A/N: Here's the next part of last week's short story. I have one part in the pipe after this one, but I realized something when I looked at my schedule; since that'll be the last chapter until the Arc 3 hiatus is over, that would be one week/chapter release shy of uploading on this fic's one year birthday. So, to rectify this, I have decided to upload the first chapter of Arc 3 as a teaser for ACT THREE for this fic's one year anniversary/birthday. So expect to see that chapter on the 18th!
Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 74: That Stain Is Not Coming Out
As light began to refill YN's consciousness, he fully expected to find himself in the white expanse once more, the one he had originally expected.
But this was different, once more.
His mind and body both screamed longingly for something but YN didn't know what. He felt like he needed something essential, but couldn't quite pinpoint what that was.
Suddenly, feeling that need satisfied, that sensation caught his weary conscience by surprise.
It's... air, I need air. I need to breathe...
Learning what he needed, the desire built up once more.
I need to... wake up... and breathe—!
Again, the need was met. But neither time had this felt like it had been done on his volition.
No... I need to on my own... But why can't I? How am I getting air if it's not myself doing it?
Feeling one more rush of a sated desire for breath, his consciousness felt more empowered, like it could begin to take over more functions.
I can't breathe... not yet at least. A few more of these and—!
As another wave of air entered him, he regained his vision, or perhaps had been able to finally open his eyes. He couldn't tell which.
But while his vision was blurry, the bright, familiar hue of blue that filled him was a crucial clue to his current state.
Seeing it fade away to a scene of white, it quickly returned, bringing with it the satisfaction of another breath.
That's... Rem... She's—!
As the air filled his lungs again, more control was levied over to his consciousness. This time, his feelings were vaguely remade.
YN could feel himself laying in what must have been a puddle. It was cold, and his waterlogged clothes felt heavy, almost like a weighted blanket upon him.
Seeing the hue of blue ascend back up the white heavens above, it returned once more right away.
With more air filling his body, his touch regained its feeling in more intimate areas, notably, his lips.
A soft cushion, filled with compassion and kindness laid upon them, giving him the gift of continued life in his current condition.
Rem is... Rem's giving me—!
Departing and returning once again, another breath of life was given to YN, the last she would need to supply.
Fully feeling his body return to himself, a new great desire built inside him.
I gotta... I must thank Rem!
As her lips had just finished pouring in her own breath for his own, YN's body worked faster than his mind could. Wrapping his arms around the girl, he pulled her in a full embrace, not letting her lips depart just yet.
Feeling her flinch from the sudden movement of YN, who had been limp and unresponsive only moments ago, Rem was denied her head from coming up to inspect him.
Instead feeling the lips she had her own on change in shape and position, she remained as she was. With YN's hands on her back, he felt her dress was still as damp as his own clothes. Her soft, azure hair was soaked as well still, as if the maid had just taken a fully clothed shower.
Unable to come up, feeling her lips remain connected, and knowing YN was holding her tight, Rem immediately knew that what she was feeling was a kiss. A kiss of thanks.
Relaxing her shoulders, Rem put more weight onto YN, and rather than letting air into YN's mouth, she instead let her tongue take its place.
Sharing a passionate kiss, the two finally separated once a need for air had taken hold once more in both of them.
Rem & YN: Phaw!
Immediately sitting up, YN looked wide eyed at the girl who hadn't given up on him. Seeing her still being completely drenched with water, YN could see they remained in the same room. But before he could get any further observations—
Rem: YN-kun!
Pressing their two damp bodies together, Rem hugged YN tightly, knocking him back over to this side
Rem: Rem was so worried she had lost him!
Coming apart, their waterlogged clothes slightly stuck to each other, causing Rem to have to peel her dress away from YN slightly.
YN: Yeah, me too... But uhh, what happened?
Fidgeting with her hands as she pulled her damp sleeves back, Rem struggled to relay what had transpired.
Rem: When it had seemed Rem had run out of air to chant her magic, YN-kun had given Rem all that he could have. He had given Rem his very breath...
Looking downward, it seemed that Rem felt guilty over this. But shaking her head, she looked back up at him.
Rem: Feeling YN-kun give what could have meant his life to Rem, just so she could live a few moments more... Rem felt terrible at first she had allowed him to do so...
Grabbing her hand, YN knew she had also come to the same understanding he had before he even spoke.
YN: But if I hadn't, we both could have died.
Rem: Yes, it was because YN-kun trusted his Rem, and had faith in her, when she did not have that in herself, that we both survived.
YN: That's what our promise is, right?
Smiling, he hoped to maybe bring their spirits up more.
YN: I lean on you to save the day with your strength, and you lean on me to provide the extra air when you run out.
Slightly giggling at his very specific example taken in the context it was, Rem placed her other hand over his that already held her other.
Thinking more on what he just said though, it felt like a double edged sword.
YN: It's kind of backwards though, isn't it? Aren't I supposed to be the strong one if I'm your hero? I mean, every hero needs his companion to help, but aren't we maybe filling each other's role here?
Struggling with the way their relationship might look at a superficial level with Rem taking the role one might assume as the "hero" here, she shook her head.
Rem: Rem doesn't think so, but at the same time, if we are, Rem doesn't mind.
Somewhat surprised to hear her say that, YN let her continue.
Rem: If Rem needs to save YN-kun, she'll know she's able to because YN-kun made it so Rem was able to in the first place. If Rem needs to be the one who has the strength to do something where YN-kun can't, she'll be that because she knows YN-kun will be able to do something for Rem that she can't do for herself. If Rem needs to be assertive to others for YN-kun and protective over him most of the time it requires it, she knows YN-kun will be that for her when she can't be.
Taking one of her hands and gently caressing his face, Rem concluded her point.
Rem: If Rem must be something most of the time, she will rely on YN-kun to be that something in those times when she truly can't. A "hero" to Rem is just that; it's the one person who can make the key difference to help change the outcome for the better, in times where Rem can't make that a reality.
While heralding herself as his strength, she still acknowledged that this strength still relied on his own.
While wanting to speak words he had no clue how to relay, he stared into Rem's azure eyes, and was clued into maybe, just maybe... She felt the same way as he did.
But with the reality of the situation they were in once again biting in the back of his mind, YN pushed those thoughts away, and went to stand.
Rem: Wha—! YN-kun, we really should continue to rest, your body might not be—!
YN: There's other doors we still have to try. Three more, in fact.
Realizing she had also been caught up too much in the moment, Rem also stood and patted her rarely worn, "day off from work" dress flat, trying in vain to smooth the wrinkles the damp conditions might inflict upon its fabric.
Stepping to the direction of the next door in question, YN held a hand out to Rem.
YN: Let's face this one together, again. As long as we have each other, I know we'll be fine.
Taking his hand, Rem nodded at her hero as the two proceeded towards the door.
Opening it, another plain white room greeted them.
Just like last time... I'm sure we can expect another nice surprise.
Knowing once they entered, the door would more than likely be slammed shut, they were at least prepared this time.
With YN entering first, he observed the one and only object in the room. A single, round orb, like a large white marble sat upon a white column, much like the orb from the previous room. Following behind him, Rem stepped in as well, and gently shut the door behind her. Going to twist the handle again as if to leave, she shook her head.
Rem: It is locked, just like last time.
YN: Well, at least it didn't slam shut this time.
Somewhat thankful he wasn't going to be startled by that, YN but a hand to his chin.
YN: We should probably proceed with caution here, and maybe strategize any possible— hk!
Cutting off YN, a sudden howl of sound was projected from the orb at the center of the room. Sounding like a large jet engine powering up, YN felt a fierce wind, baked with heat, rush towards him.
Drying his eyes, he was forced to squint as the heatwave bombarded him and Rem, but nonetheless, YN made the effort to stand in front of Rem reflexively, hopefully shielding her.
Rem: What is going on?! Why is it—?!
Cutting off Rem now was a change of sound. The howl quickly turned into roar, and with it the snap and crackle of a mighty flame. Painting the room in a hue of orange and red, a large, thin tower of fire grew from the orb which now radiated a red color, hot with magical energy.
YN: Shit!
Feeling the oxygen in the air beginning to be used up, YN felt every breath become warm and stale. Peering from behind him, Rem watched as the tall flame danced like a tall blade of grass in the wind.
That's not how fire behaves... Rem would almost think it's alive—!
Recoiling as if it were reading her thoughts, the tall flame started whipping about violently, slamming into the sides of the room and the ground violently. Taking a step back but keeping Rem behind him, YN realized the true nature of the room.
YN: Fire magic! It's a big, flaming whip!
Again as if reacting to his words, the large column of flames slowed its rampage, and lined up for a large, sweeping strike against the two still standing by the door.
Coming in faster than he had expected, YN grabbed Rem and tucked and rolled. Moving towards one of the corners of the room, it did not appear if the flames reach would allow for it to strike anything at the room's farthest points from the middle.
Seeing the flame come around again to strike, YN pushed Rem as hard as he could, getting her to the very corner, away from the flames.
Rem: YN-kun!
Freeing her from a hellish fate, YN felt the terrible heat right before it reached him.
YN: Ack!
Rather than striking him, the flame wrapped around, and picked up his entire body.
Hot!
Not daring to try and pry the fiery whip off him and burn his hands, YN tried to keep any exposed skin from coming in contact with the flames as he was hurled and shook about. To him, it felt as if the fire whip was rejoicing in its successful capture.
My clothes are going to be—!
Rem: Let him go!
Hearing a rattle of chains and rusty pipes, YN at least could be clued into what Rem was going to try, despite the immense heat keeping his eyes shut.
Lashing out her morningstar, Rem aimed square for the orb. Sounding as if a thousand glass mirrors had been shattered, the morningstar's heavy, spiked metal head collided with its target.
Instantly, the flame holding YN vaporized, but the inertia that he had from behind flung around did not. Slamming into the far wall, YN face planted against it, and fell about twice his own height.
Dropping her morningstar with a loud thud, Rem ran towards him, her shoes crushing bits of the shattered orb below them as she reached him.
Rem: YN-kun! Say something! Anything!
Applying healing magic to the few red, scorched burns on his arms and torso, he began to come to as the sensation of feeling returned to his burned areas.
YN: Ehh... That... feels a lot better.
Almost losing her concentration on her healing, Rem nearly stopped as well due to wanting to caress his face with her hands.
Rem: YN-kun is lucky these burns aren't worse, otherwise Rem might have struggled to heal them.
Watching as the last remnants of burnt skin were whisked away, and his skin was repaired, Rem gently rubbed her hand against the newly healed surface.
Rem: Is YN-kun's sense of touch still intact?
Nodding at her, YN sat up and looked at what remained of his attire. With much of it being burnt black and chipping away, it appeared as if he was wearing moth-eaten rags.
I was wrapped in flames for a good half a minute... how is it not worse?
Pulling off a burnt piece of cloth from his shoulder, YN recognized it.
This is—, was, the collar of Roswaal's outfit I was wearing...
Forgetting that he had been wearing the outfit as part of a gag right before being brought to these white rooms in the first place, YN recalled one other vital point as well, out loud.
YN: These clothes, they were still waterlogged when coming in here...
Hearing him, Rem took a look at her own day-off outfit.
Rem: The heat appears to have dried Rem's clothes too.
With only a few burns from direct heat on his abdomen, YN realized he had Roswaal's outfit to thank for his protection.
YN: Since I was wearing Roswaal's suit over my normal work clothes, and since they were both really wet still, that's why the burns weren't worse.
In their damp states, the extra layers of clothes had worked as a buffer for the fire whip's extreme heat. While eventually being burned up, it had bought YN enough time to be saved by Rem.
Rem: It appears dressing up as Roswaal-sama ended up saving YN-kun.
As the last of the stinging sensation from the burns subsided thanks to Rem's magic, YN shed the mostly burned clown suit off his body.
Helping him up, Rem inspected the damage done to YN's work clothes that were on underneath.
Poking a few of the holes with her finger and ripping off stray threads that were fraying off, Rem looked up and smiled at YN.
Rem: YN-kun should be happy to know that Rem believes she should be able to patch and repair this pair.
Putting a hand on the oni's head, YN gave her his most sincere thanks.
YN: I'm just glad you're okay.
Rem: It should be Rem saying that to YN-kun.
Smiling at her concern, YN was happy to be so cared for.
YN: But I'm also glad that outfit of yours didn't get any damage, and that you're all dried out now.
While YN couldn't explain it, he had become a fan of her "day-off" outfit.
I seriously can't decide if she looks better dressed as a maid, or if the real gem is more normal clothes that remain slightly maid-like.
Rem: Rem is unfortunately going to have to spend a long time getting these wrinkles out...
Because her dress had gone from being so wet to being bone dry in the blink of an eye, the wrinkles from earlier remained, and were now set in the outfits cloth.
Hearing a slight *ker-chunk* Behind them, the door they had entered from re-opened, and taking its invention, the two proceeded back out into the main, middle room to debrief and plan their next move.
Sitting down square in the middle of the white room, YN felt Rem do the same, putting her back to his. As the two really just leaned on each other, they each self reflected for a moment, trying to gather their thoughts. Breaking the momentary silence through, YN spoke up.
YN: Is it just me, or do you also think that each door is based on an element? First was Water, and the last one was Fire.
As they each stared off and away from each other and at the two doors that remained to be opened, Rem replied.
Rem: Rem can recall Roswaal-sama mentioning a metia once called the 'White Fox's Nest.' It seals an individual inside, where they must complete a series of Trials to escape. Rem finds all too many similarities to this and what that metia might actually be...
YN: Well, given how I can see why they might call it the 'White' Fox's Nest, four doors could really mean four elements.
Rem: Then that would mean the next door we open is a choice between Wind or Earth magic.
Thinking for a moment, YN recalled one thing that would be slightly amiss.
YN: Hey wait a minute—
Looking to his left and right where the two doors that had already been opened were, YN recounted the number of all the magical elements.
YN: Isn't there six total if you include Yin and Yang?
Rem: Those two are very rare, so it may be that the creator of the metia either didn't think it was important to include them, or did not have a way of implementing them.
Looking down at his hand he had first cast Jiwald with, YN replied.
YN: Yin and Yang are just that special, huh? Not even a trial room...
Turning her body, Rem moved her back away from YN's and positioned herself next to him.
Rem: YN-kun should still refrain from using magic until he can be properly examined alongside Subaru-kun. Rem wants to be certain he doesn't also have a damaged Gate.
Taking the hand he still stared at, Rem stood up, and while continuing to hold that hand, helped him up as well.
YN: We still need to find a way out, and the only way we can go—
Rem: —is forward.
Saying that, they each turned and looked toward one of the two doors that remained unopened. Turning their gazes back to one another, Rem and YN inspired some last minute confidence in themselves. Proceeding towards the next door, hand in hand, Rem this time placed her own hand on the knob, and twisted.
Just like the times before, by the time the two entered into the room, the door slammed shut behind them, trapping them inside until the orb at the center of the room was destroyed. But as they examined the room, one key difference compared to the other two rooms they'd been through was immediately noticeable.
The rooms themselves were always stark white, and brightly lit. Covering the floors and the walls and the ceiling were tiles, large ones at that. The size of the rooms had remained constant as well, and while YN couldn't precisely gauge the size of these rooms, he figured they were about as wide as they were tall, with depth to match, or in other words, they were cube shaped. Each surface of the room was five-by-five tiles wide, and these tiles were about twice his height should he decide to lay down on them. While every room's floor before had twenty-five perfectly white tiles, bare of anything else other than the single podium in the very middle tile that hosted the crystal for the trial, this room was very different.
The only bare tile in this room was the one Rem and YN had entered into. The rest were gone. And in their place—
YN: Mud.
Caught off guard by the change in expectation, the two looked out across the room.
Rem: This is very... unexpected.
Trying to gather as many hints as they could before things started, YN spoke the only conclusion he could draw.
YN: This must be the Earth Magic room.
Taking in as much as they could, they each noticed that no other surface in the room had been sullied by the mud, every other tile in the room remained a stark white color.
Staying silent for a moment longer, the two anticipated the start of the trial any second. Yet, nothing happened.
Rem: Something should have occurred by now, yes?
Simply nodding in reply, YN continued to be cautious, expecting a surprise of any sort, at any time.
Breaking their statue-like behavior though, Rem proceeded further into the room, heading right for the podium that held the crystal that needed to be destroyed. Reaching the end of the only unmuddied floor tile in the room, Rem stared down at the stagnant muck before her.
With YN moving to her flank, his eyes stayed glued to the vicinity around her, ready to anticipate anything that may harm her.
Waiting not a moment longer though, Rem lifted her leg up, ready to take the first step into the muck. Watching as her delicate, black maid shoe breach the surface of the mud, YN could see Rem was gauging the depth before fully placing her weight on her shoe.
As the entire toe section of her shoe descended into the muck, it stopped, prompting Rem to move her heel down with it. While nearly deep enough to submerge her own entire shoe in, it was clear traversing across it would pose a minute, but not entirely impossible challenge.
Rem: If nothing will happen, then let us take advantage of that and get as close to the crystal as we can before anything starts.
Nodding, YN went to take his first step in as Rem moved to place her second step in.
But unseen to her, as she placed her full weight onto her muddied shoe, going to step fully off the white tile, YN saw the mud to her flank bubble.
YN: Rem!
Reaching out to her and grabbing her shoulder with his hand, another appendage also shot forth from the bubbles of mud, grabbing onto her leg.
Rem: What was—?!
Pulling her back onto the tile, YN and Rem fell backwards. Readying mana in his palm to sever whatever had just tried grabbing her, YN was surprised to see their motion had been enough to thwart its attempt.
Seeing the hand of mud that had emerged from muck, it had only managed to grab the stocking on Rem's leg. Having pulled it and her shoe off as YN pulled Rem back, losing these two things had saved her from being dragged away.
YN: What the hell...?
Far enough from the mud to be grabbed again (hopefully), they both saw the hand drop the once white stocking, now stained with mud, and retreat back into the muck. With the trial seemingly having started, it was marked by the white tile they still laid on was now sullied with muck for the first time, not only from the hand, but also from the mud that remained on what was now Rem's entire exposed leg after losing its stocking.
But, before they could say another word, more bubbles throughout the mud, all across the room began to form. Scrambling to their feet, Rem slightly staggered as her now bare foot slightly slipped in the tracked up mud on the once clean tile.
YN: Shit!
Like corpses crawling out of shallow graves, mud zombies pulled themselves out of the muck throughout the room where the bubbles had been. Where the first arm had grabbed Rem, the most complete and closest of them stood. Speechless and faceless, they stood still.
Rem: This area where there is no mud, perhaps this is a safe spot—
But as soon as Rem had speculated on their limits, the first man of mud shambled up onto the white tile, bringing with it more mud as it slowly stepped forward, and more as it dripped from its upright body.
As soon as it had taken this step though, Rem reacted.
Rem: El Huma!
Conjuring forth a spear of ice, it was sent out. Impaling the muddy surface of the entity, it did no damage.
YN: Just like that monster...
Recalling the shape-shifting beast of Saluzzo, YN bit his lip at yet another advisory that seemed impervious to damage.
I'll give it a shot!
Reaching his hand out, YN built up the mana in his palm.
Rem: YN-kun, please be careful, your Gate—
YN: Jiwald!
As the cascading rays of heat and light spread from YN's palm, he had heeded Rem's call just then, and limited the export of his mana.
This one is pretty decent sized, but not as powerful as I'd have liked...
With the light subsiding, the mud zombie before them was greatly deformed. Steam rose from newly exposed mud, having evaporated most of the water in its mucky surface. Ultimately, it's arms, head, and most of its torso were gone. Until—
Rem: It's rebuilding itself!
Bubbling like the surface of the mucky expanse, the newly exposed layers of mud on the zombie's body began to grow, forming into a similar shape as it had been before. Reaching its own arms out, it re-began its advance towards them, this time being followed by the rest of its formerly stationary comrades.
Unable to thwart just one, YN and Rem stood little chance against several dozen or more. Thinking more, YN came up with a single idea.
YN: Forget these guys. Just aim for the crystal, it'll end if we can destroy it.
Rem: Right!
Moving back more and lifting her hand up once more, Rem called forth her oni powers. As the horn manifested on her forehead, she chanted out her spell.
Rem: Al Huma!
Sending out a single, mammoth sized ice spear, Rem's aim was true. Yet as the gargantuan spear took flight, more of the mud between it and the crystal began to bubble.
Quickly sprouting up and out of the ground, were more mud zombies, whose only purpose was to intercept the incoming projectile. All in a row, they crawled up only to be cut down.
But with each one the ice impaled, the less energy it had. As each mud zombie collided with it, the slower it became, until it merely lodged itself inside several of them, fully halting the ice spear only a little over halfway to the crystal, its intended target.
Gasping at their stopping power, YN could see even in her more frenzied oni phase, Rem was at a loss at how such a thing could occur. Thinking quickly though and with more mud zombies stepping up and onto the white tile, YN had a brief idea.
Reaching out and pointing his fingers forward, he prepared an El Jiwald.
If I can aim just right, I can—
Stopping his concentration and getting him to halt the flow of mana from his Gate to his palm, he felt Rem latch onto his free arm.
Rem: —Please! Rem asks her YN-kun to reconsider. If he uses that spell, YN-kun will pass out.
Knowing Rem was ultimately pleading to not be left alone while undergoing this trial and potentially the next, YN stopped, surprised at himself as well that he had jumped to such a drastic conclusion.
Rem: Rem knows YN-kun means well, but we must think of a better solution.
As the mud zombies continued to close in, YN craned his head about trying to find a clue of any sort when he heard the dragging of rusty pipes and the rattling of chains.
Having drawn forth her morningstar, Rem lashed out with it.
Rem: Get away from us!
Felling three completely with the spiked, ball-end, Rem had managed to destroy most of their body, leaving him only their "knees" and downward. Expecting them to just be rebuilt, something else happened.
The muddy "knees" that remained upward collapsed all together, pooling into more muck on the white tile. But beyond where they were, more bubbles formed in the muck, and three new mud zombies joined the ranks of the many closing in on them.
Rem: Hiyaa! Haa!
Violently lashing out her morningstar, Rem cut down mud zombie after mud zombie. But with each one she fell, one replaced it.
Grabbing YN and jumping back toward the wall just as they were to be surrounded, Rem called readied more mana again.
Rem: Ul Huma!
Sending out a flurry of ice spears, many of the mud zombies hit by them were merely staggered for a moment, where only a few were completely cut down. Watching as more rose from the murky floor though, YN noticed one thing.
There are more now... Just a bit more, but it's obvious.
Whipping and impairing more, each mud zombie cut down by Rem's morningstar rose one nearby, yet when ended by magic—
Rem: Al Huma!
Detonating a group of five mud zombies with a massive ice spear from above, YN counted ten that took their place.
Shit! If you kill them with magic, they multiply!
YN: Rem! Stop using magic to destroy them! It's doing more harm than good!
Canceling what would have been another spell, she jumped out and let loose a furious swing of her morningstar.
Rem: Rem is unsure if she will be able to keep them back using melee only. And with all this... it makes keeping her footing very hard.
Trying to brush her feet free of mud, Rem was currently covered in a great amount of it. Tossing aside her muddied remaining shoe and stocking, YN realized just how much had gotten on her.
Her face, her hair, her arm, her legs, her dress, even in her cleavage had specs and drops of mud all over them, more than likely from smashing the mud zombies. It was just like when Rem had blood splattered on her from fighting the beasts in the forest.
Well, I guess when you have a morningstar as your go-to weapon, such a crude fighting style is bound to leave you covered in... whatever your enemies are made out of.
Trying to think while Rem did the fighting, YN knew their goal needed to be destroying the crystal.
There's an opening! I'll just run over and—!
Cutting off his path, a freshly risen mud zombie from one Rem had just ended had nearly grabbed him.
Damn it.
Knowing that Rem needed to maintain a constant influx of removing any that got too close, YN was at an impasse when it came to how he was supposed to out maneuver them, if they could just pop back up right in front of him automatically.
There's only a finite amount of them, right now anyway... So to allow me to get by, none can be killed.
Thinking of a strategy, Rem pulled him back further, away from the ever advancing odds they found themselves in.
YN: Rem! I need you to focus on evasion, don't kill anymore of them. Let them get close and group them up.
Recalling her morningstar from ending several mud zombies, she grabbed YN again and leapt away from the last remaining unmuddied part of the white tile.
Landing in a thicket of mud, they each were now completely caked from their shins, downward.
Rem: If Rem did not trust her YN-kun as she does, she might have begun to question whether he actually wants the mud to be victorious.
With the hoard between them and the crystal still, it turned back to face them, and advanced once more.
YN: We need to corral them up as tightly as we can, and then once we do, I need you to throw me over them, and I'll smash the crystal somehow. If you kill any, they'll just show up right by me instead.
Rem: That is already a very challenging request, and with us now in this deeper mud, moving around for Rem will be much more difficult.
Looking over to Rem try and take a step, it was much harder for her with her shorter stature compared to his own. Her entire exposed thighs and legs were now splattered in the slippery mud.
Rem: —But, Rem will do her best not to disappoint her YN-kun!
Getting ready, YN and Rem hesitantly let the hoard approach, trying to keep them as in tight of a formation as they could. Even with their slow speed though, they retained a movement advantage compared to Rem or YN.
Becoming more and more surrounded, Rem took her position to propel YN. Cupping her hands like a step, Rem wiped any mud on them on her dress to keep him from slipping off.
Rem: Get ready, Rem will do her best to use only the needed amount of strength.
Fully aware Rem had the strength to impale him on the ceiling of the room, YN trusted her to use her best judgment. With the mud zombies only a few paces away, YN took the offered step of Rem's.
YN: On three. Okay? One, —!
Rem: —Three!
Lifting him up and over the crowd of muddy adversaries, YN's hadn't prepared himself for the feeling of being airborne.
She learned that from Subaru!
Easily clearing any obstacles, YN landed while sliding, letting the mud absorb most of the impact from his fall. Righting himself as quickly as he could, he projected a muddy thumbs up to Rem, hoping to quell any worry she might have had, yet looking over at her, he could see she had other things to deal with.
In a flurry of quick dodges made slow by the muck, Rem was desperately trying to stay clear of being grabbed. With less and less room to evade, the tactic of corralling the mud zombies and trapping themselves was now beginning to work against them.
YN: Rem!
Taking a step back toward her, Rem replied by yelling back.
Rem: Do not worry about Rem! Focus on the task!
Shit, she's right!
Doing her best to not kill any of the mud zombies, lest they reappear next to YN, Rem really began to struggle to evade as the room she had left shrunk more and more.
Having to take long, deep steps through the thick mud near the crystal, YN placed his hands on it.
YN: Now, just gotta smash it!
Balling his fist up, YN summoned all his strength into his downward pound.
YN: Haaa!
As his fist made impact, all he heard was a dull "thud" at his exhausted efforts, followed by a minute throbbing pain.
Ouch!
Unsuccessful in his attempt, he tried again.
*Thunk!*
And again, with the other hand.
*Thunk!*
YN: Damn it!
With this strategy clearly not working, YN had to think fast. Taking a look back at Rem, she was managing, but only barely.
I could try Jiwald, but I don't think heat and light alone will be enough to melt or otherwise destroy it...
Looking down at the "floor" as well, YN knew throwing it against the ground was also not an option. The thick mud would just cushion its impact, much like it had done for him after being thrown.
Feeling hopeless, Rem voiced a suggestion despite her difficult position.
Rem: YN-kun! Put your mana in your fist and arm!
Not having time to question her, YN did as she said as she evaded ever closer mud zombies.
YN: O-Okay, now what?
Rem: Now, as you were going to cast a spell— Aheh!
YN: Rem!
While trying to catch her balance, Rem had finally been caught.
Rem: Ugh! Huyaa!
Having grabbed her arm, Rem was now immobile, and vulnerable.
Taking the same arm he had prepared mana in, he pointed it over to the hoard surrounding Rem, but before he could cast his spell, her voice stopped him.
Rem: Ughhh! Don't! Don't lose that mana!
YN: But—! Rem you need to—!
Rem: Trust Rem! Trust Rem like she trusts YN-kun!
Seeing her other arm be grabbed, Rem was slowly beginning to be dragged down as more approached her.
Rem: Let go of Rem!
Breaking free from the two that held her by summoning the last of her strength, only a few seconds of freedom were bought before she was grabbed by another three.
YN: Rem!
Rem: Use that mana as your strength! Smash the crystal using that— Ugh!
As a forth and firth grabbed her, Rem was pulled from his immediate view!
YN: Rem! Damn it!
Turning around quickly and seeing the crystal, the arbiter of the mud zombies, YN kept his mana tuned arm filled with energy.
She's right, I need to focus on this instead. I need to destroy that to free her!
Heeding her advice, YN's panic seemed to mix with the mana in his arm. Feeling it's power seep into his muscles because of that, YN did the only thing he could.
Please work!
Winding up to punch the crystal, a flash of white scattered about in his peripheral vision, and with it came another rush of power.
YN: I'll save you Rem! Your hero will—!
Launching forth his fist, a heat not unlike the one he felt while casting Jiwald radiated in his closed hand as his whole arm moved faster than he anticipated.
Nearly causing him to miss his mark, YN's knuckle connected with the crystal.
YN: —Your hero will save you!
Shattering on impact, the shards of crystal impacted the opposite wall of him, further breaking into more and more uncountable pieces.
As his first remained extended from the strike, a haze rose off his exposed skin and a heatwave was visible across the entirety of the arm.
With the crystal having turned to dust at his own volition, YN was speechless at his own power.
How—... how did I manage to do that?
Thinking to ask her how this was possible, or how she even knew to suggest such a thing, YN remembered.
Rem!
Having the last thing he saw was her being surrounded, YN feared he might be letting precious seconds pass by for her rescue as he gawked at his own achievement.
YN: Rem! Are you—
As he turned, an impact reached his torso. Causing him to fall backwards, YN's eyes caught only a glimpse of that special hue of blue he knew so well.
Feeling her weight on top of him, she let him know that she was okay.
Rem: YN-kun!
Continuing to hug and hold him, YN felt the layer of muck below him begin to subside, leaving him on a flat, hard surface.
YN: Rem! Are you hurt?! Are you— hmph!?
Having his words cut off by her lips pausing his own, Rem granted YN a hero's reward.
A kiss!
Coming off him, Rem placed both her hands on the side of his face.
Rem: Rem knew her YN-kun— her hero, could do it!
Unmounting him, Rem stood and offered a still muddy hand to YN. Taking it, they both stood, and looked around them.
YN: It looks like the mud went away... At least most of it.
While Rem and YN remained caked in the filth, as well as anywhere else it had splattered around the white room, the thick layer covering the floor had subsided, as well as the mud zombies themselves.
Trying in vain to wipe the mud off her hands onto her muddy outfit, which only yielded an equally muddy hand in exchange, Rem sighed before smiling weakly at YN.
Rem: Cleaning these clothes is going to prove troublesome.
YN: Well, my clothes are supposed to get dirty, yours...
Rem: Rem is very sorry, she knows YN-kun really liked this dress of hers. She'll work extra hard to get the stains out.
YN: You might also want to make sure your hair doesn't stain as well.
As he said that, YN took the flowered headband from Rem's head, and lightly brushed a few prices of caked up mud off of it. Placing it back on her head, Rem adjusted it the rest of the way, but as she did, YN noticed something else.
YN: Rem, your hairclip is gone.
Feeling for it, Rem realized that's why her bangs fell as they did. She had assumed it was because there was mud in her hair, yet rather she lacked her usual pink clip that held it back and free from her left eye.
Rem: Oh, Rem will have to use her spare until— *gasp*!
Suddenly halting her words, Rem's fingers had been tracing the hair strands that were usually held back by her clip, when they suddenly moved down to around her upper chest and neck area.
Quickly, Rem fondled the precious necklace that paired with the one YN still wore as well.
Rem: Phew...
Seeing the look of relief flow across her face, Rem asked YN a question he had halfway expected.
Rem: YN-kun still has his as well?
Pulling it out from his undershirt, YN displayed the other half of the necklace Rem also wore.
YN: I never leave home without it.
Watching as Rem removed hers, YN did so as well, knowing what she'd want to do.
Clasping them together, YN's outside pewter colored piece fit perfectly around the blue gemmed centerstone that perfectly matched Rem's eyes.
Rem: They fit together perfectly, just like us.
Folding her hand around the two joined prices, Rem hugged YN, joining themselves as well.
Rem: Rem is so thankful YN-kun is her hero.
Hugging the maid back, the two separated themselves and the necklace pieces as well, and put them back on. Taking each other's hand, the two exited the room, and returned to the center one where the last room remained.
Taking a deep breath, YN voiced his apprehension to the next room.
YN: The final door...
Staying silent for a moment as they stared at the last remaining door, YN continued.
YN: With as fierce as the previous three have been, I'm afraid of what lies in store for us in the last one...
Rem: It is a hurdle we must cross unfortunately. Emilia-sama's safety may be in danger.
YN: That is true...
Knowing they really should try and clear these trials as fast as they can, one last question puzzled YN before they forged on.
YN: Uhh, Rem, how did you know that putting mana into my arm would get me to punch harder? That was good thinking on your part... I feel like I should have known that was possible to do, but I don't think I could have figured it out like I should have unless you had said something.
Rem: In one of the loops Rem went back and witnessed, before YN-kun could begin to recall what had happened, he did something similar when in a fight with Leo.
YN: I... punched him?
While it was hard to imagine that he could have hoped to get a footing close enough to the magician to perform such a stunt, YN wholeheartedly believed Rem.
Rem: Yes. As YN-kun probably can recall, Rem can feel a more muted shared sensation to what he could feel in those memories. Rem simply made sure to note how it felt for YN-kun when he summoned his strength like that.
YN: I see... is that a common thing with magicians? Being able to augment their mana to become stronger?
Rem: It depends. There are warriors who are able to call on their mana to give themselves strength, speed, agility, or even perception, but only know a spell or two, if any at all. But typically a magician of average talent would prefer to devote their practice to learning spells, rather than hone their bodies.
YN: But Roswaal is capable of both though, isn't he?
Recalling how easily he had ripped the doors of his study off their hinges in the last foregone loop, YN posed that question to Rem.
Rem: Roswaal-sama is a master of nearly all magic, and that includes enhancing his physical abilities.
YN: I see... I guess it's just sort of odd. To me at least.
Turning her head to face him, she tilted it in question.
Rem: Why is that?
Rubbing under his nose, YN felt somewhat embarrassed by his own biases in this world, knowing those should have been shattered forever ago now.
YN: In my world, a physically strong wizard or magician was something you wouldn't typically see. Granted, that was all in fiction, and wasn't real in any way. It still just sort of seems... I don't know how to put it... maybe "useless?" Since they probably couldn't utilize a lot of spells.
YN could have gone into explaining what an "Arcane Warrior," "Spell-Sword," "Paladin," or "Monk" was to maybe justify the existence of a physically strong magic user, but now really wasn't the time for such a tangent of follow-up question that would earn him from Rem.
Rem: YN-kun has a great deal more to understand of magic in this world, doesn't he?
YN: I guess I do.
Smiling at him, Rem pulled him forward by their held hands.
Rem: Rem sometimes forgets YN-kun came from a world with no magic. Thankfully he has his Rem to help guide him.
Tuning her head and attention elsewhere though, Rem looked over to their next and hopefully last obstacle.
Rem: Once YN-kun has his gate inspected, perhaps he would like to hone that skill more?
YN: Yeah, I think I would. It could come in handy.
In truth, having a strength to tap into wouldn't just be useful for protecting Rem, YN could utilize it for a number of things, like his tasks as a groundskeeper for the mansion.
Rem: —Talk on that will have to wait though. Our final trial awaits.
Continuing to stare over at the fourth door, YN could only surmise one final thing.
YN: That's the Wind room, isn't it?
Rem: That is the only element we have not encountered. Nee-sama's own.
Recalling the ferocious nature of Wind magic Ram had used, the main example that spun around in his head was when she had sent a blade of air to sever Subaru's leg in a fargone loop.
I really hope it's not a trial where we're basically sent into a blender of sorts...
Fully expecting a trial filled with the threat of potential limb loss, YN swallowed hard. Feeling a grip on his hand though, Rem silently reassured him.
Sighing at the lack of choices they were left with, he prepared to burden the responsibility of everything to come. Approaching the door, YN took initiative once more and entered first, keeping a keen eye open for any threats before Rem entered.