The blade missed by a hair's breadth, narrowly avoiding severing Elsa's head. Yet, with lightning reflexes, she twisted away at the last second.
A thin red line blossomed across her throat, a shallow cut, but enough to draw blood.
She took a hurried step back, her fingers brushing her neck. When she pulled them away, they glistened crimson.
Ahead of her, she could still hear Subaru closing in his footsteps faint but relentless, like the whisper of death itself.
But the fight ended as swiftly as it had begun. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled her dagger straight at him. Subaru barely registered the glint of steel before it was too late.
The blade punched through flesh, shattered bone, and buried itself deep in his brain. Death was instantaneous.
. . . .
Felt and Rom were retreating from the location, but as they walked away, they stopped abruptly right in front of them stood a beautiful lady with snow-white hair and pale skin, staring at them intently. Beside her floated a small, cute animal.
That lady was Emilia, and the adorable creature her familiar was named Puck.
"Give me back my insignia," Emilia demanded.
Felt and Rom exchanged glances, silently planning to escape by splitting up.
Puck noticed their shifting eyes, and in an instant, multiple ice projectiles materialized in the air behind Emilia.
Felt and Rom froze. Before them stood a silver-haired woman with porcelain skin Emilia. Beside her floated a cat-like spirit, his fur pale as moonlight and eyes gleaming with intelligence. This was Puck, her familiar.
"Give me back my insignia," Emilia ordered.
Puck's tail flicked. "I'd listen to her, kids," he said, as shards of ice crystallized in the air behind Emilia.*
Unwilling to test Emilia and Puck's patience, Felt reluctantly tossed the insignia back.
"Here, take it! We don't want it anyway!"
. . . .
Subaru steadied his breath, forcing his nerves to still as he shifted into Inside Right; his stance coiled like a spring, ready to end this fight once and for all.
He lunged forward, and there she was Elsa, grinning with twin daggers glinting in her hands, her eyes alight with murderous delight.
Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but he pushed through the fear. This time… this time, he would kill her.
As his blade thrust forward, he muttered softly, "Shamak"
A swirling black mist erupted from his body, devouring the light, drowning the room in absolute darkness.
His breathing slowed, silent. His movements became ghostly, untraceable. The only sound was the pounding of his own heart.
And then...
At the last possible instant, he shifted pulling back his thrust, twisting his grip before whipping his sword in a vicious horizontal slash from the left.
This time, the steel found its mark.
The blade carved through flesh, tendon, and bone with a sickening crunch, and Elsa's head toppled from her shoulders.
Subaru's breathing finally became unsteady, and he began to breathe heavily. His grip on his sword loosened.
He smiled, knowing he had finally put Elsa down for good. After all the loops he'd endured just to defeat her, he was overwhelmed with happiness.
Words couldn't describe how excited and happy he was. He grinned from ear to ear.
But he tightened his grip on his sword and sheathed it, his moment of joy lasted only a few seconds.
Now, he had to decide what to do next.
"I need to burn this bitch's body first."
Subaru glanced around the building, searching for something to use to burn the body. Instead, he found a bag of gold coins.
After looking around, he pocketed the gold, tucking it into his clothes.
Despite his efforts, he found nothing flammable, so he settled for the next best option: cutting her into pieces.
He grabbed a cleaver from the room and began hacking apart Elsa Granhiert's corpse. He looked away but steeled himself, continuing to chop her remains before stuffing them into a bag.
When he finally finished, he gagged, fighting the urge to vomit. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself.
Subaru grabbed the bag and headed out, searching for a fire. Spotting some people burning trash, he tossed the bag into the flames and left the slums.
'But where is Emilia, though?' Subaru wondered. He hadn't seen her at all after finally killing Elsa.
He chuckled, deciding not to dwell on it. The story was changing drastically thanks to his interference.
"What should I do now? Rem's going to die if I'm not there," Subaru muttered.
Quickly, he asked around for the name of the village near Roswaal's territory. After questioning two people, he got his answer: Arlam Village.
"Let's try to find a wagon heading there."
Subaru approached merchants nearby. After some searching, he got lucky one agreed to let him ride along, provided he helped guard the wagon.
Even better, they were just about to depart. Subaru couldn't believe his luck.
One of the guards greeted him, offering a firm handshake. The man had a rugged but friendly face, his calloused hands hinting at years of wielding a blade.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Alec," he said with a warm smile, his posture relaxed yet alert. A well-worn sword hung at his side, its leather-wrapped hilt darkened from use.
"Nice to meet you too. I'm Subaru," he replied, returning the handshake with a nod.
Alec tilted his head slightly. "That's an unfamiliar name. Are you from the West?"
"Yeah," Subaru answered, his voice carrying a quiet weariness.
After the brief exchange, they boarded the wagon. The wooden planks creaked beneath their weight as Subaru settled onto a pile of rough-spun sacks.
Exhaustion weighed on him like a lead blanket, and as soon as the rhythmic sway of the wagon lulled him, he fell into a deep sleep.
Two hours later,
The merchant caravan came to a halt in a small clearing surrounded by towering oaks. The scent of damp earth and pine filled the air as the group dismounted, stretching stiff limbs.
Subaru stirred as the wagon jolted to a stop. His eyelids fluttered open just as Alec reached over to shake him awake.
Seeing him already roused, the guard gave a short chuckle. "Let's go," he said, hopping down onto the grass.
Around them, the merchants bustled with practiced efficiency unloading supplies, hammering tent stakes into the soft ground, and coaxing a fire to life.
The crackling flames cast flickering shadows as the sun dipped below the treeline.
As they waited for the evening meal, Alec leaned against a wagon wheel, studying Subaru with mild curiosity. "Why are you traveling with the group?"
Subaru's gaze drifted to the fire. "I'm heading to my hometown. My father is sick."
"Ahh." Alec nodded in understanding, his expression softening. "Hope he pulls through."
When the food was finally ready a simple but hearty stew Subaru accepted his portion gratefully. The steam curled upward, carrying the rich aroma of herbs and smoked meat.
He couldn't complain; it had been days since he'd last eaten anything warm. Each spoonful was a small comfort, and he savored it slowly, letting the heat seep into his bones.
As night fully settled, the guards organized their watch shifts. Subaru moved to take the first turn, but Alec clapped him on the shoulder. "It's fine, let me do it. You look like you need the rest more than I do."
Subaru hesitated but didn't argue. He retreated to his bedroll, though sleep eluded him. The forest sounds, rustling leaves, distant owl calls kept him on edge. Eventually, he closed his eyes and forced his breathing to steady.
Sometime later, exhaustion finally pulled him under.