mabeast to charge, the closest, jumped as it charged, mere fractions of a second away from ripping YN to pieces.
When suddenly.
?: Uuuuuul Goa!
Before YN's eyes, a bright flame engulfed the charging mabeast. And soon the rest followed. One by one, they all ignited into flames, collapsing where they stood. Soon the entire treeline was ablaze with burning mabeast.
?: My oh my, it seems like YN-kun has quiiiiiiite the hunting trophy to take home here.
Descending down from the sky, a man in a morning suit and top hat, adorned with clown makeup landed in the middle of the now burning forest clearing.
Still exhausted, but now extremely relieved, YN choked his voice to work.
YN: Roswaal... What are you—?
Roswaal: Emilia-sama was quite thorough in giving me a lecture worthy of making me seek out Subaru and you.
Before YN could respond, another voice called out.
Ram: Roswaal-sama!
Turning to see her, Ram, with Rem on her shoulder, supporting her to walk on her own, walked up to Roswaal and bowed for the both of them.
Ram: We are both terribly sorry to trouble you so.
Roswaal: Actually on the contraaaaaaairy, you have all done fine work in my absence. I will make sure to show my gratitude to you all, you have my word.
Getting ready to breath in a sigh of relief, YN was blindsided to his side, falling to the ground on his back.
YN: R-Rem?!
Rem: YN-kun!
Griping his shirt with her hands tightly, Rem cried into his chest, shaking her head back and forth.
YN: Ouch! Ehh, Rem hold on please! I'm sore all over right now!
Rem: You're alive! You stayed alive!
YN: Rem!
Rem: YN-kun! YN-kun! YN-kun! YN-kun!
Suddenly feeling all strength in his body vanish, YN knew exactly what came next.
YN: Oh, here it comes...
After completely tapping out his gate for mana, and with Rem continuing to cry into his chest, YN passed out from extreme exhaustion.