Fake Knight VS Real Homicidal Maniac

The slum was everything Subaru expected from a place with such a grim reputation: narrow, dirty streets; the stench of rot and waste; and shadowy figures lurking in corners. Broken barrels and crumbling buildings lined the path, creating an atmosphere of desperation. Subaru glanced at Emilia, who held her silver hair close to her hood, trying to avoid the stares of the few people they passed.

"Not the friendliest neighbourhood," Subaru muttered, stepping over a puddle that looked suspiciously like sewage.

As they turned a corner, they found themselves face-to-face with a trio of shady individuals. The leader, a wiry man with sunken cheeks and sharp, darting eyes, grinned at them. Behind him stood a hulking brute with a scar running across his face and a third man who looked unnervingly eager, constantly shifting on his feet.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the leader said, his grin widening to reveal yellowed teeth. "Two pretty little ladies wandering into our territory? You must be lost."

Subaru rolled her eyes, already irritated. "And here I was hoping for a warm welcome. Guess manners are in short supply around here."

Emilia stepped back, her amethyst eyes darting between the men. "Subaru, maybe we should—"

"Nah, don't worry, Emilia," Subaru interrupted, raising a hand. "I've got this."

The leader snickered, clearly not taking Subaru seriously. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts won't stop us from taking what we want."

The brute stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Shouldn't have come here, little knight."

Subaru sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, look, I was really hoping we could skip the whole 'thugs making bad life choices' thing. But if you insist…"

The brute lunged at her, his massive fist aiming for her face. Subaru stepped aside effortlessly, her movements precise and fluid. Before the brute could recover, Subaru grabbed his arm and twisted, flipping him onto the ground with a resounding thud.

"Gah!" the brute cried out, clutching his arm.

The eager man tried to rush her next, swinging a rusty blade. Subaru ducked, her foot shooting out to sweep his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard, groaning as the blade clattered away.

The leader, now looking significantly less confident, reached for a knife at his belt. But Subaru was faster. She closed the distance in an instant, grabbing his wrist and twisting it until he dropped the weapon. She shoved him back, sending him sprawling into a pile of crates.

"Let me make this clear," Subaru said, standing tall and dusting off her hands. "I don't have time for your nonsense. So unless you want another round, I suggest you leave."

The trio scrambled to their feet, nursing their wounds. The leader shot her a wary glance, then muttered something to his companions.

"You're tough, boss," he said grudgingly. "We'll remember that."

"Good," Subaru replied with a smirk. "Now beat it."

The trio stumbled away, disappearing into the darkness.

A few minutes later, they reached a run down hut. Sunaru knocked on the door.

From a hole, they could see a large, imposing figure sat on a makeshift throne fashioned from a collection of barrels and cushions.

The man was massive, his tan skin stretched over rippling muscles. His face, weathered and scarred, was framed by a thick mane of white hair. His eyes narrowed as he sized them up, leaning forward.

"For a rat?" he said, his gravelly voice echoing in the room.

Subaru tilted her head. "Rat? What rat?"

He grunted. "The password. If you don't know it, then you've got no business here."

Subaru sighed, crossing her arms. "Listen, I'm not here for passwords or games. I'm a Royal Knight on an official mission."

The giant's eyebrows rose, skepticism etched across his face. He stared at her gleaming white armour, the golden trim catching the dim light, and the dagger at her hip. After a long moment of silence, he grunted again and gestured toward a rickety wooden bench.

"Fine, Knight. Come in. But don't touch anything," he growled.

Subaru smirked, motioning for Emilia to follow her inside.

The door to the Loot House creaked ominously as Subaru and Emilia stepped inside. It was dimly lit, the air heavy with the scent of stale ale and wood rot. The interior was cluttered with piles of random objects—worn-out swords, rusty shields, broken trinkets, and crates whose contents Subaru didn't want to imagine.

The man watched them carefully as they sat, his eyes flicking back and forth between them. "Now, what does a Knight and an elf want with me? I'm just an old giant selling odd items."

Subaru frowned, glancing at the random assortment of goods scattered around the room. "Odd items? Right. More like stolen ones."

The giant grimaced, leaning back in his makeshift throne. "You've got a big mouth for someone so small."

Emilia, ever polite, clasped her hands together and leaned forward slightly. "We're looking for someone. A thief. A blonde girl, short—"

The man stiffened slightly, his gaze darkening. "I don't know anything about a thief."

Subaru raised an eyebrow, leaning back casually. "Oh, really? Because you sure look like someone who'd know. And judging by all this," she gestured to the piles of junk, "you don't exactly seem like a fan of honesty."

The giant scowled but didn't respond immediately. Emilia sighed softly. "Please, it's really important. She stole something of mine—a trinket. It's precious to me."

He hesitated, his eyes drifting back to Subaru. The shining armour, the pristine white cape, the gauntlets—everything about her screamed authority. With a deep sigh, he finally spoke. "Alright, fine. The girl you're looking for… her name's Felt. She's ambitious, hates slum life. Always talks about leaving this place behind."

Subaru nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Sounds like she's just trying to make something of herself."

The man grunted. "Yeah, well, she found herself a client recently. Someone who offered her a lot to retrieve something. She didn't tell me what it was, but she was excited."

Before Subaru could respond, the door burst open with a loud bang. Both she and Emilia turned sharply to see a short blonde girl storm into the room, her face lit with excitement.

"Old Man! I've got—" Felt froze mid-sentence, her wide amber eyes landing on Emilia first, then sliding to Subaru. Her expression hardened instantly.

"You!" she yelled, her hand flying to the dagger at her side.

"Yes, me," Emilia said, standing up. "Now, hand over my insignia this instant!"

Felt scowled, gripping the hilt of her dagger tightly. "No way! I worked hard to get it!"

"You mean stole it," Emilia shot back, her voice firm but not unkind. "Please, it's really important to me."

Felt's face twisted with defiance, but before she could respond, the old giant spoke up. "Felt, you're messing with complicated stuff. This isn't just any trinket if a Royal Knight is here looking for it."

Subaru straightened her back, tilting her chin up slightly. "Exactly. This insignia is no ordinary object, and as a Royal Knight, I can't let it stay in the wrong hands."

Felt flinched, her grip on the dagger loosening. She hesitated, her eyes darting between Subaru, Emilia, and the old man. After a tense moment, she let out a frustrated sigh and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, ornate insignia.

"Fine," she muttered, holding it out toward Subaru.

Subaru took the insignia, examining it briefly before handing it to Emilia with a flourish.

"Your precious trinket, milady," she said dramatically, bowing slightly.

Emilia smiled, her amethyst eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Subaru. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Subaru basked in the praise, her chest puffing out slightly. "All in a day's work for the great Natsuki Subaru!"

Felt crossed her arms, glaring at them. "You're lucky I'm giving this up. Next time, it won't be so easy."

The old man shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Kids these days…"

Subaru turned to Emilia, grinning. "Well, mission accomplished. What's next on the agenda?"

The creaking of the door grabbed everyone's attention. A woman strolled in, her movements sleek and deliberate, like a predator. Her attire was revealing, with a sinister aura that seemed to suck the air out of the room. She scanned the room with a cold smile.

"Oh my," she said, her tone dripping with mockery.

Felt turned to her, her face paling. "Forget about the insignia. I've failed."

The woman tilted her head. "Oh, so you did. How unfortunate."

Emilia stepped forward, her finger pointing accusingly. "So you're the one who made Felt steal my insignia!"

The woman shut the door behind her with a soft click. "You must be the owner," she mused, her smile widening. "Interesting."

Subaru felt a chill run down her spine as the woman's eyes swept over her and Emilia.

"Well, not that it matters. I was going to kill everyone here anyway," the woman said nonchalantly.

"What?!" Felt's voice was filled with shock and fear.

Subaru's instincts screamed at her. She saw the faint glint of a blade slicing through the air, heading straight for Emilia's back. Time seemed to slow as she lunged forward, but before she could reach her, a shield of crystalline ice materialized in front of Emilia, stopping the attack just in time.

"What…" Subaru stammered, her eyes wide as the frozen shards glimmered in the dim light.

The woman's grin faltered for a moment, then returned, even more twisted. "My, my. A spirit."

A small feline creature floated into view, its fur shining like silver in the moonlight. It hovered beside Emilia, its tail swishing lazily.

"Don't worry, Hero Girl," the creature said in a calm, androgynous voice. "I'm Puck— Lia's contracted spirit."

Subaru stared at the creature, barely able to contain her excitement. Magic? This world actually had magic?!

The woman—Elsa, as she later introduced herself—grinned wickedly, her gaze snapping to Subaru. "A redhead knight… Are you an Astrea?"

Subaru's brow furrowed. "Nope. I'm Natsuki Subaru. Clueless, broke beyond belief, but undeniably a hero!"

"Interesting," Elsa purred, her grip tightening on her blade. "I am Elsa, the Bowel Hunter. And I cannot wait to see your guts."

Before Subaru could react, Elsa was a blur, her speed almost inhuman. The blade arced toward them, but Puck was faster. A wall of ice rose from the ground, intercepting the attack with a sharp crack.

"Oh, that's adorable," Elsa chuckled, leaping back and flipping in mid-air. "Let's see how long you can keep this up."

She darted forward again, this time aiming for Puck. The small spirit yawned, as if utterly bored, and with a flick of his paw, icy winds howled through the room. Elsa skidded to a halt, her blade raised to block the sharp shards of ice slicing through the air.

"Too slow," Puck muttered.

The room temperature plummeted as frost began creeping up the walls. Elsa gritted her teeth, her breath visible in the freezing air. Her eyes narrowed as she lunged for Emilia again, but Subaru was ready this time.

"Not so fast!" Subaru yelled, stepping in front of Emilia with a knife she had taken from the table, raised.

Elsa's blade collided with Subaru's, the impact sending a sharp vibration up her arm. Subaru gritted her teeth, barely holding her ground.

"You're tougher than you look," Elsa said, her voice filled with amusement. She kicked Subaru hard, sending her stumbling back into a pile of junk.

"Subaru!" Emilia cried out, but Puck remained calm.

"Focus, Lia," Puck said. "She's mine to deal with."

Elsa laughed, her voice echoing through the room. "Deal with me? Oh, little spirit, you're underestimating me."

She hurled her blade, the weapon spinning through the air like a deadly boomerang. Puck waved a paw, and the weapon was encased in ice mid-flight, falling to the ground with a clatter.

"Overestimating yourself is a bigger problem," Puck said, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Elsa clicked her tongue, retrieving a second blade hidden beneath her cloak. She dashed toward Puck, her movements erratic and unpredictable. Frost coated the floor, making it difficult for her to find footing, but her agility was remarkable.

Subaru scrambled to her feet, clutching her knife. "I'm not done yet!" she shouted, charging at Elsa.

Elsa twisted away, her blade slashing toward Subaru's midsection, but Puck intervened again, forming a barrier of ice that forced Elsa to retreat.

"I'm getting tired of this game," Puck said, his tone growing colder—literally. A frosty mist emanated from his small form, and the air grew heavy with his power.

Elsa smirked. "Then stop playing."

"Gladly," Puck replied. He raised a paw, and the ground beneath Elsa's feet cracked with a deafening noise.

A massive spike of ice erupted from the floor, narrowly missing Elsa as she flipped backward. More spikes followed, each one forcing her into tighter and tighter spaces.

"You're good," Elsa admitted, her voice calm despite the danger. "But not good enough."

She launched herself at Emilia again, her blade aimed for the kill.

"Enough!" Puck's voice boomed.

The entire room was engulfed in a blinding flash of icy light. When the glow faded, Elsa was frozen solid, her body encased in a thick layer of frost from head to toe.

The room fell silent, save for the faint sound of frost cracking.

"Is it over?" Rom's voice came from behind the counter, trembling slightly.

"Maybe," Felt muttered, her wide eyes fixed on the frozen figure of Elsa.

As Emilia and Puck relaxed, believing the battle was over, a sudden cracking sound filled the air. The ice encasing Elsa shattered, sending shards flying. In a blink, she was in front of Emilia, her blade poised to slice through her abdomen.

Time slowed for Subaru. Her instincts screamed, and before she could think, she was already moving. She appeared behind Emilia, grabbing her by the waist and yanking her aside just in time. Her sapphire eyes locked onto Elsa's dark, predatory gaze.

And then, shocking even herself, Subaru's gloved hand shot out, catching the descending blade. With a sharp crack, the weapon snapped in two, the broken pieces clattering to the floor.

Just like that.

Elsa leapt back, her expression a mix of amusement and intrigue as she stared at the broken weapon in her hand. "You're quite strong."

"Uh, yeah. Apparently," Subaru replied, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. She lowered into a karate stance, looking more like a cheesy action hero than a knight. "Looks like I was underestimating myself the whoke time."

Elsa's grin widened. "Let's test that strength."

From the folds of her cloak, Elsa pulled out another blade, gleaming wickedly in the dim light. With a burst of speed, she lunged at Subaru, her movements fluid and deadly.

But Subaru was faster. Or maybe something else had taken over her body. She moved like a blur, each swing of Elsa's blade met with precise parries. Sparks flew as steel clashed against her gauntlets.

"Too slow!" Subaru shouted, ducking under a wild slash and landing a solid punch to Elsa's ribs.

Elsa stumbled but recovered quickly, lunging again. Subaru sidestepped with ease, her body moving instinctively. She struck again, her fist colliding with Elsa's shoulder, sending her spinning.

"Two!" Subaru counted, her grin widening.

Elsa snarled, pivoting and slashing upward. Subaru leaned back, narrowly avoiding the blade before driving her knee into Elsa's stomach.

"Three!"

Elsa staggered, coughing, but her eyes gleamed with excitement rather than pain. "Impressive," she murmured, straightening.

Then, without warning, Subaru grabbed Elsa's wrist mid-swing and twisted. The sickening crack of bone echoed through the room. Elsa's blade clattered to the ground as her hand dangled unnaturally.

Subaru froze, her confidence faltering. "Uh… oops?"

Elsa didn't scream. She didn't even flinch. Instead, she glanced at her mangled hand, her lips curling into a sinister smile. "Well, that's inconvenient."

Subaru's stomach turned as Elsa raised her blade and, without hesitation, sliced off her own crippled hand.

"What the—?!" Subaru gasped, stumbling back as blood splattered the ground.

Before anyone could react, a new hand began to grow, the flesh knitting itself together at an unnaturally fast pace. Within seconds, it was as if nothing had happened.

"Regeneration? Seriously?!" Subaru shouted, glancing at Puck and Emilia, who both looked equally stunned.

Elsa flexed her fingers, testing her new hand. "You're good," she said, her tone almost admiring. "Who is your master?"

"Uh… Jackie Bruce Lee?" Subaru quipped, dodging as Elsa lunged at her again.

Their fight resumed, even more intense than before. Elsa's movements were relentless, her strikes faster and more calculated. But Subaru kept up, dodging and parrying with an agility that defied explanation.

"You've got talent," Elsa said, her voice breathless yet filled with glee.

"Yeah, well, I'm full of surprises," Subaru shot back, sidestepping another strike.

"You're not using your dagger," Elsa noted, her tone almost teasing.

Subaru blinked, suddenly aware of the weapon still strapped to her side. She hadn't drawn it once.

"Guess I realised don't need it," Subaru said, though the words felt odd even to her. Something about this fight didn't call for the dagger—it felt like the wrong weapon for the moment.

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "Interesting."

As the fight wore on, Subaru began to feel the strain. Her breaths came heavier, her muscles aching with each movement. Elsa, on the other hand, seemed tireless, her attacks as fierce as ever.

Then, in a blur, Elsa shifted her focus. She turned, hurling a blade straight at Felt, who was cowering behind Rom.

"Felt!" Emilia screamed.

Without thinking, Subaru lunged, her body moving faster than her mind. She caught the blade inches from Felt's terrified face, the sharp edge pressing against her palm.

"Not on my watch," Subaru growled, tossing the blade aside.

Elsa chuckled darkly, stepping back. "I'll gut you all, in time."

Subaru turned to face her, but the Bowel Hunter was gone. The only sign of her departure was the faint echo of her laughter.

Subaru straightened, wiping sweat from her brow and grinning wide. "We'll see!"

As the tension in the Loot House eased, Emilia turned to Subaru, her voice warm and sincere. "Thank you again, Subaru. You really saved me back there. Twice, actually. Are you going to arrest me?"

Felt, still wary, muttered, "Yeah, thanks, I guess. Even if you're annoyingly showy about it."

Subaru scratched the back of her red head, her cheeks flushing as she laughed nervously. "Well, funny story about that. I'm… uh, not actually a Knight. Or even a trainee." She paused, glancing at the curious stares around her. "I just kinda woke up here. Long story."

Subaru purposefully skipped the part about waking up in a completely different body—a girl's body, no less. That was a can of worms she wasn't ready to open.

Emilia's jaw dropped. "Wait, you're not a Knight?"

Rom furrowed his brow. "So, what are you then, some kind of wandering weirdo?"

"Hey, that's harsh!" Subaru protested, raising her hands. "I'm a hero! A very… unorthodox one."

Emilia blinked, clearly processing this revelation. "You lied to me?"

"I didn't mean to deceive anyone," Subaru said quickly, bowing her head. "I just thought saying I was a Knight would help us get the insignia back without any trouble. I'm sorry, Emilia. Truly."

Puck, floating lazily beside Emilia, yawned. "She's not lying. This 'Hero Girl' doesn't seem to have any bad intentions."

Emilia hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. I believe you. But don't lie to me again, okay?"

"Scout's honour," Subaru said, holding up three fingers and grinning sheepishly.

Felt crossed her arms. "You're weird, but… thanks for helping us. Even if you're not some fancy Knight."

Subaru gave her a thumbs-up. "You're welcome!"

With that, Emilia and Subaru left the Loot House, stepping back into the chaotic streets of the slums.

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TBC