"Okay, how the hell is she doing that?" I yelled, stumbling back as Elsa—yes, still breathing, somehow—gracefully danced through a storm of ice and iron aimed right at her jugular.
Across the room, Emilia was launching another barrage of gleaming icicles with all the fury of a frostbitten goddess. Old Man Rom stood frozen behind her, and next to me, Subaru (in all her scrappy, loot-house glory) was crouched low behind what I'm pretty sure was a barrel cork she was using as a shield. She clutched a chipped, rust-bitten dagger like it was a family heirloom.
And me? I was doing everything in my power to not die. By accidentally breathing wrong.
Because Elsa… should not be moving.
"I watched her body get folded like a cursed towel!" I shouted over the chaos. "I hit her with Mirror Alice. Her own attack came back double, her chest caved in, spine did a wave, she slammed into the cupboard like she was filming Final Destination 12!"
She should be in multiple dimensions right now.
And yet—there she stood. Pale. Bloody. Smiling. Still fighting.
"She's got some kinda regen!" Subaru shouted, ducking a flying knife as she brandished her cork-shield like a medieval warrior who looted a wine cellar. "Thanos rules apply! Aim for the head!"
Crickets.
Not a flicker of recognition from Rom. Emilia looked at her like she'd started speaking in tongues. Elsa giggled mid-sprint.
Only I got it.
"Honestly," I muttered, sucking in a breath as Elsa dodged icicles like a ballerina from hell, "a single pop culture reference, and I'm already homesick."
Rom, bless his fuzzy eyebrows, took Subaru's advice like gospel and stayed well away from the monster lady. Smart move. Elsa didn't seem interested in him anyway.
Me, though?
I guess I had the right type of blood.
"I literally saw her lungs collapse like a folding chair," I cried, charging forward with a slap-kick that connected right against her pale neck with a satisfying thwap.
She moaned.
She moaned.
I recoiled. "Nope. I need an adult."
"Oh, I'm an adult," Elsa cooed, her voice dripping with glee as she leapt toward me like a deranged cat. "Come to big sister, ahahaha!"
The laugh was feral. Her kicks came fast—elegant, brutal. A punch, a sweep, a—was that a lick?—and I folded in on myself, arms crossed, trying to shield my vital organs while my golden Aura flared like a short-circuiting sun. Every second with her was like fighting a blender with boobs.
"Get away from him!" Emilia snapped, voice laced with raw fury. Ice coiled around Elsa like glowing vines, erupting into a crystal cage that crashed into place. The assassin landed mid-sprint, blinking in surprise as her jump failed and her head bonked audibly against the frozen bars.
I wheezed. "Thanks. I officially forgive you for the ear-pulling earlier."
Emilia flushed faintly. "Ah—sorry! I was rea~lly panicked about Insignia…" Her voice was like windchimes and velvet and all the things unfairly gifted by genetics. Some people really have all the good luck.
But then—
Drumroll.
Like, actual drumroll. In my head. Because of course now is when the Celestial Grimoire decides to roll for perks.
I froze mid-quip, eyes wide in panic.
Seriously? Now?
While Elsa's trapped, I've got an Aura that's cracking, Mirror Alice sucking me dry, and my human body is hanging on by sheer will and this is the Time Grimoire is choosing?
Rolled: Capey (Doctor Strange – Multiverse of Madness Variant) = 100CP
Spoiler: RollingRolled: Capey (Doctor Strange – Multiverse of Madness Variant) = 100CP
Now be honest who doesn't want a sentient flying cape. You have acquired a relic similar to the Cloak of Levitation used by Dr. Strange. This cloak is heavily resistant to foreign magic and anything that could damage it. For example, Strange's cloak stopped a lethal attack from Wanda, saving his life. The cloak is also capable of acting independently such as when it saved America on its own and slapped Strange trying to wake him up. If the cloak is somehow destroyed, it will be repaired and reappear the next day. It probably will be a bit cranky though.
My limbs snapped back to life. I gasped.
Too late.
"MOVE!" Emilia screamed.
"He froze up!" Rom barked.
"WINTER, MOVE YOUR ASS RIGHT NOW!" Subaru shrieked, desperation raw in her voice.
Time slowed as I cranked my Aura into overdrive—burning fuel I have barely left, turning seconds into syrup.
Elsa grinned wide, a dozen jagged, rusty swords raised high. Where'd she even get those—Old man Rom's junk pile?! Every tip glinted with cruel joy.
"YOU'RE MINE, BOY!" she screamed, eyes locked on my abdomen like it owed her rent.
I was toast.
Fwip.
Suddenly, the world snapped. A force yanked me up by the neck, and for one terrifying second, I was sure I'd been decapitated.
Nope. Still had a body.
It was just flying.
Elsa smashed into the wall below, blades shattering around her as I was flung across the room like a ragdoll in a superhero movie. I landed hard, skidding beside Subaru in a tumble of limbs and physics denial.
Everyone stared at me, jaws unhinged. The red cape fluttered for dramatic effect too.
I blinked. "…Ow."
Subaru pointed, accusingly. "You can fly now?! What the hell?! That's so unfair! Total HAX! I call it HAX!"
"Technically? The cape's the one doing the flying," I replied, arms spread slightly as I hovered like some celestial dork, golden Aura flickering faintly while Capey flapped smugly behind me.
Across the shattered room, Elsa lay buried in what used to be a load-bearing wall. Again. Still twitching. Still breathing.
Still getting up.
Subaru's jaw hung open.
"Oh my gods," she muttered, eyes wide with a mixture of awe and suspicion. "That's… That's Doctor Strange's cape."
Right on cue, Capey zipped over and booped her right on the nose.
She flinched. "Wha—?!"
"Apologies," I said dryly. "Capey is… possessive. It seems to recognizes me as its rightful master and it's starting to get jealous when people compare me to other men."
"You're kidding."
"Afraid not," I said, letting the cloak gently lower me to the floor as I exhaled slowly, trying to release the adrenaline from my system. "It's telepathically linked. Low cognition, barely sentient. Fascinating, really."
I flexed my fingers, feeling my Aura slowly trickle back into place like cracked porcelain re-glazing. My limbs still trembled from Elsa's last assault, but I couldn't afford to drop my guard.
"Not to interrupt the meet-and-greet with your fashion statement," Rom rumbled, stepping forward cautiously, "but maybe we should focus on the psychotic serial killer before she murders us all?"
I opened my mouth to respond—but then I felt it.
Movement. Pressure. A shift in the air behind me. Not targeted at me but Subaru. Is this her canon event or something?
My brain outran my thoughts. And my brain thought I would survive this, not Subaru.
"Oh—shit."
Before anyone could react, Capey detached from my shoulders in a blur of crimson, wrapping around Subaru mid-protest and flinging her sideways across the room.
It worked… mostly.
Subaru crashed directly into Emilia. The two rolled together in a tangle of limbs, white fabric and black sleeves folding into each other until they came to a stop—chest-to-chest, face-to-face. A very distracting arrangement.
Which, in hindsight, was a tactical error on my part.
My eyes lingered just a second too long.
Elsa didn't waste it.
Her knee slammed into my solar plexus with a sickening crunch. My Aura shattered with a sound like breaking glass dipped in thunder. Golden light exploded around us, flickering like dying fireflies before fading into nothing.
I hit the ground hard, gasping like a fish. Ow, I overestimated myself.
Pain lanced through my ribs. My eyes stung, and tears welled up again—completely uninvited. Stupid body. I'm not a crybaby.
"Ah, ahh~" Elsa sang sweetly, grabbing my limp form like I weighed nothing. I dangled in her grip, body barely responding, as she dragged me upright and spun me in front of her like a living shield.
Old Man Rom froze mid-step. Emilia straightened, horror spreading across her face. Subaru groaned, blood at her lip, trying to rise again.
"I wouldn't move if I were you~" Elsa giggled, pressing the jagged edge of a rusty sword to my cheek. It bit in, dragging a line of pain across my skin. I grunted, tasting copper.
"My hands might… slip."
"You coward!" Subaru shouted, eyes blazing as she staggered to her feet with Emilia's help. "Let him go right now!"
"Oh, I'll give him back eventually," Elsa said, voice dripping with manic glee. "But first…"
She yanked my face toward hers.
Her expression twisted—intense, obsessive, hungry.
"…It'd be such a shame to end it here," she whispered, eyes wide and glinting with an unnatural shine. "I know you can give me more… wonderful pain. More suffering. You've barely begun, darling."
And then—her lips crashed into mine.
Hot, coppery blood flooded my mouth, her tongue like a serpent invading territory she'd already claimed. My body spasmed in disgust, in violation, in burning rage—but I couldn't move. Not yet.
She pulled back slowly, lips smeared with blood—mine and hers.
"Don't forget me," she purred. "And get stronger, okay? For big sister."
She tossed me like trash.
I hit the floor hard, coughing and retching, trying to expel the metallic taste from my mouth. My head spun. My chest screamed.
"See you around, darling," Elsa called, sighing theatrically as purple smoke began to pour in from the shadows, swallowing the room. "Please grow up big and strong, okay? Shame the Sword Saint's almost here…"
And with that final, disturbingly affectionate goodbye, she vanished into the mist like a bedtime story for psychopaths.
A second later—BOOM.
The roof exploded.
Wood, tiles, and bits of loot-house rained down as a red-haired knight in gleaming white armor descended in a burst of divine presence, landing like the very concept of justice had decided to show up thirty minutes late.
Sword drawn. Hair billowing. Aura pristine. He looked like those "The Honored One" edit of TikTok and Instagram.
I squinted up at him from the wreckage, blood in my teeth.
"You're late, asshole," I rasped, and let the darkness take me.
"Urgh."
My eyes creaked open to the moonlit sky—crisp, bright, hauntingly familiar. The first night in this world… and what threw me wasn't the blood or the pain.
It was the sky.
I blinked. The heavens stared back, cold and smug. Same constellations. Same arrangement.
Like it was same damn universe.
"How the fuck do we have the same constellations as Earth?" I muttered.
"You're okay, right? Please don't be dead…"
Subaru stumbled toward me, her voice frantic, nearly tripping over her own relief. Meanwhile, Redhead McLieDetector—yep, still devastatingly handsome—was chatting low with Emilia and occasionally shooting us glances.
I let out a laugh, instantly regretting it. My ribs screamed, my chest ached, my eyes burned.
"No, not dead," I groaned. "But I do feel like I lost something. That crazy chick took my first proper kiss—went full French and Bloody Mary. Criminal behavior."
Subaru giggled, until it morphed into a coughing fit. Capey, the little traitor, floated over and patted her back like it hadn't just launched her into a wall five minutes ago.
"Look up," I said, dragging my arm toward the sky and pointing at a cluster. "That's what your name comes from, right?"
She laid down beside me, visibly trembling with exhaustion. Her face was soft, like she was still trying to decide if crying was appropriate. I figured this had to be her first loop where we all survived Elsa. The first loop where entrails didn't decorate the floor.
As much as I didn't want to admit it, I don't know how to fight for real. My only real saving grace was my greenbelt Taekwondo with Aura, and that was it. I've never come so close to dying. Not metaphorically. Literally. Death brushed her lips against my throat and whispered lullabies.
"The Pleiades…" she whispered, reaching up beside me. Her fingers shook. Her voice was low—reverent, even. Like the stars might whisper back.
"Or 'the Seven Sisters.' Subaru cluster," I said, nudging her. "You're a whole celestial event, huh?"
She laughed through her tears.
"We call it Kriti. Or Kritika whereI'm from. Means 'breakthrough.'"
"…That fits," she murmured. "Especially after what I've…"
She trailed off, hand tightening over her chest. "…After what I've seen," she corrected.
Yeah. I knew what she really meant. The Witch's grip. The burden of Return by Death. She can't share details from her end and I can't say out loud unless I want to die very painfully by the Witch of Envy.
But we can easily play around with words as long as it's not true.
Thank you again LN Historian, you're saving me again.
I reached for her hand—my muscles screamed in protest, but I didn't care. I held it, gently.
"I know," I said.
"Do you two need healing?" Emilia's voice floated over, gentle and warm. She knelt beside us, eyes glinting with concern.
"Check on her," I said quickly, before Subaru could get noble. "I heal fast. She saw the future. Risked herself for strangers. That deserves priority, doesn't it?"
"Oh stop it," Subaru muttered, covering my mouth with her hand. Which was ew. I don't know where that hand's been for a few hours in this Loot house. I narrowed my eyes at her, offended on behalf of my hygiene. Dusty loot-house hand.
"So it's true then." The redheaded man walked toward us while Subaru and I slowly went to our feet together. "You really can see the future?"
"… Reinhard?" She looked ahead.
"That's right, Subaru. It's been very long, has it? Sorry to be late." He apologized, and he genuinely looked pained and apologetic. I think he should do that to me.
I huffed. "You should apologize to me. I lost my first kiss to a lunatic."
"I'm sorry for your loss." He bowed towards me. Damn this guy is too pure.
"But is it true? Are you really Oracle as your friend here is claiming?"
I could feel Subaru freeze beside me. She probably knew he could see through lies, probably learned in a previous loop.
Now we were too deep into this Oracle fiasco to wrap it up.
Felt.
She stepped forward like a stormcloud—pride wounded but intact.
"If Big Sis and Big Bro hadn't shown up, we'd be corpses," she said. "I wouldn't've taken the job if I knew my client was Elsa-freaking-Granhiert."
Only for Old Man Rom to calm her down, patting her head, which she responded to with a kick to his shin. Ah, love.
"So you really do believe that," Reinhard said to himself.
"Okay I admit, I named her ability Divine Protection of Oracle myself just today." I suddenly said, looking at the lie detector. "From my point of view this girl met me today but she has some information about me that she shouldn't have unless I told her myself."
"And young lady here, actually predicted Felt's client before any of us had a clue." Rom nodded.
"And I also think this girl is telling the truth. She even knew who Puck was. I'm sorry I almost attacked you because I thought you were a thief." Emilia said to Subaru, who waved her hands with a light blush on her cheeks.
"I can't talk about my gifts without consequences, so you all have to forgive, but I have no explanation to give without hurting myself." Subaru said sadly—and very much guilt-tripping everyone to not ask more about the Oracle business—since she did all this to save these lives present here, except Reinhard.
"But I couldn't let you just die, you know? Besides, just earlier I saved your life by protecting you from that evil Bowel Hunter ambush from behind and support throughout the battle. Are we clear on that?" Subaru asked.
"O―Kei? By all evidence and your actions, I'm in your debt, yes." The silver-haired girl admitted rather easily.
Subaru nodded at her before looking right at her in the eyes.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru! I know there's tons of things you want to say and tons of things you want to ask, but set that aside for now and hear me out!"
"W-What…?" Emilia stepped back a little, uncomfortable at Subaru's enthusiasm.
"The one who rescued you, the savior of your life, was two of us. And the heroine whom I saved was you. So naturally I ought to receive a fitting reward, right? Right?!"
"… I get it. Only if it's something I can do, though." Emilia replied, sounding disappointed at Subaru, likely coming to the wrong conclusion about the reason behind her help.
"Alright then, I have but one wish, just a single one." Subaru looked right into her eyes. "I want you to tell me your name."
She didn't know that? Even I know she's called Emilia.
Her eyes widened. Her expression was one of astonishment.
"Fufu."
The silence was immediately broken by someone giggling.
With her hand against her lips and her white cheeks flushed, the girl smiled as her silver hair swayed behind her.
It was not a smile of resignation, nor was it a faint fleeting smile, and it certainly wasn't a grim smile prepared for the worst. She simply smiled because she was happy. That was all it was.
"―Emilia."
"Eh…"
In response to the word she said following her laugh, Subaru could only let out a small gasp.
Seeing this reaction, she straightened her posture and smiled impishly with a finger to her lip.
"My name is Emilia. Just Emilia. Thank you, Subaru."
"For saving me." She said as she offered her hand.
"You're welcome..." Subaru said before her eyes rolled back to her skull as she nearly collapsed, only to be easily caught by Emilia herself who looked worried.
"Don't worry, she's just exhausted." Reinhard reassured before turning towards me and Felt. "Now why don't we have a chat?"
I crouched by a puddle, the murky water mirroring my face with uncanny precision. I made a silly expression—eyes wide, tongue out—and the boy in the water mimicked me instantly. That was my face, alright. Same sharp chin, same unruly mop of hair. But still… unfamiliar.
Even if there was cuts, bruises and blood.
"Five years," I muttered. "Haven't seen this mug in five bloody years."
It finally made sense why everyone kept calling me boy. I'm seventeen now—this face, this body—I'd know it anywhere.
Was it the isekai process? Did I regress? Is it just my face that got the time-turner treatment or is my whole brain riding shotgun in a younger version of me? Then again, I was already this tall back then. No wonder it didn't register right away. But still… damn.
"So," a familiar voice broke the silence beside me, "did you find the girl you were looking for?"
Reinhard stood with that perfect knight posture, arms at ease but ready, eyes watching the soft glow of magic illuminating the distance like a distant tide. Waves of light pulsed as healing washed over Subaru, Emilia at the center of it.
I let my gaze follow his, side by side. A faint blue shimmer danced across the cobbled stones. Reinhard exhaled, almost imperceptibly. Anyone else might've missed it.
But not me.
He's feeling guilty, I thought, lips curling. How painfully noble.
"No," I answered aloud, "but I found Subaru, who was looking for Emilia, who happened to find the lost Plum, and now we're all standing in the same wet alley with more questions than answers. Almost feels like fate's trying to show off."
I laughed to myself, then looked down again. My reflection, this time, wasn't so playful. Blood. Bruises. Cuts. The face of a boy who's been through war… and still grins at his own reflection like a lunatic.
Without a word, I brought both hands up and pressed them to my face. I stood slowly, stretched my spine with a satisfying crack, and then dropped my arms.
The bruises were gone. So were the cuts. My face, smooth and clear, blinked back at Reinhard's startled expression.
Ah," I mused, flexing my fingers. "Aura's back. Passive regen. I was wondering when you'd kick in."
"—Alright, that should be enough."
A voice like a silver bell rang out, pulling our eyes to Emilia. She leaned over Subaru, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead. Her cheeks flushed a delicate red as she dabbed the sweat away and straightened with a nod.
"I've finished her treatment," she said with a relieved sigh. "Looks like it was a mix of exhaustion, minor injuries, and… hunger."
"That's splendid news," Reinhard replied, briskly moving to her side. He stopped, dropped to one knee, and bowed his head. The motion was fluid, perfect, rehearsed a thousand times and yet genuine.
"Emilia-sama," he said solemnly, placing his sword before him, "due to my inadequacy, I have caused you great distress. I shall accept any punishment for my failure."
The weight of his words hung heavy. But Emilia… simply tilted her head.
"You know," she said, a little pout on her lips, "I don't really get why you people are like that."
"Huh?" Reinhard blinked, thrown.
"You came to help us. You were a little late, sure, but because you arrived, the assassin ran. She didn't get to finish what she started. And now you're kneeling like you did something wrong?"
She waved her finger at him disapprovingly—then suddenly turned it toward Subaru, who lay peacefully on the ground.
"That girl's way more straightforward. She saved my life and immediately demanded a reward. Didn't even hesitate, even though her demand wasn't a demand at all."
"Well," I added, stepping closer, "I still haven't claimed mine, if it makes you feel any better."
I turned to Subaru, then looked at Emilia, the corners of my mouth tugging upward. "Actually, I think what I'm asking is for both of us."
Emilia's eyes softened. "Then I'll do my very best to help you. But… What's your name? I've been calling you little boy with the fork."
I chuckled, a real, from-the-gut sound. No pain. No fatigue. Just relief. "It's Winter. Call me that."
I took a deep breath, grounding myself again. "What I want isn't much. Just a chance. We're both new here—Subaru and I. No home. No jobs. Not a damn clue how this city works. You seem important enough, so… I'd like to ask for your help."
"You don't need to ask her, big bro," Felt cut in, hands behind her head. "I know this city like the back of my hand. I'll help you and big sis out."
"Funny you should say that, I haven't forgiven you for making Subaru run around too much." I turned to her with a knowing grin. "Because I think you'll be busy soon. Especially since Emilia's insignia started glowing when you were holding it."
Reinhard stiffened beside me like he'd been struck.
"So?" Felt raised a brow. "What's it got to do with anything?"
But Reinhard and Emilia weren't looking at me anymore. They were both staring at her.
"Can you… hold this?" Emilia asked, extending the insignia toward her.
"What, you want me to steal it again?" Felt huffed. "If it's that important, maybe don't flaunt it like an ornament next time, you should put it somewhere deeper."
"I find it strange to get that advice from you of all people," Emilia said, dryly. "If possible, I'd prefer you stopped this 'stealing' thing entirely."
"That's impossible," Felt declared. "I only gave it back because big bro here stole it from me first, which was rude—very rude—but since you saved our lives, I guess I would've returned it anyway. I don't think I did anything wrong. And I'm not stopping."
The moment the insignia touched her palm, it shone like a miniature star.
"—Eh?"
"Reinhard…?"
He moved without hesitation, gently but firmly taking Felt's wrist, eyes locked onto the glowing emblem.
"T-That hurts… Let go…" Felt squirmed, her voice no longer confident.
Emilia stepped closer, eyes wide, her voice trembling with something between awe and surprised.
"You're… the fifth candidate…"
Her words settled like snow, soft and cold and impossible to ignore.
"Let go of her," Old Man Rom charged at Reinhard with his club raised high, a father bear in full swing. But before he could bring it down, the attack was stopped dead in its tracks as my Aura-filled palm met the weapon with a meaty thud.
Ow.
Yeah, that hurt more than I let on. Pretty sure I just slapped a log mid-sprint.
"Stop, Baldie. You really think he, of all people, would hurt a little girl?" I said, shaking the sting from my hand as I lowered it. My voice was calm, dry, biting at the edges—but steady.
Reinhard shot me a brief, grateful look—a silent thank you—before turning his full attention to the girl struggling wildly in his arms.
"…What is your name?" he asked, his tone noble, yet distant, like a knight interrogating royalty rather than an alley rat.
"Fe-Felt…" she replied, eyes darting everywhere like a cornered cat.
"Your surname? How old are you?"
"I—I'm an orphan, okay? I don't have anything fancy like a surname. Age…? Maybe fifteen? That's what I was told. I dunno my birthday either. Hey, lemme go already!"
Despite her struggling and swearing, Reinhard didn't so much as flinch. His control over his strength was effortless, elegant—almost like restraining a breeze.
Then he turned to Emilia with eyes like polished steel.
"Emilia-sama, I can no longer uphold our agreement. ― I must take charge of her."
Emilia blinked, her expression tightening. "…I understand. This is serious, isn't it?"
"My apologies," Reinhard said, with a knight's bow and no room for negotiation, "but you do not have the right to refuse."
"Don't screw with me! Don't act all high and mighty just 'cause you—"
She didn't get to finish. Her shoulders slumped, her body suddenly going limp in Reinhard's arms.
"Go to hell… damn it," Felt muttered with a scowl before unconsciousness took her.
Reinhard adjusted her weight without missing a beat. It was practiced, clean, and somehow respectful. Emilia moved to speak—
But I was already grabbing Old Man Rom from behind, restraining him with both arms as he looked one twitch away from full berserker mode.
"Take the Baldie with you too," I grunted. "She won't listen to you without him. And, let's be honest, she probably trusts him more than anyone."
"Who the hell are you calling Baldie, kid?!" Rom barked, struggling against me.
Reinhard, ever patient, regarded him with something almost like compassion.
"I'm not letting you take her," Rom growled, glaring like a father protecting his only child. "Even if I have to die by your hand, Sword Saint."
"Then it's a good thing you're also coming with me," Reinhard replied without hesitation, voice calm but resolute. "Felt is going to need you. She's going to need me. She's going to need many people in her corner very soon."
Without fanfare, he gently pried the insignia from Felt's limp fingers and offered it to Emilia, who took it with quiet hesitation.
"I entrust Subaru and Winter to your care," Reinhard said, bowing low before her.
She nodded silently, her eyes flicking from the shining gem to the unconscious girl curled beside me.
Then Reinhard turned to me. "And you, Winter…"
That look. That look. Like he was seeing through me—layer after layer, down to the bones beneath the charm.
"I sense something great within you. Perhaps even greater than Subaru. So please… remain as you are. This nation will need people like you in the coming days."
Okay. That was a lot to process.
What was he sensing? The Celestial Grimoire? Mirror Alice? Or just… me?
"Well, I always try to be better," I said with a small shrug, hiding the nerves with a thin smile. "But I also have a request to make."
I turned my gaze to all of them—Emilia, Reinhard, Old Man Rom.
"Please… don't reveal Subaru's abilities. She's cursed—literally cursed—to not talk about it. But if people find out, if word spreads… others will come. They'll use her. Break her. Try to control something she can't even wield safely. And it'll destroy her. She doesn't deserve that. She's not some tool. She's a girl trying to stay alive."
"Of course," Reinhard nodded without hesitation. "I'll never put her in danger like that. I promise, on my name and my sword, and as a knight of Lugnica—I will never endanger her."
Even Emilia nodded, her expression turning serious, and surprisingly fierce. Old Man Rom grunted, but this time it wasn't a protest—it was agreement.
But even with all that reassurance, one name floated at the back of my mind like a shadow in candlelight.
She knows.
Elsa knows. The Bowel Hunter. Whether she spreads it or not—that remains to be seen.
"Please, take care of yourselves.I shall take my leave," Reinhard said, bowing once more.
With one final look at all of us, he took Rom by the arm, tucked Felt securely under his other, and—whoosh—soared into the air with a wind-shattering leap that scattered dust and moonlight alike. We shielded our eyes as his red cape disappeared into the night sky.
And just like that… It was quiet again.
Only the moon above, Emilia beside me, and Subaru asleep at our feet in the Loot House.
Suddenly, I was wrapped in a tight hug by a silver-haired half-elf, her arms pulling me in without warning.
I stiffened like a statue at the sudden contact. "I… I don't know why you're hugging me, but I will happily accept it," I said, rambling in total confusion, my arms awkwardly hovering like I was trying to hug a cactus without getting poked.
"You must feel awful," Emilia said gently, her voice laced with sympathy. "First, you were in a life-threatening battle… and now Elsa is going to have your baby."
…Huh?
Wait—what?
I blinked. Several times.
"What?" I croaked, like a man who just heard a death sentence he wasn't briefed on.
"She kissed you. On your lips," Emilia said, face turning so red it looked like she'd swallowed a tomato. Her voice dropped to a scandalized whisper. "You may not know it… but when a boy and girl kiss on the lips, they make babies."
She said it in the tone adults use when teaching kids about where babies come from—slow, careful, and absolutely convinced they're enlightening the ignorant.
And I…
I froze.
Wait a damn second. This isn't Earth. This is another universe. The rules could be totally different. I mean, sure, on Earth we've got biology, genetics, all that jazz—but here? Here, who knows? Magic exists. Spirits exist. Killer monsters might exist. Vampiric wombs might exist.
My eyes widened in horror as the implications clicked in.
"Oh my GOD! It's true?! You're not joking?!" I cried out, voice rising with full-blown panic. I grabbed my head in both hands like I was on the verge of screaming into the night sky. "Is that why she shoved her bloody tongue down my throat like a vampire?! Was that… was that some twisted magical insemination ritual?!"
"There, there," Emilia said kindly, tightening her hug and gently patting my head like I was a traumatized kitten. "Puck taught me, and he's been alive for centuries, so of course it's true. He knows everything."
No.
No no no.
Damn you, Elsa.
Is that why she kept calling me "darling"? Is that why she said she was coming for me? Was that her version of a marriage proposal? Was I just… claimed like some feral wolf picking a mate?
Nah.
No way.
This had to be exhaustion. Sleep-deprived paranoia. I was seriously starting to lose the ability to tell whether Emilia was messing with me or being 100% genuine.
But still… if she and Puck both believed that lip-kissing = pregnancy…
There was a chance. A terrifying, Elsa-shaped chance.
"There, there, don't worry about that bad woman," Emilia whispered soothingly. "You can come with me, you know."
I blinked again. "What?"
"You said you two have nowhere to go, right?" she said, pulling back slightly to look me in the eyes. "You can come with me. My sponsor is very rich and very generous. I'm sure he'll reward you for assisting me—and you'll be safe, at least for a while."
"You're serious?"
"Of course!" she said, her smile lighting up the moonlit rooftop like a soft lantern. "You and Subaru risked your lives for me. This insignia is very important, you see. I rea~lly can't repay you two enough."
I smiled, exhaustion finally weighing on me like a stone blanket. "Well… thank you. That's kind. You're carrying her, by the way."
I pointed to the unconscious Subaru still lying where Reinhard had left her.
"Because I don't think I've got anything left in me." I yawned wide, the kind that makes your eyes water and your bones complain.
"Fufufu." She giggled softly, gently carrying Subaru like a princess. Huh, she's stronger than she looks, physically too.
Damn, can't believed I survived first life and death battle, even if my first kiss had to be sacrificed.
I'll have my revenge Elsa, I'll have revenge.
Survived Elsa the Bowel Hunter without fatalities. +100CP
Gain undivided interest and adoration of Elsa Granhiert +100CP
Have undivided attention of Reinhard Von Astrea and Od Laguna + 100CP
Rolled: Capey (Doctor Strange – Multiverse of Madness Variant) = 100CP
Now be honest who doesn't want a sentient flying cape. You have acquired a relic similar to the Cloak of Levitation used by Dr. Strange. This cloak is heavily resistant to foreign magic and anything that could damage it. For example, Strange's cloak stopped a lethal attack from Wanda, saving his life. The cloak is also capable of acting independently such as when it saved America on its own and slapped Strange trying to wake him up. If the cloak is somehow destroyed, it will be repaired and reappear the next day. It probably will be a bit cranky though.
TOTAL: 900CP