Chapter 8: Continued search and slums

They continued their search with a more a optimistic atmosphere. Their next area of search was the market place.

"Hey, Aki, Natsuki… Do you get the feeling that child might be lost?"

Emilia pointed towards a little light green haired girl, who appeared to anxiously looking around seemingly trying to find someone while some tears form in her eyes.

Looking at her standing there worried and scared, he couldn't help but feel the urge to pat her head and comforting her. He was always a softy when it came to cute things.

If Kei remembers correctly her name was Plum, the daughter of that rough looking fruit vendor.

Subaru reminded what their objective was, before Emilia decided to help anyways.

She was about to approach the lost child, but Kei beat her to it.

"Are you lost?"

He asked in soothing voice. As he kneels to the girls eye level.

The girl looked towards with tears in her eyes, before nodding her head.

"Do you know where your mother or father are?"

That question seemed to make the girl cry which made Kei sigh before placing a hand on the girls head and rubbing it gently.

"Don't cry, it will be alright."

He gave a gentle smile then went into his coat and pulled out very cute fox kei chain.

"See this fox here? It has the power to make people smile."

He showed the cute key chain to the girl who stared at with wonder, efore childishly smiling at the cute thing.

"See, you're already smiling."

The girl looked at the Key chain in surprise. Kei just continued to smile.

"So, now that Mr. Fox used his powers, can you tell me why you are alone and in distress?"

The girl hesitated for a moment before she explained how she got separated from her mother. He nodded asking if he could help her.

The girl took a moment to think about before accepting.

Kei smiled and stood up and took a look behind to see the approving look from Emilia while Subaru grumbled slightly.

At first the girl looked wary of Emilia and Subaru. Reason being that the latter had scary looking eyes, while the former had characteristics of an half-elf.

"Don't worry, despite their appearance their not bad people, mostly the girl, can't be sure of scary eyes."

"Hey! Was that really necessary!?"

Kei ignored him.

After assuring the little girl, they searched for the girls mother, to which they soon found her after some time.

After the girl went to her mother and thanked us. They took another break on a large bridge with fountains.

"So… I think we took a pretty long way around here… tell me again why you had to help out the kid when we should have continued to look for Emilia's insignia instead?"

"Because I am not a heartless douche simp."

"Hey! What are you implying here!?"

"I agree with Aki."

Subaru looked at Emilia with betrayal in his eyes.

"Wait! Wait! I didn't mean about you being a simp or anything, I just agree with Aki for helping the child find her mother."

Subaru just grumbled.

"I don't see any benefit in helping her, she might have found her mother even without our help anyways."

Kei looked at Subaru with narrowed eyes.

"The benefit we got was that our minds are clear knowing that the lost child is safe. And if you don't fully understand what I mean then let me ask you this.

What do you think would happen if the child was not able to find her mother herself? She would either get further lost or kidnapped off the streets by some horrible people.

If you could have helped avoid such a thing, than that clears my conscience."

Subaru and Emilia were shocked and taken aback, especially Subaru who looked away a bit ashamed of himself, while Emilia looked relieved.

In truth, even if he or the other two continued the child would have found her mother anyways.

But still, he still had integrity in him despite his previous occupation, and he would feel bad If he were to just let an innocent and distressed child cry there afraid and lost.

"… Sorry."

Subaru apologized while Kei just sighed.

"It's fine for now. Let's first focus on our task at hand for now."

The two nodded their heads after calming down.

"Well, we have looked pretty much everywhere already and yet found no leads."

Subaru sighed, while Emilia just looked downed.

"Well, there is a part of the capital we haven't checked yet."

Emilia and Subaru's ears perked.

"Really!? What part though?"

"A backwater place where the poor live. The slums."

Realization hit them on the head.

"You're right, thieves and any other criminals mostly live or are located in rough and rundown areas."

"I agree, from what I know about the capital there is a section in the lower area that is rundown."

The two nodded in understanding. And with that they went and ask some people the location of the slums and went their way.

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To say the that the slums was rundown would be accurate albeit a bit of an understatement.

Housing structure that seems to fall apart with just some heavy winds, the smell of ammonia and other things polluting the air, the frail and sick looking people, and to mention the distinct horrid smell of decay.

This place was horrible, even in his world it wasn't this bad, though the biggest reason would probably be era's.

Subaru and Emilia's face were changing to unpleasant colors from looking around the place, and frankly, he can't blame them. The area was even making his gut churn, albeit a bit.

Most of the people in the slums were looking at them with wary eyes, clearly not liking their presence. (Kei and Emilia especially) But they continued ignoring them.

"We should ask around if they see our thief."

"That would be nice, but I don't think these people, albeit desperate, would probably not sell out each other if there is no payment."

Puck suddenly appeared and gave a nod.

"I agree with Aki, these people exactly look willing wothout payment."

Both Emilia and Subaru groaned because both of them were moneyless.

"*Sigh* Just let me handle the information gathering."

They nodded their heads as they stood there and waited.

He looked around for someone to ask about the whereabouts of the auction house.

Why?

Because if he was to say he was specifically looking for Felt then the people would be more wary and suspicious of them.

As he looked around he found a frail woman and some malnourished children behind her. A boy and a girl.

Why he decided on them? Simply due to the fact that the woman who presumes to be the mother of the two seemed more willing to answer his questions in exchange for food.

He approached them, the children hid behind who he presumes be their mother as the mother stretches out her arm to shield somewhat.

"Don't worry, I just want ask something."

"What is it?"

The woman didn't let her guard down at all.

"I simply want to ask the location of an auction house in area."

"Why do you want to know?"

"There might be an item there of value which I might purchase and add to my collection."

The woman seemed less wary but was still suspicious of him.

"Why should I tell you though?"

The woman inquired. Kei showed the bag of appas in his to them.

"I am willing to trade for the right directions as well as what the building looks like."

The woman still looked wary but the grumbling sounds of the two children behind her made her grit her teeth.

"Fine then I'll tell you, but know this, if you start some trouble here we stand for it."

He nodded as the woman begins to give the directions. After that he handed the bag to the woman and children who were already munching on them with vigor.

After that he returned to see Subaru talking about spending time with a girl alone and Emilia threatening him. Which was a sight.

He inquired where puck his to which they explained that he went to sleep.

He nodded and told about the directions he acquired, to which they began going towards the auction house.

They did ask why an auction house, to which he explained that such an item would be sold in such a building. To which they understood and nodded.

On their way to the building, the sun was already setting. Looking towards the orange sky which was growing darker, he felt a bit of dread about the encounter he was about to have with a bowel obsessed vampire.

As they continue their way as the sky grew darker, he suddenly a bit light headed, he ignored it at first because it was only minor but then it got worst the darker the sky became, until suddenly a massive headache impacted him.

He groaned and held his head tightly worrying both Emilia and Subaru.

Another sudden flood of information assaulted his mind as he tries his hardest not black out.

There was more information this time which made it worse on his head. He closed his eyes and tried his hardest to process the information and not collapse.

He doesn't know how long he had been trying process the information in his head, but after a while, he finally manage soothe the pain.

He opened his eyes again to see that Emilia and Subaru were staring at him in bewilderment.

"... Sorry about that, this has been happening earlier, but it doesn't bring too much harm so you don't have to worry much."

He reassured them, too which he did not receive answer but the stares the two were giving him.

"Why are you guys staring at me like that."

"Um… Kei I think you need to look at yourself in the mirror first to understand."

Confuse at what Subaru meant he decided to pull out his phone at put it on selfie mode and proceeded to see why they were staring at him.

What he absolutely bewildered him.

His black hair, turned pure white!

He touched his hair to see that if he wasn't seeing things and if there was something else up with his hair.

Luckily his hair only changed color and there was nothing else wrong about it. But he was still concerned on how his hair turned white. Suddenly information came up and realization came to him.

He felt a surge of energy in his body as well as feeling lighter. Couldn't help but feel merry at the implication of this new power.

"Hey, you okay man?"

Snapping out of his thoughts he looked at Emilia and Subaru who were now looking worried.

"Yeah, I was just surprised."

"You're telling me! When you suddenly groaned out in pain and almost collapse, and the sudden change in your hair! You had us worried."

Emilia nodded in agreement.

Kei smiled a bit before fixing himself and standing up.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Emilia cupped his face in her hands as she looked at him worried.

"Yeah, I think the pain is subsiding."

Emilia sighed somewhat relieved. Subaru on the other hand, stared a bit jealous.

"I think we should continue on, before it becomes to late."

He looked at the sky to see the moon as the two nodded.

As they got closer to the auction the area became quieter and more empty.

Emilia commented on this, to which he advise them be aware of their surroundings to which they nodded to.

After more walking they finally reached the building the woman described.

A big rundown and old looking building that looks like a cottage of sort but has two stories.

"This is it right?"

"This is what the woman described. Why not check inside?"

Subaru thought it over a bit before nodding his head. Grabbing his flip phone and turning on the flashlight he enters the building.

But what Kei didn't inform him about was that there was a large amount of bloodlust and ecstasy emanating inside.

How he knew this? It's because he can see it. Not the person itself but the prominent dark and red hue he can see beyond the walls.

He could also see the hue or aura of Subaru, what he saw was it a lack of a better term disturbing.

His aura was white, not pure white, more of whitish grey. But what caught his eyes was the mangled mass of darkness resting firmly in his heart.

He already knew what that thing was and would he'd rather mess with it.

He continued to look at Subaru who's aura was fluctuating with purple before the dark red aura struck knocking him back and down.

He can already see his aura fading.

"Hey Aki, did you hear that? I think Subaru seems to have some trouble."

More than you know.

"I'll go and check."

"I'd advise you not to."

"Eh? Why not? He could in trouble."

Before he could give his reply Emilia opened the doors and went inside.

She looked around to find Subaru not noticing an incoming attack.

But before the strike hit, a streak of white deflected the attack, forcing the attacker to take some distance.

Emilia was surprised at attack before she looked in front of her to see Aki standing there with a sword in hand. She tried take a look and see her attack to no avail due to the dark.

Then realization hit her. She looked around to try and find Subaru, and to her dismay and horror she finds him lying on the ground bleeding out.

She goes to try to stop the bleeding but was stopped when her would be killer attacked again.

Fortunately Kei manage to block it.

"My, My~ You're quite skilled, your guts might have a goo-"

"El Huma!"

Before the killer could finish, ice shards were fired at, to which she weaved and dodged.

Before she can attack again, a sword aimed at her neck, she barely managed to block it but was knocked back.

"Check Subaru's condition I'll hold her back."

With a nod Emilia checked Subaru's wound. To her horror he had already lost a lot of blood.

She used her spirit arts to save him, but unfortunately he was beyond saving.

"… E.mil…ia."

Subaru uttered out to Emilia, he stretched out his hand as his eyes begin to lose light.

Grasping his bloodied hand as tears begin to fall on her cheek.

"Please… Don't die please."

As Emilia was weeping, Kei was contending with the killer. Right now he was on the defensive barely blocking and deflecting her slashes.

As he lands a kick to her abdomen making back off he prepares to unleash a powerful strike.

That was… until everything stopped… And darkness enveloped everything.

As everything became enveloped in darkness, a single grim and curious thought surfaced in his mind.

'What will happen next.'