Re:Zero EX: "Mistaking Life in Another World from Zero (Mimigau IF)"

This is the customary April Fools' project.

Since it contains parallel content to the main story, things feel a bit strange. I wonder if you, my wise readers, will be able to see through what exactly is different. Well then, if you like, let's meet again in the afterword.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

—This has turned into a seriously bad situation.

While at a loss and completely broke, my heart was filled with such resignation. Though, to be precise, being "broke" wasn't entirely accurate. I had a wallet in my pocket, and except for the fact that it was mostly filled with small change and various point cards, the contents were about what you'd expect for someone my age. At the very least, it was about average for the pocket money of a high school student without a part-time job. Even so, I was in a situation where I would be called broke—or rather, I actually was called that once just now, and it dealt more damage to me than I had anticipated. I had heard stories about how having no money makes one's heart grow poor, but I didn't know that would apply to others' perceptions of me as well. In any case—,

"As I thought, the currency value is totally different..."

I let out a sigh while fiddling with the ten-yen coin in my hand—a so-called "Giza-ju" with serrated edges. It wasn't a particularly rare Giza-ju; it was just something I happened to find and kept in my wallet. Even so, I had hoped there might be a moment where it would help me out like a prince on a white horse. However, that expectation was cruelly betrayed. My glass heart was wounded by exactly ten yen's worth.

"————"

Speaking of wounded glass hearts, the blunt stares directed at me from my surroundings were also part of it. The numerous gazes looking at me as if I were some rare, bizarre curiosity had been following me everywhere I went for a while now, and it was extremely bothersome.

I didn't think I had a particularly conspicuous appearance. Though I've often been told I have scary-looking eyes, other than that, I'm a perfectly ordinary human being. Un-dyed black hair, and a tracksuit that served as loungewear rather than a school uniform—well, if wearing loungewear outside is considered a sin, I'm prepared to hold a press conference to apologize for my lack of vigilance. Though, I didn't have much confidence that anyone would actually listen to my apology. After all—,

"In other words, this is that thing."

As I crossed my arms and tilted my head, a carriage with wheels making a loud noise passed right by me. The thing pulling the carriage wasn't a horse, but some kind of joke—a giant lizard. Furthermore, the owners of those blunt stares directed at me were all people in costumes so high-effort I thought it was Halloween in Shibuya—no, they were the real deal. What even is "real deal" in this context? While drawing such questions in the sky, I admitted it.

"—It seems this is a 'summoned to another world' scenario."

The Giza-ju I flicked from my finger spun with a light sound as it soared up toward the hateful blue sky.

△▼△▼△▼△

—Natsuki Subaru was born in Heisei-era Japan, a product of the "relaxed education" generation, and so on and so forth.

There's no point in rambling on here about the unremarkable details of Subaru's life. The key points to keep in mind are that Subaru is a high school student, has been somewhat of a shut-in for certain reasons, and wandered into an unknown world on her way home from the convenience store. That's all you need to know.

"To think it can be explained with just that... what a convenient isekai summoning..."

Convenient was an understatement; no truck was required, just a world you could wander into in the blink of an eye. Since no license is needed, even those under eighteen can plunge into another world without worrying about their lives. However, the trip to another world is a one-way ticket, and the free time after arrival is incredibly long. For Subaru, who spent all her free time at game centers during middle and high school because she had no one to hang out with on school trips, this was a rather harsh situation.

"This world doesn't seem to have game centers... well, even in my original world, game centers were steadily declining and being forced to close. Everyone, play games outside more."

Perhaps there was an environment for playing games outside that had replaced game centers without Subaru knowing, but she ignored that possibility. Or maybe online games and environments where you can play with others without going out were contributing to the depopulation. Subaru didn't play online, so she didn't know.

"When I play games with people, my competitive streak kicks in and makes me want to die."

Even if she lamented the current state of gaming, Subaru's situation wouldn't improve. In the end, the fact remained that she had been thrown into another world penniless with nowhere to go.

"Fortunately, I've confirmed that the language is understood, and based on the civilization level, it seems I can avoid the 'dropping dead in the street' route for now...?"

As she spoke, she tried thinking "Status Open!" toward the void, but nothing appeared. Apparently, this wasn't the kind of isekai transfer where you can see your stats.

"To begin with, there's no apology from the god who sent me to this world by mistake, and there's no sign of a beautiful girl who summoned me. There are quite a few oversights here... Ah, this is bad."

As she wiggled her fingers in the air, her eyes, which had been fixed on her surroundings, began to moisten. She had been continuing a double layer of escapism within this other world, but because she had run out of things to verify, she began to clearly realize her own position. If she left herself like this, she felt like she might accidentally start crying right here.

A high school student wailing in the street would be pathetic enough to make the corner of a local newspaper. Fearing being seen by those around her, Subaru hurried away from the main street and slipped into an alleyway. There, she pressed her forehead against a wall and sniffled, letting out a "Uuu~."

She knew she was a disappointment to her parents, and that shame made her want to die in its own way, but piling on more disappointment in this direction was unexpected. Never leaving home no matter how old she got, making her parents worry about their own retirement. That was the direction she had expected. —No, this was the first time she had clearly visualized that path, so she felt that this might actually be better. If anything, after she was gone, if her devoted parents could live happily together—,

"—Hm?"

Subaru, who was trying to stem her tears with such futile thoughts, raised her head at a sound that caught her ears. Her gaze turned toward the entrance of the alley she was in. It was the entrance facing the main street, but for a moment, the figures of the people passing by were invisible. —They were blocked by three silhouettes.

The figures that appeared in the alley were watching Subaru as she pressed her forehead against the wall. Their blunt stares were the same as those she had received on the street, but these seemed more vulgar, harboring a much clearer malicious intent. In other words—,

"Crap, a forced event has triggered."

Her tears dried instantly, and Subaru turned to face them, hiding her internal agitation. Her heart was thumping wildly. A quick glance showed that the back of the alley was a dead end with a high wall. She was shocked by her own lack of crisis awareness, wondering why she had entered such a place. Even in modern Japan, she had been told until her ears were sore to be careful on dark roads at night.

"No, don't be intimidated, don't be intimidated. True, the status screen didn't open, but it's too early to give up on everything...! If this is an isekai story, a 'matchless' development could totally happen from here! I can do this, I can do thiiiiis...!"

"He's, like, mumbling something, this guy."

"He probably doesn't understand the situation. Why don't we teach him?"

In contrast to Subaru, who was forcing herself to get pumped up, the opponents' attitude was cold through and through. From their perspective, Subaru was merely weak prey, and they were likely feeling like hunters leading a one-sided hunt. It was three against one, so it wasn't an unreasonable way of thinking. It wasn't unreasonable, but—,

"Heh, acting tough will only last you so long. Just so you know, simulating how to deal with being cornered in an alley like this is a daily occurrence for me. I'll mow you all down and turn you into tomorrow's bread, you pieces of EXP...!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I can tell you're making fun of us. I'll kill you."

"That's... my line!"

Strike first and win—that thought flashed through her mind like lightning, and Subaru's feet kicked off the ground. Then, as the trio widened their eyes in surprise, Subaru's fist slammed into the nose of the person in the lead—,

"—! You've really done it now, you brat."

"Huh? Is that how it's gonna be?"

Taking Subaru's fist with her nose, the opponent's eyes burned with rage as she recoiled. To make matters worse, Subaru's hand that did the punching hurt incredibly bad; in fact, the pain was enough to make her eyes water. However, that was merely the prologue to the tragedy about to befall Subaru.

"Hey, grab this guy! I'm gonna beat him to a pulp!"

"Eh, ah, wait! Wait, wait! This isn't how I thought it would go!"

At the command of the one who was punched, the other two—one small and one large—reached out their arms, and in an instant, Subaru was captured and pinned against the wall. She tried to squirm, but being held down by two people, she couldn't budge.

"Now, get ready. The price for looking down on us is high."

As she spoke, the middle-sized one who Subaru had punched—a slender "woman" with sanpaku eyes and a gaze just as bad as Subaru's—approached while showing her long tongue. As if agreeing with that woman's opinion, the large and small "women" also grinned unpleasantly. Seeing this, Subaru understood the absolute worst of the situation she was in—,

"I'm sorry I was completely in the wrong please just spare my life—!"

And so, Natsuki Subaru, seventeen years old, desperately pleaded for her life in a high-pitched voice during this maiden's crisis.

△▼△▼△▼△

Natsuki Subaru, with both hands and feet pinned, was driven into a state where she couldn't resist. Watching Subaru's state, the woman with sanpaku eyes rubbed her punched nose with her hand and smeared the slight nosebleed onto Subaru's tracksuit. And then—,

"Black hair, black eyes, and strange clothes... what's that bag you're holding? I've been punched. If this doesn't turn into some money, it'll be a huge loss."

"W-Well, I wonder... look, you just got nosebleed on my precious clothes, so the value might have dropped a bit... Ah! A-As a rare Oriental, I was thinking maybe you could sell me for more if you don't bruise me... Gweh!"

"I don't like women who ramble on."

Her protesting mouth was silenced by a hard sensation thrust into her solar plexus. Looking closely, a knife was now gripped in the sanpaku-eyed woman's hand. She panicked for a moment, but it seemed it was the hilt of the knife that had gouged into Subaru's chest. She hadn't been stabbed. But it was a declaration of intent that she could be stabbed at any time.

The blood drained from her body. Seriously, she was in a seriously dangerous situation; her consciousness felt like it was about to go white from that realization.

"Move, move, move! You guys are really in the way!"

At that moment, a voice that seemed to cut through the intense scene echoed in the alley. As Subaru and the others looked up as if startled, the owner of the voice was running fiercely toward them from the alley entrance.

It was a small boy with flowing golden hair. With red eyes that seemed to hold a strong will and mischievous snaggleteeth, his somewhat cheeky features were something he was born with that felt like they would shine if polished. At that sight, Subaru felt a premonition of a story beginning and clenched her fists.

Surely, this boy with an overflowing sense of chivalry would provide the catalyst to save Subaru from her predicament and open a new page in this isekai adventure—,

"This looks like a crazy scene, but sorry! I'm busy! Stay strong!"

"Wait, what!? Seriously!?"

But, trampling over Subaru's expectations, the boy passed right in front of the captive Subaru, then leaped up the dead-end wall in one go, skillfully using handholds as footholds to reach the roof. Then, with movements like a nimble stray cat, he climbed all the way up and vanished gallantly to the other side. He was gone. There was no sign of him coming back.

"Don't you think that just now took the wind out of your sails and made you change your minds!?"

"If anything, it just ruined the mood and pissed me off. Don't think you're getting off easy."

Slap, slap—the flat of the knife tapped against her cheek, and Subaru swallowed hard. The tension heightened, suggesting an intent to inflict pain or perhaps something even more cruel, and Subaru struggled violently. However, that was not a wise choice, as it only invited the other's displeasure.

"Stay still!"

"Gyah!"

A kick was driven into her twisted torso, and she collapsed onto the ground. Even as she tried to crawl away, a foot was placed on her back, instantly pinning her down. An "isekai baptism"—if put into words, it ends in just one phrase. But for Natsuki Subaru, it was everything.

Was she going to vanish and end here as one who lost to the harsh rules of another world? Leaving nothing behind, accomplishing nothing, all alone. —Was she going to die? Dying is scary. Dying is also scary. But more than that, what was scary, terrifying, and made her body unable to stop trembling was ending as something empty and hollow. With nothing at all, Subaru—,

"—That's enough, you villains."

—In an instant, a voice like a silver bell rang out, freezing the air in the alley into a state of tranquility.

"————"

This is what it means for time to stop. It wasn't that time had actually stopped. It was just that the moment that presence appeared, all the world ceased its movement, and one could do nothing but stare at that person.

Not just Subaru, but the trio surrounding her also lost their words and stood frozen. That was how extraordinary the presence and beauty of the person was.

He was a young man who could only be described as beautiful. Even in the dim alley, his silver hair seemed to sparkle, his violet eyes shone with dignity and sincerity, and every feature on his well-defined face was perfectly placed. The eyes, the nose, the lips, the eyebrows—every part was perfectly and beautifully sculpted. A young man wearing a white robe embroidered with a bird like a hawk, he looked toward Subaru and the others, moving his thin lips to say,

"I cannot overlook any further violence. —That's enough."

Once again, he stated clearly, as if to correct the evil before his eyes.

△▼△▼△▼△

—What happened after that was a story of the righteous path that anyone would imagine.

"R-Remember this—!!" "You won't get away with this!!"

Leaving behind those parting threats, the trio of lady-thugs hurriedly fled from the alley. Watching them go, the silver-haired youth relaxed his shoulders in relief, and—,

"Tell it to someone who cares. Well, if you even could, that is."

Waving a small hand dismissively, a talking grey cat watched the fleeing trio. A cat with a long tail, floating airily in the sky. It looked like an adorable mascot, but the moment they saw it, the lady-thugs scattered like baby spiders. Of course, it was highly likely that the youth's magic shown just before—a practical-minded strike that fired ice shards, which felt rather low on fantasy but high on utility—had been effective. In any case—,

"—It's an important thing you're looking for, right? I want to help too."

"————"

The youth, who had something important missing and seemed to be chasing the boy who had fled into the alley. Subaru, who had nowhere to go but didn't want to be an ingrate who ignored her savior.

Their goals weren't identical, but they should at least be able to walk in the same direction. Receiving Subaru's proposal, the youth hesitated, and—,

"Isn't it fine? Honestly, it's doubtful we'll make much progress wandering around the Royal Capital like this, so the more hands the better. Even as a decoy."

"Watch your mouth!"

"—Tink, don't say such opportunistic things."

The floating kitten made an 'X' over its mouth with its paws. Glancing at it, the youth sighed, and while his beautiful profile held a slight sorrow and some expectation,

"I really can't give you any reward, you know?"

"The reward is my own 'one good deed a day'! Plus, the right to be with the most prince-like handsome guy in my personal history—that's plenty!"

"I don't really understand what you're saying."

And so, he tentatively took Subaru's outstretched hand.

Thus, the new Natsuki Subaru party was formed. With their perfect coordination and the efforts of the companion kitten, they successfully identified the location of the person they were looking for, the situation progressed rapidly, and somehow or other, they were happily united—!

"Is not how it goes in this other world, huh."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We're talking about finding someone in a big city... we're lacking the necessary connections and local knowledge."

In front of the tilting youth, Subaru was at a loss once again on a hill overlooking the cityscape. It was a journey that could be called a search for something important, but the investigation had hit a major deadlock. First of all, due to her lack of exercise, Subaru's legs and hips were quite shaky from walking around. In addition, as mentioned, they lacked the connections and local knowledge needed for the investigation. And one more thing, which she couldn't possibly reveal to the youth—,

"I can't read the script..."

Since the language was understood, she felt it would be fine, but she couldn't read the shop signs or directional markers in the city at all. She had been deceiving herself by thinking the signs were avant-garde art, but that wasn't the kind of self-suggestion that lasted long, so it turned into something very regrettable. Anyway—,

"—Even so, being able to narrow it down to the slums is progress."

The youth, who properly rejoiced over such slight progress, was very kind. Not only was he good-looking, but his heart was also gentle. For Subaru, exposed to the cold winds of another world, it felt as if her freezing body and soul were being saved. More than her first impression, as she spent time with him, she also felt a sort of precarious childishness, which tickled her dormant maternal instincts. Subaru's maternal instincts, famous for only working when watching animal programs.

"I'll say this because I can vaguely see into people's hearts, but you're quite a fool, aren't you?"

"Shut it. If you're a mascot character, try to be a bit more diplomatic. You won't raise any magical girls like that."

"The only one I'm raising is this child. ...Speaking of which, I haven't heard your name yet. Shall we introduce ourselves?"

"Self-introduction! Now that you mention it, true... then, I'll start."

Straightening up from the railing she had been leaning on, Subaru cleared her throat. Then, she pointed a finger toward the sky and struck a sharp pose, twisting her waist.

"My name is Natsuki Subaru! Not only do I have no idea what's going on, but I'm also flawlessly broke! Please take care of me for a long time to come!"

"Hearing that makes it sound like a desperate situation. Yeah, so I'm Tinkerbell. Just call me Tink. Nice to meet ya~"

The floating kitten—Tink—dived into Subaru's hands, and a handshake that involved her hands and her whole body was realized. However, Subaru tilted her head and said,

"Tinkerbell is the same as the name of a fairy I know. Though that one's a girl."

"Then isn't it fine? I'm a girl too. I'm female."

"Oh, I see."

"More importantly, I'd like you to stop calling Tink a fairy. ...You can call me whatever you want, but Tink is..."

"Wait, what!? Did I say something offensive!?"

As she was squeezing Tink in her hands, the youth said that with a look of sadness for some reason. Subaru panicked at the sight of his long eyelashes trembling, but Tink spoke in a casual tone in Subaru's place, saying "It's okay,"

"This child doesn't mean any harm. It seems 'fairy' was meant as a compliment to this child."

"Is that so?"

"Uh, yeah! Like cute or fantastical, that kind of image... people don't say that much here? Ahaha, sorry, I'll be careful!"

Taking advantage of Tink's follow-up, Subaru quickly fabricated a cover story. That said, it wasn't a complete lie. In fact, she hadn't used "fairy" in a bad way, and it was also true that she didn't understand the rules of this world well.

Upon hearing that, the youth nodded as if convinced, saying "I see." Then, the youth suddenly closed the distance with Subaru, and while Subaru recoiled at the nice scent, he gently took her hand. Unintentionally, an ugly sound like "Ueh!?" escaped her.

"No wonder I thought your hands were beautiful. You don't seem to do much manual labor, and your hair and eye color are rare... Hm? What's wrong?"

"Y-You're close, you're close, my eyes are going to melt, no, it's a blessing for my eyes but..."

"—?"

Subaru was flustered by the youth who seemed unaware of his own beautiful face and flaunted his beautiful weapon. Seeing the youth knit his brows at Subaru's behavior also made her feel awkward, so Subaru hurried to change the atmosphere,

"N-Now it's your turn, right? Like, what's your name?"

To hide her own fluster, Subaru asked in a casual tone. However, at that question, the youth lowered his eyes for a moment. Seeing that, Subaru felt as if she had messed up, or as if she had been presumptuous to want to know the name of this beauty, and felt as if she had been thrust into a great river of regret—,

"—Luna."

"Eh?"

At the youth's sudden murmur, Subaru, who had been on the verge of drowning in regret, was rescued. And as Subaru took a large breath, the youth turned his violet eyes toward her and said,

"How about calling me Luna?"

Despite introducing himself, his attitude somehow suggested he didn't want to be called that. For Subaru, she would have preferred starting with an easier-to-call surname. Suddenly calling someone of the opposite sex by their name, especially someone as cool as this, was a high level of difficulty. For now, she made a cowardly resolution to get by using second-person pronouns.

Watching the exchange between Subaru and the youth—Luna—Tink, who was still being held in Subaru's hands, muttered just one thing,

"That's in poor taste."

But it didn't reach anyone's ears.

△▼△▼△▼△

"It might be that brat Forte. A nimble blonde kid, right?"

It was a while after they started questioning people in the slums that they hit upon that piece of solid information. At this point, Subaru finally felt a sense of accomplishment that she had been able to help Luna. After all, her artistic talent had contributed to obtaining this information.

"Even I once thought about making a living by drawing illustrations. Well, I gave up when faced with the reality that there are mountains of people better than me."

"Is that so. But this looks incredibly well-done to me."

"I'm happy you say that! No, really, I'm not just being modest."

While speaking, Subaru hid the piece of wood on which she had drawn the person they were looking for—Forte, whose name they had finally obtained—behind her back. Her encounter with Forte had been brief, and it was during what Subaru considered the greatest crisis of her life. To make matters worse, immediately after that, she had experienced what she considered the greatest shock encounter of her life, so she had been slightly worried that it might have erased the boy's face.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case, and enough memory remained to draw a stylized illustration, which helped in obtaining this information.

"Even so, a loot cellar... it's definitely not a good place."

"It's a place where stolen goods are sold, so I suppose so. ...Listen, you've helped enough, and any more than this is..."

"Wait, wait, wait! I thought you'd say that, but wait! I can't let you go alone to a place we know is dangerous! Especially since that fairy... no, Tink, isn't here."

Almost letting the forbidden word slip, Subaru hurriedly corrected herself while pressing toward Luna. Tink, the spirit who was with Luna and not a fairy, had withdrawn during the search. Apparently, there was a limit to her activity time, and she had used up her time for today. In other words, from here on, Luna would be fighting a lone battle if Subaru wasn't there.

"I can't let you do that. You're more precarious than you look."

"I don't want to be told I'm precarious by you... wandering here and there, if I hadn't stepped in, even those three would have been dangerous."

"That was because maybe some unknown power was awakening... no, that's not it. In my life, I've used up all my luck just by meeting you..."

"—? I don't really get it, but does that mean you're just unlucky forever?"

"In terms of meaning, that's correct, but that's not what I want you to worry about!"

Luna tilted his head with a question mark over his head at Subaru's plea. At that frustrating reaction, Subaru pressed her fingers together in front of her chest and said,

"Anyway, I don't want to leave you alone. Since I've started this good deed, let me see it through to the end."

"...Well, I also think it's a bit scary to leave Subaru alone."

"Oof."

"—?"

Subaru was shaken by being called by her name so naturally, without any particular intent. She had managed to become able to converse without getting flustered, but the impact of being naturally called by her name by this naturally beautiful boy was still great. However, wanting to be with him wasn't just because of ulterior motives.

"————"

Luna was Subaru's savior. After that, he hadn't asked for any reward from Subaru, and moreover, he had helped her even at the cost of delaying his own crisis. —She wanted to repay that kindness. Natsuki Subaru couldn't live in peace without repaying it.

"...I'll be in front, and Subaru will be behind. You mustn't come forward. You... somehow, look like a very precarious girl to me."

"I've realized I'm weaker than I thought. I won't do anything reckless... Whoops, I think this is the loot cellar they were talking about."

"This is..."

As they talked, the two finally arrived at a large, old one-story building deep in the slums. The surroundings were already getting dim, having passed evening and approaching night. It seemed there were few places in the other world where night lighting was substantial, and except for parts of the capital, most of the lights were turned off except for those needed for daily life. Naturally, there were no luxuries like streetlights in the slums—,

"It's gotten pitch black. How do we go from here..."

"I have a Lagmite ore. I think this will be enough for light."

"Lagmi...?"

Subaru knit her brows at the unfamiliar sound, and Luna, who had fumbled in his pocket, took out a white stone. When he struck it against a nearby wall with a 'clink,' a sudden light spread out. In Subaru's field of vision, as she let out an "Oh" in surprise, the white stone in Luna's hand was emitting light.

"This is Lagmite ore..."

"When you give it an impact, the stored mana is released as light. ...Subaru, how have you been living without knowing even this?"

"Great predecessors developed some kind of amazing energy for me..."

There's a saying about thinking of home when far away, but convenience is something one realizes in the midst of inconvenience. The convenience she had taken for granted—how happy it had made her. Anyway—,

"Alright, I have to get the insignia back. Let's go inside right away."

"Wait, wait, calm down. It's not that simple."

"Eh?"

She pulled back the arm of Luna, who was about to charge into the loot cellar with the white light in one hand. And as Luna looked at her curiously, Subaru sighed. This was it. This personality that went too far on the righteous path was what she couldn't leave alone.

"I mean, the people inside stole that insignia or whatever from you. So, there's no way they'll just quietly give it back when the person it was stolen from walks in."

"I wonder. If I talk to them properly, they might admit they were wrong and return it..."

"What a kind world... but what if they don't return it?"

"Then... ah, maybe we'll end up in a fight?"

"The way you say it is cute. It's tickling my maternal instincts."

Subaru gave a wry smile to Luna, who had a face that said he hadn't considered that. Whether it was because he himself was a pacifist, Luna's way of thinking was quite soft for a world where you'd run into lady-thugs just by entering an alley.

Of course, if Luna went in and stated his case boldly, trouble would be unavoidable. And it wouldn't just be a fight; it could turn into something much more bloody. That's why—,

"I'll go in first and negotiate."

"Subaru! That's why I said no. You're weak."

"Being told I'm weak makes even me, as a girl, snap! Call me 'fragile'!"

"You're fragile, so...!"

"My heart skipped a beat!"

Luna corrected himself honestly, and Subaru could tell he was truly worried about her. She knew, but Subaru couldn't back down here.

She wanted to show him her good side. In addition, she wanted to properly return the stolen item to him.

"It's true I'm fragile. But because I'm fragile, violence isn't an option for me from the start. You've seen by now that I'm reasonably good with words, right?"

"Mm..."

"If pushing doesn't work, I'll come back right away. We can have a strategy meeting after that. At least let me go see if the insignia is really there."

Subaru looked up at Luna with one eye closed and her hands pressed together. Even from an upward angle, she was shocked by how handsome he was, but she didn't drop her pleading posture. In the end, Luna was silent for a while, groaning, but—,

"You absolutely mustn't do anything reckless."

He showed signs of giving in to Subaru's proposal. Then, he gently handed over the Lagmite ore to her. Receiving the ore, which strangely didn't hold heat, Subaru smiled and said, "Leave it to me."

"Since you're worried about me, I can't make you any more anxious. Don't worry, you can go home and get the bath ready while you wait for me, Luna."

"—Ah."

"Hm?"

Subaru cracked a joke and turned her back, heading toward the loot cellar. Luna's raspy voice called out to her back, and Subaru's feet stopped. Looking at Subaru, Luna let his gaze wander a few times, then—,

"Sorry. When you come back, I'll properly apologize for that too."

"I don't know what you're apologizing for, but don't make a face like a puppy. It tickles my maternal instincts."

"Stupid."

Receiving such cute scolding and worry, Subaru finally headed into the loot cellar. When she put her hand on the entrance door, it opened slowly with a creaking sound. It was careless not to have it locked, but if the owner was there, it wasn't strange. However, for an owner to be there—,

"It's dark..."

In the dark building with no light source, Subaru immediately held up the Lagmite ore to secure her vision. Immediately after entering, Subaru was greeted by a large counter like one in a tavern. Looking closely, the interior was designed that way, so it might have originally been a tavern building. However, it didn't seem to be operating as a tavern now, and within her field of vision were miscellaneous, mismatched items piled up—likely, a mountain of stolen goods.

Each stolen item had a wooden tag attached, which she assumed had the price written on it. Since things that looked like numbers were written, this might serve as a starting point for learning the script. Thinking about that, Subaru let her gaze wander among the stolen goods to see if the 'insignia' Luna was looking for was there—,

"Eh?"

She felt the sensation of stepping on something watery with the sole of her sneaker. And it wasn't just water; it was a liquid with some viscosity. She felt her throat go dry rapidly, and Subaru slowly pointed the light forward, toward where the liquid was trailing, and illuminated it. And then, she saw.

—The corpse of a large old woman with her throat slit and one arm missing.

"Hi..."

The moment she recognized that 'death,' the scent of iron slid into Subaru's nostrils. —No, the smell must have been there all along. It was just that this abnormal space and tension had prevented Subaru from recognizing it as such. The moment she recognized 'death,' it instantly took on a sense of reality, and a chill wrapped around Subaru's entire body.

She had to run, right now. She had to leave this place immediately and go to Luna outside, right now.

"—Ah, so you've found it. Then it can't be helped. Ah, it truly can't be helped."

A man's voice spoke. Low and flat, yet it was a man's voice that carried an irrepressible sense of pleasure.

"Uah—!"

There was no time to look back. The moment she tried to turn toward the voice, an impact blew Subaru's body into the wall.

Letting out a groan, Subaru's body rolled across the floor and ended up spread-eagled. The Lagmite ore rolled out of her hand, illuminating an unintended spot. Meanwhile, Subaru, whose head was spinning, was immediately burned by an intense heat in her abdomen.

"Guuu... h-hot..."

An overwhelming 'heat' began to dominate her entire body. And her instinct intuitively knew that this was something that would have a major impact on her survival. She had to stop that heat immediately, but her body wouldn't move.

—Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.

Even as she tried to scream that, what spilled from her open mouth wasn't a scream, but a blood clot. She coughed, spitting out the blood that overflowed incessantly from her mouth. She was on land, yet she was experiencing such hot agony, feeling like she was drowning and about to die—it was crazy. And as she was about to drown, Subaru realized.

—Ah, is all of this my blood?

Her body, fallen on the floor, was soaking in a sea of blood that was spreading wetly. Drowning in blood that overflowed from inside her own body was an experience she was having for the first time, and she thought that most people who had it probably ended their lives with that experience. And unfortunately, it seemed Subaru was going to follow the same result as those precedents.

The moment she became conscious of her own end, the world rapidly grew distant.

The heat that had tried to burn her entire body and the agony of drowning were far away. Her consciousness left her body and was about to take everything away to a place where no one's hand could reach. If she followed that and vanished, all these worries would—,

"—baru?"

That voice, like the sound of a bell, pulled Natsuki Subaru's 'soul' back to the ground. She wanted to believe it was a hallucination. After all, she could no longer see, hear, or feel anything. Yet why was it that only his voice reached her ears so conveniently?

It was all some kind of mistake, and he hadn't entered this building. One person, a foolish visitor from another world, was enough to lose their life here. So—,

"—!"

A short scream was heard, and the carpet of blood welcomed a new visitor. The fallen body was right beside her, and there was Subaru's arm, stretched out limply.

The white hand that had fallen powerlessly and her own blood-stained hand overlapped. It was all a coincidence.

But the fingertips that moved slightly felt as if they had certainly squeezed her hand back.

"...Wait."

She grabbed the scruff of her receding consciousness and forced it to turn back to buy time. The 'pain' and 'heat' were all distant, and everything was nothing more than a loser's howl.

But even so—,

"I will... definitely..."

—Save you.

In the next moment, Natsuki Subaru lost her life.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—What are you going to do, Big Sis? Suddenly making such a dazed face."

"Ha—?"

Questioned directly by a woman with thick eyebrows and an intimidating presence, Subaru was stunned. She blinked her eyes many times and let out a long, deep breath. And then—,

"Eh?"

"Don't 'eh' me! You're the one who spoke to me first. Are you going to buy the appas or not? Which is it?"

"A-Appas..."

What was thrust right in front of her was a red, round fruit—an apple. No, since she called it an appa, maybe it was an appa. Either way, even if she was asked whether she would buy it or not.

"I'm broke."

"—. I see, just window shopping. In that case,"

"In that case?"

"Get lost! You're in the way of business!"

Being yelled at with all her might, Subaru fled the scene in a hurry. Fleeing, looking around, and bathing in the bright sunlight from above,

"Eh, what does this mean?"

She could do nothing but tilt her head.

△▼△▼△▼△

"Uatah! Take this in a place that can never be trained!"

"Gyaaaa!!"

Taking Subaru's heel strike to the top of her foot, the sanpaku-eyed woman collapsed with a scream. Subaru immediately picked up the knife the woman had dropped and, while brandishing it, glared at the remaining two women—whom she'd call Dumb and Dumber for convenience.

At Subaru's sudden movement, the two women's reaction was delayed. Seeing Dumb already incapacitated, they seemed afraid to face Subaru. In that case, she just had to push that fear further.

"Just so you know, I love the sight of blood. Which of you is going to be the first to moisten this dry alley, hee-hee-hee!"

"Hii! T-This woman, she's licking the knife!"

"She's crazy! She's crazy! Let's get out of here!"

Terrified by Subaru ostentatiously licking the knife, Dumb and Dumber screamed, picked up the fallen Dumb, and hurriedly fled from the alley. Watching them go until the end while her saliva made the knife sticky, Subaru sighed.

"I-I somehow managed to push through... what was that? For a retaliation for earlier, they cornered me in a very natural way."

Being cornered again by the lady-thugs—whom she'd encountered a few hours ago—Subaru was quite stunned, but she managed to deal with it somehow. Since she had lost once, simulating what to do when challenged next had paid off. Though, she hadn't expected to use it on the same opponents again.

"Peh, peh, it's dirty. ...But I'll keep this without throwing it away."

Fortunately, she had also managed to snatch the sheath for the knife from Dumb's waist. Carrying it around bare would be reckless, but carrying it like this shouldn't be a problem. —It's better to have a weapon. After all, she had to hurry.

"Luna is in danger...!"

She had entered the loot cellar, there was a sudden impact, and Subaru had lost consciousness. After that, she didn't know why she had suddenly been returned to the street, but it might have been that a passing healer had healed Subaru and left her there without saying anything. She didn't know the answer. Since she didn't know, she'd put off what she didn't know.

The most important thing was the fact that she had to go to the loot cellar. That she must not let Luna, that overly kind youth, die.

"Hurry, Natsuki Subaru...! At least try to do that much...!"

As she tasked herself, Subaru hurried and started running toward the loot cellar with all her might.

△▼△▼△▼△

"This is a ridiculous question, but Granny, have you died recently?"

"Wah-hah-hah! I wondered what you were going to say. I'll admit I'm a hag on the verge of death, but unfortunately, I haven't died yet. Well, at this age, my time shouldn't be too far off."

Hearing the old woman say that while gulping down the liquor poured into a glass, Subaru curled her lips. The one drinking liquor across the counter in front of Subaru was the owner of this loot cellar, the old woman who had welcomed the charging Subaru—Rom-baa.

She was a tall woman who seemed to be over two meters in height, wearing well-made rags from whatever cloth was available. She seemed to have a spirited personality, as she had even invited Subaru into the shop despite her very rude first encounter.

However, being welcomed into the shop by Rom-baa was itself a source of confusion for Subaru. After all, as far as Subaru knew, she was—,

"—Dead, right."

With her throat deeply gouged and one arm missing, Rom-baa had been dead. Witnessing that, Subaru had also been attacked in the loot cellar immediately after. Of course, since both Rom-baa and Subaru were safe, it would be a strange story if that were reality.

However, in that case, Subaru would have seen a vision of the death of a woman named Rom-baa whom she had never met, which made no sense. To begin with, if that were the case, what about Subaru and Luna searching for the loot cellar?

"...In the end, what is reality, and why am I here?"

Being called to another world was itself an unexpected event for Subaru. Even that was enough to make her head almost burst, and yet she was faced with one incomprehensible development after another. What on earth was she doing this for—,

"—I'm a fool. No, I'm a fool."

As she held her head and questioned her own purpose, Subaru admitted she was a fool. True, she didn't know why she was in another world. But she knew why she was in the loot cellar. —It was to repay her debt to Luna. Even if that was a dream, Luna should definitely be there.

Even if he didn't know, Subaru owed him. Believing that would be Subaru's support in this world where she had no place to belong. Just as Subaru became conscious of the pillar supporting her—,

"—Ah? What's with this Big Sis? Hey, Rom-baa, you didn't sell me out, did you?"

Hearing the voice of the ill-mannered boy—Forte—Subaru raised her head. While Rom-baa mediated between them, Subaru took out the tool of civilization from her pocket that seemed like it would be a trump card for negotiations with him—her cell phone, and—,

"Now, now, let's have a talk with Big Sis, boy. It's not a bad deal for you. I'm sure you'll gain something by listening."

△▼△▼△▼△

"—I see, so you're an involved party."

With Subaru's careless remark as a catalyst, the situation turned bloody in an instant.

"A-A-A..." "Damn it...!"

Pulled down to the ground and landing on her backside, Subaru widened her eyes, unable to speak. Forte, who had knelt beside her, bit his lip regretfully, his eyes harboring a rage that seemed to hate his own powerlessness. That was natural. Because—,

"I'll return this to you. It's no longer necessary for me."

Slowly, the tall back bent as he placed a glass on the floor of the loot cellar. It was a glass that had contained milk, and its tip was broken, with red blood adhering to the sharp cross-section. The blood that proved he had slit Rom-baa's throat just a few seconds ago.

—It was a man with black hair and a long braid hanging down his back.

The person who introduced himself as Ains spun the kukri knife with a curved tip in his other hand, opposite to the one that had placed the glass, and turned around.

With narrow eyes and lips slightly distorted by the lingering scent of blood. He was a handsome man with pale skin, but his black attire stained with blood enhanced his dangerous aura. Behind him lay Rom-baa, her large body sunk onto the floor, no longer moving.

The negotiation between Subaru and Forte over Luna's insignia. It had taken an unexpected turn with the intervention of Ains, the person who had commissioned Forte to steal the insignia, and led to a bloody conclusion that no one had considered.

—Or perhaps only Ains had expected this result.

"You bastard, I'll never forgive you..."

"Hmm, I wouldn't recommend resisting. It will only make it more painful."

"Even if I don't resist, right? You freak!"

"If you move, my hand will slip, is what I mean. I'm clumsy with blades. My dependable younger brother often points that out to me."

Ains slowly shook his head and handled the kukri knife like a circus performer. The blade spun freely; if it roared, the result was clear. All that was left—,

"...Sorry for getting you involved."

"I-I..."

Forte apologized to Subaru, who was still sitting on her backside, unable to move. And without even time to stop him, Forte's figure vanished from her sight. Literally, his figure became the wind, racing through the world with fierce acceleration.

Forte kicked off the floor of the loot cellar and instantly picked up the glass that had killed Rom-baa. Then he kicked off the wall, trying to deliver a blow of revenge to Ains. However—,

"'Divine Protection of Wind,' how wonderful. You are truly loved by the world. —How envious."

An ecstatic murmur escaped him, and the delusion carried in his last words became a blade that flew. Forte, who had aimed for Ains from behind, was caught by the blade that swung straight through, and was brutally cut down from his shoulder.

Splattering blood, Forte's body flipped over forcefully. His body, as if by some cruel mercy, slammed into Rom-baa's large corpse and fell as if overlapping. The corpses of the two who had been close were now piled up in a very distasteful way.

"You truly won't move until the end."

"Ah..."

Ains stood before Subaru, who was speechless after witnessing the struggle of Forte and Rom-baa. Stained with the blood of the two, Ains wiped the blood he had caught on his white cheek with the back of his hand. Looking down at her with his black eyes, Subaru regained her breath. And then, pushed by the rage that was seething within her—,

"Ah, you've finally stood up. It's late and boring, but not bad."

Seeing Subaru stand up, Ains sneered. The moment she saw that smile, Subaru lunged at him recklessly in her rage. However, such a reckless charge was ruthlessly met by Ains's knee.

"But it's no good at all."

"Gafuh..."

Her internal organs were destroyed by a powerful, real violence that was incomparable to the violence she had suffered in the alley. Vomiting up the milk she had been treated to, Subaru held her stomach and stepped back. And then—,

"It's the end. I'll let you meet an angel."

With such a distorted whisper of love, Ains's posture leaned forward slightly. The moment she sensed that was the preliminary movement for his next action, an alarm rang out in Subaru's mind. Following the plea of that alarm, Subaru moved.

"Wha—"

—Thinking the aim would be her stomach, Subaru had managed to dodge just in time.

"U-Aaaaaah—!!"

Letting out a scream, Subaru thrust her arm toward Ains, who had just missed in front of her. Griped in her hand was that knife she had taken from Dumb in the alley. Frantically, she aimed that knife straight at Ains's chest.

Whether he would lose his life as a result, she didn't have that in her head. She just frantically thrust the knife to overcome the crisis of life before her eyes.

"—Ah, I felt that very much just now."

—Ains caught the thrust knife by letting it pierce through his own left hand, which he had held up. He could have grabbed Subaru's wrist, but he deliberately let it pierce his palm. It was as if he were saying it was a reward for Subaru's valiant effort.

The unpleasant sensation of piercing a human body with a knife reflected back to Subaru's hand. Her brain was scorched by the horrific sensation, and a scream was about to escape her. But faster than that—,

"—Bu."

The returning blade that was released sliced through Subaru's torso, splattering its contents onto the floor.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—Wait, wait, Luna!"

"————"

Once again, caught in an incomprehensible supernatural phenomenon, her thought process was on the verge of short-circuiting. Just as she thought she wanted to throw everything away and just collapse, Subaru spotted the silver-haired youth passing by on the street and desperately clung to his back.

Hearing Subaru's voice, the youth in the white robe stopped. It wasn't a mistake, Subaru believed as she looked at the youth who turned around—the one with those violet eyes she had been desperately seeking to meet again.

Meeting him made her feel as if everything had been rewarded. She didn't know what kind of time he had spent after their forced separation at the loot cellar. She wanted to talk about that too. And about the incredibly painful experience Subaru had. She was sure that if it were him, he would listen to her story without making fun of her—, With such a tearful feeling, she had thought so, but—,

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Eh?"

"I don't know who you are, but calling me by the name of the 'Demon of Envy,' what do you think you're doing!"

He shouted with his brows sharply knit, his face harboring a sincere anger. Being directed with a sincere anger that he hadn't even shown to the lady-thugs in the alley, Subaru was speechless, feeling a terror as if all the blood had drained from her body.

What on earth had she said? Toward the cowering Subaru, Luna let out a deep breath and said,

"I want you to answer. Why do you call me by that name?"

"B-Because, because, I was told to call you that..."

"—. I don't know who told you, but it's in very poor taste. To call someone by the same name as the 'Demon of Envy,' a symbol of taboo that people are even hesitant to mention."

With clear disgust, Luna—no, the silver-haired youth—glared at Subaru. She didn't understand the meaning of his anger. However, it seemed his anger was justified, as the people in the crowd witnessing their argument also had eyes that condemned Subaru. In this place, by the common sense of this world, it seemed Subaru was the one who had done something wrong. But she didn't know what it was. Even though she didn't know.

"...Did you really not mean any harm?"

"—Ah."

"With that face... well, I might have said too much myself."

Subaru's expression must have been incredibly desperate. Seeing the silent Subaru, the youth continued as if worried. That reaction was proof that his underlying kindness hadn't changed.

But if it hadn't changed, what was this? His attitude was as if he didn't know Subaru at all. It was as if that encounter, his helping her, and the path after that had all never happened.

And so, leaving Subaru behind as she hesitated at the incomprehensible situation, the world moved on once again.

"—!" "Wha!?"

Suddenly, a small figure jumped down into the crowd. As it sneaked up behind the youth who was worried about Subaru, it snatched something from his pocket with a swift movement. Surprised by the sudden event, the youth put his hand in his pocket, his face changing color. But Subaru's face had also changed color.

"Forte!?"

The one who had searched the youth's pocket and was running away was Forte—the one who should have been brutally murdered by Ains before Subaru's eyes in the loot cellar. He turned his back and gallantly ran through the street.

"I've been had! A distraction for this... were you an accomplice too!?"

"N-No! I'm...!"

"No! Give that back!"

Because Subaru had called Forte's name, she had invited the youth's misunderstanding. To take back what was stolen, the youth hesitated for a moment whether to seize Subaru, but immediately started running, chasing Forte's back. Subaru also hurriedly followed that running back.

"Wait! Wait...! Why, what is this place! Someone, someone be more kind to me! What is this isekai for!"

Shouting at the unreasonableness of this world, Subaru shouted as she turned the tears that were welling up into rage. Of course, there was no answer. The careless god who had sent Subaru to this world, and the beautiful girl who had called Subaru to a world on the verge of destruction, were nowhere to be found.

"Damn! I lost him!"

She caught up to the alley the two had run into, but what was before her was a dead end. Surely, Forte and the youth had climbed over this wall. With Forte's nimbleness, it would be easy, and the youth should have no trouble making a foothold using ice magic. But Subaru couldn't do it. She couldn't climb over the wall.

"Where... the loot cellar?"

If everything culminated there, there was a possibility she should head to the loot cellar again. However, since everything bad happened at the loot cellar, Subaru also had a strong, strong fear of going to that place once more. But then, what else could Subaru do?

"Fine! I'll go! I'll go!"

Hitting the wall with all her might, Subaru returned from the alley to the street, trying to head for the loot cellar. But the feet that turned around stopped there, and a long, trembling breath escaped her. Because—,

"...You've got to be kidding me."

Standing as if to block the entrance of the alley were the three lady-thugs she knew.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—An ability that assumes I'm a loser, like 'Return by Death,' is so like me."

Having experienced her third 'death,' Subaru finally reached that conclusion. When she lifted the hem of her tracksuit, the wounds on her stomach from being sliced open twice and the wound on her back from just now were completely gone. Since she was technically a girl, she was grateful that no scars remained on her body.

"Well, I have a scar on my temple from when I fell as a toddler and a chopstick poked me. I became 'damaged goods' way too early. Take responsibility, chopstick."

Even a 100% wooden chopstick probably wasn't made to be able to take such a heavy responsibility. So, the responsibility for the damaged Subaru was shelved for the future. Anyway, putting aside such digressions.

"Time leap... I guess you'd call it. A time-manipulation ability is almost the strongest ability if this were fiction, but just returning when I die is useless..."

Of course, she had tried other methods, like praying, chanting original spells, and doing things that seemed plausible. However, there was no sign of time leap activating, and at this point, she couldn't update the condition that 'it activates when Subaru dies.' —Even so.

"My tenacity for life, I'm even amazed at myself."

They say a fool's not cured until they die, but a fool not dying is going too far. Strictly speaking, she was dying, so she didn't really know what to say anymore.

"But my phone and the corn potage are here. I know now that these can be sold for a high price. ...This is an advantage, I guess."

When she searched her pockets, the phone she should have let go of was certainly there. In the plastic bag in her hand, the corn potage that had been made into a snack for Rom-baa's liquor also remained. And she already knew that these were liked by people of this other world.

Selling these, obtaining funds, and establishing a base for her isekai life. For Subaru, who was currently in a state of having no place to belong, it was a perfectly viable option. However—,

"Even if I don't go, Ains will go on a rampage and Rom-baa will die. ...Maybe Forte was there too."

In the first loot cellar, what Subaru had seen was only Rom-baa's corpse. But when she imagined how the trigger for that tragedy was pulled, she felt it was highly likely that Forte, who had been greedy in the negotiations, was the reason Ains's impulse switch was flipped. If so, Forte's corpse might have also been lying in the loot cellar.

If Subaru didn't act out of self-preservation, those two would fall into a crisis. That was, how should she put it—,

"It makes me feel 'monyoru.' —Wait, was I such a decent person?"

Wasn't she more of a person who only thought about herself, which was why she could be a shut-in? With such self-mockery, Subaru slowly stood up and decided what she had to do.

Go to the loot cellar and stop the tragedy that would happen there. Save Forte and Rom-baa, make them owe her, and take back the insignia Forte stole. And then, give that insignia to Luna—no, to that youth.

"That was a fake name, I guess. Of course. A person wouldn't normally tell their name to someone as suspicious as me from the first meeting. —In that case."

She wanted to know his real name, not that fake name. Even if it was something that had vanished, the fact that he had saved Subaru was true, and she was sure that if the same situation occurred, he would have saved Subaru again.

"This time, I have to work hard so he'll properly tell me his name."

△▼△▼△▼△

"Someone—!! Call a man—!!"

"Y-You suddenly scream, you brat!?"

Subaru's silk-tearing scream rang out, and the lady-thugs blocking the alley panicked. It was the fourth time she'd seen these faces today, and they were the ones who had taken Subaru's life last time.

Although the last 'death' seemed to be the result of an accident, the fact remained that she had been killed once. There was no guarantee she could get through it as well as the time before last. In that case, she decided it was a good strategy to borrow the power of public authority. With this, it would be a stroke of luck if someone helped. Even if it was a harsh world where no one helped, she would take the opportunity to pin Dumb's leg, snatch the knife, and threaten them—,

"—That's enough."

In an instant, Subaru felt as if a hot wind had blown through the alley. A volume that wasn't particularly large, yet it was a dignified voice that sliced through the air of the alley, instantly taking away the consciousness of Subaru and the lady-thugs, the four of them.

The owner of the voice was a red-haired woman standing at the entrance of the alley.

Long, red hair that brought to mind flames. Her blue eyes, which seemed to have captured the clear sky, were bright as if they bore a mission not to overlook any unreasonableness in this world. The person, with long limbs and a tall stature wrapped in white attire, flaunted a heavenly beauty that would make any artist break their brush, and walked toward them.

"No matter what the circumstances, I will not allow any further violence toward her. That's enough."

A bold warning, its content was to try to save Subaru, but to Subaru, it didn't sound like a warning, but like a word of love that echoed gently. A presence that made one want to listen to that voice forever, as if its reason for being was to protect, cherish, and guard all things—,

"A-Are you, perhaps..."

At the appearance of that woman, Dumb and Dumber's faces turned pale, and their lips trembled. The three of them looked at the woman from top to bottom, swallowed hard, and—,

"Flaming red hair, blue eyes... a knight's uniform, and a knight's sword with a dragon's claw mark." "T-The 'Knight among Knights'!" "Adelheid... 'Sword Saint' Adelheid!?"

"There seems to be no need for an introduction. However, that second name is still too heavy for me. That's what I think."

The woman—the one called Adelheid—added a wink to her last words. However, she tightened her expression at the end, and the pressure released from her beautiful and dignified face ruthlessly enveloped the three besides Subaru. Their throats tightened, and Dumb and Dumber began to break out in a cold sweat.

"I'll let you go if you leave now. But if you continue, I'll be your opponent. It's three against one, so you have the advantage in numbers, but I'll face you as a knight."

"Y-You've got to be kidding! It's not worth it!!"

At Adelheid's dignified declaration, Dumb and Dumber fled from the alley in a panic. Watching the three run away, Adelheid let out a short breath. Then she turned to Subaru, her expression softening, and—,

"It seems we're both safe. Were you hurt?"

"...What a dignified Big Sister."

"Hm?"

Subaru unintentionally pressed her hands together in admiration, and Adelheid tilted her head.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—Forte, don't open it! You'll be killed!"

"...I wouldn't suddenly do something as scary as killing."

"Eh!?"

At the figure that appeared from the open door of the loot cellar, Subaru widened her eyes. Inside the building, Subaru had already made contact with Forte and was about to buy back the insignia he had stolen from the youth before the negotiation with Ains.

If he made contact with Ains, she didn't know what would trigger an explosion. He was a dangerous man. Since she didn't have a plan to defeat him, avoiding conflict was the top priority.

At Subaru's serious plea, even the money-grubbing Forte seemed to have some thoughts, and with Rom-baa's assist, the negotiation was about to move to the next phase. However, the one who appeared there with the opening words was the silver-haired youth.

At the sudden appearance of the owner of the insignia, what Subaru thought was, "He properly arrived at the loot cellar so quickly without me!?"—the shock of realizing she had been a huge drag. And once that shock passed, what remained in that place was—,

"Boy, you're an elf, aren't you?"

"Correctly speaking, no. ...It's only half of me that's an elf."

"A half-elf? And with silver hair... no way!"

"No! It has nothing to do with me. ...I'm also troubled by it."

In the midst of the standoff, Rom-baa saw through the youth's race, and that problem rippled out. Honestly, it was an exchange that didn't click with Subaru, but it somehow seemed related to the reason he had disliked being called 'Luna.' However, this place should be mediated by Subaru, who saw the situation better than the two staring each other down.

"Now, now, let's calm down, and Forte, admit defeat. Return the insignia to that boy, and then... you take that and leave this place. Make sure you treat your important things carefully so no one takes them again. It's a promise with Big Sis."

"—? I don't understand why you're being so kind to me. Besides, I think I'm much older than you."

"I'm also not convinced. Big Sis, in the end, what are you? Did you want this insignia too?"

"I originally just wanted to return it to the owner..."

When Subaru answered the sulking Forte, the youth widened his eyes, saying "To me...?" Subaru thought about what kind of excuse would be best, as it wasn't something that could be believed just by being told, and she was about to worry her head a bit—,

"————"

—She saw a black shadow slide and instantly appear behind the youth.

"—Tink! Block it!!"

Subaru's voice and the flashing blade approaching the youth's nape were simultaneous. But before the blade could sever the youth's slender neck, an ice shield created there intervened.

A sharp sound rang out, and the youth fell forward. —No, he hadn't fallen. He had dived forward, taking distance from the deadly blade.

"Tink...!"

"It was quite a close timing, but we made it."

Escaping 'death' by a hair's breadth, the youth called his spirit. Tink, responding to that call, washed her face with her paws and then looked toward Subaru.

"That was a perfectly timed shout. Thanks to that, my child was saved."

"I'm the one who's saved. I'm glad you hadn't clocked out for the day yet!"

Subaru and Tink acknowledged each other's presence with a thumbs-up. And the figure who had been hindered and jumped back to take distance from everyone—Ains—stood up swaying and brandished his kukri knife.

In this situation, he still looked around at everyone composedly, and—,

"A spirit, a spirit is wonderful. I haven't had the chance to open a spirit's stomach yet."

"Hey, what's going on!!"

It was Forte who threw cold water on Ains's blood-colored excitement. Forte, with a pale face, protested against the outrage of the person who had commissioned him to steal. But Ains was not someone to whom a reasonable protest would work.

As expected, Ains turned a cold gaze toward Forte's plea. Pierced by that gaze, Forte's eyes wavered with an "Ah."

"Unfortunately, you've misunderstood the intent of my request. What I wanted was the insignia, and the owner of the insignia is a separate matter. Now that it's come to this, I have no choice but to silence everyone."

"T-That's just crazy..."

"Perhaps so. —However, you are the one who couldn't fulfill the job. A tool that can't be used is replaced. Is there anything strange about that?"

"—"

Ains's cold-bloodedness in flatly discarding Forte's existence. Receiving that, Forte's eyes wavered greatly with pain.

True, Forte might have done something stupid. If Subaru hadn't been there, he might have lost his life because of that stupid and shallow thought. But since that wasn't the case here.

"Don't mess with me, you sadist! Saying whatever you want to such a little kid, aren't you ashamed of yourself for acting so superior, how immature! Hah, your mother would be disappointed!"

"—? I don't think you are my mother."

"It's a metaphor, a met-a-phor! Also, I'm so pissed off I don't even know what I'm saying myself, sorry about that! I'm sorry! But all this rambling is actually to buy time, you idiot! Everyone at home, please stay tuned!"

At Subaru's string of meaningless words, Ains knit his brows in confusion. At Ains's attitude, Subaru wondered if there was a better way, and while trading her maiden gauge and time, she clapped her hands and—,

"Alright, that's enough! Do it, Tink!"

"That was a spectacular display of clumsiness. —But I'll meet those expectations."

Subaru, who had clapped her hands in front of her chest—Tink laughed and answered that call. Around Ains, who had looked up as if startled, countless icicles appeared, filling the space with no escape. Pointing their sharp tips at Ains, the icicles were released straight at him—,

"I haven't introduced myself yet, Mr. Gentleman. My name is Tink. —At least remember my name as you go."

In an instant, a tremendous impact sound and white smoke swallowed the inside of the loot cellar.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—'Bowel Hunter' Ains Granhiert."

"—Of the 'Sword Saint' lineage, Adelheid van Astrea."

It wasn't that they had coordinated, but they introduced themselves to each other, and immediately after, their sword intent swelled. A white light was released—yes, light.

A slash was released from the swung sword, and it became a light that split the loot cellar, the atmosphere, and the sky. The tremendous force that was unleashed left the sound behind, and immediately after, the swelling shockwave became a wind, and the loot cellar exploded from the inside as if it harbored a tornado, and everything was blown away.

As the swirling wind tried to sweep up the stolen goods, the timber, and even human bodies, Subaru grabbed the large body of the fallen Rom-baa and pulled the fake Luna toward her, somehow enduring. Enduring, enduring, enduring, enduring, enduring, enduring, enduring—,

"Nugyaaaaaa—!!"

Letting out a face a girl shouldn't make and a voice she shouldn't let be heard, she endured to the end. After enduring, Subaru slowly relaxed her body and raised her head. Then, what was there was a clear night sky and a sky full of stars—,

"T-The building is gone..."

"I'm glad. It seems you're safe."

Hearing the voice of the slumped Subaru, Adelheid, who had turned around, smiled. In her hand, the mediocre sword that had been forced to do the greatest recklessness since it was born slowly turned to dust after fulfilling its role.

It was the result of the sword having its power drawn out beyond its existence by the extraordinary existence of Adelheid. —She didn't know if that was happiness for the sword.

"What do you mean, 'monster hunting is my specialty.' You're more of a monster yourself!"

"Being told that, even I get a bit hurt."

With a wry smile, Adelheid watched the sword that had turned to dust be carried away by the wind. At the sad color that dwelled on her profile, Subaru regretted her words for a moment. Although it was a kind of joke, she wondered if it was something she shouldn't have said. However, before she could apologize,

"It ended safely, I guess..."

"Ah, are you okay? Can you stand up properly?"

"Yeah..."

Tink's withdrawal and the treatment of the injured Rom-baa. And there seemed to have been some kind of burden on Adelheid's battle, as the fake Luna, whose face showed deep fatigue, stood up in that place with Subaru's support. Touching the youth's slender but not sturdy arm, Subaru stared intently at the fake Luna's face, and—,

"—? What is it. I think it's very rude to stare like that."

"No, I was just checking that your neck is still attached and your limbs haven't gone missing."

"...Of course they are. You're telling a scary story."

While surprised, the fake Luna was checking his own limbs as if he had become anxious. Watching the fake Luna's state, Subaru also let out a deep breath of relief.

Finally, finally. Finally, she had been able to reach this point.

"Speaking of which, I hadn't said thank you yet, Adelheid. You really, seriously helped. The alley earlier too, but did you hear my scream?"

"It seems I'm Subaru's Big Sister. ...Just kidding, it would be wonderful if that were the case, but actually, it's not. Look."

"Hm?"

Adelheid jerked her chin, indicating a figure peeking from behind the wreckage of the building's entrance—or rather, what used to be the entrance. Standing there was Forte, whom Subaru had risked her life to let escape during the fierce battle with Ains. It seemed he had called Adelheid, who was outside.

"So everything is connected..."

"That child is..."

Subaru sighed, and beside her, the fake Luna also noticed Forte's figure. Fearing the resurgence of the trouble over the insignia, Subaru stepped in between them.

"Wait, wait! Look, thanks to Forte, Adelheid came, so wait before you get angry and tear him apart! Look, for my sake!"

"I won't do that! What do you think I am! Besides, 'for your sake'..."

"Ah, well."

"To begin with, what are you, anyway? You saved me, but you were with those children who stole the insignia, I don't really get it."

The fake Luna seemed to be at a loss as to what kind of face to make. Looking at his face, Subaru was also momentarily at a loss as to what to say. She had thought about buying back the insignia and safely returning it to him, that kind of flow. But she hadn't thought about anything beyond that—,

"—Subaru!"

—Subaru's thoughts were shattered by Adelheid's sharp call.

"—!!"

The wreckage of the debris was kicked up, and from beneath it, a black shadow jumped out. Straight, kicking the ground with a speed like the wind, was the slaughterer Ains, who bore numerous wounds all over his body and yet hadn't lost the ferocious light from his eyes.

"You—!"

The fake Luna, who wasn't in top form, couldn't respond to the shadow that dived in. Adelheid also didn't have enough time to fly in. The only one who could move here was Subaru. A mangled knife. A momentary encounter. The opponent was betting everything on one strike. Adelheid wouldn't make it in time. But if she endured one strike, Adelheid would do something about it. She'd manage. The fake Luna didn't even have room to turn around. The aim. Which one. I'm on my third time, I'll protect him. Protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect, protect!!

"The aim is the stomach, the aim is the stomach, the aim is the stomaaaaach!!"

Suddenly, she stepped on the club Rom-baa had used, picked it up, held it to her stomach, and dived in. The released jet-black killing intent drew an arc with tremendous force and mowed down Subaru, who had jumped in front of the fake Luna, over the club, and blew her away.

Her vision spun round and round, and she was swallowed by an impact as if she had been hit by a car. Slamming into the wall, Subaru was buried under a mountain of collapsing debris.

"This girl is still in the way—"

"That's enough, Ains!"

Ains bit his lip after his strike was blocked by Subaru. However, Adelheid's approach was faster than him turning his pursuit toward the fake Luna. Ains suddenly threw the mangled knife at her, checked her advance, and jumped up.

The thrown knife didn't even need to be dodged; it drew an unnatural trajectory and missed Adelheid. But the time for Ains to escape was bought. Stepping on the wreckage of the broken roof, Ains looked down at the ground with the moon at his back. And then—,

"Eventually, I'll slice open the stomachs of everyone here. Until then, you'd better cherish your bowels."

Leaving only that, Ains displayed an extraordinary hidden strength, and his figure kicked the roof and vanished into the darkness of the slums. Chasing him was also an extremely difficult task, and it was dangerous for Adelheid, who could fight here, to leave. Judging so, Adelheid gave up the pursuit and turned to the fake Luna, who was standing still, and asked, "Are you safe?" However—,

"Don't worry about me! More than that, what a reckless thing to do!"

Shaking off Adelheid, the fake Luna hurried to the mountain of debris. Subaru, who had been blown away by Ains's one strike, was buried there. When the fake Luna hurriedly dug through the wreckage, the buried Subaru was immediately unearthed.

"Are you okay!? Are you alive!? You were too reckless!"

"Ah, ugh, I'm okay, I'm okay... look, I managed to guard in time, and that was a scene where I had to be reckless, right? Somehow, the world is spinning..."

"The world is spinning... Adelheid!"

"Perhaps she hit her head. I'll arrange for a clinic immediately..."

"N-No, no, stop, stop! Don't make such a big deal out of it, I'm fine!"

At the state of the two who were truly worried, their faces changing color, Subaru sat up in that place. And in front of the two, she performed radio gymnastic movements with effort, proving her safety. The two were looking at Subaru's movements as if they were looking at a rare beast.

"I don't really get those movements... but you really seem to be safe."

"Yes, I'm glad. —Subaru, I was saved by you. I'm sorry even though I was there. If you hadn't been there, this person..."

"Stop that too! Wait, Adelheid! If I've worked this hard and you say that, I, as a woman, will have no place to stand!"

Subaru silenced Adelheid, who had almost dropped a bomb along with her apology, and then turned once again to the silver-haired youth. At Subaru's gaze, the youth widened his eyes and then straightened his posture.

He was in a posture to listen to her. Thinking about it, how much trouble had she gone through just to talk to him properly again? Regarding that trouble, she had skipped a bit of the interval. Even if those around her didn't know, Subaru herself knew everything.

—Slowly, Subaru pointed to the sky with her right hand and put her left hand on her waist, striking a pose.

"My name is Natsuki Subaru! I know there are mountains of things you want to say and ask, but listen to me first!"

"W-What is it?"

"I'm the savior who just protected you from a deadly blade! Up to here, okay!?"

"Okay?"

"It means 'is it alright.' So, okay!?"

"O-Okay..."

Pressed by the momentum of Subaru, who expressed O and K with her whole body, the youth nodded tentatively. At his attitude, Subaru nodded and pressed on.

"Savior, Angel Me. And Prince You, who was saved by her. With all this having happened, it wouldn't be strange if there was a corresponding reward! Right!?"

"...Of course, I understand. If it's something I can do, with that condition."

"Mochi! My wish is only one, the only one!"

She thrust out one finger and emphasized it almost excessively. While thinking she might be looked at with disgust, Subaru smiled at the youth's tense face, thinking that since she had started, she couldn't cut corners until the end. That was—,

"Yes, my wish is—"

"Yeah."

She showed her teeth, snapped her fingers, and put her raised finger to her cheek, making a 'decisive face,'

"—I want you to tell me your name."

"————"

At Subaru's words, the youth's eyes widened as if he were dumbfounded. As it was, a brief silence fell between the two, and the lips of Subaru, who maintained her decisive face, began to tremble.

Had she made a blunder? Had she messed up on the grand stage of a lifetime? She wondered if it would have been better to stay buried in that wreckage, sleeping without being unearthed. Such a desperate anxiety filled her mind—,

"Haha."

Subaru's thoughts in that extreme state were cancelled by a small laugh. With his hand to his mouth, his white cheeks turning red, the youth with silver hair was laughing.

It wasn't a laugh of resignation, nor a fleeting smile, nor a tragic one of having made a resolution. He just laughed purely because it was fun. That was all. And while smiling like that—,

"—Emilio."

"Eh..."

At the word conveyed following the laughter, Subaru let out a slight breath. He straightened his posture at Subaru's reaction and smiled while pointing to his own face,

"My name is Emilio. Just Emilio. Thank you, Subaru."

"————"

"—For saving me."

Saying so, he reached out his hand to Subaru. Looking down at that outstretched white hand, Subaru took a breath. A slender, supple hand of a boy with warm blood flowing through it.

—Thank you for saving me.

The one who wanted to say that wasn't just him. It was Subaru. Subaru was the one who had been saved by him first. So this was just repaying that kindness.

A conclusion reached after losing her life three times in knife-related incidents.

After being hurt that much, grieving that much, having such painful and scary experiences, and surviving such life-threatening situations, the reward was his name and a single smile.

Ah, how—,

"—Seriously, it's not a fair trade."

While saying so, Subaru also laughed and firmly shook the hand of the youth—Emilio.

△▼△▼△▼△

—And if it had ended there, it could have ended as a good story.

"Even so, Subaru, you were really safe."

She must have been waiting for the timing to finish the exchange with Emilio. Adelheid, who had witnessed the 'reunion' of the two, was surprised at Subaru's safety. Even from her eyes, Ains's last strike must have been something significant.

Literally, it was a strike with all his might. Even Subaru wouldn't have been able to block it if she hadn't known Ains's aim.

"If you hadn't suddenly blocked it with that club, you'd have been split in half by now."

"I suppose so. If it hadn't been for this—"

BAD END 4 'Split in Half' couldn't have been avoided. Adelheid nodded at Subaru, who said that nonchalantly, and casually picked up the club that had fallen—and in her hand, the club split in half.

"Ah."

Leaving the handle in Adelheid's hand, the club had ended its life. Witnessing that, Adelheid's blue eyes looked toward Subaru. Subaru also followed that gaze, and while feeling an unpleasant premonition, she lifted the hem of her tracksuit. There was Subaru's abdomen, which at least maintained a waist through sit-ups. It was a disaster with colors changed from bruises, and a change occurred there.

—Suddenly, a red line was drawn horizontally.

"Ah, this is bad. I can read what's coming next too."

Immediately after she raised her head and said that, blood spurted out along that line.

"—Wait, Subaru!?"

Nearby, Emilio's frantic voice was heard. Ah, even though she had finally heard his real name, she might be at the end again if she wasn't careful.

—But even if that's the case, I think I'll come here again.

Her vision tilted greatly, and Subaru fell in that place, unable to move. Adelheid's face changed color, and Emilio, who was peeking at her face nearby, had anxiety and a tragic color engraved on his well-defined face. Seeing that, it's very out of place and I'm sorry, but.

—Ah, he's a total hunk even when he's panicking, isekai fantasy.

With such a very blunt impression at the end, the intense pain and shock pushed Subaru's consciousness like a surging wave, further and further away—,

—And so, the isekai life, slightly mistaken for the original history, continues.

《The End?》

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

This year too, it was an April Fools' scenario of a branch... a branch? A branch of the main story. While slightly tweaking the core parts for this occasion, there are also some parts that might be important. Even those might be lies. It's April Fools', after all.

The main story is currently in the middle of Arc 7, but basically, when Subaru's spirit stabilizes, he stops heading toward the route where he falls into darkness and does crazy things. Now, will there be another story after Arc 7? What on earth will happen? By the way, I thought of today's idea today and wrote it today. I hope you will join me in the author's mischief again next year. Dewa.