Chapter Text
“Heeey…” Emilia, shuffling right next to Subaru, stirred a bit, eyes tracing the lit fireplace in front. All around, dozens of expensive artworks, high quality furniture and small statues decorated the royal bedroom of the King of Lugunica. It would not be an overstatement to say that the perceived value of the room would be higher than an entire city of average size. Hand on his right shoulder, Emilia tightened the grip around his right arm. “I am going to say something and I don’t want you to get mad, m’okay?”
“I could never get mad at you, Emilia-tan!” Wide smile, Subaru relaxed further, eyes on the soft fires of the fireplace in front. On him, a leather jacket. “Feel free to say anything at all, even…”
“I no longer find this entertaining.”
Subaru froze up, eyes unable to leave the fireplace that now did not quite warm up the room. Back starting to be consumed in cold sweat at the unusual voice that he did not recognise, he did his best to keep his best smile on his face but something inside him stopped him from looking to his right. “We-well, we could always just switch it up a bit, right? Do you w-”
Priscilla sighed. “Look at me, dear.”
“I don’t really want to, the fire is just so h-”
Crusch’s hand grasped into his arm with its usual confidence. “I need you to look at me, King Natsuki.”
His throat was unable to let the words leave. Instead he shook his head, hands trembling. Not this nightmare again, not this nightmare again, not this–A cold hand grasped his chin with violent power. Forcibly turning him away, Subaru was forced to stare back at…Emilia?
Her silver hair had been corrupted by red, green and yellow. Her eyes, an everchanging rainbow that was too sharp to be bright or hopeful. And her body…Subaru gulped. Unable to cover his ears, he had to hear the slow moving organs, flesh and bones below. Bubbling, bracks, the shifting and tearing of flesh…His face grew paler. His breathing sped up, now hyperventilating. His body started to tremble and his hands cramped. Yet he could not blink, his gaze focused on the evil smile of sharp teeth in front. His heart almost stopped when her arm melted around his, now a tendril that held it in place. His mouth dried completely when Emilia opened her own, revealing a reptilian tongue that moved right in front of his face.
The knot in his throat was easily dispelled when she smirked and the tendril pulled downwards, tearing the arm from his shoulder. The cut-off limb was not allowed to fall to the ground to disturb his pained screams as he fell on his back. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Subaru!! Let me go rush for Otto!” Instead, the tendril combined into it, consuming it.
Teeth chattering and blood from his stump flowing out like a faucet, Subaru forced a smile. “It-It is alright, Emilia-tan…” Blinking, the horrendous pain was relegated to the unconscious as his mind focused on surviving the monster in front. “I…I just need to glue it back on as it sometimes happens…alright?” How long it would take for Emilia to stop messing around this time…
Emilia stopped moving. Eyes now cold, bored, the Sin-Archbishop sighed and waved his hand and tendril around. “See, meat bag? This is why it is no longer entertaining.”
“I can try harder, Emilia-tan!! I-”
His wife tilted his head. “Can a broken toy keep being used? No, right? You throw it away and get a new one, m’kay?. And I am getting tired of you, sack of meat. Your worthless fluttering around was entertaining. Was.”
Waving due to blood loss, Subaru stared at the rapidly morphing face of Emilia. Gone were her purple eyes, now a sickening red. The silver was now a selfish and rotten gold. The nose, cheeks and chin, fully different. A gapping maw in which dozens of teeth and fangs grew and grew. The skin, unhealthy. The clothes? Nightmares that had haunted his psyche. He forced his smile to grow. “Pl-Please. I can still be…”
“Yes…you can still make me laugh one last time.”
Subaru relaxed a tiny bit yet flinched all the same when the hands with uneven fingers and arms trailed his body. A wave of blinding and searing pain was next. Lava rushed through his veins and he wailed again. Yet his arm regrew, if a bit longer but way thinner. His waist was morphed, twisting his bones with sadistic prejudice. Bones shattered and tore through flesh and skin onto to pierce through it again and reform again and again. His sides changed, his back shrunk a tiny bit and cracked as he was forced to grow taller. His sternum shattered and was reformed. Skin boiled and changed colour, going from palette to palette and searching for Emilia’s favourite.
But the worst part was his head. His eyes sizzled in his skull only to be regenerated, now the same crimson red of Emilia. His skull ached terribly as his hair was forced to grow and grow in length, turning the same golden as Emilia’s. His very own brain was altered, waves of hormones widely changing their concentrations. A last cry and Subaru tried to crawl backwards, his body too different for his motion to be swift or efficient. All of his muscle memory and instinctual feel of dimensions, stolen, destroyed. Blinking, he tried to look at Emilia one last time.
What welcomed his gaze was the Sin-Archbishop of Lust, hands extending towards him. The illusion, once again broken. They promised not a lovely embrace, not a consoling hug. It was the end of the line for Subaru. “Ple-please, Emilia-tan. I…I apologise, I apologise, I apol–”
The hands stopped and a deep sight was next. “Really…you are truly worthless rotting meat. Have you forgotten where your so-called Emilia-tan is?” Capella’s eyes flashed in pride. “But she is a better jacket than she was a bag of meat so I understand you forgetting about where she is. Yet, don’t you remember how you failed her? How you failed your lot of happy friends? How you simply…”
“I beg of you, Emilia-tan…” A voice he did not want to recognise leaving his lips, Subaru’s back had reached the wall behind and had found no more retreat paths to take. “No more…no more…I will learn. I will be better, I will try to b–” The mannequin at his left fell onto the ground due to his thrashing, hands trying to find a foothold in the nearby furniture. Its features, a forgotten fact. A bygone memory.
Her hands resumed their movement. Rem’s loving voice was the prelude to them touching his face. “Good night, my hero.” His sight failed first, enveloping him in mocking darkness.
………
A warm and welcoming sun threw its light into the face of a panting Subaru. Feeling a constriction in his chest, the plastic bag sounded its symphony with the accompaniment of the items inside. Hands feeling the unusual clothes, he fell to his knees as he tried to breathe again. In and out, in and out. His lungs were finally his own and the freeing sensation of air being pushed into them by his own motions was a heaven sent. Still, there had been consequences. His body had been changed again and he would have to deal with it until Emilia’s tantrum went away. They always did, they always did, they always did. Hands moving across his new body, he noticed that the muscles painfully cultivated during long years were gone. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and advanced a step forward.
He almost fell down. His strides were now longer. God damnit. Alright…blinking, he tried to see if his sight worked well. Looking around, he frowned. Today’s illusion seemed to be the capital too? Hundreds of people went about their business, the sky was blue and had little clouds. The sun warmed everything…It really looked like a normal day in the capital. Today Emilia was going all out, huh…Next was his hear–
“Watch out!”
Blinking at that nostalgic scream, Subaru turned to the source of the disturbance. A young kid had fallen in the middle of the pathway and a carriage was rushing towards him. Wait a minute…had he ever told this to Emilia? Ignoring the panicking all around, Subaru gazed back at his hands, eyes scanning the plastic bag properly now and missing the daring and heroic rescue of the kid.
He had definitely never revealed this to Emilia. The cheers of the crowd around making him cover his ears due to the pain, his gaze examined the surroundings. This illusion was very damn weird. It looked exactly like his first day in this world. This was beyond uncanny. Shrugging, Subaru started to walk down the sidewalk, stomach growing cold. Whatever, he would simply play along. Maybe if he put up a good show, a good retelling, Emilia would forgive him. Yeah, that’s right!!
Stopping in his tracks, Subaru coughed a bit and, after dusting himself a bit, arched his back and screamed. “I have been summoned into a parallel w–!?!?” Only to end in a horrible cough, his voice way too high pitched that it should be. Ignoring the dozens of surprised looks, glares and people that stepped away from him, Subaru put on his best grin ever. Paling a tiny bit at having missed his chance to try out his new magic powers and fail in a humorous way, he restarted his walk, stopping himself from thinking about how his steps were growing in haste more and more.
After a dozen houses, he finally reached his destination. An appa stand. The appa stand. Blinking, he put his best smile and turned to…His eyes widened and he shrieked, falling on his ass and crawling away from the view in front of him.
“Miss?! Are you alright?” In front of Subaru, a piercing and cold gaze of two crimson eyes. Around it, a sardonic and sadistic face. Lips that hid fangs. Blonde hair. That was Capella’s face. What…why…how?! Hands clawing at the ground, he turned around and rushed to get off the ground and dart forward. Some nails broken and bleeding, Subaru’s shriek died when he hit an enormous demi-human, a wolfkin, and was bounced right back into the ground.
His back and head hitting the hard ground, his body had to pause as stars flew in front of his eyes.
“Watch where you are going, woman! You…” Capella’s recriminatory voice lowered in volume as she gazed downwards to him. A flash of pity and worry were hidden by the cruelty of those eyes as the wolfkin saw his face, layered in snot and tears.
“I’m sorry, Emilia-tan!! I am sorry, I am sorry!!” His screamed apology only caused the wolfkin to back a step away. Taking advantage of that window of opportunity, Subaru rushed to get away as quickly as possible. Yet his eyes had another idea. In their fright, they scanned the surroundings. And every single scared and worried face all around had those two filthy eyes that haunted his deepest nightmares. Hundreds of Capella’s were staring right at him. What had he done to deserve this?!?! He had tried his best!! He had tried to love Emilia!!!
Ignoring his overworking lungs and tired legs, he hid in the labyrinth that were the alleyways of the capital. The badly fitted shoes harming his feet, his pants barely hanging on and body growing cold due to his greater stature, his mad rush stopped in front of an abandoned hut. His entire body aching, he dropped to his knees. “Please…no more…no more…” The whisper went unheard by anyone. Today, Emilia seemed to be having another bad day. This sucked. This completely sucked…Really…And nobody was coming to help him. He was fully alone, he…
Below him a small puddle of dirty water called for his attention. As if consumed by this reflective phenomenon, his unconsciousness forced him to be absorbed by it, bending to it and trying to peer into his own face. “This is not funny…” The gift that his birth had given him, the memento of his mother, was gone. The features that had been so similar to his father, the structure of his face…Gone. Everything was gone.
A pair of deep and shining crimson eyes were returned to him. As if mimicking the colour of blood, they were mocking him. “...return it. Please, please return it. I am begging you…” His hands dived into the dirty puddle, breaking the illusion and tainting them in muck. After a few seconds of not moving, the waters quieted down. Ignoring the sudden darkness around his face, he peered again into the mirror, trying to will change. Trying to fix this nightmare. Instead his arms grew weaker.
This…this was really not his face. Not his hair. Not his eyes. It was a…A foot kicked him on the back and threw him into the puddle face first.
“Sorry for that, sister!! Really but I am busy.” Her voice lowered as she dodged more people far ahead. “Live strong!!”
Coughing into the puddle, Subaru used his arms to push himself up, dirty water and mud staining his hair, too long for comfort, face and running down his neck. His gaze, still desperately looking into the puddle. Trying to will the nightmare away. Instead his ears brought the present to him.
“Damn…now I feel sorry for mugging her too. She ain’t having a great day…” A trio of people he remembered were advancing towards him.
The second thug shrugged. “Well, we also gotta eat, don’t we? Her clothes look expensive and we only gotta clean them up a bit. Her back also has metias I have never seen.”
“Yeah…but, come on, look at her! It’s just…sad.”
“Money is money.”
“Well, you do it then. I am not adding this to my crimes. Damn, stealing the clothes of a crying woman drenched in mud…don’t know how we could get lower than this.”
“Enough! We mugging her and that's final. You hear that, miss? Give us your valuables and this won’t get ugly!” The first thug advanced while both of his comrades stayed back, the second one shaking his head and the third crossing their arms. “Hello?! You hearing me??”
Subaru had not. Droplets of dirty water sliding down from hair and face back into the puddle, the small waves they generated weren’t enough to hide the reality in front. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…just…return it…it was my mother’s…my father’s…” His hands clenched on the ground, fingers bleeding into the puddle and further dirtying it. “I can be better, I can be funnier, more entertaining…but…please…” Tearstreaks opened clean pathways through her face. The poodle cared not. That was a lie. The puddle did care.
The second thug slowed down.
“Rachins…do we really need to?” And it showed him something that he would never forget. For half a second, he saw Capella’s face on his, glitching into existence and hiding his. He completely froze up.
“Shut it!” Already regretting his choice, the thug stopped two steps away from the woman. That scream finally getting Subaru’s attention, he raised his face, a painting of hopelessness, to him, making Rachins back a step. Clenching and unclenching his hands, he cursed under his breath and shook his head. Before he could back away a sharp voice interrupted him.
“That’s enough!”
…
That voice…Subaru blinked, eyes burning due to the dirty water having gotten into them, blurring his vision and further reddening them. Body pumping adrenaline, Subaru watched as the flurry of images in front continuously changed. The trio screamed senseless words to him and ran away, leaving the alleyway in solitude. Before his gaze could return to the puddle, a hand patting his shoulder made his body as taut as the ropes that…Do not remember that.
“Are you unhurt?”
Slowly, Subaru’s gaze moved to the presence at his left. A white suit that should not be used as off duty’s clothes. The Dragon Sword…Wait a second…His eyes widened at it. This couldn’t…this. His emotions being forced to abandon their overdrive, a calming coat being forced onto his mind. That allowed his gaze to crawl upwards, through his stomach, chest and finally reached the face. It was Capella’s ag-...the eyes…
Subaru slowly got off the floor, eyes glazed over and unblinkingly staring at Reinhard’s.
“My apologies for…” Reinhard stiffened when Subaru faced him directly, a bit shorter than him, and advanced a step, now a bit too close for comfort.
“They are blue…” And not just any blue. The blue that he had forgotten in the underground. Like the skies above, like the gusts of refreshing winds, like calm lakes of temperate water. “Your…eyes are blue…” And they softened, contrasting heavily with the Sin-Archbishop’s face around them.
Worry tainted them. “Do you need any assistance, miss?”
“Wi-will you…? Really? Is…is this not another lie?”
“I promise. Can you walk?”
A slow nod and Subaru advanced a slow step. Hand never leaving his shoulder, Reinhard tried to make sense of the wave of emotions coming from this woman. They felt…shattered beyond repair. Ready to lash out and send her again into a spiral. His hand reassuringly clenched a bit, his strides now at a snail pace so as to properly escort the woman at his left. He could not leave her like this. His day of leisure had ended but he couldn’t mind it that much. Helping her was more important.
“Do you live near?”
Subaru shook his head. Mind forced to be calm, it was starting to go over the events of the past hours, something that was only causing Reinhard’s Divine Protections to have to work even harder to suppress the panic, despair, fear and the dozen extra negative emotions that were rocking it. “I…” That was an excellent question. Where was he? His gaze moved to the Sword Saint, examining his body. Smaller, younger than the last time he had seen him when…nevermind that. Eyes gazing around…the capital seemed to be the tiniest bit different too. “I don’t know.”
A confident nod as if he had expected that answer. “I see. Any friends or family that you may be able to rely on?”
“No-Not that I know of.” Subaru was able to breathe more easily once Reinhard’s hand left his shoulder.
“I understand. Would you mind accompanying me to the Astrea manor? I simply desire to question you over those criminals of before.” His eyes flickered to Subaru, still trying to make sense of the strange emanations from his mind. Usually emotions were like lakes, the colours of the waters changing and sometimes flowing as waves. Subaru’s, however, was frozen, countless cracks running along the ice that flared in explosions of feelings, carrying the shards upwards only for them to slam against themselves. It was a self-destructive blizzard, for lack of a better word. Should he let go…
On the other hand, Subaru’s gaze was firmly staring forward. ‘Alright, this theatre is being far too perfect and boring for Emilia to have anything to do with this. Could…could I…No, that’s impossible. Emilia would never kill me. Silly me.’ Relaxing slightly thanks to that delusional thought, Subaru’s steps gained a bit of confidence. “Well, it’s not like I can refuse, Rein. I will tell you everything.”
Reinhard’s own smile grew colder at those words that weren’t meant. Not even the friendly nickname had any weight behind. As if she was simply playing her part of a play. His hand tensed around the hilt of his dragon sword. If she proved to be dangerous…It should not have to come down to it. At least the Sword Saint could but hope. “Thank you for your cooperation, miss…”
“Subaru, just Subaru.”
A second shaky nod. As if she was a puppet just saying her lines. He stopped the pity from showing in his face. “Then, Lady Subaru, let’s make haste.”
…
After Rein's insistence, Subaru found himself inside of the luxurious bathroom of the Astreas. His footsteps no longer leaving a trail of grime thanks to having undressed his dirty shoes of before, Subaru dodged the mirror and, in front of the tub, he closed his eyes to also not see his reflection in the water. A step and he found himself stepping into a soft world of warmth. Unused to hot water, he felt himself sink to his neck on the rapidly tainting water. Splashing some on his face, he finally cleaned the mud off it. Yet with that gesture came the touch of his hands on his new face. Forcing his eyelids to remain closed, his wounded fingers traced the softer skin, trying to feel a picture.
Next they moved to her long hair. Woman’s hair. Yeez, Emilia had gone all the way, it almost reached his waist. Well, at least she had not given him cat ears this time. Breathing out and not noticing his alien calmness, Subaru let himself slide down on the tub, the water now covering his mouth. Weird, this should be panicking him. He remembered the waterboarding that had ended in him being unable to tolerate water on his face. But the memories weren’t even thrashing out, they simply played out like a recording. As if he was watching a movie of what had happened to a third person. Could Emilia be doing this? Or…no, it would be very silly. Why would he ever return to the first checkpoint? It wasn’t like Satella could ever lose sight of him due to changes in his Od, that would be terrifying. He could have permanently died back then if this had been the case.
Blowing bubbles, Subaru finally opened his eyes, water dirty enough so as to not allow his reflection to be seen clearly. So as to not reflect the new eyes he did not want to think about. Hands lightly splashing on the water, his gaze moved to the shampoos. Well…now that he was here…
His bath itself took an hour and a half, having halted to a crawl due to Reinhard’s forced calm that allowed his mind to process a portion of his memories. The worst part, however, was the pure white dress in front. Really…but it looked very nice. Had he ever had the opportunity to wear a silk dress? Looking to the sides in the empty bath, his hands dived greedily towards it, enjoying the texture severely. He should take advantage of Emilia’s kindness and simply enjoy this theatre. She had always hated when he crossdressed.
Not that the dress was complex, it was a one piece that appeared to be cheap. Really…could this be truly Reinhard? C-Emilia did not think things like this through. She would have gone all out and created a debt to…Shaking his head, Subaru finally dressed, his mind still refusing to engage the elephant of the room. Twirling around, a tiny smile appeared on his face. His new body was surprisingly painless, Emilia was not this good usually.
Leaving the bath, his naked feet had no problem to traverse the manor blessed with countless soft carpets. Looking around and trying to focus on the building, he was surprised to not hear anything nor any–
“Miss Subaru, I hope you are finding the dress to your liking?”
“Yeah, thanks Rein. It feels…freeing.” Do not think about the jacket. Do not think about the jacket.
“Then may we?”
A blink and Subaru found himself being led to a dining room on which dozens of plates had already been prepared. Being softly pushed onto the chair, Subaru did not manage to wait until Reinhard sat in front of him, his hands ravenously grabbing whatever food was in front of him. His gluttony overpowering, he did not even notice the different types of meals that he continuously engorged himself in.
Reinhard, having stopped before properly sitting down, gulped. This image…this desperation towards food…One that only those who had starved almost to death behaved like this…Had she been a slave? Resuming his motion and sitting on his seat, the Sword Saint simply watched in half awe and half compassion how quickly the plates in front of him were emptied with never lessening speed. It took another fifteen minutes for Subaru, stomach too full, to back into his chair.
“God, that was all so damn good. Compliments to the chef.”
“I am grateful that my cooking was up to par, miss Subaru.”
“Huh?! You can cook, Rein?!”
“I can manage the basics. I temporarily dismissed the manor’s residents so as to be able to speak with you with no reservations.” Hand relaxing around the hilt of his sword, Reinhard gazed into the blood red eyes of Subaru, not detecting any animosity nor ill intent.
“Oh…” Subaru’s gaze lowered to the plate and his now disgusting hands. “...and you really cooked for…me?”
“Of course I would. Now…” Shuffling on his seat, his right finally left his sword. “I wanted to ask you some questions…” He forced his smile to remain stable even as Subaru’s panic skyrocketed.
“I can’t talk. I can’t say anything. I mustn’t ask for help.”
It was but a conditioned response that had been engraved in him. “Miss, I feel the need to remind you that I, as the Sword Saint, will protect you. You are safe with me.”
Subaru’s eyes left the plate and moved to Reinhard’s. “You…you will?”
A nod.
Subaru jumped off the chair, it dropping backwards onto the floor with too much potency to remain unscathed. “Lies!! Lies!! Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies!!! You did not…you did not…” His words of rejection died as he gazed into Reinhard’s honest gaze.
“I vow that I will save you from your master.” Glitching, Capella’s face flickered in and out of existence until only Rein remained. Red hair, blue eyes, his old friend. The friend that had tried to find him for long years. That had never given up.
“You will save me…” The man that had not chosen him over Felt. Over his lady.
The sound of an enormous creature breaking a far away building stopped Reinhard’s reply. Wordlessly, the Sword Saint jumped out of the building. Yet the Beast of the End had already been unleashed and the temperatures had plummeted beyond repairability. A wave of ice enveloped an enormous portion of the capital, freezing countless people into ice statues.
Subaru blinked as the ice and cold intruded into the manor, gaze in the back of his hero. ‘“I will save you.”’ He would save him. Like a fairytale. Mind collapsing due to the Divine Protections getting out of range, those words were cemented into the very center of his being while everything apart from it came crushing down. Reinhard Van Astrea would save him. A knight. His eyes lowered to his form being rapidly frozen. And he had a dress. A knight and his damsel in distress.
The ice reached his face.
…
A warm and welcoming sun threw its light into the face of a motionless Subaru. Wordlessly, he let the plastic bag drop to the ground and started to move towards one of the nearby stores. Facing the window of its forefront, Subaru stared at himself. Long, blonde hair that reached his waist. Crimson red eyes. A beyond beautiful face, courtesy of Capella. A well proportionate female body. Subaru’s gaze moved to the sun high above. He had returned to the past. He was free. Capella could not replicate Puck, that he knew.
He was free. Finally, finally he had been freed. And Reinhard had done it. He had followed through with his promise. His right hand trailed his new hairstyle. But…would he survive? Would they fall again? Would Capella…Would he choose Felt again? His stare into the crystal got more intense, examining himself more thoroughly. While the past years he did not want to remember, he had learnt quite a few things during them. Platitudes, words, morals, even actions were irrelevant in the face of real enmity. Blinking, he remembered the conversation he just had with Reinhard. He had felt…safe. Well taken care of. He had felt…close, warm. Real. He had been there, not mere theatre, not mere excuses, not mere…anything. He had been. And he had promised.
He had said that he would save her. Her eyes turned to the items behind the glass. She was now dressed in rags and this would not do, yes? If this was going to be a fairytale with a good ending, a real dream, reality itself, she needed to be perfect. To be the best damsel and lady for the best knight, friend, comrade, shield, her new everything. Yes, he had vowed and she would prepare. Her right hand flickered a strand of her golden hair, causing her to grimace. And she needed a fan. She couldn’t allow her new knight to save an unsightly lady now, could she?
A tiny smile growing, she entered into the store. Really, being frozen to death was way less painful than she remembered. She would need to perfect everything. Reinhard deserved nothing else. She needed to be perfect to be protected. She needed to be his everything so that he would choose her always and before anything else. Another Priestella could not happen. The city could rot for all she cared but…not Capella. Not Capella again.
“Welcome to our store, miss…”
………
“Miss, if you don’t wanna get hurt, cough up whatever you got!!” Blade out, the three thugs stalked around the noblewoman in front.
Dressed in a pure black princess dress, the lass flicked her fan and covered her face. “And you miscreants are…?”
“Our names are irrelevant, just give us your coins and we won’t stab you to death!!”
Really, seeing Capella speak like that was beyond entertaining. She could never get tired of it. “And what is there to say that you won’t silence me after I give you my meagre possessions.” Loud and an arrogant voice, it echoed beyond the alleyways.
Enraged and not considering it a scream, the maybe too loud noise went unnoticed for the three of them. “Well, there’s also no damn reason for you to think we won’t follow through with our first threat! So either start getting the coins out of your pockets or we will!”
“As expected from ignorant thugs.” Shaking her head, the noblewoman looked at the three of them with pity through the wide open fan. “Do you really believe that someone dressed like me and willingly walking through these alleyways is really alone and defenseless?”
Rachins’ gaze flickered to the other two. Yes, it was very strange for a noblewoman to just be around these parts. But it could very well be bravado from a lost lady that was trying to talk her way out of trouble. His glare sharpened and he eyed her waist. No sight of weapons so at most she would have some small daggers. Next were the roofs around. Nothing there. If the worst came to be, they would be able to take her hostage. A nod to the other two and they advanced forward.
The glint in her eyes stopped him in his tracks. But it was too late.
“That’s enough!”
A towering figure appeared behind the noblewoman, the same script of always played out and the three thugs wasted no time in running away. Sighing and closing the fan, the woman twirled around and faced her future knight. “Thanks for the save, Rein…I can call you Rein, right?”
A slow nod. “I am glad that you escaped unharmed, miss…”
The supposed noblewoman gave him a perfect curtsy. “Natsumi Schwartz at your service. I am eternally thankful for your help of today.” A perfect smile, if a bit coquettish, her right hand flowed to her side and she bent a bit to that side. “Now, if I may be as arrogant as to ask for another serving…”
Frowning the tiniest bit that should not have been noticed, Reinhand’s hand moved the dragon sword a tiny bit. “Do you require further assistance, lady Schwartz?”
“Oh, no need for such formalities, Rein. I am not part of the nobility. It was just a rush to get those three out of my sight so…I lied.” She hit her head with her free hand. “Sorry…” And pulled her tongue out.
Reinhard’s frown was more evident. Eyes scanning her dress, it certainly was all looks. The material was cheap, the seams were not that well done. Its saving grace was the great dye that had been used on it. Relaxing a tiny bit, his thoughts went back to the fragmented feelings that he was getting off her. Too chaotic to make sense of. It was like trying to see your reflection in a mirror filled with cracks. “I understand the need for that intrigue. If my meagre strength may be of use, I would be glad to be of help.”
“I will make do with you, Rein!” Her smile blooming and the shards rotating, the strange woman started to walk with exaggerated and weird strides. “Now, now, let’s move!!”
Hand relaxing around the hilt out of surprise due to her sudden energy, he followed Natsumi until they left the alleys and returned to the main road. He almost hit her when she abruptly stopped.
“Wait…are you on duty? Tell me you aren’t, please.”
“I find myself both on my free day and out of my uniform, is that a problem?”
“Oh, no, no, not at all! I would feel bad if I wasted your time in a hunch of mine!”
“A hunch?” Her steps resuming, Reinhard decided to abandon his position two steps behind and walk side by side.
“Oh, yeah. Long story short, I saw another blonde run through the alley before I was saved by you and I have a bad feeling about her. She could be in danger.”
His gaze sharpened, trying to make sense of the broken mirror. She…seemed to mean her words. There was no ill intent still so an ambush seemed unlikely. But, a hunch? “Understood.”
“Phew, you don’t know how much at ease you put me in, Rein. You are a master swordsman and helluva powerful ain’tcha?”
“I don’t believe myself to deserve such kind words yet I am obliged to affirm. My family is…fairly unique.”
“Oh…gotcha. Everyone’s crushed by their own expectatives, aren’t we?”
His gaze moved to the front, not having expected to be read that easily. “...nonetheless, could you inform me further about this hunch of yours?” But, once it returned to her, she had gone to one of the nearby stands. “Lady Schwartz?”
“Coming, coming!” Arms filled with…pastries?, she was quick to thank the seller and ran back. Once she was beside him, she extended her hands. “You looked sad right there and I couldn’t bear with it. There you go!”
Another long pause yet his hands grabbed one. “...I am grateful for your worry but I am quite alright, lady Schwartz.” His eyes examined her very small pockets. She had nothing else on her either. “This may be a question a tad bit improper but do you need me to pay my share?”
“Oh, no, no, no!! It wouldn’t be a gift if I made you pay for it, duh.” Almost throwing at him all of the pastries, forcing the Sword Saint to use both arms to hold the payload, she dived her hands into her pockets, her face housing a lazy smile. “But that was the last of my cash.”
“...I believe I have misheard you, miss Schwartz.”
“Noup, you did not.” The smile did not wane. “I’m out of cash. Like, all of it.”
A few steps in full silence were next, Natsumi’s fairly fast walking pace allowed both of them to steadily approach a particular loothouse. Reinhard’s next words were slow and very deliberate. “Was the request you wanted from me related to your economic situation?”
“What?! No!!! I just…Mismanaged it a tiny-itsy-bitsy bit.” Looking away from the surprised, and a bit disappointed Sword Saint, her gaze moved all around the buildings. “And, absolutely not changing the topic at all, this city feels…free.”
“Are you not a local?”
“Nah. Came to Lugunica at a whim and it may not have gone as well as I liked, alright.” The mirror twisting and turning, Reinhard’s gaze filled with worry and confusion. “You could say I messed up somewhen and got into a bit of trouble, y’know.”
A very slow nod. “My apolog–”
“Don’t want them. You are doing more than enough for me already.” Slapping the hero in the back, Natsumi sped up and started to whistle a bit.
Reinhard sighed but allowed the topic to die. His gaze, however, hardened again once he noticed where they were going towards. The slums. And not one of the better parts. “Lady Schwartz, if you may no–” Turning back to her, she was already running to Od Laguna knows where. The Sword Saint sighed, not liking this routine of theirs. Shadowing her, he had to dive forward when she tripped on a bump of the sidewalk, his arm hugging her from the front and pulling her backwards as to not allow her to fall face first. Ignoring how soft she felt, Reinhard repressed a sigh.
“Sorry, sorry, I was…” Her words died when her attention moved to the nearby building. “We are here…”
“It does not seem like a…” A tug and Natsumi freed herself and dived towards the building. Tensing up, Reinhard was quick to follow, alarms flaring in his head. A debt, a criminal enterprise? A–
He watched as Natsumi kicked the door with a loud scream. The locked door did not bulge a bit and the recoil almost threw her backwards. “Come on!! It was my moment!!”
Reinhard paused, watching her mumble a string of insults towards the uncaring wooden door. He did his best to ignore the thought that crossed his mind, ‘How had she survived this long?’, and joined her at the entrance. “Were you expected inside?”
“Uhm…Not me particularly…the girl I told you before, I saw her steal a Royal Insignia and come here and I wanted to check if she was in.” Like if she was reporting a robbery of ten copper coins, her even voice wavered not as she revealed the bombshell.
“A Royal Insignia?” Peering into the shattered mirror, the hero ended up deciding to advance a step forward and place his hand on the door. A slight push and the cracks of breaking woods and logs were heard. Half a second of that context of strength and the door, door frame and a big portion of the wall broke apart and fell into the inside of the building, raising a small cloud of dust and stone pieces.
Eyes sharp, Reinhard stepped forward and blocked Rom’s club strike with an open palm. Forcing it to the side, he advanced another and kicked at his legs, dropping the giant to the ground. A blink and he sidestepped Felt’s lunge, touching her shoulder as she passed by and draining most of her mana. Her next steps too unstable and uncoordinated, the gutter rat was unable to dodge Natsumi’s strike with the fan directly at her face, breaking the item and throwing her to the ground.
“One d–” The sound of the giant demi-human dropping to the ground cut her sentence off. “Well, that makes two?” Growing a smirk, it wavered not when Reinhard slapped a dagger thrown directly at her neck, causing it to miss and denting the metal. “Now only the third one remains, yes, Elsa-tan?”
The assassin dropped from the ceiling with feline grace, her landing not making a single sound. “Now, now, I did not expect the Sword Saint, knight among knights, to intrude in my little job. And just when I was about to finally be done with it…” Her smirk widened. “But now it is looking to be so much fun.”
“Black hair, black clothes and a blade unique to the northern provinces. There is no mistaking those characteristics. You are the Bowel Hunter.” Grabbing one of the nearby swords of the loothouse, Reinhard got himself into a stance. “Stay back, lady Schwartz.”
“Gotcha. Kick her ass, Rein.” Walking over Felt, she pulled a second fan and hid her face behind it, her eyes showing badly hidden disgust now that Reinhard had his back turned to her and was unable to see her. A puppet of Capella…but a very, very valuable piece.
“There are many things I would like to ask of you. I insist that you surrender.”
“You expect such a starving predator to–” Elsa’s gaze flickered to the disgusted woman behind Reinhard. She frowned a tiny bit once she read her lips. ‘“Run away. I want to talk about Mother. I will find you.”’ “–resist such a choice?”
Ignoring the dialogue she had gotten tired of, Natsumi’s eyes lowered to the gutter rat at her feet, incapable of even getting off the floor. Felt. One of the faces Capella had used to torture her. But she needed her. She needed a real royal candidate. Hiding her disgust and how much she hated the feeling of touching her, Natsumi helped Felt up, raising her to a standing position and keeping her like that thanks to a hug. “Everything’s alright now, sister. Rein’s got it.”
“You…”
Throwing Felt a relaxed smile, Natsumi shook his head. “We just happened to come just in time.” Both of them turned to the fight to see it end with a slash of incomprehensible power that blew up the loothouse. “...we won’t pay for the damages, though, I’m hella broke.”
“Wh-what?!” The second cloud of dust, this one way bigger, shrouded the raining debris and ruins of the once building in itself, hiding all from view.
Backing away, Reinhard’s attention flickered back at the two of them. “Are the three of you safe?”
“Yup. You are awesome Rein. Thank you so much for helping me out and saving our asses!”
Reinhard shuffled a bit, eyes turning to the unconscious demi-human that had not been hit by any of the consequences of his slash. “Lady Schwartz, you should mind your language.”
Handwaving away those words, her right hand intruded into Felt’s pocket. “I don’t think I should.” Her smile grew a bit yet her eyes turned a shade darker, the blood coloured eyes filling with intensity. Not even facing the lessening cloud of dust that hit the crater below, Natsumi closed her fan and moved it, blocking the dagger throw of Elsa with perfect timing. Not content with that, the next thing that pierced the dust was the Bowel Hunter herself, rushing towards her with deathly precision.
Her blade flashed and it should have been job done. Yet Natsumi had practised this same situation too many times for it to go any other way than her own. Pushing Felt away and causing the Royal Insignia to fly out of her pocket, Natsumi backed a step, tightened her stomach and blocked with her fan in just the right angle for all to compound into reducing the hit from lethal to potentially lethal. Her dress and stomach was cut before Reinhard managed to reach them and kick the bowel hunter right into her side.
Being sent flying, the cursed doll slammed against the wall of one of the nearby buildings, almost piercing through. Not minding the pain, she used the new distance between them to rapidly climb up the building. Turning around, her partying words were paused when she looked back at Natsumi.
Cold gaze, her mouth was repeating the same sentence of before. “...soon enough, I will disembowel everyone here. Until then, take care of your bowels.” A last glance at the smiling woman and she vanished like a spectre.
Eyes scanned for half a second the building of her partying, Reinhard turned in flash towards Natsumi. “Are you unhurt, lady Schwartz?”
“I…” Bloodied hand against her stomach trying to prevent her insides from becoming outsides, she fell backwards and collided against the fallen, confused and very grateful Felt. Without luck’s intervention, both her and Felt’s hand fell onto the Insignia, item that started to shine. And like that Natsumi had to repress a proud smirk before darkness quieted her surroundings.
………