(A/N: Throughout the Literature and Language, I alone am the Bane of Bad Grammar)
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(3rd Pov)
"Anyway," Subaru said, scratching his cheek, "I should get going. Thank you for offering to help, Miss Reina… But this is something I have to face on my own."
And just like that, he turned and began walking away.
Reina watched him go, her lips parted slightly, unsure of what she was feeling.
Zero…
For the first time in years, someone had touched her head without fear. Without obligation. Without disgust.
She nodded as he walked away, but her heart was anything but calm. 'Should I follow him? His words... they felt nothing but genuine—even when he called me cute,' she thought, her cheeks warming with a gentle blush.
She remembered his muttering about facing someone—her, as he put it—and implied that doing so could lead to his death. As for who this mysterious 'her' was, Reina had no idea. But what stuck with her most was his resigned voice when he said he had gotten stronger and probably could take her on now.
That meant his life was in danger. And that thought alone stirred something in Reina—something she hadn't felt in a long time. She didn't want him to die.
Driven by an impulse she couldn't quite explain, she made her decision.
She was going to follow him.
Drawing upon her Divine Protection, she activated the one that granted her invisibility. Her figure shimmered for a second, then vanished completely from sight, her presence erased from the world around her.
She began trailing behind him carefully, matching his pace with the grace of a seasoned knight. Her movements were soundless, or so she thought, until he suddenly turned a corner into a narrow alley—then spun around and pulled a knife from his coat with precise speed.
Her eyes widened in shock. 'He found me?! That's impossible… I'm invisible!'
Then she heard his voice echo down the alley.
"Weird... I swear I heard someone walking behind me—even if just barely. And my gut is screaming that someone's following me," he muttered warily.
'Stalking? Wait... now that I think about it—'
Reina's cheeks turned even redder as the word echoed in her mind. 'Stalking?! Is that what I'm doing?'
Snapping back to reality, she quickly realized she'd made a tactical mistake. She had only used the Divine Protection of Invisibility, but not the one that canceled noise. Even if she was invisible to the eye, her footsteps and breathing still existed, and apparently, this boy had sharp senses.
Swiftly correcting herself, she activated the Divine Protection that silenced every trace of her—no sound, no breath, not even the whisper of movement. She followed that by invoking the Divine Protection that erased her scent completely. Then finally, she used the Divine Protection of Sixth Sense Cancellation, effectively removing any subconscious awareness or intuition that might alert others to her presence.
Natsuki Subaru remained on edge for a moment longer, then slowly lowered his knife. He sighed.
'Maybe I'm just being paranoid... Must be the stress messing with my head.'
Convincing himself that nothing was there, he resumed walking.
Eventually, he reached the slums—streets worn down by time and poverty, shadows hanging like cobwebs in every corner. Reina, still cloaked in her divine concealment, trailed behind silently.
That was when they saw her.
Emilia.
She stood at the edge of a side alley, looking visibly worried, hesitant even. When she saw Subaru, she seemed surprised for a moment before stepping forward.
"Um, sir… have you seen a short girl with blonde hair, ruby eyes, and a red scarf?"
Her voice trembled slightly—hope and anxiety blended together.
"Are you talking about Felt?" Subaru replied, raising an eyebrow.
At the mention of the name, Emilia's eyes brightened instantly. Her fists clenched in excitement, and she beamed like a child receiving a long-awaited gift.
"Yes! I'm talking about Felt!" she exclaimed with a wide smile.
'No Subaru… don't laugh,' he told himself, biting the inside of his cheek to suppress a grin. The way she trusted his words so quickly, so easily, and that too about someone named 'Felt'—it was just too much.
"Well, I can take you to where she might be, but…" he paused with a thoughtful expression, "I might need a little favor first."
Emilia visibly hesitated. Her hands fidgeted before she admitted shyly, "Actually… I don't have any money with me."
Subaru gave her a blank stare and sighed dramatically. "Well, whatever. I'm headed there anyway, so you can just tag along."
"Really?! It won't be a problem… if I follow you?" she asked with a hint of disbelief, searching his expression for any sign of disdain or judgment. She had always been cautious of how people viewed her race.
"No problem at all! I'm happy to help a cute girl like you!" Subaru shrugged casually.
Reina, hidden just a few steps behind them, felt something inside her twist the moment he said that.
'Why did he have to call her cute too…? She looks like the Witch of Envy, Satella, for heaven's sake!' she thought bitterly, a sour expression forming on her face, even though no one could see it.
When he had called her cute earlier, it had sparked something warm in her chest. But now? Hearing him say the same thing to another girl—that girl—made her chest ache with something uncomfortably close to jealousy.
'But… if he can call her cute, even with her resemblance to the Witch, then… would he still call me cute if he knew the truth? If he knew I was a monster?'
Her breath caught.
'Why am I thinking like this? I just met him. This is ridiculous… but… but his hands were warm.'
She couldn't explain what was happening to her. This overwhelming swirl of confusion, warmth, fear, and longing. But she knew one thing—if anyone found out that she, the cold and invincible Sword Saint, was having these kinds of thoughts simply because a boy called her cute...
They'd be speechless.
But they didn't know the full story.
Reina had never been loved by her parents. She was raised in a world that saw her only as a tool. A sword. An heir to a legacy she never asked for.
To the kingdom, her emotions never mattered. She was a noble, yes, but that only added to her isolation. Her noble status kept the commoners at arm's length, and the false rumors swirling about her made even nobles avoid her.
She was the unwanted child. A girl whose only worth lay in how well she served the crown.
In truth, Reina Van Astrea was starving—starving for love, for kindness, for even a shred of warmth.
And now, Natsuki Subaru had become the first boy to offer her any of that. Even if it was just a little.
It was like watching the early days of Subaru falling for Emilia in the original timeline—but this time, it was Reina whose heart had been stirred. It wasn't love, not yet. But it was something.
A fragile bud, not yet bloomed.
While she struggled with the tangled web of her thoughts, Emilia stared at Subaru with wide eyes, her expression a mix of surprise and doubt.
"I… I'm a Half-Elf! Are you being honest or just saying that to mess with me?" she asked cautiously, unsure whether his compliment had been genuine.
Suddenly, a small burst of light emerged from the crystal hanging near Emilia's chest, and out floated a familiar spirit. Puck materialized with his usual calm and slightly smug demeanor.
"He wasn't lying, Lia," Puck said, hovering in front of her, "When he called you cute, he meant it."
Emilia's cheeks flushed with color, and she glanced down shyly, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her sleeve.
(A/N: Emilia is Emilia. Don't expect her to start falling head-over-heels for the MC just because someone calls her cute—her brain still works like a child's most of the time.)
"But!" Puck's tone suddenly shifted, and he narrowed his eyes with mock severity. "You can't just go getting close to my daughter without her father's permission!"
Subaru blinked, then smirked. "She doesn't really have a friend, does she?" he asked, his voice soft but firm.
The words landed with weight. Emilia flinched slightly, and her eyes turned to the ground. Puck froze for a moment, his expression caught between surprise and concern. His usual cool composure faded as he stared at the boy, his eyes slowly turning colder.
Emilia, on the other hand, looked deeply affected by the remark—even if it was true.
"So… how about I become her first friend?" Subaru continued, looking straight at her.
Emilia looked up at him, blinking in disbelief. "My friend? Really? But… I'm a half-elf," she said slowly, her voice laced with hesitation and self-doubt.
"So what?" Subaru shrugged. "I don't judge people based on how they look. To me, you're just a lonely and cute girl… someone who could really use a friend like me."
'Yeah, totally just a friend who's going to die for her multiple times,' Subaru thought dryly, barely stopping himself from letting the sarcasm slip out loud.
"He speaks the truth, Emilia," Puck said, his tone softening once again. He floated to her side, nodding thoughtfully as he observed her uncertain expression. "I think he means it."
"Then—Then!" Emilia straightened her posture and smiled nervously. "I am Emilia, a half-elf… and I would like to be your friend, Sir… uh—" she paused awkwardly, realizing she didn't know his name.
"I can't tell you my real name," Subaru said quickly. "Precaution. Witch Cult and all that nonsense. But you can call me Zero."
Emilia tilted her head in curiosity but nodded. "Alright then… Zero."
He extended a hand toward her, and after a second of hesitation, she took it. Their handshake was firm, and a spark of warmth passed between them.
Emilia's face lit up like a lantern, a glow of pure innocence and happiness blooming across her expression. "Puck! I made a friend!" she said joyfully, looking at her spirit guardian with sparkling eyes.
Puck gave a small chuckle and nodded. "Yes, yes. I saw it. Just don't forget—Zero…" His tone shifted ever so slightly, his voice laced with warning. "If you make my daughter cry—"
His feline-like eyes narrowed menacingly, his voice trailing off with a silent threat that needed no explanation.
Reina, who had been watching the entire interaction from the shadows, gritted her teeth and kicked a small stone on the ground out of frustration. Her invisible foot sent the pebble flying, though no one noticed.
'I should have been the one to grab his hand!' she thought angrily, her fists clenched. 'Why is she the one holding it? This is stupid… Ugh!'
Of course, Reina failed to realize just how irrational she was being. But emotions never made much sense—especially when they came from a place so deprived and broken.
"Anyway," Subaru said, casually turning back to Emilia. "Let me show you the way to Old Man Rom's place. That's where we'll most likely find Felt… and your insignia."
Emilia nodded, falling in step behind him. Her mood had visibly improved, and even Puck seemed slightly less wary.
'I wonder if I'll be able to save everyone this time around,' Subaru thought grimly, letting out a soft sigh as he led the way through the slums.
They soon arrived at a rundown shack with a creaky wooden door. Subaru stepped forward and knocked confidently.
"Tell the code," came a gruff voice from inside.
"Knock Knock, Rom! Knock Knock!" Subaru answered with an exaggerated grin.
There was a long pause.
"That's not the code," Old Man Rom grunted as he opened the door, clearly unimpressed.
"You see, we're here to retrieve something that Felt may have… acquired," Subaru explained casually, stepping aside to let Emilia walk in.
Emilia stepped through the door and looked directly at Rom. "I'm here to get back my stolen insignia," she said firmly, her posture composed.
Inside, Felt stood by a table, sharpening her dagger. She froze the moment she saw Emilia.
"It's you!"
"It's you!"
Both of them pointed accusing fingers at each other, speaking in unison.
Emilia stepped forward, annoyed. "Give me back my insignia! It's mine!"
"I won't!" Felt snapped back. "You should've taken better care of it, miss! It's not my fault you lost it! I'm not giving it back!"
She quickly drew her knife and shifted into a defensive stance, clearly ready for a confrontation.
"Old Man! You shouldn't have let them in!" Felt shouted, clearly angry. Rom just shrugged as if to say not my problem.
As their argument escalated, a cold, unsettling voice sliced through the rising tension.
"My, my… It seems you've failed."
Everyone froze as a woman stepped into the room.
Elsa.
Felt's eyes lit up with a strange mix of hope and urgency. "I got the insignia just like I promised! Now give me the ten Holy Coins!"
Emilia's stance became rigid. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "So… you're the one who wanted my insignia. Tell me—why do you want it?"
But before Elsa could answer, Subaru didn't waste a second.
He drew both of his knives and, in a blur of movement, charged straight at her. His speed was inhuman—within one-fifth of a second, he was already in front of her. His blades swung down with deadly precision, aiming for a quick, decisive strike.
To be continued…
(A/N: Send all your powerstones to my Danmachi fic—or there will be no updates for any of my other fics. And no, this isn't a request. It's an order.
EDITED NOTE: GUYS PLEASE DO NOT DO WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THOSE PAST NOTES, ONLY FOLLOW THE LATEST NOTES AND GIVE THIS FIC POWERSTONES! I DO NOT HAVE PATREON SO MY ONLY REASON FOR WRITING IS BECAUSE I LIKE IT, BUT EVEN THEN I HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE SO TO CHEER ME UP A GOOD RANKING IS UNDENIABLE)