Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

– I will definitely... save you, – he said, reaching his hand toward her body.

After those words, Natsuki Subaru died.

The next thing he consciously remembered was the soft sensation beneath his head. A feeling so alluring he wanted to melt into it, and yet...

"Right, Satella!" – the memories of his final moments came rushing back, and he opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a female figure and a girl's face leaning over him with clear concern. Her face was partly hidden by a black outfit with sparse orange accents, but from where he lay, he could see it clearly.

– Satella, is that you!? – Without realizing he'd been lying on her lap, he suddenly sat up, grabbed her shoulders, and asked anxiously: – Are you okay? What even happened!?

The scene that followed was rather amusing. The half-elf’s face, which had brightened at his first words, twisted into a sour smile that, after a few seconds, turned into a deliberately pouty expression, like a child sticking out their lips.

– I see, so you’re asking about that girl. – Turning her head away from the boy, she continued, – I’m not her. But she’ll be fine soon enough, knowing you.

– Oh, so you’re not Satella, but you look...

– No! I mean – yes! And yeah, I’ve noticed we look pretty similar. – Stopping the boy’s attempt to interrupt, she went on. – Satella is my name, not hers. I think that little liar chose it just to scare you off.

– Why would she do that?? And how would that scare me? You’re both pretty attractive, – Subaru reached out to lift the hood of her cloak and get a better look at her face, – more like twins, really, – he said, observing her face redden rapidly from the sudden contact.

– I–idiot! – Satella lightly pushed his hand away and pulled the fabric tighter over her face.

– Sorry, I got carried away!

– It’s fine, I don’t mind, just give me a heads-up next time...

The awkward silence that followed gave the boy a chance to take a better look at where they were. What he saw left him in awe: the dark space seemed endless in every direction, with no visible ceiling, and the floor he sat on didn’t feel particularly soft or hard. Despite the lack of any light source, he could see himself, the girl, and the various colored cards floating around them quite clearly.

– Hey, where are we anyway? – His gaze returned to the shy girl.

– I can explain everything from the beginning, just don’t interrupt me, okay? Save your questions for later. – Once the boy gave her a quick nod, she continued, – This space was created by your ability. You could say it’s... “next door” to my dimension, so I can easily enter it. It has no clear boundaries, but I wouldn’t recommend wandering too far from where you appeared unless I’m with you. That might end badly. – Seeing that he was absorbing every word, she went on:

– While you’re here, time in the outside world is frozen, so don’t worry about what’s going on out there. You’ll come here after, – the half-elf suddenly faltered, but pulled herself together and continued, – ...after your ability is activated.

She paused, giving him time to process what he’d just heard and ask questions, remaining seated on her knees the entire time.

That monologue only left Subaru with more questions, but the main one remained unchanged:

– What happened in the “outside world”?

The question made Satella stare helplessly at the ground. It was an answer that needed to be said, but was hard to voice...

– You died. I’m sorry. B–but it can be fixed!

– Died!? I... – Memories of his slashed stomach, the blood loss, the slow fade into darkness, and that other half-elf girl –. – Wait! What about Sa– that girl!? Did she also...? You said she’d be okay. That’s true, right?

– Sigh I’m more than sure you’ll want to save her, and you’ll have the chance to.

– Awesome! But how do I... This is connected to the powers you mentioned, right!? So I really do have them, cool! – Overjoyed, he jumped to his feet with his arms raised in a victory pose. But due to the sudden movement and dizziness, he lost balance and fell right onto the poor girl.

The position they ended up in wasn’t exactly compromising, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for the boy. His head was resting between her breasts, his left hand gripped her thigh, and his right had broken the fall slightly by hitting the ground.

– Ow! I’m so sorry, I’ll just... – He didn’t get to finish or move, because her arms wrapped around his back and pulled him toward her with surprising strength. – Huh? – But what surprised him wasn’t the contact.

He heard soft sobs. Sobs that quickly turned into quiet crying and then full-on weeping.

– Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! How can you even smile at a time like this!? You died! Died right in front of me! All because of my mistakes. I never should have let them summon you. I knew you'd get involved, I knew you’d try to play the hero! We took you from your parents, from your home, and threw you into a world full of danger! Knowing what you’re like! Knowing you'd try to save everyone... – Taking a breath, and not giving Subaru a chance to speak, she went on. – Of course, you ended up with that cursed ability, of all things. I waited for you all these years, not to watch this. It’s my fault, it’s my fault, it’s my fault—

Her self-blame was cut short by a sudden shift: despite her firm grip, he rolled them over onto his back, switching their positions entirely. Now, the silver-haired half-elf lay on top of him, their faces only ten centimeters apart. The next thing she felt was something warm and soothing on her head. He was stroking her hair. Gently running his fingers through it, occasionally tucking strands behind her ears for convenience. Noticing her surprised look, the boy stopped and was about to pull his hand back, thinking he had gone too far, but judging by her next words, he had done everything right:

– No, keep going.

The silence that followed was no longer awkward – just a calm pause. A pause that gave Satella a chance to catch her breath, and Subaru – time to gather his thoughts. She could no longer hug him as comfortably, but she still felt the warmth of his body and the hand on her head, slowly but surely soothing her.

"This was... chaotic. I don’t understand much yet, and I still have a ton of questions, but I think I should give her some time."

"From what I heard, she’s somehow connected to my summoning here, to some kind of 'cursed ability,' and... maybe the weirdest thing – she knows me! Like, not just from today, but like she’s known me for years..."

With all the vivid events and info bombarding him, the confused boy had no idea what to think about first. So, after a bit of inner struggle, he decided not to waste energy on wild theories and just wait for answers – while holding onto a girl straight out of his dreams...

The sudden realization of his current situation finally hit him, painting his cheeks red.

"Wait a minute, didn’t she give me a lap pillow when I first appeared!? And now? What even is this?? How did we get here!?"

Looking at the girl again, he noticed he could feel not only the warmth and softness of her body but also the rhythm of her heartbeat. At the same time, her scent finally reached his nose. An indescribably gentle aroma with a sharp note(?) that temporarily overtook his mind, making it hard to think about anything else.

"This is so strange. It feels completely new and unusual, but also somehow familiar. I’m sure I’ve never smelled anything like it before. I can’t compare it to anything in my life... it’s like my taste buds discovered a whole new category of flavor."

"Wait, what am I even thinking!? This girl’s clearly upset right now. Maybe even because of me! And let’s be honest, this whole thing’s way too intimate for a virgin like me..!"

– Subaru... thank you. – Now calmer, the girl managed to say a few words in a relatively steady voice. Satella pulled back a bit to look at his face as she said it.

– Oh, no problem... feel free to ask anytime! – "God, what am I saying, Subaru, shut up!" – Answering with an awkward smile, he continued thinking: "Well, okay, so she knows my name – not like that’s a huge surprise..."

– We don’t have much time. – Suddenly changing tone, she spoke sharply. Standing up quickly, she held out a hand to help the boy to his feet.

– Uh? Why?

– She’ll wake up soon... and I have no desire to introduce you to her. – Then, in a whisper, she added, – I don’t know how you did it, but now she sleeps most of the time, and I’m the one in control... Not that I’m complaining. You’ve always been amazing.

Given the complete silence of the space, he had no trouble catching her whisper or the unexpected compliment.

"Seriously, who is this girl? Maybe it’s just my imagination, but she definitely doesn’t seem indifferent to me!"

This line of thought made the boy blush again, though the excited girl didn’t notice this time.

– Ahem! While we still have time! I need to tell you about your abilities.

– I’m listening closely! – "Yes, yes, yes! I can’t wait to find out what I’ve got! It’s gotta be some kind of cheat skill, right? Satella seems super powerful if she made me my own dimension, so no way her gift would be weak."

– Since I’m already here, I can help you feel your Authority. That’ll be better than any explanation. – With those words, she pressed her palm gently against Subaru’s solar plexus.

Before the black-haired boy could reply, three screens appeared before his eyes:

Passive Abilities
?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)
?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)

Active Abilities
–
–
–
–
–

Inventory
–

– Whoa, so I’ll have a system like in a video game? Then where are my stats? – He carefully examined the sparse information on the screens, hesitant to click on anything yet.

The screens themselves looked very bare — no buttons, no ornate frames or designs. Semi-transparent gray boxes, minimalistic in every way. The design didn’t seem to reference any game or work Subaru recognized.

– No, I don’t think so. These screens can only be seen and interacted with here, in this dimension. Most likely, it’s just your Authority trying to present your power in a form you can understand. The design... probably shaped itself based on what you’re familiar with.

– What a shame... That would’ve made life way easier, – the boy sighed, and tapped on the first ability.

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)
Upon the user’s death, returns them to a pre-set Check Point in time.
Warning!
Due to the way this Authority was obtained, the user cannot choose or set their own Check Points.

– Yes! My first cheat! And what a cheat it is! So I’m basically immortal, right? Satella-tan, is this what you meant when you said I’d be able to save her? – He received a flustered nod from the girl at the sudden nickname and continued. – Looks like I need to name the ability myself. But later! First...

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)
Upon the user’s death, allows them to randomly copy one ability from the being that killed them.
Works only once per being.

– Another cheat! Of course it's skill copying, what else? But seriously... why does it have to be death again!? I’m not exactly eager to die a bunch of times! – A relieved sigh escaped the half-elf beside him.

– First things first, tell me – he turned to Satella – why can’t I choose my own Check Points? If not me, then who does it?

– That’s... the other me. – She started, then quickly added – Sorry, it’s a long story. Better save it for another time.

Neither of them wanted to think about when or how that “next time” would come.

– Alright, if you say so... I won’t name them yet either. – Subaru turned toward the colorful cards floating in the space. He’d ask about the other unfamiliar terms later. – I guess these aren’t just for decoration?

– Mhm. Most likely, these are the abilities you can copy...

The black-haired boy took a closer look. He counted about twenty: one gold, five purple, six blue, and eight green.

– If we follow video game logic, the gold one’s gotta be the strongest. – Without thinking too much, he grabbed it and turned it over in his hands. – Hmm, no description, no markings. Feels like I’m holding a really light golden leaf. – “So that’s what that word ‘randomly’ meant. Looks like I can choose, but not really.”

– Alright, what now? Accept! Copy! Assimilate! Claim! – He tried a few voice commands but eventually sighed and looked helplessly at the elf for help.

But she just looked just as confused as he was.

– Got it, you don’t know either. If we follow fantasy logic, then it’s probably something like ‘feel it’ or some crap like that.

The moment he said those words, the card began to emit a subtle mental pull. Subaru felt like it was about to merge with his hand, confirming he was on the right track.

– I think I’m close! Like something’s on the tip of my tongue, just out of reach... – “Like I’m about to catch it.” – Hmm. – A smile slowly spread across his face. – I got it!

I want this.

He expected flashy effects or something cool. Instead, the card just began to dim quickly and eventually disappeared, replaced by a new system screen.

Cursed Doll of Elsa Granhiert
Grants false immortality through powerful and rapid regenerative abilities, allowing the user to recover from virtually any damage.
Warning!
This version of the ability is stripped of most of its negative effects, but it is still classified as unfinished and incomplete, and has a limit to its regeneration potential.

– ...What the hell? – Both of them stared at the screen in shock. – What have I even gotten myself into!? – Still stunned, the boy leaned back. – "Seriously, it’s only my first day in this world, and I’m already dealing with that murderous, unkillable woman..."

– Subaru, maybe you shouldn’t. – The boy looked at her questioningly. – Don’t get involved. This isn’t your level, and it’s not even your problem. I don’t want you to get hurt again! You’ll return to a time before you ever met that girl – you won’t owe her anything.

– I... – and he genuinely thought about it. She was right. If things were going that way, he really wouldn’t owe anyone anything. But still...

– If I’d been thinking like that from the start, I wouldn’t even have helped her look for those insignias, Satella-tan. And I definitely couldn’t live with myself knowing I had the chance to stop a kind, sweet girl from dying, and did nothing. Besides, it’s not like I’ll necessarily run into that killer again, right?

Satella could only helplessly shake her head, as if already knowing and accepting his answer.

– Please... be careful... – She suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes went glassy. – That’s it, go! It’s time! You have to go back! – Her voice rose with urgency.

– Uh, what? How do I do that!? – he asked, confused.

– I’ll help. – She quickly stepped forward and hugged him. His body began to be covered from the feet up in a cloak of black shadow, climbing up toward his head. Subaru didn’t panic. He trusted her. But the rush still made him nervous.

– Take care of yourself. Please... don’t tell anyone about your powers or about me. – She spoke quickly, almost mumbling. – But if you’re in real danger, serious danger, then... call me, okay?

But it was her next words that left Subaru truly speechless:

– I love you, my dear.

He didn’t expect the kiss on the cheek either.

Chapter Text

– ...She loves me? – murmured the young man, rubbing his cheek.

– So, what’s it gonna be, kid? Want some appas? – said a middle-aged man at the same time, holding out an appa.

Both men spoke simultaneously, failing to hear each other – naturally leading to:

– What?

– What?

Seeing that the man was starting to get irritated, Subaru gathered his thoughts, trying to come up with some kind of excuse, and said:

– Oh, I think I forgot to bring any money with me. I’m really sorry, but before I go—can I ask one question?

"Calm down. People have told you a hundred times to be more polite. It’s about time you learned not to scare off potential customers... I’ll just answer the brat’s questions, and he’ll leave."

Enduring the shopkeeper’s glare—which looked like it came with a side of verbal abuse—Subaru managed to hold on long enough to get a begrudging response.

– Fine. Ask. What do you want?

– Do you know a woman named Elsa Granhiert?

– Not a clue, – replied the vendor almost instantly, not taking more than five seconds to think.

– That’s too bad. But thank you anyway! I promise I’ll buy your apples next time I come back with money! – Subaru shouted back as he ran away from the green-haired fruit seller.

"What the hell even are 'apples'...?"

After wandering the market street a while longer, Subaru came to a frustrating conclusion:

"Absolutely nothing."

No matter who he asked, no one knew anything about this Elsa. Even worse, when he tried asking about the Not–Satella girl, the conversations went nowhere beyond her appearance. The moment he mentioned her race or any distinct features, the responses quickly turned into either cold silence or open hostility.

All this running around felt like a distraction from everything else that had been dumped on him. Especially the part that had happened at the very end of his meeting with the incredibly cute and sweet girl—at least in Subaru's opinion.

"It wasn’t just my imagination, right? She confessed! She really confessed! To me! And then..."

"But why? What did I even do? How did that happen? I seriously don’t understand anything—not even a little!"

"But whatever! No point thinking about that right now. I’ve got more important things to deal with!"

That line had been looping in his head for the tenth time already. And, as evident, it wasn’t working.

– Get a grip! – he muttered aloud, slapping his own cheeks to snap out of it. Though the slaps were fairly strong, the pain—and even the sting—vanished quickly. The odd sensation brought a smile to his face.

"Regeneration, huh? That could come in handy. I wonder how fast it works... and what the limits are?"

Spending what remained of his time searching for Not–Satella or the local “police,” Subaru, unfortunately, found nothing. So, switching to plan “B,” he headed straight for the shack from his memory—hoping he wasn’t too late to stop the coming disaster.

"I might not be very strong yet... but I’m not exactly easy to kill either. Still, I really hope I won’t have to see her again," Subaru thought, unconsciously rubbing his stomach.

"I’d love to know more about this Authority of Envy. Is it like the sin from Christian mythology? If so, I really hope I don’t have to deal with six more people with broken powers like hers!"

"I didn’t get the chance to ask her, but I’m also curious who she was talking about back then. She was clearly worried about me meeting someone—she rushed me so much. And what about those Save Points? She mentioned another 'her'—is that connected? It could be. But that’s also kind of terrifying. Isn’t she the one deciding when and where I jump back in time?"

As he neared his destination, Subaru saw the building in the distance. His last thought before focusing was:

"I need to figure out a way to contact Satella–tan. Preferably without dying."

The Bowel Hunter could say without exaggeration that this was one of the strangest assignments she’d ever taken.

First of all, there were the rules—an entire set of behavioral patterns for different possible scenarios. Twenty-three. Twenty-three core branching outcomes, some of which required her to act in completely opposite ways depending on the trigger. These plans accounted for the Sword Saint interfering, Meili’s death (which she found suspicious), the rampage of the Beast of the End, and even her own demise (though Elsa considered that highly unlikely).

The second factor was a certain unknown individual. Unlike other targets, this one had no name, no physical description—not even a clear set of abilities. Worse still, in every potential outcome, his power level varied wildly: from pathetic weakling to disaster-class monster. But there was one common thread.

How he was to be killed.

Under no circumstances was she to kill him instantly. She had to ensure he had at least 10 to 20 seconds to fully realize he was dying.

"My client must be one hell of a sadist. Or he’s got a personal grudge against this one."

Not that Elsa minded. She wasn’t the type to judge—especially since the pay was excellent. And, on top of that, she’d been given two high-grade artifact cloaks. One was single-use but could block any magical attack, no matter how powerful. The other granted full invisibility—hiding not just her body, but her presence entirely. Thanks to that, she’d been hiding for hours in a house full of stolen goods, completely unnoticed, and thoroughly enjoying the drunk antics of the massive man inside.

She realized it was time to act when she heard knocking at the door, followed by the voice of a young boy.

Suppressing his nerves and pushing the bloody images of the previous time loop far to the back of his mind, Subaru stepped up to the door and raised his hand:

– Is anyone there?

He hoped he wasn’t too early and someone was still inside—or worse, that he wasn’t already too late. Despite his fear, he knocked lightly.

Hearing no response, he started knocking harder. Much harder. Almost enough to break the door off its hinges.

– Get lost! I haven’t even reached the door yet, you little bastard!

Barely dodging the suddenly flying-open door, Subaru found himself face-to-face with what was clearly the owner of the place.

– I guess asking for the password would’ve been pointless, huh?

"Tall. Muscular. Dark skin... Definitely the corpse I saw back then." – Swallowing the rising nausea, Subaru recalled the lines he had prepared:

– I have critical, life-saving information! And I’m also a customer! – "The sun’s already starting to set. I’m running out of time."

Staring at the weird kid a bit longer and taking in his odd appearance and bold attitude, the man thought: "A runaway noble, maybe."

"Hope Felt didn’t steal anything from him. But he’s clearly alone—shouldn’t cause too much trouble."

– Felt’s dealing with weirdos again? Told her... Tch, whatever. Come in.

Not the least bit worried about turning his back to this strange newcomer, the giant lumbered over to the booze shelf to resume his business.

As Subaru followed him inside and closed the door, he finally got a proper look at the place: a bar counter with stools lined up on the far end, a bunch of empty bottles scattered across the surface, and clutter everywhere that covered the expansive space. Paintings and equipment of various kinds hung on the walls, completing the messy interior.

– Had enough sightseeing? Judging by your face, whatever you came to say is urgent.

Subaru turned toward the man, taking in his alcohol-flushed features, and tried to sound as confident as he could:

– You’re going to be attacked soon. By a killer named Elsa! I don’t know her reason, or why it has to be you—but the intel is solid. I swear on my life.

The man stopped drinking and set the bottle down, face serious. It wasn’t the first time someone tried to trick him with claims like this, but something about this situation felt... off.

– Kid, you realize this kind of thing isn’t funny? Or are you just trying to pull one over on me? – Despite the alcohol, he caught something in the boy’s eyes and continued asking:

– Got anything else? What she looks like? How she kills? Known victims? I might be old, but I’m not weak enough to die to just any killer!

– N–not much. Just that she’s a woman with a deep voice. – Subaru tried to recall more details. – I know she has crazy regeneration. Her method... I think she targets the stomach first.

Now the giant sat in deep thought, trying to connect the dots. He didn’t miss how the boy had touched his own stomach while saying that, but let it slide for now.

– Say her name again?

– Elsa Granhiert.

– Sounds Gusteko. – The man’s eyes widened. Rage and fear flashed across his face. – No...

– Hey, old man, you figured something out?!

– Name’s Rom. And that maniac you mentioned... is probably the infamous Bowel Hunter. – Rom grabbed his club, clearly preparing for a fight. – No, it’s no good. I doubt we could take her!

– Bowel Hunter?! They don’t give scary nicknames like that to just anyone. – Subaru was relieved to see the giant convinced and moving toward the door.

– Damn it, Felt, where the hell are you at a time like this?! – As if on cue, knocking came from the door, followed by a voice:

– Sorry, Old Man Rom! That job wasn’t easy—she just wouldn’t let up, but I finally managed to...

– Later! We’re getting out of here! – Not even bothering to ask for the password, Rom interrupts the girl and immediately opens the door.

– What? Why—

She didn’t get to finish. It’s hard to speak when your head literally flies off your shoulders. Blood from such a sudden and horrifying dismemberment sprays in all directions, even splattering across the giant’s face.
Her body collapses to the ground after the head, which rolls back into the Loot House—its expression frozen in utter confusion.

– Huh? – Rom’s moment of shock turns into rage. Even his slow mind quickly grasps what just happened. Wasting no more time, he charges at the one responsible for his granddaughter’s death.

– You!! I’ll die if I have to, but I’m taking you with me!!!

– My first fight to the death with a giant. I hope you’ll show me something fun~ – the woman drops her invisibility cloak the moment she attacks the old man. It would only get in the way during a proper fight anyway.

This time, Subaru gets a better look at the one who had previously killed him.
Dark hair braided down her back, violet eyes and a wild, predatory smile. A revealing outfit that hugged her body, with a cut in the middle and violet accents that matched her gaze.
She slipped right past the giant and his weapon, re-entering the building and beginning her fight inside.

Subaru had previously intended to run to the sword on the wall and arm himself with something, but he couldn’t move. His legs trembled from terror, his heart pounded wildly, and his eyes were glued to Felt’s severed head—its empty stare seemingly locked onto him.

He wanted to scream, cry, maybe even vomit from the sight, but all that escaped his throat was:

– Why?

Why was this happening to them? Why was he even seeing this?

With sheer force of will, he turned his shaking head away from Felt’s corpse to look at the ongoing fight—

…Which ended right then.

Inside the now half-destroyed building, it was clear: the dark-skinned man had lost both arms and now lost his life too, a shattered glass bottle embedded deep into his throat.

– Just you left~ Looks like you’ve never faced anything like me before, huh? You look like you’ve already given up. But I’m still curious—how will you surprise me~?

Turning away from the collapsed corpse of the giant, she began walking toward him with slow, confident steps.

Her voice carried both pity and excitement. She looked at Subaru with a sort of bored curiosity, even though he still couldn’t move.

Despite her casual demeanor, she remembered her mission and wouldn’t underestimate this seemingly weak boy.

– Let’s finish this already. I’ll send you to the angels~

Realizing he wouldn’t make it to the weapon in time, Subaru did the only thing he could—he nervously took a fighting stance, praying without hoping for much.

Seeing this, Elsa picked up speed, transitioning into a full sprint. His eyes tracked the tip of her blade—and then a jolt of unease made him frown.

"Her target... my stomach!" – He remembered his painful experience from before.

That delayed fury at his earlier inaction and helplessness spurred his body to move. He stepped back, sucking in his gut to dodge the straight stab.

– Hrk—! – In response, he twisted his body and swung his leg around, delivering a spinning kick right to Elsa’s face.

– Ahh, I felt that. – she responded with delighted shivers, licking the blood from her blades after the exchange.
Her flushed expression and tone could almost have aroused him—had they been in a very different situation.

"Wait… blood?" – His gaze dropped and found a shallow cut on his shirt, already stained with a little red. The wound had already closed quickly, and it hardly hurt thanks to how fast it all happened.

– Oh? So you do have something special inside~ – she noticed. – Blessed, just like me~

Realizing he had a brief opening, the boy ran for the wall, hoping to at least grab a shield.

– Splendid, just amazing! But it’s such a shame you have no combat experience. We could’ve made a beautiful dance together. – she intercepted him before he could reach anything, delivering a spinning kick that sent him flying into another wall.
– Still, that just means I can have more fun with you. I bet your guts are a lovely color~

Surprisingly, he got up quickly despite the impact and the pain in his gut. Glancing around, he tried to get his bearings.

"The door! It’s nearby—I can…!"

– Nuh-uh~ Not so fast.

In that very moment, the hand he was using to push himself up was severed and flung aside.

– AAAAAGHHHHRK!! – Losing one of his points of support, Subaru collapsed sideways, screaming and sobbing from the pain.

– Ohoo~ Already healing! – Elsa watched in fascination as the limb quickly regenerated. – So that’s what it looks like from the outside. Absolutely gorgeous~

Subaru’s scream weakened as his voice cracked, but the agony and tears didn’t stop.
Thanks to his newfound power, he didn’t lose consciousness even with such wounds.
So, in pure terror and desperation, he forced himself up using his remaining hand and lunged for the exit.

– Thought you could run from me? – His eyes widened in horror as he heard the whisper… right next to his ear.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back—unable even to scream—because:

– Sorry, but if you keep yelling like that, I might go deaf. So do me a favor and keep it in your throat for now, ‘kay~?

"My neck… What did she do?" – Trying to lift his head only made things worse.
A kukri had been stabbed through his neck and deep into the floor beneath, locking him in place. Any movement sent waves of excruciating pain.

Blood filled his throat and mouth. Regeneration couldn’t help—his power kept trying to heal around the embedded blade, generating more nerves, more blood, only for them to be destroyed again in a cycle of endless agony.

– Krhhh, khurghk… – All he could do was try to spit out the blood.
But there was so much, it spilled from his lips, clogged his nose, even seeped into his eyes, blurring his vision.

– So we’re not just alike… you’re exactly like me! But how? I didn’t know they made others like us…

While speaking, she prepared for the main course.
When she saw him reaching for the blade with both freshly-regrown hands, she lopped them off again.

– If you keep squirming, we’ll be here all night~ – Drawing two spare knives, she stabbed them into his knees. Then, to finish the restraint, she sat on his hips.
His body convulsed, his mouth still tried to form sounds, and his arms—each time they regrew—reached for his neck, only to be sliced off again.

– Let’s begin~ – With manic glee, she slashed open his stomach, cutting deeper and deeper to watch the organs squirm before they regenerated.

With a twisted, lustful smile, and without caring about the blood covering her and her clothes, she continued slicing him open, lost in the morbid beauty of the sight.

"Maybe I should take him back and gift him to Mother? That’d be a great way to make up for things—after I have my fun~ There was nothing in the order that required me to kill him. Just that I shouldn't do it too suddenly."

The helpless boy was weak, but interesting. Interesting to someone like Mother of Elsa Granhiert.
Despite everything, he never lost the will to live. He still struggled, even now.

"Would he become her toy? Or maybe… my colleague?"

Her only mistake was forgetting about his hands—hands that had once again regenerated.
This time, one managed to grab the kukri, raise it, and—

He slashed at her neck.

Not that it was a great move. On instinct alone, she caught his wrist and twisted it, ready to disarm him again.
But his next words threw her off-balance.

The only thing he could still do—the only name that might respond to his plea—was all he had left.

Despite his still-healing throat, he croaked out:

– Satella… help me…

– Calling a Witch in your desperation? What makes you think she’d even—

But she came. Elsa instantly felt something change.

The world seemed to slow. Shadows began to swirl beneath Subaru, dark and slime-like, coiling around his body.

"So that’s it… You really are her favorite," Elsa realized.

The last thing Subaru saw was several of those tendrils rushing toward the Bowel Hunter.
The last thing he heard:

– I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you... – a voice like a bell’s chime, so eerily similar to those two silver-haired half-elves.

The last thing he felt… was the cold love that wrapped around him in the darkness.

Chapter Text

Subaru woke up. Much to his own regret. The memories of the last ten worst minutes of his life rushed at him all at once, causing phantom pain to flare across his entire body.

– Haaaaahkh, – his first instinct was to draw in as much air as possible. A nearly primal fear that he might never get the chance to do so again overwhelmed him, briefly eclipsing all other sensory input.

What followed was crying. Or rather, a horrifying wail of pain and despair like nothing else. Completely out of control of his mind and body, he didn’t even notice when he fell from something low, beginning... to bang his head against the floor.
As luck would have it, the floor wasn’t hard enough to fulfill his one wish at the moment:

I don’t want to be conscious.

All he wanted in that moment was to forget, to lose himself, to forget everything, to shut down his mind. To stop existing here and now.

He didn’t immediately notice the arms embracing him. A lot of time passed before he became aware of the body pressing close to him. Even more time passed before he began to hear a voice, gently soothing him and calling his name.

– ...It’s okay, Subaru, you’re safe, no one will hurt you anymore. I’m here, I’m with you. It’s over, everything is alright now. I’m sorry for everything, I should’ve acted sooner. Please, come back to yourself, I’ll do anything. You did everything you could, Subaru, just don’t blame yourself. The pain will pass, it will get easier, I promise. Everything really will be alright, Subaru...

The girl soothing the poor boy had to put in a lot of effort to exclude her usual loop of self-blame and words of love from her monologue.

"That’s definitely not what he needs right now."

– Satella..? – Having regained some awareness, Subaru began to look around in confusion and slowly, trying to understand where he was. – I– this– is this real?

– Yes, it’s all real, Subaru, you’re with me now—

But he only began to cry even harder.

– It really happened! She—!! I... Why!?

She realized she had made the stupidest mistake by misinterpreting the question.

"Idiot, you always mess up in moments like this! Comforting someone in pain was never your strong suit, just shut up and—"

– Why!? For what!? What did I do to deserve this? What the hell... – The more he screamed, the stronger the phantom pain returned, and so his voice grew weaker with each word until it turned into a whisper.

– It hurts. It hurts so much. I don’t want this, make it stop... – Every extra movement caused more pain, even though he had no actual wounds. The pain was so intense he lost awareness of his body in space and couldn’t even tell in what position he was.

– Sleep. – Unable to bear watching her beloved in such a state, she used the spell for the third time to put him to sleep.

"With each awakening, he gets a little better. With my help, the nightmares won’t reach him either."

What followed were already familiar procedures. Several spells: emotion-suppressing, inducing strong derealization, partially separating the needed memories from the main stream, and a few more with similar effects.

None of it worked fully in this place and with her hands. She blamed herself for not studying this in advance when she had the chance, but now there was nothing more she could do.

Subaru woke up. Again. Fifth time, to be exact.

This time wasn’t so bad. Just some tears and quiet sobs, but he was fully conscious now. The phantom pain had mostly faded, the perceived physical weakness receded to the background, and he could move his arms and legs with ease.

– Subaru?

– Satella-tan, please...

– Hm?

– Please, stay with me. – His face showed complete apathy, though it was likely a side effect of the spells rather than his true state. His head rested on her stomach as he lay on her lap, and his hands tried to embrace her from behind.

– Of course, I’ll stay. No matter what happens, I promise. – Her lips formed a tender smile, sharply contrasting with her tear-reddened eyes and stained cheeks. Subaru didn’t miss the detail:

– You... I’m sorry, I made you cry, didn’t I?

– Fool, you should worry about yourself more. – All this time she kept stroking his head and running her fingers through his hair.

– Why are you even with me? Why did you say you loved me back then? What did a loser like me do to deserve your affection...

She couldn’t bear looking into his distrusting eyes and listening to him talk so badly about himself, so she interrupted him, placing a finger to his lips.

– It’s not just affection, idiot. I love you. I love you with all my heart. You showed me the world, showed me I can be loved too, gave me so many beautiful memories. You’re the best, Subaru, irreplaceable to me. I’d love you no matter what – even if you were a girl, a child, or even a monster. – Her hands gently wiped the tear stains from his face. – Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything, alright? This time, we have more time, I can answer all your questions.

– Can we just stay like this for now? I need a bit more time. – With these words, his eyes, which had been fixed solely on the girl, closed to allow the boy some rest.

– Of course, whatever you wish, my love.

– Flugel? Sounds cool, I admit. I even remember using that nickname in a few online games. – He grew a bit nostalgic. – Oh, you probably...

– I know, you already told me! But if you want, I can listen again.

– Eh, no, I don’t think that’s necessary. – Throughout the entire conversation, they hadn’t changed position. They were both comfortable, so there was no reason to.

– Are you sure I’m him?

– I’m sure! I doubt there’s another guy as wonderful as you in the whole universe.

– Cut it out already! You’re embarrassing me. More importantly— – Blushing rapidly again, Subaru tried to pick his next question. – Right! You mentioned something about your “other self.” Can you explain, please?

In an instant, almost all of Satella’s accumulated good mood vanished. The shift was so fast it was slightly frightening, so Subaru tried to stop her:

– If it’s a painful topic, it’s okay, I can ask something else!

– No, it’s alright, I’ll tell you.

She took several deep breaths before starting.

– 400 years ago, when I was forced to accept a Witch Factor incompatible with me...

– ...After that, I was sealed on a semi-voluntary basis. The main guarantee that the Witch of Envy wouldn’t break free was me, as the only one who had any influence over her...

– ...Following our plan, I summoned you into this world again, but during the transfer of the Envy Factor to you, something strange happened: instead of just accepting the portion we prepared, your Od latched onto it like a lifeline, absorbing most of it. Since the Factor had already been divided during the transfer, two interconnected abilities formed from its Authority. That alone isn’t unusual, but it’s rare for both to be so strong.

Finally getting the answers he had longed for, he absorbed every word, trying not to miss any detail. Some answers only brought more questions, but he had other topics in line, so those could wait.

– You said we have more time this time. Why? And how long have I been here?

– About six hours? Honestly, not sure, it’s a bit tricky to keep track of time here. – Ignoring his surprise at the amount of time spent there, she continued:

– Since my second personality was originally formed from my Authority, your actions severely weakened her, causing her to sleep most of the time. – A genuinely happy smile spread on her face, her eyes closed in pleasure. – It’s like a heavy burden was lifted, I don’t have to exert so much effort to suppress her anymore... Ah, right, – she caught herself – after you called me, Envy, as if she hadn’t been sleeping, got ahead of even me. Due to the element of surprise, using the few powers available to her, she went to the outside world to protect and take you. But her rage toward that bitch distracted her and allowed me to retrieve you.

She was lying. Likely for the first time in these two meetings. Considering his condition, she chose not to tell him the truth.

The situation was far worse than she made it sound. Because she could have lost him forever. It was true that Envy was the first to emerge in order to protect Subaru. But “protection” in the Witch’s understanding was a perverse and twisted concept. When her magic reached his body, she didn’t intend to teleport him, not at all. Assimilation. Envy’s first instinct was to literally consume the boy. To eat his essence, his Od, all his memories. Because if he became a part of her, he could never leave her again. He would be with her forever.
When Satella realized what her other self was trying to do, she was horrified. While the chance of losing Subaru forever wasn’t that high – she had time to intervene – the very fact it could happen almost caused her a panic attack.
She managed to intercept him when the shadows had already covered his body, intending to teleport him to the Shadow Garden. Intercept him to... kill. She had to, “with her own hands,” use a single spell to atomically destroy his entire body at once, to leave not even a sliver of a chance for Envy to fight for control.

That part, she definitely wouldn’t tell him.

– Fortunately, I’m stronger than her now, so while she’s fighting Elsa, I quickly returned to your dimension and erected a temporal barrier before your arrival. – She pointed her finger through the dozens of floating cards around them at the grayish transparent dome that surrounded them.

– As long as we don’t step outside of it, time around us is frozen, and with my mana reserves we can stay here for a few more hours or so.

– That sounds... insanely strong! Will I be able to do that too? – He looked at Satella with hope.

– You don’t have that much mana yet, but as for the spell itself, – she grinned slyly and proudly – it was your invention! So don’t doubt yourself, once you regain your skills, you’ll do even better~

Subaru still wasn’t sure how to feel about it. On one hand, she praised him so much, on the other – for achievements he didn’t remember and doubted he had even done. The more he heard about “that him,” the more like a fraud he felt. It was like she was talking about a completely different person, mistakenly thinking Subaru was him. All those spells, those feats, that power. It all seemed to belong to someone else entirely.

Who are you, Flugel?

– Dammit, so I did raise a flag back then!?

That’s how our dear Subaru reacted to the new info about the various Witch Factors and Authorities.

– But where the hell did Melancholy and Vanity come from? They totally don’t fit in. And the fact that I’ll potentially have to deal with eight broken powers now doesn’t exactly make me happy!

– Heehee, last time you found out, you reacted the exact same way. How cute~

Even though she’d been showering him with compliments with or without reason, he still wasn’t used to it and always reacted emotionally. Which, in turn, only spurred Satella on even more.

He didn’t know just how much self-control it took for her to stop herself from going further. Her hands kept wanting to go way ahead of her brain, preferably grabbing anything soft along the way. If her eyes weren’t locked on his, they were on his lips—or, well... ahem. The longer she listened to his voice, the stronger the urge grew to strip off his clothes and—

But not now. She didn’t want to scare him off. She’d wait until he was ready—and when that time came, nothing would stop them.

– Earth to Tella-tan, you there? – Subaru raised his hand to her face, waving it in front of the zoned-out girl.

– Huh? What did you just call me?

– You don’t like it? If you want, I can...

– N-no, keep it! Please call me that more often!

Noticing Satella’s blushing face, Subaru came to a conclusion:

"Yeah... that’s probably what I used to call her before." That thought only dragged him into deeper melancholia, which he could do nothing about.

"I’ll just hope I really am the person she thinks I am. I don’t even want to imagine how she’d react if I’m not."

– All right, Tella-tan, if that’s what you want.

– Yaaay~!

– Well then, I guess it’s time we stopped ignoring the elephant in the room.

The black-haired boy reluctantly got up from the girl’s lap, where he’d spent many hours. There was no need to stretch in this space—his body didn’t go numb or sore no matter the position, which was pretty convenient.

– I’m really curious what cards you’ve got, Tella-tan!

Hearing this, she gave a barely noticeable flinch. They didn’t dwell on it, but both of them knew whose hand had killed him last time.

– If your stories about yourself were even a little bit true, then I’m about to get another cheat skill,

"and I won’t be so helpless anymore." Even if I have to pick one at random.

– Of course they’re true, silly! Why would I even lie to you!

She puffed out her cheeks in mock offense and turned away.

"Cute..." But deciding not to start another ping-pong of compliments, he turned back to the cards.

Unlike Elsa, Satella had way more of them. Subaru had tried to count them, but lost track somewhere around sixty. Overall, there seemed to be about 150, which was honestly impressive. He was a bit curious about their contents, but what drew his attention most were the cards in a color that hadn’t appeared before.

Four bright red cards stood out even among the golden ones—let alone the lesser-tier colors.

– I never would’ve guessed there was that color too. Seriously, I’ve got such weird luck.

– I think... I might know what’s in them.

Satella mumbled with her eyes closed, holding one of the nearby gold cards in a focused pose.

– Oh, that’s handy! Can you always do that, or...

– I think this is a special case, – she turned to him with an apologetic look, – sorry.

– Nah, that was a logical guess.

Subaru reassured her without the slightest disappointment.

– It’s good enough that we even can do this.

– All right, I’m leaving the choice to you!

– Really? Are you sure?

– One hundred percent! You clearly understand this whole magic system better than I do, so I’d rather trust you with it!

He clarified, giving her a thumbs-up.

– Thank you! I won’t let you down!

For the next five minutes, she wandered between the red and gold cards with a blank expression. She winced slightly at one of the crimson ones, quickly moving past it. Eventually, having checked all of them, she returned to one of the first ones and picked it up.

– What’s in it?

Subaru asked, taking the red card she offered him.

– Something that’ll help you with magic. You’ve just arrived in this world, so your Od and Gates are like a newborn’s. If you’d acted even slightly recklessly, you could’ve damaged your Gates—or even destroyed them completely.

– What happens if they break?

He asked, though he already had a hunch about the answer.

– You’d never be able to use magic again.

– That’s horrible! That’d be the end of a whole part of my new isekai life!

To that kind of comment, the half-elf could only give a crooked smile and sigh. She didn’t fear he’d treat this world like a game or a novel too seriously, but she understood—it was just a defense mechanism against everything he was going through.

– All right then, since this is your choice...!

I want this

Exactly like last time, he once again felt the sensation of the card trying to merge with his body through his fingers. It didn’t last long—within seconds, a screen popped up in front of him:

Satella’s / Witch of Envy Magic Gates

1 – Increases the user’s affinity with Yin Magic to match that of the "skill" holder

2 – Enhances the user’s Gates to the level of the "skill" holder

3 – Increases magic conduction and recovery to the level of the "skill" holder

Warning!

This "skill" does not improve magic control, magical knowledge, or mana reserves.

Warning!

Once installed, the "skill" is irreversible (cannot be removed or deactivated), and can only be placed in a passive skill slot.
Install?
Yes / No

p>The description answered a few questions they’d had earlier—but raised some new ones too.

– So I can get rid of that damned regeneration after all?

Hard to blame Subaru for thinking that first, considering the circumstances.

– Want to try removing it now?

Satella looked at him with sympathy.

– Yeah. Even if I end up in mortal danger, I’d rather meet you again than go through anything even remotely like that again.

Subaru tried to joke with a goofy smile, while telling the absolute truth.

Not knowing how else to respond, the girl approached him from behind. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her head on his shoulder, watching as he fiddled with the system windows.

Silent support.

Opening and closing the description of the Cursed Doll a few more times, he finally made up his mind. With an intuitive swipe, he removed the ability from the Active Skills list.

Instead of disappearing, the skill simply moved to his Inventory, taking the first slot out of an infinite number.

– Figures. Guess I can never really get rid of it.

He muttered indifferently.

– From what I can tell, only the Active Skills have limited slots. I wonder if you can increase them somehow. And what exactly is the difference between Active and Passive anyway? Still unclear...

Leaving the unanswered questions for now, Subaru returned to the Gates.

– Should I take it?

He turned his head slightly toward Satella, as if asking for permission.

– Mhm, there shouldn’t be any negative side effects.

– Perfect!

With nearly no hesitation now, Subaru clicked “Yes.”

In response, the screen simply vanished—nothing visibly changed, either in his vision or in his body.

– The effects probably won’t be noticeable until you return.

She picked up on his confusion.

Meanwhile, all the skill windows now looked like this:

Passive Abilities

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)

Satella’s / Witch of Envy Magic Gates

Active Abilities

–

–

–

–

–

Inventory

Cursed Doll of Elsa Granhiert

The last hour before the barrier came down was spent chatting about all sorts of little things. Subaru learned the basics of physical enhancement through magic and how to memorize the steps to cast Shamac, and they talked about the plan going forward:

– I guess there’s no point trying to talk you out of it, huh?

She looked him in the eyes with sadness, hoping to guilt him a little.

– I’ll never forgive myself if I let anyone go through even a fraction of what I had to just because I stood by and did nothing.

The tracksuit-wearing boy responded firmly and, this time, confidently.

"If... If I really am even a little bit as amazing as she described me, then I will pull this off. I’ll save them all—Not-Satella, Rom, Felt. They seem like good people. They don’t deserve this."

– ...Stay safe.

She threw herself into his arms one last time. Lifting her head to meet his gaze, she looked sternly at his blushing, flustered face:

– You do remember how to do it, right? I can explain again—

– No need! I’ve got this! According to you, Shamac is the easiest spell there is, and thanks to your Gates, I won’t have any trouble with Enhancement.

– All right, I believe you.

They stood in awkward silence for a couple more minutes before Satella spoke again.

– My mana here’s almost gone. Time to take down the barrier. To get out, remember the feeling of, um, being kidnapped by the Witch. Should feel similar.

– Got it. I’ll try!

Subaru said, but still stood there awkwardly, looking away, trying to think of what else to say.

– I think we’ve covered everything.

She nodded to herself.

– Good luck, my love.

This time, the kiss landed on his other cheek.

Chapter Text

– So, kid, gonna buy an appa or what?" — the same green-haired vendor stood before Subaru, holding out an appa fruit.

– …No thanks, I’ll come back some other time. – Still slightly disoriented both by the “return” and Satella’s farewell gift, the young man started walking aimlessly until he remembered something important:

– Magic! – he exclaimed with delight, lifting his arms overhead in a victory pose. A few passersby turned at his shout, then quickly lost interest in the strange boy.

“Using a spell here is probably not the best idea—might get arrested.”

His attention, however, was fixed on something else: Physical Enhancement. It wasn’t flashy or overwhelmingly powerful like he’d hoped, but it was right now the simplest, most reliable option.

Stepping away from the middle of the street toward a nearby wall—so as not to disturb anyone—he tried to recall the sensations the half-elf woman had described.

To his surprise, it came easily. In fact, it was rather simple compared to his new enhancement. When he first arrived in this world, his Gates had just barely formed, and sensing any change was difficult.

Now, it felt like gaining a third arm—something always there, but never noticed. Subaru thought it more akin to a tail. Even if a person explained what it was like to be born and live with a tail, he’d never truly grasp it.

“It’s something everyone here is born and dies with, taken for granted. It’s… sort of enviable.” Contradictory emotions surged through him alongside the new sensations, creating, unexpectedly, one of the most intense moments of his life. “Haha, I might actually cry with happiness. This is so strange.”

“Okay, no time to waste.” He shook his head as if to clear out stray thoughts. “Mm… mana… now… here… slowly, steadily across the whole body.” He followed the instructions in his mind, trying to be gentle.

“Damn! Looks like I pulled in too much.” Unfortunately, his control was far from perfect. At this stage, no matter how hard he tried, it was hard to draw just the minimum mana needed for body infusion. “It’s supposed to hurt a bit now, right? Hope not too bad—”

But the expected pain Satella had warned about never came. Instead, all the excess mana began pooling in a knot in Subaru’s stomach, rushing upward.

– Huh? What’s—blluurp!?

He vomited. A pitch-black, slimey substance expelled from his mouth onto the roadside. This repulsive purge lasted five seconds until his body finally expelled all the excess mana and returned to normal.

– Haahhh, haahk. – Subaru gasped greedily for air. The substance gave off no distinct smell—at least, he didn’t notice any.

– What the hell? – He would’ve fallen onto his back or butt if not for the sudden surge of strength coursing through him. – What even was that? Is that supposed to happen? – He spoke in confusion, wiping black slime off his mouth and staring at the slick pool on the ground.

Its sight unsettled him and raised more questions than he could answer now.

“Are they hinting that I’m just not talented at magic? Or is this somehow linked to my isekai origin?”

– Looks dangerous and probably spells trouble. – But he couldn’t afford to waste time. – I’ll hope it’s not something too bad. – Glancing around swiftly and worrying someone might’ve seen, Subaru quickly left the scene of the “crime.”

Too quickly, really. By his estimation, he’d moved at least three times faster than before. The thought of what would happen to his other stats—like strength and endurance—filled his mind with awed chaos.

Within minutes, he spotted the alley he needed, its shade beckoning him on a sweltering day. Not denying its appeal, he climbed the steps and sat on the topmost one, waiting for the others.

“Maybe I came too early.”

At least now he had some quiet time alone to think about past events and future possibilities.

“If I think about it, the moment I met Not‑Satella hasn’t even happened yet. But it only feels like a week.”

In reality, it’d been just a day and a half—but let’s not nitpick.

“Wonder why the two of them look so much alike?”

Subaru would never believe it’s just coincidence. He’d had plenty of time to study both faces, and even with his perfect memory, he could say there were no differences. That’s not even counting hair, eye color, figure—they were identical.

“Is one of them a long-lost twin sister? Maybe. But Satella‑tan wasn’t surprised by her appearance, and she just avoids the topic.” The spot he sat on wasn’t exactly comfortable, but lying down wasn’t an option either. So he decided to stretch a little, doing his usual gym routine.

“It’d be pretty stupid to die from an untimely stretch.” Besides, it was a great way to get used to his newfound strength.

– Empty your pockets if your life’s precious. – A voice came from the side.

He’d maybe gotten too into his warm-up and didn’t notice their approach.

– Huh? Oh! You’re here—I’ve been waiting! – Subaru said with genuine happiness to the trio of bullies. They looked exactly as they did before: one tall with blue-pink hair, one short with a mushroom haircut, one bulky with either braids or dreadlocks. Subaru didn’t pay them much mind. – “Who had the knives?”

– Huh? Did the sun fry your brain? – the tall one retorted, clearly dumbfounded.

– Maybe not fried, maybe just cracked. – the bulky one continued mockingly.

– Doesn’t matter. Let him empty his pockets peacefully and maybe he won’t get hurt. – The short one was eager to get to business.

As they spoke, two of them moved to flank Subaru. He simply tried to decide whom to take on first to gain the advantage.

– Move aside! Don’t block the way! – A red-eyed blonde girl ran toward them on the crosswalk, distracting the trio.

Wasting no time, Subaru punched the nearest—blue-haired with a tongue piercing—squarely in the face, knocking him out. Before the others understood what happened, he spun and kicked the short one, and to ensure the bulky one stayed down, followed up with a kick to the groin. Unlike last time, neither his arms nor legs ached, and he could be certain the trio wouldn’t get up easily.

– Ehh?? – Felt froze in place, watching Subaru—the clear instigator of the scene.

– Thanks, Felt, you saved me! They tried to rob me. – Subaru gave a thumbs‑up, sincerely grateful.

– …You’re welcome? Do we even know each other? – Felt asked politely as she prepared to run off again.

– Wait! The girl who ordered your badge theft is going to kill you! – Subaru tried to sound confident, raising his hand in a “Stop” gesture.

– Huh? How do you even know that?! – Felt’s confusion deepened. She wanted to get far away from this weirdo.

– If it was that dark-haired girl in the tight dress with big breasts, I bet everything she’s a Gut‑Hunter! – he threw in as much info as possible, hoping to convince her in the little time they had.

– That makes no sense. Sorry, but I’ve got to go! – Clearly not believing Subaru’s sudden info dump, she tried to leave again.

– Stop! I’m talking to you! – Since Felt had only just started running and hadn’t fully built speed, the moment she leapt with the intention of reaching a nearby rooftop, she abruptly felt someone’s hand on her ankle, pulling her down.

– Leeeet gooo, you idiot!! – she yelled, falling. – What do you even want from me!? – she yelled again as Subaru locked her in a chokehold, blocking any escape.

Meanwhile, the trio lay unconscious—an unexpected relief to Subaru.

– So you’ll just listen to me! I saved your life, stupid! That bitch won’t even pay you! – Mana infused through his body, making him less vulnerable to harm—but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt when she shoved his hand under her chin and began to bite it.

Fortunately, he’d secured her not only with his hands but also by wrapping his legs around her torso, having sat down earlier for leverage.

“I never thought that my father's "training" in wrestling almost every morning would be so useful to me."

– Why should I trust you!? Maybe you’re working with that half-devil! – Felt continued trying to wriggle free. She’d been in similar situations before but this time hoped she hadn’t landed in the hands of a creep.

– Enough. – Subaru heard a crisp, familiar voice. He didn’t need to look to recognize the speaker, but he still couldn’t resist. – Just give me back what you stole, and I will forgive you.

Purple eyes intently observed this odd five-person scene, but those eyes were drawn first to the blonde thief they’d been following for some time.

– I knew it—you were just stalling me! – Felt screamed in panic.

– I’ll explain everything later! – The unusual young man apparently addressed her. – Help me hold her and you’ll get your badges back!

Despite all the oddness, Felt decided to trust him… and then—

– Alright, be careful—it might be cold. – Said the girl (unknown to Subaru) quickly rushing over and immediately touching Felt’s legs.

– WAAAHH!!! – Felt squealed, and understandably so. Her legs—joined together—were rapidly turning into ice, freezing so she could barely move them separately.

– Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I can do this without harming the body. – the beautiful half-elf stated sternly. – I’ll let you go once you hand over the badge and promise not to steal from me again.

– Sorry to interrupt, but freeze her hands together, too—she might have a weapon! – After icing the legs, he focused on the girl’s hands, pressing them together and preventing any resistance.

“Why are even kids here this strong!? I really hope she’s an exception.” He had reason to complain: he was expending almost all his power just to hold a thirteen-year-old, preventing her from fleeing.

– O-okay. – The half‑elf, clearly hoping she wasn’t getting into something wrong by helping the boy. It wasn’t for her to judge by looks; the boy’s unusual clothes and unsettling voice evoked only minimal trust, mostly because he’d helped catch a thief who’d stolen something valuable from her. Maybe he had personal reasons against this girl, but if he ever tried to hurt her, she wouldn’t hesitate to intervene.

Even less trust was earned by the three unconscious bodies around them, keeping the girl on alert and ready for confrontation.

“I don’t sense any ill intent from him, Lia.” Her father’s voice habitually spoke in her mind. “Neither toward you nor toward that girl. We can hear him out.”

Ice spread over Felt’s hands as she, now largely subdued, resigned herself to the situation. It seemed they didn’t plan to harm her—though predicting the intentions of this odd boy was beyond her.

Subaru, seeing the situation calm down, gently lifted Felt and set her down next to him, finally ready to begin his explanations at a normal pace:

– And now… listen to me closely…

Meili hadn't had much rest the past few days.
Her older sister called their current assignment the strangest she’d ever taken on — and the girl had to agree, even if she had far less experience in mercenary work.

It wasn’t often she got to share a job with Elsa, since their skills were so different, so she’d agreed to the new mission gladly.

As long as it meant staying far, far away from Mother.

The client was, surprisingly, well-versed in every nuance and detail required to put together such an accurate plan. Neither she nor Elsa knew who exactly it was — they only spoke through intermediaries — but it quickly became clear the person was someone very influential.

The advance payment of ten sacred coins was a fortune. Meili had never seen that much money in one place in her short life. Even if her share was only two coins, she could live in relative luxury for months on that alone.

But the amount of work required for those coins matched the pay. For several days, she’d been tasked with moving as many mabeasts into the capital as possible, following the predetermined routes in the plan. The birds and small rodents posed little trouble: the birds flew in one by one, landing in less populated areas, while the rodents gnawed and burrowed their way through the ground.

The problems started with the Majira — monkey-type mabeasts — and the Volgarms — demon dogs.

The client somehow knew their exact habitats and even provided safe transportation routes directly into the capital. A couple of guards had been bribed, some areas had secret passageways, but all that still didn’t do much to avoid the attention of the capital patrols before the plan officially began. The young Volgarms — shaman pups — didn’t attract much attention, but there were only a handful of them due to their rarity.

The whole time, Meili had to use her Divine Protection up to 17 hours a day, always alert and ready in case she was spotted or caught. She also had to keep the beasts hidden until Day X, making sure none were discovered too early.

She reread the plan nearly every hour, poring over it with the same intensity that Mama gave to the Gospel.

The thought could’ve disgusted her, if only she had the strength — and if her greatest wish weren’t simply to get some real sleep.

And all of this? Just to keep the knights busy, to stop them from reaching their targets before they could call for help? Some versions of the plan clearly stated that the targets might already know about her sister’s attack and were preparing countermeasures.

Meili didn’t understand: if the client had such resources and connections, then why offer the targets so many chances to escape from both realistic and impossible scenarios?

But that wasn’t her concern. Tomorrow would be the final and hardest day, and then it would all be over.

The Sword Saint canceled his well-earned day off a day later.
He had no time for rest when reports started coming in about hundreds of mabeasts appearing here and there throughout the capital. Things were taking a strange turn, but Reinhard didn’t know the meaning of fatigue, and his newly acquired Divine Protection of Mabeast Detection helped greatly to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties (which, as he later learned from the reports, were almost nonexistent).

The lower ranks desperately didn’t want their superiors to find out about their blunder, so it was decided not to cause panic among the public and to use patrols to handle the sudden problem quietly.

That wouldn’t help them much — Reinhard would report to the Council of Wise Men regardless, without hiding a single detail.

By evening, after cleaning up most of the city, his new ability alerted him to the presence of several small monsters near the slums.
Duty called, and without hesitation, he headed that way — already noticing that several blocks were engulfed in a dense violet fog...

– Lia, this is no longer our business. We’re leaving. I won’t put you in danger. – A spirit appeared from the half-elf girl’s hair, shaped like a somewhat anthropomorphic cat about the size of a forearm.

– So you’re a spirit user!? – Felt exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the girl. Now she understood she’d never had much of a chance of wriggling out of this situation peacefully.

Felt had been freed from her improvised shackles during the conversation, once the insignias had been taken, and Subaru had made sure she understood the trouble she was in.

– This boy is suspicious. – The spirit continued. – For your own good, just tell us: where did you get this information? – Even with his ability to read the intentions of intelligent beings around him, he couldn’t treat the situation carelessly — especially when it concerned the safety and life of his daughter.

– It’s not that I don’t want to explain… It’s that I can’t... – the boy tried to defend himself, averting his eyes nervously. Satella had told him about the Taboo, strongly warning him not to tell anyone about his ability.

– At least try to be more specific. You already look and sound far too suspicious. – The spirit continued the conversation calmly but sternly, speaking in place of his contractor.

At the same time, the half-elf placed a hand on her chin and, with what Subaru considered a cute look of thoughtfulness, pondered her next move.

Felt wasn’t much different, but she was far more panicked. She’d have to face that killer eventually, one way or another. And she didn’t want to test whether the Bowel Hunter could track her and her grandpa down. She was still standing here, secretly hoping — though refusing to admit it — that she was looking for help.
No matter how much she bragged and lived by the rule of “survive by being strong,” there were moments when help was the only option.

This guy, at least, seemed to know something — and he wasn’t particularly weak either. The three bodies he had later dragged out of the alleyway to avoid drawing attention in an already grim situation were proof of that.

What she didn’t know was that Subaru had borrowed a pair of daggers from one of the thugs and hidden them under his hoodie and pants.

– Ehhh, well... – Subaru sighed awkwardly and scratched his head. – Fine, I’ll try. – He decided to test his luck and see where the Taboo’s limits lay.

– I have a way to receive information about some possible future events. But I don’t fully control this power, and I can’t explain it in detail. That’s probably the most I can say.

All three paused to digest the revelation, clearly not fully convinced the boy possessed such an ability:

– I’ve never heard of a Divine Protection like that... – “Lia” said, coming to the simplest and most logical conclusion regarding Subaru’s power.

– Ha! What else can you do, teleport? – Felt was more skeptical. Despite the entire Divine Protection system and general public knowledge of magic, this kind of ability was more myth than reality.

"Wait a second. He said that’s the most he can say. Does that imply the ability is much more powerful? But the description was vague — maybe it’s just how it works that’s odd. –" Puck thought intently.
"Sounds like an Authority. A rather weak one, at first glance. Could it be a Gospel? No, the explanation was too clear. Cultists wouldn’t have something like that. He treats my daughter well. Seems like he even finds her attractive. Suspicious… but even a disguised cultist would act differently. It wouldn’t be bad to show him to Beatrice and check for miasma..."

Despite all the questions swirling in his head, Puck asked only one:

– What exactly did you see?

At Puck’s question, Subaru paled slightly, mentally sifting through memories, wondering what to say. Two things Satella had told him came to mind:
He absolutely must not talk about his deaths — the Taboo would definitely activate.
He must lie as little as possible.
There are several variations of Divine Protections and innate abilities in this world that can detect lies. He wasn’t sure, but this flying cat looked like someone who might be able to do that.

– I remember helping your daughter look for a stolen insignia. Then night fell, you went to sleep inside your crystal. We— – he pointed at the half-elf – were out late when we found the thief’s hideout, so I went in first and saw Felt and Rom...

He paused meaningfully, hoping no one would ask further.

They didn’t. Everyone understood.

Felt’s knees trembled slightly as her mind filled in the rest. The half-elf’s expression darkened.
And Puck spotted one inconsistency:

– You already know I see her as a daughter, but you never once called her by name, even though you know ours. Why?

– Well... that’s a bit of a weird one. I actually don’t know her name. In those memories, she introduced herself as Satella...

– Why in the world would I do that?? – Not-Satella finally entered the conversation, hearing such a blatant claim about herself. Felt took a half step away from her in slight fear, and Puck gave his daughter a disapproving look. He didn’t doubt she’d do something like that — especially if a stranger was kind to her.

– I don’t know! Maybe to scare me off? Or maybe you just didn’t trust me! You’d be better off answering that question than me, you know. – Subaru narrowed his eyes and replied in mock offense.

– Anyway, now that we’re on the topic... – Subaru cut off the conversation quickly. – We already know Felt and Puck’s names. Great opportunity to introduce ourselves too!

In the next moment, he raised one hand with his index finger pointing upward and shifted his hips to the side, striking a ridiculous pose.

– My name is Natsuki Subaru! I’m absolutely broke, lost in life, but not broken in spirit! And what’s yours, beautiful?

"Weirdo. With strange taste in girls." – All three witnesses of Subaru’s performance thought more or less the same thing at once.

– Me..? Ah, y-yes, that’s me! – the flustered, blushing girl replied, not expecting the compliment. – My name is Emilia. Please take care of me. – For some reason unknown even to herself, she decided to use a phrase from Kararagi.

– Emilia... – Subaru repeated after her, savoring the name on his tongue like he didn’t want to forget it. – Beautiful name. It suits you!

Chapter Text

Three figures were rapidly heading toward the slums. Well, not very rapidly, actually. One yellow flash really was rushing ahead, constantly stopping with irritation to wait for the two others falling behind, simultaneously glancing around as if looking for someone. The white one was running at a measured, confident pace, seeing no reason to speed up, since the black one next to her was already moving her legs as fast as she could.

– Haa, haa, haa. Disgusting. – Complained Subaru. Even with his new strength he was already at his limit just trying to keep up with these monsters.

– You done there, snail? – Teased him Felt. In her defense, she was very nervous and tried to relieve stress this way, even if it meant mocking the weakest member of the group.

– Felt-chan, you’re not the one to say that with your Divine Protection. – Emilia defended her new potential friend. Unlike the thief, she could maintain her speed thanks to her own strength, even if won by innate genetic advantages.

Felt and Emilia were currently moving along rooftops, while the guy had to run along streets and alleys, chasing after them. Maybe he could’ve jumped as high as they did, but he didn’t want to experiment just yet.

Subaru would find out about this later, but elves were on average the strongest race in all sorts of aspects right after oni. Funny how both were on the verge of extinction.

– Don’t wanna hear that from a speedhacking cheater like you, shorty. And aren’t we almost there anyway? – Changed the topic and stopped the guy.

– You..! – Felt’s face became serious when she saw her house not far away. – Yeah, we’re almost there.

– Then stop! We better split up here like we agreed. – Simultaneously with these words Subaru felt something wrong. The world seemed to have frozen for a split second, barely noticeable, and his solar plexus felt a wrapping cold that disappeared as sharply as it had come. – Kh-! – The sensation wasn’t painful, but the suddenness confused and alerted the guy, so much so that he even stumbled.

– Are you okay, Subaru? – Emilia was slightly worried, tilting her head cutely to the side. She was close to him, though a few meters above, so she noticed.

– Yeah, I’m fine! – “I’ll deal with this later. Not the first and not the weirdest thing in the past few days.”

– Alright, I’m going! – Her previous task had been to show them the shortest way to the Loot House. Now Felt, following their improvised plan, was supposed to head to the knight headquarters, asking them for competent people to help.

Emilia’s role was to stand on the nearest tallest building, watching the situation from the side and jumping in only if the enemy appeared.

Convincing Puck to allow Emilia to help was a real headache and took quite a lot of their most precious resource — time. But she was persistent. Her main arguments were that simply running away from a killer who might very well start chasing her was a bad idea. In that case, they could lose the slight element of surprise if they didn’t attack now.

The second was no less important: the Contractor. The mysterious person might turn out to be another royal candidate. It would still be interesting how she found out about Emilia — not the most public figure and not the most obvious candidate for the throne so far — but that wasn’t the most important part. If she could figure out and prove the involvement of another candidate in such a scheme, the second one, by all rules, would be disqualified from the selection.

Even though the rules they were given were far from perfect, and the capabilities of those playing the role of forensic experts in this world were not that great, it didn’t change the fact that any attempt on the life of another candidate, with the intention of simplifying one’s own way to the royal throne or for any other reason, was severely punishable.

Puck, for his part, was urgently sent to sleep in the crystal, to save and accumulate strength for a possible fight. Such irregular sleep would not have the best effect on the spirit, but the safety of the contractor was more important.

– Wish me luck! – Subaru patted his cheeks, mentally preparing himself, and headed straight to the door of the Loot House.

Felt’s first mistake was relaxing her vigilance.

The second — going down to the ground and running there due to the less “convenient” roofs in this area.

The third — running close to the wall.

All this together led to the fact that when she ran around the corner, the teeth of a waiting wolgarm instantly sank into her neck, giving her no chance of rescue.

Reinhard van Astrea, who found her body half a minute later in this worldline, had to live with even more regret, guilt, and unfulfilled duty.

Luckily for him, not for long.

– For rats?

– Poison.

– For the whale?

– Harpoon.

– For the great dragon we all are?

– Shit.

The door immediately opened, revealing a slightly surprised giant.

– The client?

– No, but it seems like Felt forgot to lock the gate when she left. – That pair of words was enough to bring a war veteran into combat readiness.

How could it be otherwise. These words were prepared between Felt and Rom as a secret phrase in case of complete disaster.

– What happened? – Doing his best not to raise his voice, the now completely sobered man asked sharply.

– Your granddaughter got involved with the wrong people and now we all have to deal with it. – Rattled off Subaru. – It’ll be safer for us to stand in the open. – He then hinted that Rom should step outside.

– Where is she now? – The giant quickly turned around to go grab his club before going out.

– She ran to the knights, looking for help. – This dialogue wasn’t meant to continue. As soon as Rom stepped away from the door, Subaru tensed every one of his senses, focusing like never before in his life.

He wasn’t sure if the Bowel Hunter was inside or outside, but if it was the first, she would most likely have to come out or attack.

And he was right, catching two unnatural details at once: One of the floorboards at the threshold to the house slightly bent, and he caught a barely noticeable but familiar smell of blood and cold incense.

“She was inside this whole time.” – Noted Subaru mentally, quite nervous.

He didn’t hesitate: One of the knives borrowed earlier was already flying from the right toward the invisible person.

– Oh my~ I’ve already been found out! – Elsa effortlessly parried it with her own, knocking the boy’s arm upward with the movement.

– Watch out, the Bowel Hunter is here! – Subaru called out, both as a signal for Emilia and to inform Rom.

– You even already know who I am! – A mad smile “decorated” the woman’s face. – And I really wanted to introduce myself.

With the next kick, barely visible to Subaru’s eye, she sent him flying through the door straight into the giant. The latter immediately put away the club, caught the boy in his large arms, and placed the poor guy on his feet next to him. Even despite that, Subaru was briefly taken out of commission. The kick was strong enough to knock the wind out of him and definitely leave a huge bruise.

“And that’s with magical enhancement, she’s a real monster. I hope she didn’t break any ribs.” – He didn’t know what that would feel like and didn’t want to know. Dropping to one knee from the pain, for now he could only watch the fight unfold.

– What do you want from Felt!? – The giant shouted furiously, trying to hit the “slippery bitch.” Even despite his precise and fast strikes, he still couldn’t hit her, and was getting increasingly irritated.

– I’ve never fought a giant before~! You’ll give me a wonderful fight, won’t you? – Elsa started jumping across tables and pushing off walls, gracefully and tastefully dodging all his swings.

– Answer my question, bitch! – Rom didn’t back down. He didn’t have time to think over the situation. From the door opening to the fight barely twenty seconds had passed, and he already had to try to land the first strike. He’d managed to hear the title of this killer from the boy and couldn’t stay calm.

– How rude! But really, what else can you expect from the relative of a mutt who can’t even complete a job properly. – Catching the man on a mistake, she with precise movement cut off the hand that was holding the club.

– Aaarghrrgh!! You bitch, I’ll..! – With those words, a knife flew at the Bowel Hunter’s head, thrown by Subaru, who was already halfway up, still holding his side in pain.

She deflected it effortlessly, creating a ringing clash of metal. But the guy hadn’t hoped to hit. He just needed to distract her for a moment.

– Puck, now! – Emilia’s voice, having found the right moment to sneak into the hut, echoed through it.

A dangerous spell of several dozen ice crystals, created by the spirit, was already rushing toward Elsa. She wanted to shield herself with the disoriented Rom standing nearby, but ran into an ice shield separating them. With no other option, she jumped aside, still intending to deal with the crystals coming her way.

Despite her attempt, the spell successfully reached its target, covering her from all sides with thick layers and spikes of ice.

– Is she finished already? – Asked Rom, trying to stop the bleeding by wrapping some kind of skin layer over the remains of his wrist.

If Subaru had been less tense right now, he would’ve definitely replied something like “Don’t raise a flag, old man!”, but he was pretty sure that if this did get her, then only temporarily.

And he was right. The ice block was seemingly blown apart from the inside, shards scattering harmlessly through the room, and Elsa, with a pleased smile, tossed aside one of the cloaks given to her by her employer.

– Such a nice item. Shame it’s single-use.

By this point, Subaru, having recovered from the hit and holding a dagger in one hand, had also taken a shield off the nearest wall, fully arming himself.

“I guess that cloak’s some kind of protective artifact. That’s bad—one of our few chances to catch her off guard just slipped away. We still have the advantage, but how long will that last? We need to coordinate somehow… but I’m the only one here who’s never been in a real battle!” – The boy quickly analyzed the situation, trying to memorize every detail and think of something—anything—that might help.

– Four against one? And all so different! – Her gaze shifted to Puck. – I’ve never gutted a spirit before, but hey, first time for everything, right? Let’s dance~

– You won’t get near my daughter! – Seeing that the maniac was heading their way, Puck and Emilia stood back-to-back, conjuring shields in front of them.

The rest of the fight took place on the edge of Subaru’s perception. Elsa darted and leapt side to side, constantly looking for a gap in their defenses, circling around the unguarded angles. She couldn’t stay in one place too long, nor could she brute-force her way through the barriers, as doing so prompted either Emilia or Puck to hurl ice projectiles at her, forcing her to retreat.

– Got you. – Puck noted as the woman stepped into one of his ice traps. Elsa’s leg froze nearly up to her knee, leaving her unable to pull it out. – Thought we were just throwing spells around for fun? – he smirked victoriously at her.

Seeing an opening during their exchange, Subaru began to circle behind the Huntress, hoping she wouldn’t notice his approach.

– I’ll admit, I’m impressed. But what made you think this would stop me?~ – With one swift move, the crazed woman severed her own leg and hopped aside on the freed one. The dismembered limb wasted no time, already regenerating with a sickening sound.

The gruesome sight, coupled with Elsa’s actions, left the giant—who had just finished bandaging his arm—frozen in horror. Even Emilia and Puck, despite Subaru’s earlier warnings, were stunned. Seeing it firsthand was another thing entirely. Their eyes filled with revulsion, shock, and a creeping sense of hopelessness. What was the point of all this, if after everything they’d done, the most they’d achieved was a single serious injury… one that was already healed? How long could she keep regenerating?

A small sliver of hope remained in Emilia’s freezing magic—perhaps powerful enough to paralyze even the strongest beings.

Meanwhile, having found a favorable angle, the black-haired boy rushed silently toward Elsa’s back. The shield was in his left hand, and with his right, he aimed the dagger at her head or neck.

– A word of advice, kid: hide your intentions. – Despite noticing his efforts, she couldn’t completely dodge, and the dagger left a deep gash from her neck up to her cheek. – Your fear and hate reek from a mile away. – She paid the wound no mind. On the contrary—now that her regeneration was no longer a secret, she saw no need to hold back and stepped into the fight more aggressively.

With a sharp whistle that marked her increased speed, her body appeared near Rom, ignoring the club swinging toward her. She shifted just slightly, letting it strike her shoulder, and positioned herself for a perfect counterattack—which she of course didn’t pass up.

Both blows landed. The Huntress’s shoulder was mangled, drooping unnaturally like a limp rag. Into that same arm flew a shard of ice from Emilia, neatly freezing and tearing it off. Meanwhile, Elsa’s kukri slashed across the giant’s torso on a diagonal—from liver to nearly the arm—leaving a gash so massive it was a miracle he wasn’t cleaved in two.

Blood sprayed in all directions, though none landed on the woman. By the time Rom collapsed with a fading cry of life, the Huntress was already near Subaru, dodging more spells on the way.

– Subaru, please, stall her! I’ll try to heal him! – Intending only to prevent the wound from becoming fatal, Emilia manifested a glowing white sphere of healing magic and began to guide it over his body. Puck stood guard over his contractor, occasionally casting icicles. His mana was running low—he had to conserve it.

He knew Elsa was holding back. He saw that she was toying with him. And with each passing minute of “combat,” it enraged him more. Subaru was giving it everything he had, fighting on sheer willpower. In his old world, the way he wielded the dagger and shield—albeit clumsily—might have been enough to beat a regular human. But he wasn’t in his old world anymore. He was in the land of monsters, little more than human, forced to learn through pain.

Clashes of steel rang out every second, footsteps echoing across the room in a deadly dance. Sometimes Subaru tried dirty tricks—tripping her or throwing whatever he could grab—but nothing worked.

Clash after clash, grapple after grapple, all he could do was rack up more wounds, each one weakening him further. Anger drove him to desperation, and desperation only worsened his state, forming a vicious cycle. He didn’t even have the strength to look over at Emilia anymore. And truthfully, in his mind, there were barely any thoughts left unrelated to surviving the fight.

As for Emilia… things weren’t going well there either.

A man was dying in her arms, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. Her magic only prolonged his suffering—and he wasn’t even conscious anymore.

“I should’ve worked harder. I should’ve trained more healing magic. I failed…” – The thought looped in her head like a broken record, clearly affecting her ability to heal even with what little skill she had.

Tears welled in her eyes. No, she wasn’t crying out of sympathy or loss. She barely even knew the man’s name. What hit her so hard was the overwhelming sense of helplessness and irresponsibility. “How can I call myself a queen if I can’t even handle this? I dragged innocent people into this, and one of them is…”

Dying in her arms.

Not that it was entirely her fault. While healing magic was rare, she happened to be the third person in the mansion who could use it—and also the third in talent.

She’d only learned the basics. Most of her magic was centered around ice, adapted from fire spells—she had a lingering fear of using raw fire.

Puck knew his daughter would have to grow up someday. He just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly—and so brutally.

“We never should’ve gotten involved.” – He couldn’t even bring himself to blame the boy who was fighting so desperately. Emilia had insisted on going with them, and she’d gotten her way.

– Lia, my mana’s running out. – He steeled himself and continued. – Please… just run. If it gets critical—don’t hesitate to call me, even at the cost of my Od.

“Reinforcements should be arriving with that girl soon. The knights can shield my daughter. She’ll be safe.” – The self-proclaimed father tried to convince himself.

Over the next ten seconds, the spirit grew more transparent until vanishing completely, leaving his tearful daughter alone.

Rom died the moment she stopped healing him. No miracle came. Swallowing a sob, she wiped her eyes and stood up, finally turning to face the fight. Lia would not obey her father’s final wish.

What she saw was terrifying. While she tried to heal a hopeless case, Subaru was already covered in wounds. Apart from the arm holding his shield, his entire body had been carved up like Elsa’s personal canvas. And even the shield looked like it wouldn’t last much longer.

And it didn’t. Noticing the spirit’s absence, Elsa sighed in disappointment and delivered a final slash that split the half-dead shield—and the fingers holding it—in two.

– AAAAAAAH, it hurts! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts… – That blow broke Subaru’s endurance. Pain wasn’t something you just got used to, and he’d endured far too much already. His scream faded quickly as his strength ebbed, and with it, he finally noticed the familiar, sticky substance churning in his stomach.

Tears ran down his face, mixing with the blood from his wounds, as his legs gave out and dropped him to his knees. He expected to lose his head any moment now, from a bored Elsa tired of playing with him—but it didn’t happen.

The sound of her knife hitting a barrier reached his ears. Forcing himself to lift his head, he saw Elsa performing a move he’d never seen before.

While one dagger struck the crying Emilia—who managed to raise a shield—the other fell from her hand toward one of the legs left exposed by Puck’s earlier attack.

– What is she…? – The answer came fast. Caught between her toes, the knife was instantly kicked upward. Calculating the perfect angle, the strange attack slipped under the shield and aimed directly at the girl’s chin.

The silver-haired girl didn’t even have time to realize she was dead. The kukri was long enough, and the speed great enough, that the tip emerged from the top of her skull, the hilt driven flush between chin and throat. Her body fell to the floor with a dull thud under Subaru’s shocked gaze, making his body jerk with fear.

– Emi… lia…? – He didn’t want to believe it. Seeing the body of the kind girl dead—for the second time—brought him no strength, no rage. He’d already used up everything he had in the fight. A fight that had ended less than ten seconds ago. Elsa’s efficiency, when she wanted to be serious, was terrifying.

His gaze stayed locked on her lifeless body until it was blocked by someone else.

The figure in black stood before him.

– Have you lost the will to live? – Elsa looked at him with a blank expression. – Pity. For someone fighting for the first time, you weren’t bad. – His hopeless face slowly shifted into numb acceptance.

– Please… make it quick.

– No. – This time, her flat voice and the meaning behind it frightened him more than anything else. – Nothing personal this time—just doing the client’s bidding.

Without waiting for a reply, she sliced off his right arm above the elbow. His whimper, mixed with a sob, was followed by another strike, cutting off his ear. The third was aimed at her favorite part—the gut—sending the boy flying back onto the floor.

“I’m dying again? Why am I dying again? Did I do something wrong? Where did I mess up? Why does this world hate me? I don’t want to die. I’m scared, scared, scared, scared. It hurts. Oh… no, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

His brain, deprived of proper energy from the body, began to deteriorate rapidly, dragging him into delirium.

“Pain? What’s pain? Sounds bad… Am I dying? I wonder what it feels like… Wait, haven’t I felt it before? Funny… hehe…”

His torn-up body lay motionless for half a minute in the empty room, blood pooling beneath him.

His lifeless hand made no move to grasp his main wound, just like the rest of his body, which didn’t stir at all.

“Oh… I died.”

The next thing Subaru felt was the collision of his face with dusty earth.

Chapter Text

His eyes reflexively managed to shut just before his body hit the ground, so the dust only made it into his nose and mouth.

– Aaahhh! – The sudden spike of pain from smashing his forehead sharply contrasted with the rest of his body, which had abruptly stopped hurting and felt completely healed.

– Khah–Khhz–Khah... – Right after, before he even had time to get up, the dust in his mouth made itself known again. Naturally, his body tried to get rid of it, along with the irritation in his nose:

– Achoo! – That sneeze acted like a trigger, snapping Subaru back into the world of conscious thought—something he desperately needed, considering what had happened at the end of the last loop.

"I'm not... in that place?" – Along with his first thoughts, his hearing returned, helping him notice someone calling out to him.

– -baru! Are you okay? – It was a familiar girl, one whose death he'd just witnessed. – You collapsed so suddenly. You shouldn't push yourself too hard—when you're tired, you make more mistakes! – Emilia lightly scolded him, her concern evident.

A white light shone on his forehead, letting his brain properly process incoming signals again and beginning to heal the injury. The half-elf, having descended from the roof, placed her hand on his forehead and immediately began healing him.

– Emilia? You're alive... – But that kind of healing couldn't undo sudden trauma. In Emilia’s eyes, Subaru—who had looked totally normal just ten seconds ago—was now kneeling, hugging her around the waist, pressing his head into her stomach, and quietly sobbing.

– Subaru!? Uhhh? What’s going on? Did something happen? – The boy didn’t answer, just continued crying. Then a realization struck her like lightning. – You saw one of those visions, didn’t you!?

That question finally brought Subaru back to his senses. He had mentioned that “information” could come to him at any random moment. Considering what they’d just been doing and what he might’ve seen... Emilia had no trouble connecting the dots.

"Did I... die in it?" – It’s hard for any rational being to truly grasp the concept of death until they stand face to face with it. Yes, the idea itself was terrifying—but she hadn’t seen it, hadn’t felt it.

The girl was ready to believe in Natsuki Subaru’s abilities, but truly accepting the idea of her own possible death—especially in such a hurry—was too heavy to bear.

– I-I’m sorry! – Embarrassed, Subaru quickly stood up and backed away, his face already starting to flush from shame and guilt, hoping she wouldn’t take it badly. – Yeah, you guessed it! – he hurried to change the subject. – I think we need a new plan...

– Hey, what’s going on back there? – Felt, noticing no one was following her, hopped back toward them.

– Subaru, please, can you tell us what happened? – Emilia didn’t miss how the boy’s legs trembled slightly, but chose to gently coax the vital information out of him.

– I... Yeah, of course. Give me five minutes. I need... to remember everything.

– So what the hell even happened? – This time, Felt's question was answered. There wasn’t much to tell yet anyway, so after Emilia explained the gist of it to her in a few sentences, they waited for a quiet, slightly calmed-down Subaru—who had plenty to think about.

"Alright, time to put it all together. First: I didn’t teleport anywhere. Probably because I didn’t acquire any new ability. Tch, died for nothing... Didn’t even meet Satella, what a disgrace." – He wanted to see her more than he could ever admit to himself. Her support had helped him so much in the past—and even now, he still longed for it.

"Second: the 'save point' changed. And I figured out what the hell happened when we were running last time. I’ll need to memorize that feeling." – He continued organizing his thoughts.

"Third: The maniac is inside the building and apparently waiting for specific people to show up before attacking. Last time, she didn’t go for me—just slipped past when Rom wasn’t blocking the way. But why?" – Subaru mentally mapped out the layout and began recalling where she had gone. – "Was it... because of Emilia!? She was definitely standing in that direction, and you could see her if you tried. So that bitch was trying to take her out first..."

His anger, though brief, soon gave way to cold calculation.

"Fourth: the client. Who or what is that supposed to be? Why the hell would someone know I’d get involved? Why the hell would anyone even know about me!? Didn’t I just get here today!? Or are they targeting that ‘previous’ me? But Satella said it’s been 400 years!" – The questions piled up, but answers refused to come. Subaru’s mind dumped all of them into the “Important Questions for Satella” bin.

"Fifth: Felt never came back. She had more than enough time, yet the reinforcements never arrived. Honestly, rushing straight to Rom’s place was... kinda stupid. It wasn’t even dark enough yet for Elsa to attack on her own, and I arrived before the blonde did in the second loop."

After a few more minutes, he assembled a new plan based on everything he’d learned:

– Listen to me carefully...

Running down the suspiciously empty streets on the edge of town, Subaru sincerely hoped he’d made the right call this time. Ahead of him was the back of a blonde girl, also hurrying toward the nearest knight outpost.

That’s right—this time, he decided to run with Felt. He didn’t know why she hadn’t made it back with help last time, but hoped that his presence might speed things up somehow.

–At the very least, he’d get more information if this loop failed.–

Meanwhile, Emilia had found a better hiding spot, staying alert and watching the house and surrounding area. Elsa wouldn’t act for a while yet, and Subaru and Felt had time to bring the knights to successfully apprehend her.

Though he hadn’t told the girls the brutal details, they knew the general idea of what had happened in previous timelines. And since they couldn’t come up with a better plan, they agreed to follow their “prophet’s” lead and act accordingly.

Subaru was deep in thought as he ran—until something wrapped around his left leg. It felt alive—like a rope—and yanked him downward, dragging his whole body to the ground.

– What the hell!? – He didn’t get a clear look at whatever did it, but a scaly green tail disappearing into a hole underfoot was a clear sign of some kind of snake-like creature.

– What the hell are mabeasts doing in the capital!? – Felt’s voice reached his ears. He was already turning to her to ask a question—when he stopped halfway.

His eyes locked onto several dog-like creatures peeking out from the abandoned houses across the street. They looked threatening. Their black upper fur faded into brown underneath, with sharp bony protrusions lining their backs. Their eyes and the veins on their sides glowed an ominous red.

"Mabeasts?" – The word rang familiar. – "Right, Satella-tan told me about them... crap, she barely told me anything!" – Subaru got up, drawing his daggers. – "I know they were made by another Witch, and that there are four ultra-powerful ones, but how does that help me now!?"

He didn’t continue the thought. His peripheral vision horrified him—the beasts he could see were far from the only ones. They were surrounded. Maybe 20 or 30 of them—exact numbers didn’t matter. It was terrifying regardless.

"This must be what stopped Felt last time."

– Hey, brat!

– What!? And don’t call me that! – she snapped back, eyes wide with panic as she scanned their surroundings.

– Are they strong? – The “dogs” were slowly closing in.

– I have no idea! But supposedly, they're not dangerous alone! – Felt desperately tried to recall anything about wolgarms. – Ah! I don’t remember why, but you’re supposed to avoid their bites!

– Got it. Then run! – Subaru motioned for her to leave as he shifted into a ready stance for battle.

– What the hell do you mean!? You think I’d abandon you here!? – she snapped at him, casting a quick, angry glance.

– No, I don’t think that. I’m asking you to. Someone has to hold them off so the other can bring help! – He said this just in time to dodge the first wolgarm lunging at him.

– Big brother, you... – Without thinking, out of sheer distress, Felt gave him a new nickname.

– I’ll be fine! Trust me! I trained at home—I even know how to hold a weapon! And I know one spell too! – Subaru continued hyping himself up, trying to believe in it at least a little.

To prove his words, he slashed open the belly of a second wolgarm that lunged at him, ducking and striking upward as it leapt over him. Some of its oddly-scented blood splattered on him—but that was the least of his worries.

– Go! – he shouted again, noticing their escape route was closing.

– Don’t you dare die before I get back! – With speed Subaru had never seen from her, Felt dashed past the wolves and back to the rooftops like a ninja.

"So I can die after she gets back, huh?" – That was the last stupid thought in his head before the real fight began. – "Okay, avoid bites. That’s gonna be a problem."

And it was a problem. This wasn’t some low-budget movie where the enemies attacked one at a time due to plot armor or clumsiness.

The wolgarm were coordinated. They didn’t get in each other’s way and often worked together in terrifying sync. There was never a second’s rest: attack after attack, ambush after ambush—often from two or three directions at once—forcing Subaru to make mistakes and take hits.

But the otherworlder held his own. By his modest standards, he was doing great!

"At least I’m not dying to damn EXP sacks disguised as low-level mobs from some demon king’s army."

Only half his attacks were landing, and even fewer did real damage—but surrounded by eight wolgarm corpses and having wounded several more, Subaru’s confidence surged. It was just what he needed after facing a monster like Elsa.

That cocky thought spread across his face in the form of a defiant grin. He ignored his bloodied, battered appearance— scratches and bite marks covered his body, and his clothes were far beyond repair.

The daggers in his hands, while not as graceful or precise as Elsa’s, still carved through the battlefield with respectable effectiveness, slicing through demonic flesh. The wolves’ bites became liabilities—those that bit him left themselves exposed for clean head or neck strikes, ending their lives.

This continued until Subaru felled his twelfth wolgarm. Though he heard a strange tearing sound behind him, he couldn’t react—two more lunged at him from either side.

Crashing into the wall of an abandoned house didn’t go well. Cracked ribs, knocked-out teeth, broken bones, and a mild concussion nearly took him out of the fight. Despite everything, Natsuki Subaru was still just a human—and the boost from magic only let him survive what would have instantly killed most people.

Knowing the battle wasn’t over, he desperately tried to turn and stand. He managed to roll over—but a broken leg stopped him from rising.

– Shit! It hurts! – He tried again, only intensifying the pain, which began to override his adrenaline. Grabbing his leg, he hissed.

"What the hell even hit me?" – His back was wrecked too, even though he landed front-first.

He didn’t realize the blow had hit him hard enough to weaken the wall that had supported the roof. Just before he was buried under a pile of collapsing bricks, he caught a glimpse of the new enemy:

"THE BOSS!?" – Looking up, he saw a massive wolgarm several times the size of the others approaching him. Visually, it was nearly identical—aside from the size. His guess was correct.

This time, death came quickly.

Before he could even scream under the falling rocks, the Boss’s large paw crushed his skull.

Felt realized he had broken her promise when she stumbled upon the Sword Saint and brought him to the scene of the massacre. And the shadows appearing everywhere were not #### ## ########!!!¡

!HELP#

– Tella-tan, what am I doing wrong? – The girl’s body pressed against his back wasn’t as unfamiliar as it used to be, but it still made the boy uncomfortable — he just wasn’t used to that kind of affection.

Still, it calmed him. This time there were no hysterics, no tears even, but hopelessness, depression, and melancholy would be the main words to describe his current state.

– Why is this happening to me? I just want to run away... I can do that, right? They can deal with their problems on their own. – The half-elf's hand gently stroked his head, her chin resting comfortably on his shoulder. – It was never my fight. I’m not cut out for this. Just some idiot who thought he was the protagonist. When I go back, I’ll just tell them to leave. We won’t make it.

How badly Satella wanted to simply agree with the path he was choosing — but:

– Subaru, you’re not an idiot, and you’re not useless. Even if not to the world, to me you’ll always be the main character. – The words flowed naturally from her mouth, aimed solely at supporting him. – I’m so sorry you have to go through something like this. You didn’t deserve it, sunshine! – Raising her voice slightly, she stopped stroking him and hugged him even tighter.

Despite the trembling beginning to shake her from the memories of what she had witnessed, she forced herself to blend her own opinion with what he truly needed to hear, and continued:

– I know how strong you really are — maybe not physically or magically yet, but mentally! You’re capable of so much, and this obstacle will be nothing once you gather your thoughts. They need you, my dear. They’ll die without your help. Even without knowing how amazing you really are, they’ll come to see you as a true hero. – Leaning closer to his ear, she whispered. – You can do this, Subaru.

Why was she doing this? Why was she convincing him to go through with something she would otherwise drag him far away from?

The answer lay in Subaru’s personality.

He was... inconsistent about things like this. Sure, right now, crushed under the weight of his failures, he wanted to run — but it was just a phase. A phase that, without the right support, could go too far and break him under the burden of wrong decisions.

If she supported his idea of running away, things might go well for a while. Until the moment Subaru returned to his normal, calmer self. That could happen in a few hours or a few weeks. And in the latter case, it would be too late for regrets — and in the former, Satella would become associated with the one who told him to abandon his new friends... or worse.

No, of course it wasn’t just about pragmatic calculation. Even if she wasn’t the root of the bad decision, the consequences would hurt him more than his current stubborn, painful, yet ultimately successful desire to be a hero.

The best option for her was to convince him to help those people and earn, in his eyes, the image of someone compassionate toward others’ fates. Of two evils, this one was the lesser.

In the end, once he felt better, she’d only win his affection. Naturally, the witch wasn’t lying — not in any of her words. She didn’t care about almost anyone but Subaru. But she didn’t say what she really thought. She told the truth, wrapped in exactly what Subaru needed to hear.

She loved him so much. She cared for him so deeply.

– Thank you for everything, really...

– You don’t have to thank me or ask me for anything. I’ll always be here when you need me and give you the support you deserve. Well... – Satella hesitated. – Within the limits of what I can do right now, of course.

– I won’t get to see you more often, Tella? – Subaru looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

"Od Laguna, he looks so adorable even when he’s sad! It’s so unfair. I want to see him more, too, but to ask for something like that..."

– We’ll figure something out, Subaru. – The half-elf reassured him. – There are plenty of possibilities... – The temperature in the space suddenly dropped, and the girl's violet eyes gleamed a little brighter.

– Sorry, we’re short on time again. – And anticipating his question, she answered in advance. – No, I can’t do what I did last time anymore. That situation... was a bit special.

– I see... – The boy was clearly upset by the revelation. It wasn’t just about seeing Satella again — it was a place where he could stay, rest, and think things through before facing the world again with a clear mind.

Reluctantly pulling away from her embrace, the first thing he did was walk over to the meager set of cards given to him by death at the Boss’s hands.

One purple, three blue, and three green cards floated slowly around him. Such a small number of abilities stood in stark contrast to what he’d seen with Satella.

"No use complaining in my situation. Just take what you're given."

There wasn’t much to think about. His hand instantly reached for the purple card and absorbed it.

Curse of Volgarm

Turns the user into a "Shaman", allowing them to place a mana-draining Curse mark on a target via bite or (optionally) another magical attack.

Conditions:

1. The Curse can be removed before it is activated.

2. Once activated, only the user can stop the process.

3. The Curse may not be activated until at least one minute after application.

4. Once active, the Curse lasts up to 60 minutes. If the target is still alive after that, the Curse is removed.

5. If the user dies before activation, the mark remains but cannot be triggered.

Warning!

Not recommended for use if the user’s mana pool is full.

Accept?

Yes / No

Satella leaned over his shoulder, already a somewhat familiar sight, reading the description. Without hesitation, he accepted the new power. There didn’t seem to be any major downsides, and the one that did exist was more of a logical warning.

– So that’s why Felt said something about bites being dangerous...

– This’ll be more useful than you think, my dear. Especially for you. With your small mana pool, but quick recovery thanks to me, and this new curse, you’ll be able to last and buy time.

– Making every battle a war of attrition, huh? Doesn’t sound too bad, honestly. – Subaru put a hand under his chin, thoughtfully reading the description again. – But this just makes the debuffer role even more fitting for me, huh? I rarely played those kinds of classes in games, and I definitely wouldn’t have thought I’d have to play one in real life, hahaha. – His nervous laugh was met with Satella’s equally nervous half-smile.

"A war of attrition, yep? Now that I think about it... The Huntress always left me for last. Don’t know if it’s her own habit or her client’s instructions, but that works in my favor."

He was slowly and hesitantly moving toward a thought he didn’t want to admit. Opening the skill menu, his gaze fixated on a particular entry.

But first, he had to ask something important:

– Tell me... If I call for help again, will you come? – Puppy-dog eyes pleaded for the answer he needed.

– Mhm. You see, I will come. But Envy will almost certainly show up before me. And if she does, the timeline will end. – Satella looked down at the floor guiltily, unable to meet his eyes. – Even if she doesn’t manage to do anything too catastrophic, she’ll almost certainly reach the ones she gets jealous of while she still has the chance, and...

– Got it. No need to go on. – He raised a hand and gently patted the sad half-elf’s head with a comforting smile. – Don’t blame yourself. I don’t see it as your fault.

They stood in silence for a minute, until Satella remembered something:

– You asked that because you want to bring back that skill, don’t you? – She had noticed his nervousness while reviewing his full list and how he hesitated to open the description of one in particular.

– Yeah. I noticed how Elsa fights. She always kills everyone else first and leaves me for last. – Swallowing a lump in his throat, he continued with a trembling voice. – If I can protect everyone, I won’t have to restart the loop. And she’ll definitely start wondering how I even can...

– Subaru. – She pressed a finger to his lips. – I know what you’re thinking and what you want to say. You don’t have to force yourself. Just do it. This time, you won’t even need to call me — I’ll come myself if I see the situation’s critical.

– Thank you. – Unable to hold back his emotions, Subaru hugged her. – Really, thank you. I owe you so much!

– No more than I owe you, silly.

Chapter Text

Subaru's behavior seemed very strange to anyone who didn’t know the full context of what was happening to him.
...
Well, it was a little strange even to Satella, but even in that, she found his charm.

Emilia, too, didn’t know how to react to the fact that the guy who had been running at a steady pace just a few seconds ago suddenly slipped, hit the ground, rolled forward in a somersault, and shouted something about how “this time he got lucky.” Then, after getting back on his feet, he threw his arms up in a triumphant V-shaped pose.

Noticing Emilia staring at him in stunned silence, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and said the necessary words:

– I’ve got new information!

– Are you sure this is a good idea? – Felt’s skeptical look seemed like it might drill a hole into his forehead.

Well, how else? At that moment, he had completely rejected nearly everything they had just discussed and was trying to send them on a suicidal mission.

– Yeah, yeah, I know how crazy this sounds! But we really don’t have a better option! – Subaru insisted, completely confident in his words. – I don’t know what’s going on in the city, but there are literally wolgarms walking around freely, and we haven’t run into a single knight. Isn’t that strange? – Giving them a moment to process, he continued. – It’ll be safer to stay here and try to defeat her. Besides, now we’ve got even odds.

Without hesitation, he decided to demonstrate his unique abilities, testing a new spell he had learned from Satella.

His fingernails dug harshly into the skin of his arm, leaving visible medium-depth cuts. Before they began to heal, Subaru spoke:

– Sensumure.

It was a rather interesting spell, invented by some ancient, surely long-dead doctor skilled in Yin magic. Working on the same principle as “debuffs,” it was instead almost always used for support purposes and resembled Yang magic more in its effect.

Satella hadn’t been sure Subaru would be able to use a practically forgotten spell like that without any magical experience, but her worries proved groundless. Although not fully, the boy felt the desired effect: half of the pain from his wounds vanished, replaced by a light discomfort that merely signaled bodily harm.

Most likely, this was the only and easiest variation the boy could use at the moment, but not everything comes at once. According to the half-elf, the Ul variation of this spell could completely block all pain, fatigue, negative emotions, and hunger throughout the body for a time.

Even though it didn’t enhance, wasn’t offensive, and didn’t weaken the enemy, its uses could be substantial.

– Hm, not perfect, but it’ll do. I’ll need to learn how to use it mid-fight, it takes too much focus. – Subaru observed the closing wound calmly. The girls, meanwhile, stared at the now-healed arm with mild awe.

– Looks like you weren’t lying. That definitely wasn’t a healing spell, and the wounds closed up on their own. – Emilia spoke, going through what she knew. – So that “Hunter” can do the same? Then what did the spell do?

– Yeah, unfortunately, she can—and that’ll be our biggest problem. The spell just dulled the pain—I doubt I’ll ever get used to it. – He tried with all his might not to think about how the fight would go and how high the price would be.

– Can we get back to the topic already? – Felt’s impatience snapped.

– Yeah, yeah, right! First, let’s talk through the possible courses of action...

– Old man, open up! – came a knock on the door and the voice of a young girl.

"The giant’s granddaughter? Looks like this’ll be more boring than I expected. Or maybe..." – While the Bowel Hunter played out possible scenarios in her mind, Felt had already spoken the password and entered the house.

"She’s nervous. Interesting." – Elsa also noticed how the blonde was trying hard to act casual and not glance around.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Felt asked Rom to lean down and started whispering something in his ear.

"Why would she do that? They’re alone here." – An unseen smirk stretched on the woman’s lips. – "Or maybe they know they’re not alone." – The final straw was Rom’s behavior: glancing around nervously and reaching for his club. – "I see. Time to act~."

But she was interrupted by a sudden shattering of glass from a nearby window and...

"Powder? Why would someone throw powder all over the room?" – Then it clicked. – "They don’t just know—they came prepared!"

The dust scattered by the black-haired boy covered the room, marking the spot where Elsa herself stood. Rom was about to protest, but then he saw the dust-coated silhouette and grabbed his club, preparing for battle.

Seeing no more point in her movement-constraining cloak, she threw it off in one fluid motion. Subaru didn’t wait—he was already attacking with two identical daggers and a fierce, hateful glare that pierced her figure.

– Oooh~, I see you all prepared for my arrival and even set the stage. That’s so cute—I’m flattered! – Due to the floating dust, both Subaru and Elsa had to squint, but it didn’t stop them from fighting.

– Shut up, you bitch, you’re disgusting! – Subaru couldn’t contain his rage as their blades clashed. Despite her seductive appearance and soft, deep voice, it all only sickened him. The sooner she shut up for good, the better for everyone.

– Such a mean boy. Have we met before?~ – She deflected one of his blades and attacked his exposed forearm. What she saw thrilled her. The boy only flinched, pulled back, and muttered a strange spell, after which the wound healed.

– Weird healing magic. Never seen one like that.

– Don’t forget about us! – Elsa turned her head toward the voice, expecting an attack, but only saw Felt standing nearby, not rushing in.
Then, her neck felt the breeze of something flying at her.

"Hm, a distraction." – Naturally, she tried to dodge, but not successfully enough. Rom’s club, thrown from her blind spot, clipped the back of her head and sent her flying from the impact.

– Teamwork, how lovely! I can’t wait to see what else you’ve got for m–

She didn’t get to finish. One of Subaru’s daggers was already flying toward her eye before she even stood up.
To his own surprise, it hit the mark perfectly, stabbing through the eyeball and into the brain. Almost no blood splashed on him, but shocked by his own success and brutality, Subaru failed to pull the blade out in time, and was grabbed by the wrist.

– I’m starting to like you~. – Before he could even try to break free, as if in slow motion, Subaru had to watch one of her knives slice into his arm and cut it off just above the wrist.

– Aaaaargh! Sensumure! Sensumure! – Panicked, he clutched his arm and used the spell twice before most of the pain was “cut off.” Elsa was about to chase after him but had to deflect the knives flying at her by hurling back the one she had just pulled from her eye socket.

Realizing the reattachment would take longer without the original limb, Subaru crawled to the hand and pressed it back in place, waiting for it to heal. He hoped the bones, veins, and everything else would realign correctly—or fix themselves somehow.

As much as the Bowel Hunter wanted to observe the process, she was forced to dodge Rom’s attacks. He swung at her, uncaring of damaging his home—smashing tables, cabinets, paintings, and anything on the walls to try to hit her. Felt had warned him who they were dealing with, and he wasn’t about to take it lightly.

At one point, when she jumped too far, she heard a warning from the little blonde:

– Old man, don’t get close to her right now! – Elsa might’ve guessed she was about to be hit, but she didn’t have time to think. A huge blast of icy shards, created by Emilia who was peeking from the window, shot straight toward the killer.

Realizing she couldn’t dodge, Elsa pulled up her cloak to shield her head and braced for the blow. The attack wasn’t normal—on contact, the ice multiplied massively and encased her in a large frozen structure. That was what happened.

– Is she done for!? – Rom couldn’t contain his reaction.

– Not yet, old man! – Subaru knew the real attack was just about to start. He already saw cracks forming in the ice, so he gave Puck the signal.

– Always be ready for anything. – Ironically, those were her words—and she wasn’t ready for the next hit. As soon as she broke free of the ice, more shards flew at her face, this time surely freezing her completely and doing considerable damage.

– And now? – the giant still wasn’t satisfied.

– I hate to say this, but I can literally see her pupils moving inside the ice. She’s still alive. – Grabbing the nearest longsword, Subaru walked straight to the structure, intending to stab Elsa in the head.

Because of the light distortion, he couldn’t see her face—but he was sure there was another of her insane smiles behind the ice. Slightly shocked by how quickly the boy had turned brutal, the others in the room could only watch as the sword pierced the ice and struck the killer through the mouth, coloring the area around her in red.

Even a masochist like Elsa wasn’t going to take that quietly. She began pushing herself to the limit, trying to escape while Subaru kept driving the sword through the ice again and again, wounding her head.

Ironically, that’s what helped her get out faster. The cracks from the blade’s strikes widened until the ice finally shattered, revealing the girl—now reddened, likely from the cold.

– So exciting! You’re incredible! – Ignoring her stiff body, she lunged at Subaru with the only surviving dagger—a twisted thing between a cleaver and a gruesome short sword.

Unfortunately for him, that was the moment the familiar viscous sensation in his gut—one that hadn’t appeared in this loop yet—began to crawl up toward his throat, threatening to burst out at any moment.

– Who did you just tell to shut up, bitch!? – To Elsa’s surprise, the day’s surprises weren’t over yet. As the clash of blows continued, she noticed something odd: he wasn’t trying to use that strange magic to heal most of his wounds, leading her to a surprising conclusion:

– You’re just like me, darling~!

– I... – Using the brief lull to catch his breath and give the others a chance to strike, he finished the thought. – I’m not like you. I’m better. – Taking advantage of the opportunity, he spat a blob of thick black substance right in her face. The suspicious slime got into her eyes, buying Subaru a moment to fall back and hand the battlefield over to the others.

His temporary retreat irritated Elsa, so when Felt and Rom charged her, flanked by flying magic crystals, her only thought was: “I’ll deal with them quickly and get back to the main course.”

Clearing away most of the slime—whether it was a trick or some new strange spell—Elsa braced herself to counterattack. Effortlessly dodging the magical projectiles, she didn’t hold back, slashing the giant across the stomach as hard as her position allowed.

– Old man Rom! – Poor Felt couldn’t help but panic at the sight of what happened to her adoptive relative, which nearly cost her dearly. A dagger was already flying toward her neck, about to claim her life.

But no—this time, a miracle occurred in the form of Natsuki Subaru, or more precisely, the first use of his new spell:

– Shamak!! – Unlike the feeble effect of Sensumure, the classic Shamak, when cast by an unskilled user with gates like his, caused a rather different kind of distortion. The purple mist, which should have only covered the area around the house, wouldn’t stop expanding, eventually flooding over a third of the entire slums. Many creatures—from mabeasts to regular humans and demi-humans—were caught in the spell’s effect, panicking and unable to understand what was happening. Among other things, the incident also drew the attention of a certain red-haired young man.

– It’s over, Bowel Hunter. – Being the only one unaffected by the spell, Subaru managed to pull Felt out of harm’s way and deliver a dramatic line as the mist cleared. Everyone present reacted differently. Emilia immediately rushed to heal Rom, asking Puck to cover her, while Felt, having just narrowly escaped death, dropped to the floor in a double shock.

– But why? I can still fight, and your fascinating tricks seem to be all used up. – Elsa grinned with excitement as she stared at Subaru. – We still have so much we could—

She felt it. She finally noticed the unnatural weakness, one she shouldn't be feeling. Her strength wasn’t returning—it was only draining further, throwing her off.

– What did you do to me? – Though the smile had vanished from her face, there was still no fear or anger. Her body continued to weaken, her vision blurred, and nausea welled up in her head. Her legs couldn’t hold her anymore, and she collapsed to her knees in confusion.

– While you were frozen, I had the perfect chance to slip a couple curses onto you. – Subaru began to explain with pride, knowing she had no way to stop it now. – I’m not sure how long you have left, but it’s irreversible. You can’t kill me anymore, and after activation, there's no way to undo it.

– So that’s how my last fight ends. – Elsa came to terms with her death rather quickly. – It was... magnificent! I couldn’t have asked for a better end. – With every word, more and more of her strength slipped away for good, making her feel death’s arrival.

Emilia, having finished healing Rom, stood watching with Felt and Puck. All three relaxed slightly, sensing the battle’s end.

– I don’t even know your name, but you gave me a wonderful fight, perfect boy. – Her knees gave out entirely, toppling her to the side. – I even fell in love with you. What a shame I never got to see your insides. – Subaru twitched slightly, clutching his stomach, and Elsa finally spoke her last words:

– If you find Meili, please take care of her. – The girl’s outstretched hand fell limp, her final phrase a rasping whisper. – Maybe... you’ll even be able to kill our mother...

“Who’s Meili?” – There was no point in asking aloud. The only person who could answer had just died.

And so, the Bowel Hunter left this cruel world.

– Can someone tell me what just happened here? – That was the perfect moment for a new face to enter the scene, crawling through the broken window. His suspiciously perfect hair waved in the windless night, complimenting his expensive white uniform. The moonlight, like in a painting, dazzlingly reflected off the sword at his waist.

“Who the hell is this ikemen?” – was Subaru’s first thought upon seeing him.

– So that’s how it is, – Reinhard replied after a brief explanation, – I’m glad you’re all safe. That must’ve been a tough battle.

– That’s an understatement. I’m honestly shocked we pulled through and that almost all of us are still standing! – Subaru said, replaying everything he’d gone through to get to this moment in his head. – We’ve still got all our limbs, and even this old guy, – he pointed at Rom, – will recover soon.

– Big Bro, could you maybe not say such creepy stuff, please!? – Felt protested with an exaggerated shout.

– Sorry, sorry! I guess it’s becoming a habit! – Subaru clapped his hands together and bowed slightly. – Y’know, stress reactions and all...

– Sir Reinhard, – Emilia spoke up, – could you tell us why we didn’t see any knights in the city center or on the way here?

– Really? – Reinhard seemed genuinely surprised. – Actually, there were more patrols than usual. Orders were given to track mabeasts all across the capital...

– Now that’s something we really need to talk about! – Subaru cut in as Felt was once again checking on her grandfather. – Where the hell did those beasts come from in the first place!? – “And it’s even weirder that out of everyone, only Reinhard showed up in response to my Shamak.”

– I’m sorry, we’re still investigating that. We haven’t learned anything yet. – The Sword Saint bowed slightly. – The mabeasts acted unusually carefully and in sync. How they got in remains a mystery.

– Well, alright. – Subaru could only shrug at the familiar lack of clear answers. – Felt! – he called.

– Huh?

– Are you going to hand over the emblem to Emilia or what?

– Oh! – And Emilia herself remembered why she’d gotten into this mess to begin with. – Yes, please, Felt. It’s really important to me! – The half-elf approached and held out her hand.

– Of course, sis! – The thief pulled out the object from an inner pocket. – Sorry for all this, but if I were you, I’d hide important stuff a lot better! – In the blonde’s hand appeared a triangular dragon insignia with a glowing red gem inside.

But the conversation wasn’t meant to continue uninterrupted, because the red-haired knight, with imperceptible speed, suddenly appeared next to Felt and grabbed her outstretched hand. Even his usual poker face showed clear surprise.

– Hey, let go, that hurts! – Felt struggled.

– Unbelievable! – Reinhard ignored her protests. – What’s your name!?

– Felt!

– And your surname? – he pressed. – How old are you?

– F-fifteen! – she said fearfully, still trying to break free. – And I don’t have a surname!

– Reinhard, what’s going on!? – Subaru stepped in. – We’re not blaming her anymore. Let her go!

– Could you please explain? – Emilia also looked confused. – This isn’t still about the stolen emblem, is it?

– That might be a serious crime. But compared to the other monstrous injustice I’ve just uncovered, it’s nothing. – Reinhard tugged her arm, “helping” her stand. – You’re coming with me. Sorry, but I can’t take no for an answer.

– Like hell I’m—

She didn’t finish. Reinhard raised an open palm near her face and instantly knocked her out with a method unknown to Subaru.

– ...That wasn’t very knightly of you. – Emilia rose to her feet.

– Hey, hey, go easy on her! – Subaru stepped closer to shield the thief. – Mind explaining what this is all about?

– Don’t worry, I measured the force precisely. – The Sword Saint reassured them both. – I can’t explain yet, but it seems we’ll meet again soon. – Fully calm, he took the emblem from Felt’s hand and handed it to Emilia. – I hope you understand. I’ll take good care of Felt...

– If you’re taking her, at least leave a note for Rom or take him along too. – Subaru pointed out the flaw. – He might freak out over his granddaughter and do something rash.

– Yes, that was careless of me... Since they’re family, I’ll take him too. It’ll ease her mind to have a familiar face in new surroundings. – Reinhard turned around and gave a mysterious look at the moon visible through the shattered window. – I’m afraid this might be the last time we can gaze at the moon in peace...

“I really don’t like it when this ikemen says such scary things in that mysterious tone!”

Chapter Text

Watching Reinhard walk away with the unconscious Felt and Rom slung over his shoulders, Subaru could already feel an awkward conversation coming his way.

Earlier, during their discussion when he had just caught the thief and met the two girls, he had told them directly that he was looking for a place to stay and a job. In fact, it had worked even better than if he had just said he wanted to help them — that kind of offer as a trade for assistance had actually been suggested by Satella during their second meeting — and with everything that had happened, he wouldn’t have remembered such important details himself.

Luckily for him, Emilia had said she lived in a mansion and could easily ask the owner to let him stay for a while. And even if she couldn’t, he doubted Rom and Felt would deny him temporary shelter after he saved their lives.

The problem was, they hadn’t actually caught Elsa. Subaru wasn’t sure if Emilia had used the goal of capturing the assassin alive for information as an excuse, or if she genuinely needed it, but either way, he still felt awkward about it.

In truth, he had dragged her into a dangerous situation for no reason, when she could have just taken the insignia and left. Fortunately, her father was already asleep and couldn’t lodge his complaints.

– S-Subaru Natsuki, right? – The boy even flinched a bit when he heard his full name from the girl’s lips. Turning around, he was met with quite a sight: the half-elf girl looked embarrassed. Her face was slightly red, her feet fidgeted in place, and her hands were nervously wringing the fabric of her dress.

"She looks like she's about to confess her love. I doubt that’s the case, but now I really want to know what she’s going to say." – After about twenty awkward seconds of silence, he finally heard the awaited words:

– Would you like to join my camp, please?! – Raising her voice slightly from the tension, the girl squeezed her eyes shut in fear of rejection. She even bowed slightly forward, just as she'd been taught.

– I accept! – Subaru answered without hesitation, prompting a relieved sigh from the girl. – Uh… What is this ‘camp’ anyway?

– Huh? – Emilia’s mouth opened slightly in shock. – Then why did you agree if you didn’t even know? – And then it hit her. – Wait, you didn’t know at all?!

– If you explain it, I’ll know. – Subaru replied casually. – I’ve kind of gotten used to not getting answers to a bunch of important questions lately, but still, I’d really like to know what I’m getting into.

– You’re saying you helped me without even knowing...

– I just wanted to help a cute girl in trouble, and once I found out what I was really dealing with, I refused to back down on principle! – Subaru answered proudly, puffing out his chest theatrically and hitting it with his fist.

– C-cute..? – Emilia blushed even more, crouched down, and covered her head with her hands. – You... you bubblehead! How can you say something like that out of nowhere?

– Eh? Out of nowhere? Do I need to give you advance warning before every compliment? – The boy grinned slyly, watching the girl’s reaction with amusement. – Should I submit it verbally or in written form? And where do I file the paperwork? Oh, and who even uses the word “bubblehead” like that these days?

– Okay, okay, enough, please! – Still crouched down, the half-elf waved her hands in protest. – And plenty of people say that! It's your problem if you’ve never met any! – Then, in a whisper, but with a grateful smile on her lips. – Dummy.

– Let’s get back on topic! – Emilia suddenly stood up, pulling herself together. – I’ll explain everything now. A camp is... sort of like a political faction around the royal candidates, and the insignia you helped me get back was proof that I’m one of the five candidates.

– You... – Subaru’s eyes widened. – You’re a princess!?

– N-not exactly! – But after a moment of thought, she continued. – But I will become queen if I pass the selection better than the others, so yes... in a way.

– I’m awesome! – Subaru was bursting with joy and pride. – First day in this wor– err, – he struggled to recall the name of the country, – Lugunica, and I’ve already helped the future queen!

– Heehee~ – Emilia was touched by his antics. – You’re strange, Subaru. – Then she realized what she had just said and quickly corrected herself. – Not in a bad way! It’s good, in its own way!

"He already thinks of me as the future queen..."

– I got you loud and clear, Emilia-tan, no worries! – Said the boy, who then began to walk around the semi-destroyed room under the half-elf’s slightly puzzled gaze.

– “-Tan”? What’s that? – She seemed to understand his actions and asked the logical question. – Are you looking for something?

– Yeah, and I’ve already found it! – With a happy look, he showed her a familiar black cloak. – It’s that assassin’s cloak, the one that made her invisible. Looks useful, and it might also be a clue to continue the investigation.

– Oh, that’s right! – The girl gave a small bow. – Thank you again, that’s very considerate of you. And also, you still haven’t answered my first question!

– Oh, that’s just a suffix I use for people I feel close to. – Subaru smiled at the thought of another girl. – Maybe it’s a little presumptuous of me, but I already consider you my friend. Is that okay?

Even if only a little time had passed for her since they met, for the boy, it had been several days since their first real encounter, during which they had mostly gotten along very well. Thoughts about the memories and time lost to others due to his ability made him feel a little sad, but he quickly cheered up with hope for a brighter future alongside his new acquaintance.

"The important thing is that I remember it. And I can always recreate the events, maybe even make them better than they were." – The boy successfully comforted himself.

– Really!? – Emilia reacted a little too emotionally at first before pulling herself together. – I mean, yes, I’d be happy to accept that, Subaru. – The involuntary smile on her face was so bright it almost blinded the boy.

Because of her status and origins, Emilia had no one she could truly call a friend. Puck was more like a father figure, Roswaal was just a business partner and sponsor, and the maids at the mansion treated her with respectful neutrality, never trying to grow closer no matter how much she tried. It wasn’t surprising that such a simple offer triggered a storm of emotion.

The strongest was disbelief, mixed with the fear that the boy was just pretending in order to use her somehow. But no, he seemed completely sincere. The spirit sensed no ill will from Subaru, and Emilia trusted its judgment. In the short time they’d spent talking, she’d already come to see that the black-haired boy had a strange but kind nature — knowing, surprisingly, both a lot and very little at the same time. That contradiction was part of what made him so intriguing, sparking a desire to know her new friend better.

Happiness and nervousness followed. The joy was easy to understand, but the latter was more complex. This was her first friend, after all — and she had no idea what friends were supposed to do together. What if he thought she was boring and left her? What if she annoyed him, and he just pretended to care out of pity?

She tried her best to suppress the negativity, but only time would tell how well she’d manage.

– Hehehe~ – Subaru, who had a somewhat similar situation to Emilia and shared many of her feelings, couldn’t help but smile as well. – By the way, when are we heading out? Were you staying somewhere, or are we leaving tonight?

– No, I was supposed to leave right away, but I got separated from Ram during the day and– Ram!! – The girl suddenly panicked as she looked up at the moon rising toward the center of the sky, finally remembering the situation and the time. – She’s probably still out there looking for me!

– Yes, Emilia-sama, I’ve been searching for you for about a quarter of the day now. Thank you for finally taking notice.

The couple turned toward the voice of the newly arrived figure. In the place where a door should be stood a rather beautiful, in Subaru’s opinion, girl in a maid outfit. Her pink eyes matched well with the same-colored bob haircut that covered her left eye, and the short black dress with white floral patterns went perfectly with the white apron and thigh-high socks.

"I want to shake hands with whoever designed that maid outfit."

– How long have you been there, Ram? – Emilia didn’t even know why, but she felt nervous about the maid catching her doing something embarrassing near her friend.

– Not long. When I saw that large spell, I figured you’d gotten yourself into trouble. – Her gaze briefly flicked to Subaru, then continued. – Ram happened to be nearby when she heard you shout her name. – She took a better look at the boy. – Could you introduce us, please?

– This is Subaru. He helped me a lot and saved me, so I invited him to my camp! – Emilia briefly explained the situation. Ram, giving the newcomer a sharp but slightly suspicious look, said:

– I take it you’re planning to let him stay with us? Roswaal-sama won’t be very pleased if you start dragging stray mutts into the mansion.

– Hey! Saying that about someone on the first meeting is a bit rude, don’t you think? – Subaru protested, raising a finger at Ram in indignation.

– Indeed, my apologies. Ram should have waited until the second meeting or gotten to know you better before making such comments. – And not letting the guy, who clearly disliked such generous apologies, get a word in, she continued. – Let's go, the carriage is ready. Better we leave now.

According to the maid, the trip would take four hours, which left plenty of time to tell her about today’s events, talk about nothing, or sit in awkward silence.

– Ram understands. – The girl turned her upper body and slightly bowed to the guy. – Thank you, Subaru-san, for your timely help.

– Whoa, you can be polite!? – For the first time in the thirty minutes since they met, the new acquaintance said something to him without obvious sarcasm or teasing, which genuinely surprised him.

– Understood. – Ram’s face turned to stone, completely devoid of any emotion. – Guest's wish noted. It won’t happen again.

– Wait, no, I was just joking!

Emilia watched their interaction with slight confusion, not understanding why Ram was acting like this toward her new friend. However, even the little she knew about the maid's personality was enough to tell her there was no real animosity from Ram toward Subaru.

Relaxing at that thought, she continued to watch their exchange, occasionally giggling at Subaru’s clever remarks.

– By the way, Subaru, where are you from? – Emilia suddenly realized she didn’t even know the basics about the person she’d invited to her camp. – You mentioned it’s your first day in Lugunica, right?

– Oh, that... – Meanwhile, Subaru remembered he still hadn’t come up with a proper backstory. Satella told him no one would believe the “other world” story without solid evidence—they’d just think he was a lunatic or a liar.

"All because of those con artists who’ve tried to pull the same stunt before, tch." – Maybe he’d tell them the truth later.

– I'm not from any land you would know, – Subaru began improvising – my family and many others were cut off from the world, raised in a closed community due to strong hereditary miasma. I might not know a lot of basic things, but I have many interesting ideas from home that I could try here! – "Satella seemed pretty convinced I had some talent. Still don’t fully get what she meant, but better come up with an excuse for that too." – I got a bit tired of that lifestyle, so I decided to head out and see the world. I hope people will accept me here! – This wasn’t really his style, but since he’d made up such a story, he figured it was worth adding a hint of pity at the end. Key points: a humble face and a slight "brave smile through pain."

Subaru really hoped none of them could tell lies from truth or would bother checking his words. Luckily for him—they couldn’t, and wouldn’t.

Emilia was touched by his story. It reminded her a lot of her own situation. Being feared or shunned for things beyond your control felt all too familiar.

“It's decided: I’ll be the one to show him the outside world!” – She didn’t even think about how she herself knew little about it, mostly from books and Roswaal’s estate. The important thing was: they'd spend more time together. – “Is that why Subaru is so kind to me? Because he’s had it rough too.” – The half-elf blushed slightly, remembering their earlier interactions. – “He even called me cute and beautiful...”

Despite her appearance, origins, and power, Emilia was still a girl with a bit of a naïve heart who craved attention. It wasn’t surprising that someone suddenly entering her life, treating her with warmth instead of cold indifference, would grab her attention—even without considering his help and abilities.

Ram, however, was forced to focus on other details in his story. Because if what he said was true, she’d need to have a serious talk with her sister.

“Please, Rem, keep yourself under control.”

– Damn, your trees get that big around here!? – Subaru was amazed at the sight outside. Since there wasn’t much to do, and they had been quiet for a good twenty minutes, he just gazed out the window, taking in the nighttime scenery. But even the darkness couldn’t hide the massive tree whose top reached past the clouds.

– That’s the Flugel Tree! – Emilia answered immediately. – It was planted over 400 years ago, before the Great Calamity. Almost nothing is known about it—if there were any records or witnesses, they’ve been lost for a long time.

Hearing that name was too shocking for the now-speechless Subaru, though he still managed to pry further:

– Flugel? Why is it called that?

– A long time ago... – Emilia drew out her words to buy time and recall what she had read. – When the tree’s abnormal growth was first noticed, a phrase was found carved into the trunk: "Flugel was here," or something like that.

– Is anything known about the person with that name?

Emilia clearly struggled to remember more and lowered her head in frustration. Ram noticed her lady’s hesitation and decided to help out:

– No, there are no historical mentions of anyone by that name, and none have been found to this day. – After thinking for a moment, Ram added: – Maybe Lady Beatrice knows something or has information in her library, but I doubt she’d let just anyone in. So you definitely don’t stand a chance.

– Beatrice? – Subaru ignored the jab, too tired to reply. – "Ughhh, was I really that secretive? Seriously, nothing of what Satella was talking about, just some tree... it is weird. And suspicious."

– She’s a great spirit of Yin who’s lived in the mansion’s library for many years. – Emilia took over again. – We don’t get to meet her often. She hides herself with magic and moves the library around the mansion. – As she spoke, she caught herself staring at Subaru’s face and blushed. – Roswaal says she’s been around since his first ancestor and the Great Calamity.

“Jackpot! Just what I needed. Finally, someone who lived through those events.” – He trusted Satella, but even he could see she wasn’t the most reliable source—especially when it came to things that happened after the Cataclysm. Besides, he simply wanted to talk to someone else who might’ve known Flugel. – “But there’s something else I’m curious about...”

– A Yin spirit? Is she good with that element?

– Definitely! She can make any door in the mansion lead to any other room or hall using her magic. And that’s just what I’ve gathered from Puck’s stories about her. She’s supposed to be strong, very knowledgeable, and skilled in medicine. – Emilia smiled sweetly, clearly hoping for praise.

– Thank you, Emilia-tan. It’d be amazing to ask her about a lot of things. – Subaru thanked the pleased girl. – From the sound of it, she’s a total shut-in. I bet we’ll get along great.

And he did have a lot to ask:

“First of all, I need to know about that black slime.” – His own health was his top priority. – “Seriously, that looked and felt totally unnatural, and I have no idea what it even was.” – He was surprised Satella didn’t seem to know the cause and didn’t worry much about it either.

“Next, I need to learn about this world’s history so I don’t sound like a total idiot later. I’m sure lots of stuff happened in the magical world that even isolated communities like ‘mine’ would’ve noticed.”

“What else...? Magic! I really hope she agrees to teach me at least a bit. As the protagonist of an isekai, I have to be good at it.” – Subaru smiled at the thought. – “I’m not exactly eager to keep dying—even if it means seeing Satella-tan again. It’d be nice to get stronger.” – He had magic problems too. Just using Shamac, reinforcing his body, and even that low-cost Sensumure group spell had drained nearly everything from him. The issue wasn’t just low mana reserves, but his lack of experience and poor control.

“Crap, I can’t read or write. That’s going to be really embarrassing to admit... but I’ll have to ask someone eventually. Ughhh, I hope it’s not Ram.”

“Meili, Meili, Meili...” – Subaru kept replaying the name in his head. He’d already asked Ram and Emilia, but neither of them knew anyone by that name. – “Guess I shouldn’t have taken her dying words so seriously. That psycho even said she was in love with me! Still don’t get what the hell that was about.” – As for her “mother,” that was a mystery too. He decided to chalk it up to the delusions of a dying killer for now.

Subaru’s thoughts inevitably circled back to the reason he could even ride this carriage toward a new life:

“I need to name my main cheat skills.”

The first one came easily. Two main ideas—Time Leap and Death—merged in his mind, forming:

Return by Death

“Yikes!” – Subaru flinched mentally. Not even a second after naming it, his heart clenched painfully, as if under some unseen pressure. – “Can I please get a guide or something? Someone to just tell me what I can and can’t do, and answer my freaking questions!?” – He was completely fed up with not understanding what was happening.

"This is definitely somehow connected to the new title. I won’t name the second one for now—I'll save it for a better moment."

"I wonder how Satella’s doing? She’s always watching me, right? That’s kinda creepy." – Subaru recalled the other half-elf when he looked at Emilia. – "But I get her. It must be boring, sitting sealed away for so long." – He couldn’t even begin to imagine how boring, and didn’t deny the fact. – "Even I would’ve gone crazy if I’d spent so many years in a closed space. And she literally has nothing there! The ‘Shadow Garden’, according to her, doesn’t differ much from mine. No wonder she sounds and looks a bit creepy even when she's sane." – Subaru mentally winced at his own thoughts. – "That was really rude, why would I think that about her!? Tella-tan, if you're reading my thoughts, don’t be mad, okay?" – A part of his heart still hoped she wasn’t actually a yandere, even if she resembled one. Otherwise… that could become a problem.

...

"Is all of this really happening to me?" – Derealization struck him as suddenly as Elsa had in the first loop. – "I’m riding in a carriage with beautiful girls, pulled by a damn Dragon, the biggest tree I’ve ever seen in my life is in the distance, and all of this is in a parallel world. I’ve already died multiple times and rewound back in time. Died painfully. I’ve got superpowers. Superpowers! Like, if I went home right now, I could be a cool superhero! And this is only my first day in this world! One of the two most beautiful girls in my life has already confessed her love to me several times, and the other—her identical counterpart—invited me into her political clique! I could even call this protagonist-level luck, if not for..." – His mind flashed with Elsa’s torture from the second loop. The pain piercing his stomach, throat, and arms torn off, the choking on the blood filling his mouth and throat. His desperate struggle and cries for help...

Good thing Emilia had dozed off, softly breathing in her sleep, and Ram had moved to the front seat to guide the earth dragon due to the rougher road and upcoming turns. They didn’t see Subaru trembling from the memories, holding back tears.

When Subaru stepped down from the carriage, he was met with the sight of a massive white mansion with a black roof and five towers, four in each corner and one in the center. It was an imposing three-story building with three wings, a wide front garden, and paved paths.

– Whoa, – he breathed out, not forgetting to offer his hand to Emilia as she climbed down after him. – You did say you lived in a mansion, but this is way beyond what I expected. And only a few people live here, right? One of whom you barely even see?

– W-well, I haven’t lived here for very long myself, so I was just as surprised. – She scratched her cheek with the fingers of her right hand, not realizing her left was still holding Subaru’s.

– Everyone’s probably already asleep, so Ram will prepare a guest room. You can go inside and turn right—that’s the wing it’ll be in. – Said the maid before taking the earth dragon to the stables.

– Thanks, Ram! – Subaru didn’t skimp on gratitude, even if she didn’t respond. – Emilia-tan, could you maybe... – His face flushed as he looked at her hand still gripping his.

– Ah! Of course! – She let go instantly. – Sorry, I didn’t notice. I’m so sleepy, I’ll go ahead and crash! See you tomorrow\... or is it already today? Doesn’t matter, good night—see you in the day! – She rambled and quickly hurried off without showing her face.

"She’s even more embarrassed than I am! That was so cute\~." – With no better option or energy to explore, Subaru decided to head straight for the entrance.

Opening the doors revealed a luxurious wide hall with high vaulted ceilings, a pair of columns on each side, and lights at the entrance. Ignoring the staircase leading to the second floor, he walked past flower vases straight into the right wing, as Ram had instructed.

"It’s so quiet in here. So quiet it’s kind of scary to even make a sound."

The corridor stretched on, and on, and on... Just when he thought he’d walked too far, Subaru turned around—only to see the same endless hallway behind him.

"I should’ve waited for Ram. But it’s too late now, I guess."

– Am I lost? – Subaru stopped. – No, that’s not it—the mansion didn’t look this long from outside. – To test a theory, he memorized a nearby painting, then walked forward. Passing a second, third, fourth, and ten more paintings, he finally noticed something strange:

– Yep, the same one! – The painting of a nighttime forest he had seen earlier stared back at him. – A closed loop corridor. – He nodded to himself.

– And if we go by game logic... – He placed a hand on the door handle. – The correct one is the first door. – Then he pushed it open.

– Who is this uninvited guest putting on a show in my presence, I wonder? – came a little girl’s voice from the room’s center. – Who are you?

And the room... screamed "Library." Bookshelves lined every corner, filled so tightly with books that it was impossible to estimate how many there were.

Books took up space and were heavy—having this many was a problem. In Subaru’s case, his whole family loved manga, and the second floor of their house had a room packed to the brim with it.

"I wonder how my parents are doing..." – But he’d think about that later. For now, there were more pressing matters.

– Hey, little girl, isn’t it a bit late for reading? – Subaru asked honestly. – Even grown-ups are asleep by now.

– You came in without knocking, didn’t introduce yourself, and ignored my question. – The girl even set down her book. – You’re getting on Betty’s nerves.

– Betty? – "She refers to herself in the third person using a cutesy nickname? How adorable! – Oh, and this is a library! So I guess you’re... Beatrice, right?"

– Yes, and Betty still doesn’t know the name of this rude young man. Could you at least show a basic level of courtesy? – The blonde in a red dress gave him a flat look.

– Apologies, I’m Subaru Natsuki and I’m looking for help! – He was so nervous he forgot to strike his usual pose and just gave a small bow.

– Hmph, you can ask, but don’t expect much. Know this—at the end of the conversation, Betty will need to borrow your mana to determine if you mean any harm.

– I see... thanks for the warning. Hope it doesn’t hurt too much... – Even without fully grasping it, he understood what she wanted and had a rough idea of how it might work.

– Get to the point, I suppose. – After a short explanation of the dark slime appearing after magic use, one thing caught her attention. – What magic did you use?

– Nothing weird. Yin spells: Shamak and Sensumure—

– Stop! – The unfamiliar name made Beatrice stand up from her chair. – What does the second one do?

– They told me: “It separates pain from the body.” I used it in battle so the wounds wouldn’t hurt...

– Demonstrate. – The girl abruptly cut him off, eager to see the unknown spell for herself.

Surprised by her sudden assertiveness, Subaru had no real choice. The fact that he piqued her interest could only work in his favor.

– As you wish. Sensumure. – A faint violet light wrapped around the section of his arm where he used the spell. He didn’t even notice when the girl appeared beside him, watching intently.

– Betty’s never seen anything like this. – And Subaru, for the first time, saw an actual emotion on Beatrice’s face—surprise. – Fine, come back here tomorrow. Betty will answer your questions in exchange for this spell, I suppose.

– But what about...

– You should be fine. Betty has a rough idea of what you encountered, and you’re not in any immediate danger. If you have more questions—ask them tomorrow. For now, Betty’s going to sleep, and suggests you do the same. – With that, she placed a hand on his stomach. – Also, be wary of the blue-haired maid. This will sting a little. Any last questions, I suppose?

– Uh, what? No, I think I’m good? – Subaru hadn’t processed all of her words, so he answered on autopilot. In response, he felt a small pain and a wave of exhaustion that made him want to lie down and sleep.

"This day was way too long and weird..." – was all the boy could think as he fell, losing consciousness. – "Nothing surprises me anymore." – Despite the short, rushed conversation, it seemed like he got what he came for, and so he drifted off content.

Meanwhile, one spirit regretted ending their tiring conversation so quickly, because what she had discovered raised WAY too many questions.