Chapter Text
Today was a special day…
Subaru walked inside the familiar store, rubbing away exhausted eyes as he scanned the items in each small aisle.
In it, he considered grabbing a final snack before changing his mind.
It wasn’t long until he reached a small array of cutlery, forks, knives, and spoons, all displayed and hung about with their price tags being listed at the edge. He possibly considered getting a pair of flatware, but he didn’t need them.
Taking another moment, he had his eyes on an individually packaged knife; it didn’t look unique, but it was now a specialty among the other utensils. Carefully, he grabbed it.
He only needed this, but Subaru also knew it would look creepy as hell if he just bought a knife this late at night, so he decided that perhaps the snack wasn’t such a bad idea.
He didn’t care about what he grabbed; he just saw a small package of chips and took two of them with him.
Setting them in front of the cashier was awkward. The cashier raised a brow at Subaru but chose not to say anything…but upon closer inspection, Subaru could tell the cashier was a little nervous while ringing him up.
But they didn’t exchange words, the cashier either thought he was planning on murdering somebody or was some weird dude who bought things like a knife this late at night. Either way, they didn’t seem paid enough to care.
As Subaru walked out of the store, he wasn’t sure where to go.
He could return home…
But he’d prefer not. What was the point?
Feeling a sudden gust of wind in the night, he shivered a little. Subaru tightened his pale, white tracksuit and zipped it up a little more.
Unsure of what to do next, he decided to just wander the streets like some homeless man until he figured enough was enough.
Walking on the sidewalk, he only encountered a young couple that walked by, eyeing him with a bit of concern, but they smiled regardless. Besides them, it was just a few cars and their blinding headlight that zipped past him.
God…he looked so pathetic.
But those thoughts went away, as a new thought came in. A thought that plunged its way into his mind like it had lived there all its life.
I love you…
Subaru couldn’t help but feel a morbid happiness from hearing those words often spoken to him.
I love you…
Subaru ended up near a park, walking in the path of the curved walkway as the wind picked up and some burst of energy zoomed past him, but not catching his eye.
I love you.
It was more direct. It always was when the shadow felt more comfortable speaking to him.
I love you.
Subaru’s eye caught sight of a bench, an empty one in the darkness, as he sighed in defeat, looking at it. He recalled playing with his father as his mother watched from the bench.
I love you.
Accepting that enough was enough, he strolled his way over there, with his heart beginning to increase in beats the closer he got. It was like the bench was a guillotine, all set up and ready for the audience of shadows to watch. They weren’t happy, but it wasn’t like Subaru was giving them a choice. He was putting his head through, and he would drop the blade himself if he needed to. Subaru can be a crafty young man; he could do it.
I love you!
Those whispers from the abyss strengthened as its pull tugged on Subaru’s heart and mind as if it were directing his sight away from the bench. But Subaru ignored it. This time he will.
I LOVE YOU!
Subaru’s ears were pierced by the burst of sound from the darkness. Nonetheless, he was a stubborn person, so he continued his way to the bench, nearly getting there.
He was so close, nearly in arm’s reach, where he could sit down and watch the distant lake.
But…
He never reached it, he was about to rest his hand on the seat of the bench before another powerful wave of darkness flooded his surroundings, the brief sight of a hand reaching to his heart before he blinked and…
And then a light.
He…wasn’t in the park anymore. Subaru was somewhere else. A town? A city? Wherever he was, Subaru recognized the architecture of the buildings and the clothes of those passing by him as those from medieval times.
Then came the sight of the people that he was surrounded by. Although some looked human, others had animal features, and a few were just blatant animals on hind legs.
The evidence was clear.
Looking up in the sky, he muttered to himself,
“ I was summoned to a new world… ”
Then questioned himself,
“Did she…bring me here?”
“ Why did she do that… ”
Why. Why. Why. Why! WHY! WHY!
Subaru sighed in quiet defeat...he hardly stayed angry for long,
‘I suppose it doesn’t matter, it’ll be postponed, that’s all…if I’m going to be here and no longer in Japan, then I might as well explore, right?’
That’s what he did. He looked around, more questions entering his thoughts with every second he explored.
Was this…the country of Lugnica? She mentioned this place before. She wanted me to visit it someday…
Subaru always assumed it was just either some small location that she came from…or in some insane spirit world, but now that he thought about it, Subaru wouldn’t be surprised if it was just this place.
He walked around carefully, not desiring to look anyone in the eye. But as he went, Subaru realized how much he was standing out. His clothes didn’t match, he was walking alone, he had a grocery bag that contained a knife and unknown bags of chips, and he was walking like he had committed a murder.
He was every red flag imaginable.
Examining the signs, he also realized another issue…
He couldn’t read the language.
‘Now this sucks, is this really her final shot in making me not give up? Wasn’t that the better option for both of us? I would be in her grasp forever, right? My spirit would've danced within her hands, and we would've been together in the garden of shadows, right? I would've happily accepted it...’
'Unless there came an issue in staying in the Shadow Garden...if that was it...Then I can see... never mind,' Subaru brushed the thought away.
But then came another curiosity in the young man with raven hair.
‘If I got transported to this world, do I get magical powers like in those anime?’ Subaru wondered, extending his hand. He didn’t feel any different. ‘Probably not, if she could, I don’t see why she didn’t give me any beforehand. If I had to guess, it would be more plausible if she purposefully didn’t give any, so I had to rely on her, she always had that fear, I suppose.’
It made him a little frustrated, but he didn’t mind at the end of the day. What did he think he was, a protagonist?
‘Then again, I do have a main character-like backstory…’
Subaru pushed those memories away, for now, today was a special day.
In a way, it could be considered like his birthday…just a little different.
Before he dwelt on the thought a little more, in the distance, there were shouts. At first, he assumed they were on him like usual until he noticed them pointing in terror of a child being on the road(?).
Dragoncarriages were running down it at dangerous speeds and would trample the child if nothing was done about them. The child must’ve fallen over, left behind by some irresponsible parent.
Or maybe he was just assuming things.
Staring at the scene, Subaru wondered if he could do anything about it.
From his distance, and knowing her, probably not. She wouldn’t bother anyway; it wasn’t like her. Whenever that side of her came out, which was like three out of five times, she always prioritized him and only him.
If this were a moment to get abilities, now would be the time to activate them.
Subaru lazily extended his arm, unsure of what he was even doing.
As the dragons came rushing in, stomping and getting closer to the doomed child, there Subaru was, making himself look even weirder with his half-extended arm and curled fingers.
His hand shook. Subaru tried forcing something out, but it wouldn't cooperate, not that there was anything to even expect from it.
Cries could be heard for the poor child, but no one did anything. Subaru hated that about others, the idea of just standing there when anyone could’ve been brave enough to just run and get the child out of the way.
What was it called? The bystander effect?
Then again…what the hell was he doing? Standing there pretending like he’s putting in effort.
The doomed child was about a couple of feet from getting trampled, and others looked away from the sight. But miraculously, a couple of animal-like humans rushed in and got the child out of the way while everyone cheered. Come to think of it, Subaru recalled her mentioning about "Demihumans", perhaps that's what they were...
Subaru didn’t cheer; he just turned around and walked off.
He was an idiot.
He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel relieved…He was glad the child could hopefully return home to a loving family…but also, now he’s questioning how the child even ended up there…
Traversing throughout the area, he wound up sitting in an alleyway, taking his time to open up his bag and looking inside. He still had his knife, which he figured was useless if it stayed in the package, so he opened it up, letting the sun reflect off of it as Subaru looked at his faint reflection.
There, he contemplated what to do next. He could just continue as planned or perhaps take the time to know more about this world. Maybe something can pique his interests…he knew that she would want the ladder.
Feeling a rumbling in his stomach, Subaru figured it wouldn’t hurt to eat the chips he bought, one shall do. Opening one with a bit of force, Subaru then began tasting the potato chips, which had a small…onion flavor to them; he didn’t mind.
But about halfway through the small bag, Subaru couldn’t help but hear somebody approaching. Multiple people. Their steps almost echoed in the darkness of the alleyway. Subaru got up, knife in hand, wondering if it was a true danger or just her messing with him like she sometimes did back home.
It didn’t take long before an absurd trio walked up to him. One was half of Subaru’s height and looked easy to kick like a soccer ball; he also had a bowl cut. The middle one was lanky, had bizarre cyan hair with pink streaks, and a collar around his neck; he seemed almost like the leader of the three. Then the third was a large man, a bit overweight, and wearing a funny white hat.
They were thugs…no way they weren’t.
“Hey there, are you lost?” the lanky one asked, clearly not out of concern.
Subaru didn’t say anything.
The lanky one didn’t take it too kindly.
“I asked if you’re lost?”
Subaru still didn’t say anything. His grip on his knife tightened.
The three didn’t seem to be at all patient with Subaru’s response (or the lack thereof)as they threateningly walked closer to Subaru, the small one keeping an eye on Subaru’s knife. The big one cracked his knuckles while the lanky one pulled out a small knife and displayed it to Subaru.
“Hey! When someone asks you something, it’s polite to answer back!” the big one yelled at the still unresponsive soon-to-be victim.
“Cough up whatever you got, unless you want to be hurt!” the lanky one threatened, still displaying the knife. Subaru couldn’t help but notice that at a glance, their eyes seemed hesitant. Like, to them, Subaru was abnormal.
It was true, Subaru was a little abnormal.
Especially when the shadows began to whisper from some distant area that could never be seen.
I love you…
The three were getting visibly annoyed at Subaru’s lack of verbal response. The lanky one held the knife closer to Subaru’s neck.
Please…fight…
I love you…
“If ya’ want to play it that way, then fine! I’ll kill ya’ and take everything, starting with that weird jacket of yours!” the lanky one continued to threaten, glancing at the knife Subaru held now and then. It stayed frozen in Subaru’s grip.
‘It’s actually a tracksuit…not a jacket…’ But Subaru didn’t say anything.
Then another voice came in.
“Outta’ my way!” a girl a little younger than Subaru was running by.
Subaru was at first curious if she had come to help, but he knew that would be too good to be true. Who would help him? Besides, she looked to be in a rush.
The thugs turned around in alarm at the passerby.
Please fight.
Please. I love you…
The girl stopped; she seemed to have tattered clothes, a red scarf, and blonde hair tied with a bow in the back.
“Woah there…what’s up with ya’,” the girl commented.
Subaru didn’t respond.
“Go away, he’s with us!” the small thug yelled. “We’re just havin’ a nice chat…”
The girl clearly didn’t buy it; she could easily tell this was a mugging.
Nonetheless, she shrugged,
“Well, I’ll leave ya’ to it, good luck!” the blonde girl then hopped up the walls of the buildings on both sides before she reached the roof and ran off. As she did, she shouted,
“By the way, use your knife, random idiot!”
Out of coincidence, the shadow also advised,
Fight back. I love you.
I love you. I love you. I love you. Fight. Fight. Stab. Kill. Don't let yourself be hurt. You're hurt.
‘O-Okay…fine…just...please don’t kill them if anything goes south…’
Subaru figured enough was enough; if he was going out, it would be on his terms, not some thieves. That would ruin the special day.
The trio was at first in shock seeing the way the blonde girl got up the buildings so quickly that they didn’t notice Subaru clutching his knife and thrusting forward.
He missed.
The lanky one stepped back in time and swiped at Subaru, grazing his left shoulder.
Subaru didn’t even know what he was doing; he considered just bolting it. But that chance was ruined when the big one punched Subaru, hitting his jaw and knocking him back. He fell roughly to the ground.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
‘I know, I know…’ Subaru thought with a little bit of annoyance. Sometimes when you say you love someone repeatedly, it can get a little dull, especially over the years. But he still liked the feeling of being loved by the only thing that could possibly love him.
The trio then came over, ready to beat him up and probably take whatever he had. He was broke, pretty much penniless, as he spent all of the money that he had on person for a knife and two bags of chips.
He wasn’t sure what they would even steal. His bags of chips? His tracksuit(to be fair, that might be bad)? His knife…?
No. They can’t take his knife. It’s his, it’s from his world, and it’s supposed to be the key to his special day. The party at the end, where he and the shadow can be together…since that was all he had left.
Ignoring the pain on his jaw(it hurt like a bitch), Subaru still had a death grip on his knife as he quickly got up, ready for the assault.
He didn’t have much time to think as the thugs were right on him, so he resorted to stabbing the first thing he saw…which was the lanky one.
The other two were stunned for a moment as the lanky guy backed up with Subaru’s knife thrusted into the side of his abdomen before being roughly pulled out.
“Gah!” the lanky guy yelped and screamed. “Fuck! Fuck! You…You…!”
“Why you little…! You’re going to–” the big one first yelled before noticing the small thug.
There were sounds of vomiting and coughing that came from the small one. Subaru looked over, the small one was on the ground, kneeling, with a small yet increasingly larger puddle of blood beneath his head. Upon closer inspection, the small one’s eyes seem to be leaking blood as he once again vomited.
Next to him was the knife that the small thug dropped; it belonged to the lanky thug. The small thug must’ve grabbed it and tried to stab Subaru with it, but ended up on the ground because of her.
Subaru knew exactly what this was…he had seen it before.
She was crushing the small thug's heart.
Subaru didn’t shudder much; he had gotten used to it…but it still disturbed him a little. He wanted to say something…to yell at her to stop…but he couldn’t. Nothing came out of Subaru as he just stood there, frozen like a statue.
‘P-Please…I told you not…you promised you wouldn’t…’
I love you. I love you. I love you.
A pause in the speech of the shadow.
I’m sorry…
Then it stopped, the small one stopped vomiting, like his heart was no longer being crushed. Instead, he collapsed, still breathing miraculously.
Subaru smiled at this, happy that she spared him.
He must’ve forgotten that he looked creepy as hell, smiling like that while the small one almost died via heart crushing, and he also stabbed the lanky one who was currently clutching his side and bleeding quite a bit.
The big thug pointed and screamed at him,
“Y-You! You won’t be getting away with this! I’LL KILL–”
“Hold it right there!” a new voice came in from across the alley where the previous girl came from.
‘Is she with the other girl? Or is she chasing her? Is she a friendly person who came to help?’ Subaru wondered about this new girl. Then…he realized how awful this situation looked. There he was, bloodied knife in hand, a small guy collapsed after vomiting blood, a lanky guy on the ground bleeding from being stabbed, and a big guy who was disturbed and yet angry at Subaru. To put it bluntly, he did NOT look like the victim here…
But any thought went away as Subaru took a closer look at the new girl.
His eyes widened.
With silver long hair, pointed ears, and purplish eyes, she looked like an angel without wings. White and purple clothes swayed in the wind alongside her hair, with eyes that sparkled with determination.
‘Is that…her? How? Is that Satella…?’
They looked stupidly similar…it was beyond uncanny.
I love you. She doesn’t. She isn’t me! I love you. I love you.
‘Well, that confirms it…but still…’
Subaru could just hear the increasing jealousy she had over this other half-elf that looked just like her.
The big thug didn’t waste time; he just grabbed his two bleeding buddies and started running past the half-elf who looked like Subaru's best friend, his only true friend across all worlds.
As this other one ran forward, she determinedly stepped forward, assessing the situation a bit before declaring,
“I will not allow you to hurt these three or anyone else anymore! I simply cannot ignore what I’ve seen!”
‘What…’
Subaru recalled back to how it looked from an outside perspective afterward...
‘Fuck…’
Just for future reference and visualization, this is what he looked like.
Art done by me, Glitched_Ghosty/Pancake404. I also do art for Beheaded IF Extras for Jackson55360, also on AO3.
