Note: Hey everyone! I decided to post this fic here since I had the time. I haven't been on this site much since discovering AO3, but I wanted to share the story I've been posting over there. This is my first-ever fic and the only 'legitimate' writing I've done. FYI, I used ChatGPT for proofreading (props to him, great guy). I still have no idea how this will look, so bear with me while I iron out the kinks using the unoptimized tools this site gives you!
Full Summery (Since it's limited to 385 characters for whatever reason):
It's said that long ago, the evil witch Satella devoured half the world, and to this day, the true extent of what was lost in the great cataclysm remains unknown. But that's a lie, Od Laguna never forgets. Envy grows restless, Satella grows impatient, and Subaru... well, Subaru grows hungry. When a late-night trip to the convenience store takes him to Envy's playground, Subaru finds himself pulled into a world that's quite literally out to get him. Lucky for him (or unlucky, depending on when you ask him), he's got a 1 living rent free in his head.
Tonight was unusually dark. Subaru couldn't help but notice, especially when he found himself needing to use his phone's flashlight just to navigate the sidewalk.
How could it possibly be this dark out? Even with his flashlight on, he could only see a few steps ahead.
"Where did all the streetlights go?" he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.
At one point, he thought he heard a car pass by, but there were no headlights to confirm it. The whole situation was seriously creeping him out.
With an exaggerated sigh, he decided to chalk it up to some dense fog or another weird weather phenomenon and hurried on with his 12:00 a.m. supply run.
He picked up his pace, relying on muscle memory to guide him to his favorite convenience store. Turning off his flashlight to conserve battery, he stopped under the streetlight outside the store. That's when he noticed something strange. The store, which had always been a beacon of reliability during his late-night runs, was closed. A notice was taped to the window, but it was too dark to read, and honestly, he didn't care.
He fell to his hands and knees, dramatically slamming his fist into the ground in frustration.
"Damn it!" he shouted.
He'd come all this way for nothing, and now he had to go back home. He'd planned to loiter a little while, giving his mom time to go to bed since he really didn't want to be roped into doing the dishes right when he got back.
Raising himself into a kneeling position, he took a deep breath and rubbed his face with his hands.
"Well, I guess I can go without food tonight…" he sighed. "And maybe doing dishes isn't the worst thing in the world."
He stood up, ready to return home, but as he was about to turn, he realized something was wrong. A chill ran down his spine. He couldn't see the light from the streetlight he was standing under anymore.
The streetlight, which had felt safe, like a bonfire in a Souls game, was gone.
Was there a power outage? Why was the whole city black now?
Gulping down saliva he hadn't realized was pooling in his mouth, he decided to do the most sensible thing he could think of... call his dad.
He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed his dad's number, waiting anxiously. All he wanted was to hear his dad's voice, but all he got was a robotic message telling him the number wasn't reachable.
His heart started to race as panic set in. He tried calling every number he could think of, but no one responded.
His first instinct was to retrace his steps, but when he looked around, he realized he had no idea which way he was facing anymore. He didn't know anything anymore. He couldn't see!
"Hello!" he shouted, panic evident in his voice. "Can anyone hear me?"
He began to hyperventilate, and in his panic, he started running in a random direction, waving his hands around and screaming like a lunatic.
All he wanted was to see or feel something familiar.
His prayers were answered when he slammed face first into a brick wall. The impact sent him bouncing backward, and he landed hard on his back, the wind knocked out of him.
After rolling around on the ground like a flipped turtle, he finally managed to catch his breath.
Taking a moment to recover, he patted himself down, checking for injuries.
"Geez, I'm such an idiot!" he berated himself. That was by far the stupidest thing he could have done.
But the shock from the impact had brought him back to his senses. He realized he'd been acting like some extra in a horror movie.
Feeling around, he found his phone, which had thankfully fallen right next to him. Standing up, he used the wall as an anchor as he felt his way forward. He walked for a while until the rough brick gave way to smooth glass.
Shining his phone's light toward the window, he could just barely make out his reflection in the glass. His dad's familiar haircut, his mom's intense eyes, and his favorite tracksuit all stared back at him.
"Haha…"
He couldn't help but chuckle at the guy in the window. He looked so scared and desperate.
Oh wait, that was him…
He wondered why this was happening to him of all people. Was this punishment for all the trouble he'd caused his parents?
Suddenly, the reflection's lips curved into a huge grin. His eyes widened in surprise, then in fear, as it spoke.
"I've been looking for you."
Its voice mimicked his own, but it sounded like it was talking backward, even though he understood it perfectly.
Before Subaru could wrap his mind around what was happening, the reflection lunged forward and grabbed him. He let out a not so manly scream and tried to wrestle free, but it was too late. It pulled him into the window with it.
After what felt like an eternity of falling, he hit the ground, or, rather, he stopped suddenly once he'd reached a certain point.
It took the teen a few moments to collect himself. His mind felt hazy, and he knew he wasn't thinking clearly; otherwise, he would have already started panicking.
He tried to look around, but he found he couldn't see or move. It wasn't just dark, he seemed to be missing his eyes, his limbs, his entire body. Even with his dulled emotions, fear began to seep in. But it didn't last long as a thick fog engulfed his already clouded consciousness, forcing his mind to wander.
After what felt like an eternity of wading through his chaotic thoughts and emotions, which felt like thick tar at this point, he finally received some stimulation.
A loud, thunderous rumble echoed through the void, or maybe it wasn't actually that loud, but after the prolonged silence, it seemed deafening. He didn't care about the noise itself, the important part was that he could hear.
However, his mental celebration was cut short as the rumbling grew louder, signaling that whatever was making that noise was getting closer. And fast.
He panicked, but there was nothing he could do but listen as it approached. Holding the breath he didn't actually have, he waited for whatever it was to reach him.
It took all his willpower to stay focused and not slip back into his mind as he fought against whatever was influencing him.
He didn't have to wait long. The source of the noise soon engulfed him.
It was a roaring torrent of… something. He honestly didn't know what it was. Everything but his sense of hearing was gone; the most he could do was imagine it as a hurricane.
It swirled around him, almost like is was deliberately centered on him, attracted to him somehow. But wasn't the eye of a storm supposed to be calm? Then what was with this mess?
His initial anxiety faded as the torrent proved itself to be harmless. After being submerged in it for a while, he began to regret having his hearing. All he could do was listen to the chaos while fighting tooth and mental nail to keep his mind from drifting again.
Eventually, with a resounding crash, the chaos ended. But Subaru was in no state to notice. By then, he had long since tuned it out, having entered a catatonic state. He was treading the rough waters of his mind as the suppressive force tried to drag him under.
Suddenly, the waves calmed as he felt a hand caress his cheek. A wave of peace washed over him, a peace he hadn't felt since he'd been brought to this place. The touch was soft yet cold, and he could sense the affection behind it.
…
Wait…
'I have a face?' The realization hit him like a truck.
'No, no, no, wait, who just touched me?!' Fear arced through him, but it quickly faded as the hand continued to stroke his face.
The sensation was incredibly soothing. Familiar yet equally foreign in a way he couldn't describe.
…
But it got old real quick. He instinctively jerked his head away in annoyance, surprised to realize he could move it at all.
He wasn't the only one surprised, as the owner of the hand let out a soft gasp. From the sound alone, he could tell that it was a girl.
Wait, is this the one who summoned me? Memories of all the manga he had read during his time as a hiki-ko-mori flooded his mind.
A feeling of excitement bubbled up within him. Could my greatest wish finally be coming true?
"You're conscious?" she asked, her voice clear and sweet, like a silver bell.
Even though he could move his head now, he still had no mouth. So, with that in mind, he tried to put as much emotion into his next action as he could. After all, first impressions were key.
Nod
Flawless, he thought, congratulating himself on his accomplishment.
…
The girl, however, didn't seem equally impressed. The awkward silence stretched long enough that he began to feel anxious. He hadn't talked to anybody in what felt like forever, and he couldn't afford to ruin this opportunity. But just as he was about to despair, she responded.
"I'm so happy."
Her words hit him at the same time as her tears. Needless to say, he was flabbergasted.
Wait, what's going on here?
'What does she mean by "happy"? Why did she start crying? Was my nod that bad?'
Before he could lose himself to these thoughts, she spoke again.
"I've waited so long."
'Seriously, someone explain what's happening!' he thought, unbelievably confused.
Before he could think any further, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her chest. She held on tightly, as if letting go would mean losing him all over again.
"It was so hard. I was so lonely. All I wanted was to see you, but it wouldn't let me."
Her voice broke as she sobbed, and Subaru, still a little disoriented by this turn of events, could only listen. He wasn't sure why this was happening, but he sensed her overwhelming relief, her desperation, her love. The words were vague, as if she couldn't or wouldn't speak plainly about whatever had happened to her.
'Is it related to what brought me here?' Subaru wondered, the image of his creepy reflection flashing through his mind.
He wanted to understand, but she was so distraught, her words lost in her tears.
"I'm sorry you're probably so confused right now." She tried to calm herself, her voice still hoarse from crying. "I shouldn't have brought you here, but I'm selfish. All I wanted was to see you again one last time, but I couldn't even bring you here without it noticing."
'Finally, some answers about how I got here!' Subaru thought.
"You weren't supposed to be like this either, you were supposed to have a whole body, not be fragmented like this. I'm so sorry." Her voice began to quiver again.
'Oh no, don't start crying again!' Subaru pleaded mentally. 'We were just getting to the good part.'
But it was too late; she broke down once more. Subaru's frustration grew, but he knew better than to try and push her. Its not like he really could anyway, you know, being just a head an all. She needed this, even if it was testing his patience. He'd have to wait for her to collect herself again, just like before.
Finally, after what felt like ages, she spoke again, her tone more composed. "Sniff I'm sorry, beloved. I've had so much to tell you for so long, and all my emotions are wrapped up in it, so it all just comes tumbling out, it seems." She giggled at herself, the sound light but tinged with sorrow.
'Please, I'm begging you, just tell me already! The curiosity is killing me!' Subaru thought, desperate for clarity.
"I know you won't remember anything, so I'll just tell you the important things."
"First, I love you. I want you to remember that part forever."
'Yeah, I already got that part from all the touching and "beloved" talk.' He replied mentally.
"Second, you are very special." She continued.
'Oh, here it is, my bonus as the hero! Please be some kind of magic!' Subaru thought excitedly.
"Your Od, or as you call it, soul, is unique in that it can hold multiple authorities and ignore their influence."
'authorities? What's that supposed to mean?' Subaru's imagination ran wild. 'I hope their some kind of awesome, super powerful magic!'
"But I don't have that same ability, so when I took Envy, it broke my mind and made me do… terrible, terrible things."
Her voice grew heavy with guilt. "I deserve to die for everything I've done, so that's what I plan to do."
Subaru's mind reeled. 'Woah, I was not expecting that.'
She continued, her words filled with resolve. "I just wanted to see you one last time before I destroy myself together with Envy."
'This sucks. If you don't want the magic, then give it to me! I'm immune or whatever, right!?' Subaru thought, a mix of disbelief and frustration bubbling up inside him.
"Once the time comes, I'll send you back to your world. I just wanted you to remember me this way, even if everyone else sees me as the monster I am… I love you so much…"
Her voice reflected the deep melancholy she felt, making Subaru feel somewhat sorry for her. But as she spoke, something gnawed at him, a question he'd been avoiding. Why did she keep acting like they were old lovers, and talking about forgotten memories? Geez, he didn't even want to think about the implications…
…
Several minutes of silence followed as she seemed to have lost all desire to talk. And to be honest, he wasn't complaining. He wasn't sure he wanted this conversation to continue, afraid he might learn something he didn't want to know.
…
But Subaru being the impatient person he was couldn't bear the silence anymore, so after a bit of pondering he reluctantly came to terms with his predicament.
'Well… I guess I somehow have a history with her, and things don't seem to have ended very well.'
He realized he needed to communicate beyond simple yes and no answers, but he had no idea how he could ever do that with literally nothing but ears and a neck…
…
Eventually, she started stroking his face again, he did his best to endure it no matter how uncomfortable it was for him, these were her final moments according to her.
…
…
…
An unknown amount of time later
'How long have I been here? I'm pretty sure it's been at least two or three days since she brought me here, but I haven't slept once.
And I don't feel even the least bit tired…
Not like that's a bad thing though, I mean I don't feel hungry either thank goodness.'
…
…
'Sigh… How much longer…'
Just when he was starting to think he would be stuck here forever, she began to speak again.
"Ok, I think I'm ready now. Thank you for being here with me at the very end."
Her words startled him, he wasn't expecting to hear her talk again, let alone with so much relief considering these were her final moments.
Suddenly, he felt something soft pressing against his lips.
…
'No way, did she just—' He though, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"I'll have to send you back now, but always remember that I lo—" She suddenly went silent, stopping mid sentence.
…
"I'm so sorry, this is all my fault-" She said after several moments of silence, her voice shaking.
You can make it out of this my love, I belie-" her words were cut off by a defining boom.
He tried to visualize what was happening, but he couldn't imagine what could possibly make the noises he was hearing.
'What the hell is going on!?'
He felt increasingly fearful as the noise continued to grow louder and louder, and being unable to move or act made things much worse as all he could do was wait for the outcome.
Eventually, he heard a loud scream in the distance, seemingly from the girl, then the noises stopped. They were replaced by a sickening quiet, he felt something slowly coming closer. He hoped it was the girl.
He was glad he didn't have a body right now, or else he would be visibly shaking.
Who or whatever it was stopped in front of him, probably analyzing him if he had to guess.
A heavy thump echoed in Subaru's ears, sending a shockwave of dread through his mind. The silence that followed was suffocating, pressing down on him as his thoughts raced. He couldn't see, couldn't move, couldn't do anything but wait for whatever was coming next.
Then, the smell hit him.
It was unmistakable: the metallic tang of blood mixed with something sickly sweet, like decaying flowers. Nausea surged through him as the scent clawed at his mind, each breath bringing him closer and closer to insanity.
Before, he had clung to a small, fragile hope that whatever had fallen wasn't as terrible as he feared. But now, he knew.
It was her.
The girl who had held him, who had poured her heart and soul out to him just a little while ago, was now a lifeless corpse, cast aside like nothing.
He felt something wet seeping toward him, brushing against his immaterial form. It was her blood, pooling and spreading like a dark stain in the void.
Subaru tried to scream, but he had no mouth. He tried to turn away, to move, but his body remained unresponsive. Trapped in this helpless, agonizing state, he could only experience everything, unable to react.
He now heard footsteps, slow and deliberate. They circled him like a predator sizing up its prey, and then stopped directly in front of him.
He felt the presence lean closer. Though he couldn't see or feel in any conventional sense, he could sense it. An overwhelming force, a black hole drawing him in, suffocating him with its sheer magnitude.
"Why did she love you?" The voice was cold, venomous, utterly devoid of warmth. It sucked the life out of everything it touched.
He recognized it. The same voice from the reflection, its speech twisted and backwards. This time, though, it mimicked the girl's voice.
"You let her get her hopes up, didn't you? Pathetic."
Subaru couldn't respond, couldn't defend himself. He couldn't even process what he was feeling. The void creeping at the edges of his consciousness now threatened to consume him entirely. Yet, the presence wasn't finished.
"She thought you'd save her, you know," the voice hissed. "That you'd come here, wield your so called authority, and make everything better. But in the end, you're useless. All that potential, all that power, and you couldn't even protect her."
The words cut deep, slicing through the numbness that had overtaken him. But he was powerless. He couldn't fight, couldn't argue. He was trapped.
"Maybe I should just put you out of your misery," the voice mused, its tone now contemplative.
He felt the entity draw something toward where his heart would be, hovering just above it. For a moment, Subaru almost wanted it. The thought of an end to this torment, an escape from the nightmare, was tempting. But then, memories of the girl, her tears, her resolve, the way she'd held him so tenderly, flashed through his mind. She had believed in him. Even in her final moments, she had believed in him.
'No…' The word echoed faintly in his mind but grew stronger. "No!"
Suddenly, he felt a surge of something deep within. A power he hadn't known was there. It blazed through the fog that clouded his thoughts, igniting a fire in his soul. He wasn't done. He wasn't some useless piece of trash to be discarded. He had to be more, because they wanted him to be.
The presence recoiled, startled by his resistance. "What's this? You still have some fight in you?"
Subaru still couldn't speak, but he didn't need to. The fire within him burned brighter, pushing back against the void threatening to swallow him.
He wasn't done. He would find a way out of this. He would fight, no matter what it took. For the girl and his parents, who had believed in him of all people. He wanted more than anything to believe in himself the way they did.
"Interesting…" The voice purred, now tinged with something Subaru couldn't quite place. The presence leaned closer, suffocating him, then slowly withdrew. Its weight still loomed nearby, lurking at the edge of his consciousness.
Then he felt a tug, something wrapped around his chest, pulling him away from the girl's corpse. He was lifted, carried by the invisible force.
"Would you like to make a deal?" it hissed, inches from his face.
Subaru's mind flashed to all the deal with the devil scenes he had seen in movies and shows. Without hesitation, he answered, "No."
"Ha, I would have been disappointed if you agreed too quickly." The voice sounded amused. "Tell me then, what is it you desire most of all?"
"That's easy," Subaru replied, his tone oddly light. He could feel the presence leaning in, waiting for his answer.
"What I want most is for YOU TO LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"
It recoiled slightly, surprised by the outburst.
"Hahaha," it laughed, eerily mimicking the girl's voice. "I have to admit, you got me there. I wasn't expecting that."
Inside, Subaru cursed himself. 'You idiot! Antagonizing it is the last thing you should be doing.'
"Well, I suppose I'll be plain then," it continued, voice cold and deliberate. "It doesn't matter whether you accept my deal or not. I'm taking what I want."
Subaru, upon hearing its words, couldn't help but ask, "Then why even bother talking to me about it?"
"Because," it answered, with a voice filled with what he could assume was mockery, "I want to get to know you better."
He knew no matter how many times he asked, it wouldn't give him a straight answer. Sighing internally, he pressed on. "What happens if I do accept? Am I still stuck here? Or do I need to waste my 'one wish' getting you to let me go?"
The presence paused as if thinking. "I suppose it doesn't matter if you know. It will all be over soon anyway… your going to another world."
Subaru had to take a moment to process that. His dream, his wish, was about to come true. He began to laugh.
"Is this amusing to you?" the voice asked, perplexed.
"No, not at all," Subaru chuckled. "It's just… this is what I wished for."
"Really? How so?"
…
The absurdity of his situation hit him all at once. 'Is it really okay to be talking to this thing after what it did?' But with no choice but to play along, he continued. "Back where I come from, stories about being taken to another world are pretty popular. After I quit school and became a full time NEET, I got obsessed with them. I wished for it so hard, the fresh start, no more embarrassing past, my parents wouldn't have to deal with me anymore, and hey, magic was just a bonus…"
The entity shifted, growing agitated. Even in his blindness, Subaru could still tell.
"Something wrong?" he asked, letting out a nervous chuckle.
"You have no respect for yourself," it spat, its irritation evident. "I suppose that's only natural for someone as weak as you."
Suddenly, it fell silent.
"Umm… is something wrong?" Subaru asked again, his curiosity mixing with dread.
"SHUT UP!" It screamed, causing a force he could only described as 'killing intent,' which he'd read about in manga, to wash over him.
The outburst left him trembling, his mouth slamming shut in terror. Minutes passed in oppressive silence before it spoke again.
"Why? Why!? WHY!?" The entity's voice echoed, each word more frantic than the last. In the distance, Subaru heard sickening thuds and squelches. When the presence finally returned to his side, it was quiet. Strangely subdued.
"You feeling better now?" Subaru asked, barely keeping his voice steady.
"No," it replied, surprisingly calm.
Subaru took a breath and pressed on, his fear gnawing at him, but not as much as his curiosity. "So… what happens when I get there? To the other world?"
"I don't know," it answered distantly.
Unsatisfied, Subaru continued, "Have you been there before?"
"Yes. It's my birthplace." There was a tired resignation in its voice.
"If it's your birthplace, then you should know what's waiting for me, right?"
"Let's get one thing straight," it sighed. "You're not going alone. I'm coming with you."
"Huh?!" Subaru blurted out.
"Don't act surprised." It said, annoyed. "I hate this place just as much as you. And you're my way out."
Subaru's mind raced. "So, you're using me as your escape route? Does that mean once we're out, we go our separate ways?"
Sensing the hope behind his words, the presence answered with annoyance. "No, Why? Are you really that put off by me?"
"One hundred percent!" Subaru shouted without thinking.
Realizing his mistake, he quickly changed the subject. "So, how do we get there? You going to teleport us? Reincarnation, maybe?"
Though he couldn't see, he felt the entity's cold glare.
"We're moving. Using Yin magic."
Subaru's mind stuttered at the words, confusion shifting into excitement. "Yin magic? Does that mean what I think it means?"
There was a pause, cold and deliberate, before the voice in his head answered. "It bends space. Gets us where we need to go."
The explanation was curt, but there was something ominous about its tone. Subaru swallowed hard, trying not to let it get to him. "Can… can I learn it?"
A low, humorless chuckle echoed into the void. "Learn it? You're more likely to tear yourself apart before you're able to do anything practical with it."
Subaru's excitement faltered, the weight of the creature's words settling in his gut like a stone. But still, he couldn't help but ask. "But what if-"
"Enough." The entity snapped, cutting him off. "It's time to go."
Before Subaru could respond, the air around them seemed to twist, warping unnaturally. The space itself shrank, constricting around him. Without warning, the creature lurched forward and seized him. At first, Subaru tried to stay calm, thinking this was all part of the transportation process. But then he felt it, something far more sinister. The creature was forcing its way into his mouth, pushing deeper, writhing as it attempted to invade his very being.
A raw, primal terror surged through Subaru. Even though he didn't seem to need to breathe in this strange space, the sensation of something forcing its way down his throat triggered an instinctive desperation to fight back. But he had no hands, no body to resist with. Even if he had his full form, the creature's hold on him was unyielding, as if crushing him from both inside and out.
He couldn't move. He couldn't scream. Every attempt to do so was stifled as the creature invaded him entirely, filling every space in his head, blocking every outlet. He could feel it slithering deeper, reaching something within him, something indescribably intimate, as if it were trying to latch onto his very soul.
The agony seemed to stretch on endlessly. Minutes passed, each one longer than the last, until finally, it stopped.
By the time the assault ceased, Subaru had already slipped into shock, barely aware of anything. His limbs, his senses, they all returned, though he couldn't process it before unconsciousness swallowed him whole.
Drifting in and out of consciousness, he slowly became aware of his surroundings. The feeling of cold hard stone beneath his body, dark outlines of several figures drifting over him, and a splitting headache.
Subaru's eyes eventually blinked open, greeted by the cool stone beneath him and the warm sunlight filtering through the bustling chaos around him. He slowly pushed himself up, confusion swirling in his mind as he tried to process his surroundings. The sharp clatter of footsteps and the hum of conversations filled the air, drawing his attention to the street he found himself in a busy market, teeming with life.
His jaw dropped as he took in the sight. It was like something out of a dream, or more accurately, out of one of the isakai manga he used to read. Towering buildings with stone and wood facades lined the cobblestone streets, banners fluttering overhead. Stalls filled with fruits and goods crowded the sidewalks, with shopkeepers shouting about their wares and prices. But what really caught his eye were the creatures.
Large reptilian beasts, far too big to be horses, pulled carts and wagons through the streets. People with animalistic features walked among the crowds, humans with catlike ears, tails, or fur covered arms. A tall woman with scales glinting in the sun brushed past him, her slit pupil eyes briefly locking with his in what felt like a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
"What the hell…?" Subaru mumbled, stumbling to his feet. His head was spinning as he tried to make sense of it all. "Is this really happening?"
'Yes,' a voice echoed in his mind, dripping with impatience. 'Welcome to my world. Try not to make a fool of yourself too quickly.'
Subaru froze. The creature's voice, that voice, was still with him, an unwanted passenger lodged in his head. "You're still here?!"
'Of course I am. You're my ride out of that miserable void, remember?' The voice sneered, the disdain palpable even in his thoughts. 'Now, how about you stop gawking like a moron and actually try to figure out where you are? Or do I have to spell everything out for you?'
He decided to drown the memories of that terrible ordeal in the rush of excitement bubbling up in his chest. This was it, the adventure he'd always fantasized about, right in front of him. Why couldn't he let bygones be bygones? Though, he'd probably have nightmares about it for years… He quickly brushed off the lingering unease and focused on the possibilities stretching out before him.
He began walking, his eyes darting from stall to stall, his head filled with questions. The streets seemed alive with a rhythm he couldn't quite place, a dance of strange creatures and people living side by side in a world of magic. He caught sight of a towering reptilian beast tied to a post, its large, amber eyes blinking lazily. Further down the street, a group of children with small, foxlike tails played a game of tag, their laughter echoing in the air.
"Hey! You think I can learn magic here, too?" Subaru asked out loud, ignoring the strange looks people threw his way. His excitement was getting the better of him.
'If you stop asking stupid questions and get a move on, maybe,' the creature snapped, though there was an almost begrudging amusement in its tone. 'Focus on your survival first.'
Subaru wandered further, his mind racing with possibilities, but that curiosity soon led him astray. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the sign on the wall of a nearby building. A crudely drawn image of a lizardman holding up a spear. He stepped inside without a second thought, hoping to ask for directions.
The door creaked open, and as soon as he stepped in, his nose was assaulted by an oddly pungent smell. He stopped in his tracks, looking around. A group of lizardwomen stood inside, their eyes narrowing as they turned to face him. Realization hit Subaru too late.
"Oh… oh no."
"Idiot," the voice in his head groaned. "You've just walked into a women's bathhouse."
Before Subaru could even think of apologizing, one of the lizardwomen snarled and lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar. The next thing he knew, he was airborne, flung out of the building and landing with a splash in the river running through the town center.
'Smooth move,' the entity muttered with barely concealed laughter as Subaru resurfaced, sputtering. 'You're doing great so far.'
Subaru coughed, dripping wet but oddly exhilarated. He pulled himself out of the river, grinning despite himself. "Alright, maybe that wasn't my best move, but come on! I'm in another world!"
'And at this rate, you won't last a day,' the creature snorted. 'But, I suppose it's entertaining watching you flail around like this.'
Shaking the water from his hair, Subaru couldn't help but laugh. He had no idea what this world held for him, but one thing was for sure, he hadn't felt this free in a long time.