The journey to Arlam Village was swift and silent. Rem and Ram moved with supernatural efficiency, their footsteps barely audible on the grass dampened by the morning dew. Subaru, despite his enhanced attributes, struggled to keep up, the fresh air filling his lungs as he felt the unmistakable pang of the Vision of Return, stronger than ever. They were close.
As they reached the first houses of Arlam, the village's tranquility was eerie. Too quiet. Subaru recalled the scene in the anime: the children playing with the cursed puppies, the villagers oblivious to the brewing horror. He had to stop it before the cycle began.
"Rem, Ram, find the children! Any animal that looks like a dog, keep it away from them!" Subaru urged, his voice strained. "The curse is transmitted through bites!"
Rem and Ram, though slightly perplexed by the specific instruction, nodded. Rem moved with her usual speed, scanning the surroundings, while Ram, with a more serious expression than usual, began searching the nearby courtyards.
Subaru activated Return Vision to its maximum. The world around him distorted slightly, the danger lines vibrating with alarming intensity. He could see faint halos of dark energy around certain areas, and one particularly sharp surge led him to a group of children playing in a clearing. Between them, two seemingly harmless puppies were running around with them.
"¡There Those puppies!" Subaru shouted, pointing. "Rem, Ram, they're not what they seem!"
Rem reacted instantly. With surprising speed, she launched herself at the children, her hands moving with precision to separate the puppies from them. The animals, upon being touched, let out a loud growl, their eyes turning red.
"They're demon dogs!" Rem exclaimed, her voice hardening as the puppies tried to bite her. "Ram, help me hold them back!"
Ram joined the battle, her combat skills shining as both maids, with synchronized movements, managed to immobilize the demonic pups. The frightened children ran for cover.
Subaru felt a surge of relief. He had avoided the initial bites. The Side Mission: Protect the Children of Arlam Village flickered with significant progress.
But then, the earth shook. A low, resonant howl broke the morning silence, a sound that rattled the air, and Subaru's own Return Vision surged with blinding intensity.
From among the trees surrounding the clearing, a towering figure emerged. It was a dog demon, enormous, the size of a small horse, with dark fur and bloodshot eyes. Its jaw dripped a black, viscous liquid, and enormous malice emanated from it.
[Warning! [Enemy Boss Detected: Shadow Demon Dog!]
[Extreme Curse Danger]
"A Demon Dog Boss!" Subaru exclaimed, his otaku mind instantly recognizing it. In the original loop, this had been the source of the most potent curse.
"Those are the ones that bring bad luck!" Rem shouted, her eyes fixed on the beast. "Ram, cover me! I'm going to attack!"
Rem unleashed her spiked chain, launching herself at the beast with fury. Ram, at her side, conjured a gust of wind that attempted to disorient the monster. But the Demon Dog Boss was too fast, its agility disproportionate to its size.
She dodged Rem's attacks and counterattacked with her claws, forcing her back.
Subaru knew the sisters couldn't defeat it alone, not without effort and risking being cursed. He had to intervene, along with the Quick Dodge and Basic Strike skills, they weren't those of an expert combatant, but they were something.
"¡"Leave it to me! I have a plan!" Subaru shouted, launching himself at the Demon Dog's flank. The beast was fast, but his Return Sight allowed him to anticipate its movements in split seconds, seeing the "lines" of its attacks.
The Demon Dog Boss spun around, a bestial growl in its throat, and tried to bite him. Subaru activated Quick Dodge, moving in an instant, his body twisting with agility surprising even to himself. The beast's jaw closed in midair where its head had been a second before.
"Basic Strike!" Subaru channeled his Strength into his fist and slammed into the beast's side with all his might. The impact resonated, and the demon dog let out a howl of pain, staggering. It wasn't a blow that defeated it, but it disoriented it.
"Now, Rem! Ram!" Subaru shouted. "Head on!" It must have a weak spot!"
Rem and Ram, surprised by Subaru's newfound audacity and skill, didn't hesitate. Rem threw her chain, wrapping it around one of the Demon Dog's legs, momentarily immobilizing it. Ram, with a chant, unleashed a concentrated blast of wind, striking the monster directly at the head.
The Demon Dog Boss howled again, this time with a note of despair. It tried to free itself from Rem's chain, but the demon's strength was relentless.
Subaru, seizing the opportunity, approached again. The Vision of Return showed him the most vulnerable spot: a glowing area just above the beast's eyes. With a scream, he applied his Basic Strike directly to that spot.
The blow was accurate. The Demon Dog Boss convulsed, its red eyes losing their glow. With a final wail, the enormous beast collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Rem and Ram were silent for a moment, Looking at the monster's remains, then at Subaru.
[Boss Defeated: Shadow Demon Dog!]
[Side Quest Completed: Protect the Children of Arlam Village!]
[Reward: 50 EXP, 10 SP, Passive Skill: Curse Resistance (Basic)!]
[Natsuki Subaru has leveled up!]
[Level: 4 -> 5]
[You have received 5 Attribute Points (AP) to distribute.]
A flurry of notifications filled Subaru's vision. His body ached, and fatigue overcame him, but the euphoria of success kept him going. He had done it. He had prevented the village's initial tragedy.
Rem approached him, her large, blue eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and confusion. "Subaru-kun... you... how did you do that?" You're... stronger than you look."
Ram approached as well, his usual smile gone, replaced by an expression of genuine amazement. "Barusu... you're not as useless as I thought."
Subaru smiled, exhausted but proud. "I just... tried hard. And I had a little help from you two."
But then, a new notification, one I hadn't expected, appeared with an alarm sound.
[Warning! A temporal anomaly has been detected. The save point has been reset due to external intervention.]
[Current save point: Arlam Village entrance, before the Demon Dog Boss was detected.]
Subaru blinked. What? He had defeated the boss. The quest was complete. Why had he returned?
Reality hit him like a punch. This wasn't the end of the arc. No matter how well he performed, Return by Death would always bring him back to a predetermined point if the "key event" that caused it hadn't been resolved at its root.
The curse wasn't just from the Demon Dog. It was from the Witch Cult, and the save point wasn't yet secure.
The world distorted around him. The pain from the wound in his abdomen, which was already healed, it returned suddenly, causing him to fall to his knees, as the pain completely enveloped him and the darkness absorbed him.
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Well guys, I hope you liked this chapter, it's over 1000 words long, so comment, what you would like to happen in the next chapter.