Chapter 2
Shrouded in Darkness
"—What's the matter, boy ? You look like you saw a ghost."
"Ah?"
Subaru, feeling disoriented and utterly lost, blinked, staring at the celadon-haired middle-aged man with stern features and a scowl etched deep into his face.
"I asked you about the appa!" the man bellowed, his bushy eyebrows furrowing further in annoyance. "The appa! Do you buy it or not? Do you even have money?"
Subaru's mind struggled to catch up. "Hah—?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.
"Don't 'Hah–" me! The appa! You wanna eat it, right? You came here saying that and then your eyes suddenly went blank which was quite the shock. Anyway, how about it?"
"Oh.. No, like I said, I'm broke beyond compare…"
The man snorted derisively. "You're just browsing? For real? Get outta here! I'm tryna run a business! Shoo! Shoo!"
Subaru obediently backed away, his heart pounding against his ribs. He needed air, space to process the surreal experience he was having.
He looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The bustling marketplace, filled with merchants hawking their wares, seemed oddly familiar, yet completely alien at the same time.
"What's going on here?" he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible over the din of the marketplace. "Wasn't it just nighttime a minute ago?"
Subaru's familiar jersey felt foreign against his skin. No dust, no dirt – as if time had been rewound, scrubbing away the grime of their recent ordeal.
The convenience store bag in his hand remained pristine, his phone and wallet safely tucked within his pocket. Even the wound that had ripped open his belly was gone, a phantom ache replaced by smooth skin.
It felt like madness. A cruel, impossible rewind. Had he somehow blinked back to square one?
The memories, however, were in sharp relief.
A monstrous corpse looming before him.
A woman's soft voice echoing through the carnage.
His own gut-wrenching pain as his world dissolved into darkness.
A silver-haired girl venturing into the loot house to check on him.
"That's right, Satella!"
His mind had been a fog of terror and confusion. A wave of icy regret crashed over him.
The situation had screamed danger from the moment he stepped inside the loot house. But in his panic, he'd become paralyzed.
He hadn't even raised his voice, hadn't fought back. And because of that, not only had he failed to save himself, but he'd dragged Satella into a nightmare she shouldn't have faced.
Her silver hair had been stained crimson as she succumbed to the same fate, collapsing into a sea of blood beneath him.
The image was burned into his memory, a horrifying testament to his own weakness and inaction.
"Am I an idiot! No! I'm definitely a moron! Damn it! I have to look for them-"
He desperately tried to push aside the terrifying possibility that she was still dead. But before he could fully grasp the weight of her possible demise, a sound ripped through the silence.
A scream, filled with terror and despair, pierced his heart.
"SUBARUUUUU!" It was Satella's voice, her unmistakable silver bell-like tone laced with anguish.
The cobbled streets echoed with the clamor of the commotion they had caused.
Emilia, her face etched with worry, carried an unconscious Felt through a maze of winding alleys, seeking refuge from the chaos they had left behind.
Subaru followed her, his mind reeling from the whirlwind of events. Relief at seeing Emilia safe and sound overwhelmed him, but it was quickly overshadowed by a deep sense of unease. Her face was pale, her brows furrowed with worry, and her usually bright eyes had a haunted quality that chilled him to the bone.
Puck, usually bursting with energy, remained silent, his feline gaze darting between Emilia and Subaru with an unsettling mixture of confusion and apprehension. He seemed as lost as Subaru, struggling to reconcile Emilia's sudden agitation with the unknown young man at her side.
The raven-haired boy's own thoughts were a tangled mess. His mind desperately tried to grasp the reality before him.
Satella…no, Emilia safe, yet bearing the unmistakable marks of a recent trauma.
And Puck, who seemed to have forgotten their shared history.
Had he truly returned to square one?
As they turned a sharp corner into a quieter alleyway, Emilia paused, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. She frantically rummaged through Felt's pockets, her fingers finally closing around something that sparked with an eerie reddish light – the Royal's insignia.
"Puck," she whispered insistently, her exhausted voice breaking the heavy silence between them. "Please, help me heal this girl."
Puck, his usual nonchalance replaced by a rare seriousness, nodded silently. He hovered over the unconscious Felt, his magic swirling around her like a soothing balm. "Very well, Lia. You can explain what's going on whenever you like."
Subaru :"So you don't remember me, right, Puck?"
The familiar voice seemed to reach through the fog of confusion in Puck's mind. He paused his healing, his amber eyes focusing on Subaru for the first time. "Yes, I never saw you before. Subaru, was it?"
Subaru : "Yes, Natsuki Subaru, even more clueless and still broke beyond compare…" The attempt at humor fell flat, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.
He swallowed, pushing back the unease that gnawed at him. "And so, your name isn't Satella, but Emilia?"
Emilia's voice was a tired whisper. "Yes… I'm veeeery sorry… I… Don't know what I was thinking."
A wave of sadness washed over Subaru, seeing her burdened with guilt and uncertainty.
He offered a small, genuine smile, hoping to offer some comfort. "Don't worry about it! And that's a very beautiful name."
Puck, ears twitching with skepticism, chimed in. "I wonder why you'd give yourself the name of the Witch of Envy. It's really in very bad taste, Lia!"
Subaru blinked, genuinely confused. "The Witch of Envy? What's that?"
Puck & Emilia : "What?!"
A startled silence fell over them. Puck and Emilia exchanged a bewildered look.
Puck, having detected no falsehood in his question, broke the tension with a surprised "You… you really don't know?"
Emilia's eyes widened in alarm. "Satella... The Witch of Envy... is responsible for the Great Calamity 400 years ago. A ceaseless destructive rampage that resulted in the decimation of half of the world. She is considered the most evil individual to have ever been born."
Subaru's jaw dropped, his mind struggling to process the information. "What… Really?"
"You really seem to know nothing," Emilia began, her voice carrying a hint of weariness. "So, I'll teach you. The First Sword Saint Reid, the Divine Dragon Volcanica, and the Great Sage Shaula sealed her in the Evil Sealing Stone Shrine—since she is said to be impossible to kill. Also—"
She hesitated, her gaze flickering towards Subaru. A knot of fear tightened in her chest, as she thought his caring attitude might have been out of ignorance.
A part of her wanted desperately to hold back, to shield herself from his potential rejection. What if he turned away from her upon discovering the hard truth?
What if he rejected her when he learned the fact that "—Satella is a half elf, with silver hair, and amethyst eyes."
"Lia…" Puck interjected softly, his bright aqua blue eyes filled with concern.
Subaru, for the first time since their encounter, seemed truly taken aback. A long moment stretched between them before he finally spoke. "I see."
Emilia's body trembled. She averted her gaze, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.
But Subaru, oblivious to her distress, broke into a wide smile. "Emilia! You are incredible!"
Emilia blinked, startled by his sudden enthusiasm. "Eh?"
Subaru : "You didn't want to bother me with your problems, so you took on that fake name to scare me away, right?"
His voice brimming with understanding, he continued "Now that I think about it, you kept saying 'but I'm a half elf'... I understand better! You went so far out of your way to protect me, didn't you?"
A warmth bloomed in Emilia's chest. He was right, in his own clueless way. She wiped away the remaining tear with a shaky smile. "Not really! It just shows how clingy you were."
"Gaah– Was I that clingy?!" Subaru exclaimed, a touch of self-deprecating humor in his voice.
Emilia's laughter echoed through the clearing, filling it with light and warmth.
She couldn't help but feel relieved. He was still the same kind, oblivious Subaru she had come to know.
Puck watched them with a relieved smile, his tail wagging gently. At first he hated this strange boy called Subaru, but he couldn't help recognizing that he was a good person.
Why didn't he remember him? Why had Emilia never mentioned him before?
"When did both of you meet again?" he asked curiously.
The jovial mood vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a heavy silence. The weight of their strange predicament settled back over them.
Emilia met Subaru's gaze, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
"You might think we're crazy," she began, her voice soft yet determined, "but it's not a lie. I met Subaru today, but later... We met... In the future."
Puck : "If I understood correctly, you two saw the same near future where the three of us got attacked in the slums, in the search of that Felt girl who had stolen Lia's insignia ?"
Subaru nodded, a frown etching itself onto his face.
Subaru : "That's… pretty much it, Puck. I know it sounds crazy."
"It scares me that I didn't detect any lies in what you both told me," he confessed. "That's not a very elaborate prank, is it?"
Subaru tilted his head, confusion clouding his features. "Detect lies?"
Puck let out a sigh, rubbing his temples with a furry paw. "I can read minds to a certain extent," he explained, "so I know you're not lying. Still, it sounds so crazy to me that I might as well think you've gone mad enough to believe in such illusions."
He paused, then added with newfound sincerity, "But I believe in Lia, and therefore in you, Subaru."
A wave of warmth washed over Subaru at Puck's words. "Puck…" he breathed, his voice thick with emotion.
Emilia, who had been listening intently, turned to Puck, her eyes gleaming with a sliver of hope. "Puck, is there any spell which could grant future sight?" she asked, her voice laced with anticipation.
Subaru : "Future sight?"
Puck pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting towards the cloudy sky above. "As far as I know," he replied finally, recalling how his own creator's near-omniscient ability works, "it's not totally impossible..."
"It's not impossible," Puck continued, his voice tinged with a hint of wonder, "but it's an extremely rare power, within the realm of the Authorities. Perhaps one or both of you has one that could give you or others insight into future events, Lia, Subaru."
Subaru muttered "Was it as simple as that..."
He stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. The mortal wound he sustained in the loot house. The sensation of losing consciousness. The intense pain ripping through his gut. The paralyzing fear of death. Were those just…visions?
Why hadn't Emilia said anything directly related to that? Did it really feel like simple visions from her perspective? He couldn't quite reconcile it.
Puck, sensing Subaru's turmoil, added with a reassuring tone, "The good thing is that you can avoid this dark future, now that you know about it."
Emilia : "Subaru, did you see the face of our…attacker?"
"No…" Subaru shook his head, a chill running down his spine. "I only heard her voice."
A thoughtful frown creased Emilia's brow. Her pragmatist side taking over, she added "So, as far as I'm concerned, the culprit might've been Felt." She paused, her gaze returning to the sleeping girl nestled beside them.
Subaru couldn't help but feel a pang of doubt. "What? You might be right actually…" he murmured to himself, picturing Felt's innocent slumbering face.
"Or at least, it could've been a partner of hers," Emilia continued, her voice firm despite the lingering uncertainty.
Emilia : "As long as we haven't clarified everything around our premonitions, our safety is uncertain; So we're going to question her."
While Emilia's words projected a calmness that belied their unsettling situation, Subaru sensed a tremor beneath the surface. They never talked about how they died.
It was like a silent understanding – both of them running away from the horrifying truth: They had perished in this future vision.
They had died.
Suddenly, Felt stirred, her eyelids fluttering open as she blinked sleepily at the two figures before her.
"Ugh... what happened..." Felt mumbled, stirring awake from her slumber. The memory of the silver-haired woman crouching before her came flooding back, sending a shiver down her spine.
Felt : "Hk– you're…"
She instinctively wanted to bolt, to disappear into the shadows as fast as possible. But then she met Emilia's gaze – amethyst eyes cold and piercing, devoid of any warmth or forgiveness.
Felt felt a wave of primal fear wash over her. Any foolish thought of escape evaporated instantly. In that chilling stare, she sensed the unyielding power of someone who could extinguish her life without a second thought.
The air grew thick with tension, amplified by the oppressive silence that hung heavy between them. Emilia remained stoic, her focus laser-sharp on Felt, as if dissecting her every move and thought.
Subaru, sensing the escalating tension, stepped in, his voice a beacon of normalcy in the otherwise suffocating atmosphere.
"Hello Felt! I'm Natsuki Subaru," he said with a friendly smile, gesturing towards Puck beside him. "This is Puck, and this lovely lady here is called Emilia."
Felt swallowed nervously, her throat suddenly dry. "Hi dude," she croaked out, trying to sound nonchalant. "Look… I feel sorry for trying to steal from you, alright!"
But Emilia remained silent, her unyielding gaze unwavering. The weight of her silence was more terrifying than any spoken threat.
"So... what do you want?" Felt asked, her voice trembling slightly as she met Emilia's eyes.
Emilia took a measured breath, her expression softening just a fraction. "First of all, I'd like to apologize for what happened earlier," she said sincerely. "I wasn't in my right mind."
Felt shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant despite the lingering fear that gnawed at her. "Yeah... don't worry 'bout that. You healed me, ain't you?" she said with a wry smile. "Let's call it even and go our separate ways."
Emilia : "Not yet."
She shook her head gently, her voice firm but not unkind. "Of course we can't let you go without answers, don't you think?"
Felt bit her lip, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route that didn't exist. "Yeah, you're right..." she mumbled reluctantly.
Emilia leaned forward slightly, her gaze piercing Felt's carefully constructed facade. "You'll have to answer me," she said, her voice low and resolute. "Otherwise, I'll send you to the knight's reserve for you to be arrested."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with the threat of consequences. Then, as if sensing Felt's fear, Emilia softened her tone slightly. "But I'll let you go if you tell me the truth. I promise."
"Ok, fine... I'll tell you all I know," she wrung her hands nervously, wishing she hadn't taken that risky job.
Felt : "I got that very profitable job from a shady woman with a snake-like gaze. Ten gold coins to steal a woman with golden birds woven on her clothes. That's pretty much the whole story."
Emilia narrowed her eyes slightly, a flicker of suspicion crossing her features : "You aren't associated with this woman, are you?"
"No, I actually never saw her before," Felt insisted, raising her hands in a gesture of innocence. "She's just a client, I swear!"
Emilia turned towards Puck, seeking his assessment. "Puck?"
"She is not lying," he confirmed, his voice carrying a hint of authority. "And she doesn't seem to have any ill intents, if you remove the stealing part of course."
"This woman is probably the one who attacked us in the loot house," she thought to herself, weighing the possibility with growing certainty.
"That's really all I know!" Felt exclaimed, her voice laced with desperation.
Felt : "I knew it was shady, but I agreed anyway; with ten gold coins, I'd have enough to start a new life with my gramps outside the slums... I'm sorry."
Subaru's heart softened at his words. He understood how desperation could drive someone to such extremes.
As Felt spoke, a realization dawned on him, prompting him to ask: "Your gramps… Isn't he a giant bald old man with tattoos on his skull?"
Felt's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes! You know Gramps Rom?"
A shiver ran down Subaru's spine as he remembered the gruesome scene from the loot house. "Emilia! When I entered the loot house first, I saw him! He was pretty much dead!"
"What?!" Felt shrieked, her face paling with horror.
Subaru ignored her reaction and continued, his voice hushed with urgency as he laid out his theory to Emilia.
Subaru : "Felt would have had no reason to kill her own grandfather. I think that shady woman killed him, and probably killed Felt too! To double-cross them, or to cover her tracks, probably for such a reason. We've got our culprit!"
"Hey! The fuck are you talking about?!" Felt protested, her voice shaking with anger and fear.
Subaru chuckled nervously, trying to smooth things over. "Ah! hehe, I was speaking figuratively, I mean, you aren't dead, are you? hehe…" He offered a weak smile, hoping she wouldn't press the issue further.
"Well then, you can go Felt," Emilia said, her voice carrying a finality that left no room for argument. "That's all I needed to know. Let's go, Puck, Subaru."
Subaru : "Wait, Emilia. You'll really let her go? I think we should put her in custody."
Felt scoffed, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. "Hah?! I kept my end of the bargain, alright! Asshole, are you going to go back on your word?!" she retorted, her words sharp and accusatory.
Subaru clenched his fists, struggling to find the right words. "It's not like that! The woman who hired you? She's really bad news! She's probably going to try and kill you, and your grandfather if you're going to involve him in this. You should at least-"
Emilia placed a hand on Subaru's arm, her voice firm yet gentle. "Subaru! We made her a promise! And breaking promises is the worst!"
Subaru's shoulders slumped slightly. He knew Emilia was the type to be deeply principled, but this felt different.
Subaru : "I don't mean we should get her arrested, but ask protection for her from the guards-"
Emilia cut him off, her voice unwavering. "What makes you think she's in danger in the first place? It's not our problem anymore. And Felt can protect herself now that she knows about the situation. Let's get away from this." She turned away, a resolute set to her jaw.
Subaru stared at her back, utterly taken aback. This wasn't like the Emilia he knew, the kind-hearted and compassionate woman who always tried to help those in need. He felt a knot of confusion tightening in his chest.
"Are you making excuses out of embarrassment like usual?" he asked hesitantly, "Or are you serious about leaving?"
"...If so, is that wrong?" she finally asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Subaru stared at Emilia, his confusion deepening. "Huh?" he echoed, searching for an explanation in the turmoil clouding her features.
Emilia bit her lip, a tremor running through her frame. "I don't… I…" she stammered, her voice cracking with unshed tears.
"What if we fail? What if we never find a solution? What if we d–... again?" Her words trailed off into a whimper, the weight of unspoken horrors pressing down on her.
Subaru finally understood. The fear that pervaded Emilia wasn't just about the immediate danger; it was about the overwhelming possibility of failure, the terrifying spectre of repeating past tragedies.
With a sob that tore through the stillness, Emilia buried her face in her hands.
"I don't want to die!" she cried out, her voice raw with anguish.
Of course she will try to run away. He felt exactly the same, after all.
He didn't want to die as well.
Felt, caught between perplexity and growing unease, watched this exchange unfold. She had no clue what they were talking about, yet the sheer desperation in their voices tugged at her, pulling her into a vortex of unspoken fear.
Puck felt a surge of helplessness break through his usual composure. His daughter's mind was consumed by a storm of terror, and there was nothing he could do to calm the raging tempest within her.
He wanted to offer comfort, to shield her from the overwhelming darkness, but all he could manage was a soft, whispered name: "Lia…"
As Emilia's sobs wracked her fragile frame, the dark-haired boy felt a surge of protectiveness, an overwhelming urge to shield her from the pain that threatened to engulf her.
"Emilia," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. "Look at me."
He knew he couldn't erase her fears, but he could offer something far more powerful: his unwavering support.
Subaru : "Emilia. I know you're scared. Heck, I'm even more lost than you here!"
Reaching out, Subaru gently placed a hand on Emilia's shoulder, offering silent comfort. He looked into her tear-stained face, seeing not just fear, but a profound loneliness that mirrored his own.
Subaru : "I suddenly got transported to an unknown world, in a city I never heard of. With no money, knowing nobody. I can't even read the writings around. And I was beaten by some thugs, losing the only thing I had left, my pride."
Emilia : "..."
Subaru : "But, you were here for me.
She lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes wide and vulnerable. He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.
Subaru : "Felt had stolen your precious item, and you were busy enough chasing her. But you stopped in your tracks, to save me, without expecting anything in return."
Emilia : "..."
She remained silent, a flicker of remembrance passing through her eyes.
Subaru : "Even if it was only a vision of the future, the day we lived together was real. From you saving me, to me failing you that night. Everything was real to me."
Puck and Felt exchanged confused glances, bewildered by Subaru's sudden shift in conversation. They listened intently, however, as Subaru's voice held an unexpected weight.
Emilia: "Subaru…" she whispered, her gaze now filled with a mixture of confusion and dawning recognition.
Subaru: : "I promise you, no matter what happens, I won't leave your side. Ever. You're not alone. You don't need to face it alone. We'll face this together."
His words hung in the air, each syllable imbued with a sincerity that reached deep into Emilia's heart. As she listened to his reassurance, her memories surfaced: the swirling darkness, the agonizing cold, and then Subaru's voice, echoing through the void.
"I will…definitely—Save you.", he had vowed.
A sense of calm began to wash over her, replacing the overwhelming terror with a flicker of hope. He had kept his promise then, hadn't he?
And now, in this moment, he was reaffirming it, offering a lifeline amidst the storm raging within her.
"I believe you," she whispered back, her voice barely audible. "Thank you."
With a shaky breath, Emilia nodded, tears still glistening on her cheeks but her gaze steadier. She clung to Subaru's words like a lifeline, drawing strength from his unwavering commitment.
Subaru : "We should at least warn the guards about this, don't you think ?"
Emilia : "Yes… you're right."
Puck let out a sigh of relief, watching the tension ease from Emilia's shoulders. His daughter might still be shaken, but at least for now, she was safe.
He knew the path ahead wouldn't be easy, but seeing Subaru's unwavering dedication to her gave him a sliver of hope that they might just find a way through this darkness together.
"Ara, what a problematic situation. You got caught, Felt."
Subaru froze at the hearing of this soft voice – the one he had heard whispering in his ear in the loot house.
His grip tightened on Emilia's shoulder, his knuckles whitening with barely suppressed fear.
Subaru : "That's the voice I heard in the loot house."
Felt gritted her teeth at the sight of this woman dressed in black, her face contorted in a mixture of fury and betrayal.
Felt : "Damn it! That's her! The bitch who hired me!"
Emilia, who had been struggling to regain her composure, stiffened at the sound of the woman's voice. Her eyes widened in recognition – that perverse smile, holding no remorse or warmth.
A surge of intense fear and rage coursed through Emilia's veins, transforming her from a trembling wreck into a whirlwind of power.
Emilia : "Diiiiiiiiie! El Huuumaaaa!"
El Huma.
A spell shared between the Fire and Water magic elements, allowing its user to form and shoot multitudes of ice spears from their hands, with solidity and power depending simply on the mana amount used.
Precision, on the other hand, depends on the number of conjured spears; the more they are, the harder it is to aim. This spell wasn't built with precision in mind.
Still, a seasoned mage like Emilia can direct as many projectiles as she wishes with near-perfect exactness.
Even in this volatile state, fueled by rage and fear, her years of relentless training in magic didn't betray her. Emilia's magic remained precise, a testament to her dedication.
The issue, however, is that high precision can mean high predictability; the assassin targeted with such accuracy would have less trouble dodging Emilia's attack, which could then fall on innocent passers-by.
"Lia! Careful! They are bystanders behind-" Puck cried out, his voice drowned out by the screeching wind as the ice spears flew towards their target – the woman shrouded in darkness.
Emilia unfortunately realized her misstep too late. The assassin would dodge the attack, and let her face the consequences of her foolish actions-
"Fufufu! What a feisty girl!" she chuckled, her voice laced with derision.
Instead of dodging, she simply let the storm of ice engulf her. The alleyway exploded in a cacophony of shattering ice and hissing steam. The air grew thick with the scent of ozone and snow as Emilia stared, her breath catching in her throat.
Emilia : "Wh– It landed…"
Subaru and Felt exchanged wide-eyed glances, awestruck by the sheer power Emilia had unleashed.
Subaru & Felt : "Daaamn…"
Felt : "Is she dead?", she asked, unable to contain her morbid curiosity.
Subaru : "Don't trigger that flag, Felt!"
The icy explosion had engulfed the assassin, a fortress of frost surrounding her form. But as the last tendrils of smoke dissipated, a chillingly familiar voice echoed from within the melting ice.
"One should always get prepared," it purred, as smooth and cold as glacial water.
The ice block shattered into a thousand pieces, revealing the assassin standing unharmed amidst the debris. She seemed to have shielded herself with her mantle, which evaporated afterwards, exposing her hourglass figure clad in a light, flimsy-looking outfit.
Puck hissed in astonishment. "This coat... is it a single-use artifact?" he murmured, his ears twitching with intrigue.
"Fufu, a spirit… That's a spirit, yes? I have never dissected a spirit's stomach before. How wonderful!" the woman said, her voice laced with a chilling delight that sent shivers down Emilia's spine.
Felt, her face pale with shock and adrenaline, stumbled back. "Shit! She didn't die from this?!" she exclaimed, disbelief lacing her voice.
The assassin's smile widened into a cruel arc as the ice fragments around her evaporated. "The item's original owner is here, and seems to know me," she said, her gaze sweeping over Emilia and Subaru with cold intensity. "We can hardly negotiate, so I have changed my plans."
With a vicious smile, she announced "I shall slaughter everyone here."
Emilia and Subaru instinctively flinched, their faces draining of color as terror gripped them. They stumbled back, each frozen in place by the sheer force of her declaration.
Felt : "Hey! What do you mean by that?!"
She wasn't a coward, but even her bravado seemed thin against the palpable threat emanating from the woman.
"Felt," the assassin sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "You failed to see your job through to the end. You talk a good game, but you do terrible work. You really are just another slum dweller."
Felt's eyes narrowed, fury simmering beneath the surface. "You bitch..." she spat, her fists clenched tight at her sides.
"Well! It's my turn to attack now," the woman declared, her voice laced with a gleeful malice that sent chills down Emilia's spine. With a swift movement, she surged forward, two gleaming kukri knives glinting menacingly in her hands.
"What? Wait!" Emilia gasped, her eyes wide with fear as she watched the assassin close the distance between them.
Her mind went back to her traumatic visions of death - the ecstatic smile of the woman gleefully watching their death, the inferno burning her insides. A wave of paralyzing terror swept over her, pinning her in place.
Subaru mirrored her frozen state, his body rigid with a primal fear that transcended logic. He'd already faced death once, and the memory of it was still fresh, a searing brand on his soul. The thought of reliving that horrifying experience choked him, stealing his breath and leaving him trembling in the face of impending doom.
Puck, sensing their paralyzing fear, acted instinctively. With a fierce determination, he launched a barrage of ice spikes towards their attacker, each one aimed with deadly precision. "Get back!" he shrieked, his voice cracking with urgency.
Ice spikes whizzed through the air, aimed at vulnerable points, but the woman moved with unnatural grace. Each attack was effortlessly dodged, deflected by her kukri knives, which flashed in the dim alley light like silver lightning. She danced around his attacks, a deadly symphony of steel and agility.
"For a girl, you're well accustomed to battle," Puck remarked, his voice laced with grudging admiration.
The woman chuckled, a melodic sound that seemed at odds with her lethal intent. "Ara, it's been a while since I was regarded as a simple girl."
Puck : "Well, from my perspective, all opponents are basically babies. Still, you're so strong, I almost pity you."
Assassin : "I'm deeply touched to be praised by a spirit"
Their banter, amidst the brutal dance of battle, testified to their experience.
But Puck's eyes never left Emilia, who was trembling behind him, tears streaming down her face. The sight triggered rage in him, twisting his usual playful demeanor into something fierce and terrifying.
"I've rarely lived through such confusing events," Puck growled, his voice low and menacing. "But it's clear that you've hurt my daughter very badly."
A dangerous smile stretched across his cute feline face, distorting it into a grotesque mockery of its usual charm.
"So I'll make you pay with your life!" he snarled, his eyes blazing with fury as he launched another barrage of stalactites.
The woman, with a graceful flourish, sliced through several ice blocks, expecting to escape Puck's relentless barrage. But as she attempted to move, she found herself rooted in place. Her right foot was firmly encased in a thick sheet of ice, anchoring her to the ground.
"I wasn't just randomly throwing those around," Puck quipped, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction.
The woman raised her hands in defeat, "Does this mean I've been had?" she asked, her tone strangely calm despite her predicament.
Puck : "Goodnight!"
He unleashed a devastating blast of ice that shot towards the immobilized woman with terrifying speed and range.
Emilia watched, her heart pounding in her chest, hoping for the end of this brutal fight. She let out a sigh of relief as the attack seemed destined to connect, but at the last possible second, the woman lurched aside, narrowly dodging the icy shards by a hair's breadth.
She had forcefully yanked her foot free, leaving behind a trail of blood where the ice had torn away flesh from her palm. Despite the injury looking extremely painful, she didn't even flinch.
"Aah... How lovely," she purred, seemingly oblivious to pain. "I thought I'd die."
A wave of unease washed over Emilia, Subaru and Felt. Her nonchalant reaction to such a gruesome injury was unsettling, sending chills down their spines.
"I don't find that self-mutilation thing very impressive, you know," Puck muttered, with a scowl of disgust.
Emilia's heart sank further into despair. Her enemy remained unyielding, impervious to pain and seemingly unaffected by the brutality of the fight.
Every attack, every desperate attempt to subdue her opponent seemed futile. She felt utterly drained, her spirit crushed beneath the weight of their hopeless situation.
Subaru caught sight of Emilia's despondency. Her eyes, usually bright with life, were dull and empty, reflecting the despair that consumed her.
He knew exactly how she felt, remembering all too well the numbness that had gripped him before his first death – a helplessness born from inaction.
A sudden surge of determination coursed through him. He couldn't let this despair consume her; he wouldn't.
He stepped forward, placing himself directly between Emilia and their relentless foe. Spreading his arms wide, he plastered on a reassuring smile, though his hands trembled slightly betraying his own fear.
Subaru : "Don't worry, Emilia! I'll protect you!"
He assumed a defensive posture, fists clenched, ready to face whatever horrors lay ahead.
"Subaru…" Emilia whispered his name softly, her voice barely audible. She saw the tremor in his hands, the valiant effort he was making to project strength despite his own trembling fear.
It touched her deeply; his bravery was far more inspiring than any grand display of power.
Despite their shared terror, she found solace in his presence, a spark of warmth igniting within her. Perhaps, just perhaps, they could face this together.
The woman nonchalantly plucked an icy shard from Puck's attack and deftly stitched it onto her bleeding foot, creating a grotesque, makeshift sole.
"I think I should speed it up, don't you?" she said, her voice laced with chilling amusement.
Then, with a terrifying burst of speed, she surged forward, aiming directly at Subaru with no intention of slowing down. Her movements were impossibly fluid, each step blurring into the next as she effortlessly shattered every ice spike Puck hurled at her.
Subaru froze, his heart pounding in his chest like a frantic drum. This fight was beyond anything he could have imagined; their opponent seemed invincible. He braced himself for the inevitable, certain that this was the end.
Emilia, however, acted with lightning-fast reflexes. In a desperate surge of courage, she darted forward and positioned herself directly in front of Subaru, her hands glowing faintly as she channeled her magic.
"Huma!" she cried out, summoning a thin, shimmering layer of ice that materialized before her, halting the woman's assault.
Puck roared with approval. "Good job, Lia!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with pride and relief.
Emilia : "Sorry for being late, Puck! Subaru!"
She glanced at Subaru, offering a reassuring smile despite her own trembling fear.
Emilia gasped for breath, trying to steady herself after the adrenaline surge of their narrow escape. "Don't you find it strange that nobody is coming here?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of unease.
Subaru nodded, his brow furrowed in concern. "You're right! We aren't that isolated from everyone else!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the bustling marketplace just beyond the shadowed alleyway. "Something doesn't feel right."
"This woman is veeeery fast and skillful," Emilia mused, her gaze fixed on their opponent. "She could have easily dodged my spell earlier, but she chose to be hit instead. Why do you think that is?"
Puck, his usually boisterous demeanor subdued, paused for a moment as if piecing together a puzzle. Then, his eyes widened in realization. "I see!" he exclaimed, a low whistle escaping his lips.
"Exactly!" Emilia declared, her voice gaining newfound confidence. "She doesn't want people outside this alleyway knowing what's happening here."
Puck stroked his chin thoughtfully. "My daughter can be so smart at times! She might be using another artifact or some kind of meteor to conceal our presence," he mused, a hint of pride in his voice.
A resolute look settled on Emilia's face as she addressed Subaru, Felt and Puck with unwavering conviction.
Emilia : "Subaru, Felt! Go look out for help from guards or knights!" she ordered. "Puck! Protect them since she might not be alone!"
The temperature dropped rapidly around her. And with a determined glint in her eyes, she added, "I'll take care of her to buy you time," her voice firm and resolute.
= END OF CHAPTER 2 =
Author's Notes :
Wheeew! Tired but satisfied! Now, I gotta properly enjoy my end-of-year vacations (maybe after around 15 hours of sleeping, damn I'm tired)
Yup, Emilia and Subaru are totally in denial. What's that "future sight" shxt? Bruh…
I think it is a solid reaction from them after their very first death. But, meeting again Felt, and Elsa, will leave them no room for yapping.
If they were alone, they'd be cooked, but they are at least together in the same shxt. Next : Emilia VS Elsa.
And that Emilia is more like the one in Priestella than the one in season 1, so… I just hope I'll cook fine enough.
Also, unrelated, but I love Puck's design to an unhealthy degree. The small form is way too cute, and the BOTE form is epic asf. Bro has the best design imo.
DISCLAIMER : I don't own Re:Zero, it belongs to Tappei Nagatsuki.