Finally over(Ch:5)

"That was awesome!" Subaru cheered from the sidelines.

"You should've done that sooner!" Felt added.

A short distance away, Emilia knelt beside Rom, her hands glowing softly as she channeled healing magic into his wound. Subaru and Felt stood nearby, keeping their eyes on the fight.

Much to Felt's relief, Rom's injuries weren't fatal. With enough time, Emilia would be able to heal him completely.

Meanwhile, Kaeya observed as Elsa's severed arm began to mend.

"Regeneration?" he muttered.

Elsa flexed her fingers, rolling her wrist as her smile returned. "Yes... But that was interesting. It took longer than usual. What exactly did you do?"

Kaeya raised his sword. "Who knows."

With the others now safely out of range, he had room to unleash more powerful magic. Shifting his stance, his blade began to glow with a swirling green energy. A sharp gust of wind spiraled around him, whipping through the air.

Elsa's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "Oh, this is new. What are you going to show me now?"

Both fighters took their stances.

"The Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert," she introduced herself, grinning.

"Kaeya."

Elsa smirked—and lunged.

Before she could reach him, Kaeya swung his sword.

A roaring blast of wind erupted from the blade, tearing through the air and engulfing half the loot house in an explosion of debris. Elsa vanished within the destruction.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Subaru yelled at the sheer force of the wind which was out to send him flying. Felt, clinging to him, didn't help either.

"You're a monster!" Subaru shouted at Kaeya.

"This is but a fraction of my power."

Subaru gawked at the wreckage. "Seriously!? There's not a shadow of her left, let alone a body!"

"It's over now?" 

"Yeah," Subaru replied. "One way or another."

His gaze drifted toward Emilia, and she noticed.

"Why are you staring at me? That's quite rude."

"Oh, just... you still have your arms and legs. And even your head."

"Of course I do! Don't say such scary things."

"Yeah, you're right. It's obvious, huh?"

"You're saying it like... like that kind of thing has actually happened."

Subaru chuckled nervously. "Oh, yeah. Kaeya—I still haven't thanked you. You saved my ass!"

Kaeya gave a small nod. "You're welcome."

But then, his sharp ears picked up rapid footsteps approaching—fast. His gaze snapped toward the source.

Emilia, Subaru, and Felt followed his line of sight just as a figure burst into view.

A tall man with red hair arrived at the scene, his eyes scanned the destruction.

"What's going on here?"

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"I'm glad everyone is unharmed," Reinhard said after listening to what had happened.

He had been walking through the streets when he heard a loud commotion. Following the noise, he stumbled upon the aftermath of the battle.

Suddenly, the rubble behind Emilia shifted.

"Subaru!" Reinhard shouted, warning him for the incoming attack.

From beneath the debris, Elsa emerged—battered, bloodied, but still gripping her dagger. Her usual amused expression was gone, replaced with pure irritation and anger.

Without hesitation, she lunged at Emilia.

Subaru reacted instantly, swinging Rom's bat.

"She'll go for the gut!" he yelled. Just as he predicted, her blade shot straight for his stomach, and he barely managed to block in time.

"You got in my way," Elsa growled.

"That's enough!" Reinhard stepped between them, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword—even though it was not going to be drawn.

Elsa clicked her tongue and flipped back, landing lightly on a broken section of the roof. Her eyes swept over them, lingering for a moment on Kaeya before she smirked.

"I'll disembowel you all soon enough," she said. "Take care of your bowels until then."

With that, she disappeared into the night.

Reinhard turned to Emilia. "Are you alright?"

"Well, I'm fine, but that doesn't matter! More importantly—" she spun toward Subaru. "Are you okay? That was far too reckless!"

Subaru scratched the back of his head with a forced smile.

"Y-Yeeeah... T-That was nothing. That was exactly the time to act reckless, ya know? I was the only one who could move, and I knew right away where she would strike."

He raised a hand to reassure her, but as Emilia stepped closer, his grin faltered. He rubbed his abdomen and hesitated before lifting his jersey. Underneath, his skin was dark purple.

"Ugh," he grimaced before quickly covering it up. Using his momentum, he rolled onto his side and pushed himself up.

"She's really gone this time, right?" Subaru asked.

"Yeah," Kaeya replied.

Subaru turned back to Emilia. Their eyes met.

She shifted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but before she could—

Subaru thrust a finger into the sky.

With his left hand on his hip and his right hand dramatically raised, he ignored the confused stares of those around him and loudly declared:

"My name is Natsuki Subaru! I know there's tons of things you want to say and tons of things you want to ask, but set that aside for now and hear me out!"

"W-What...?"

"Just now, I saved your life by protecting you from that evil blade! Are we okay on that?!"

"O-Okay...?"

"Meaning, is that clear? So, are we okay on that?!"

"I was the one who did all the fighting, though," Kaeya interjected.

"Come on, wasn't I the one who asked you to come with me in the first place? Tell her!"

Kaeya shrugged. "Yeah."

'It was actually my idea to come with you,' he thought, but he didn't say it aloud. Instead, he let Subaru have his moment. After all, Subaru had literally died once to save her. No one else here could say they'd done that.

"Anyway!" Subaru continued. "The one who rescued you—the hero of the day—was me... and him." He motioned toward Kaeya. "So naturally, I deserve a fitting reward, right? Right?!"

Emilia sighed, but her lips curved into a faint smile. "I get it. Only if it's something I can do, though."

"Alright then, I have but one wish—just a single one."

Subaru raised a finger, emphasizing his words. Then he wiggled it, making Emilia shift slightly in nervous anticipation. 

"Right, my request—"

"Yeah?"

Snapping his fingers, he struck a confident pose.

"I want you to tell me your name."

Her eyes widened slightly.

Silence settled over them, and Subaru held his stance, ignoring the creeping embarrassment clawing at him. He had come too far to back down now.

For a moment, he braced himself—half-expecting an icy glare or maybe even an icicle to the face.

Instead—

"Fufu."

A soft giggle.

Emilia covered her lips, her silver hair swaying slightly as a warm smile spread across her face.

It wasn't a forced smile or a hesitant one. It wasn't a smile meant to conceal pain. It was a genuine, joyful smile.

"—Emilia."

"Eh..."

Hearing her name, Subaru could only let out a small gasp.

Emilia straightened her posture, her violet eyes twinkling. With a playful tilt of her head, she placed a finger to her lips.

"My name is Emilia. Just Emilia. Thank you, Subaru," she said, extending her hand.

Subaru hesitated, then slowly reached out.

Her fingers were slender, her palm small and delicate, yet terribly warm—a hand filled with life.

"―Thank you for saving me."

She wasn't the only one who wanted to say those words.

After all, she had saved him first.

'So that really was her name, huh?' Kaeya thought.

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Subaru lightly pressed his sore abdomen, wincing slightly, then pointed at the club on the floor.

The spiked club had made for an excellent shield, just as its thick and sturdy appearance suggested. That may not have been its intended use, but it had done the job.

"It's because I managed to block with that right away. If I hadn't... well, my torso would be in two pieces right now."

"Right, if it weren't for this—"

He wouldn't have been able to avoid BAD END 2.

Subaru chuckled casually. Reinhard smiled along with him as he picked up the club—

"huh?"

In his hand, the weapon shifted. A dull sound echoed as part of it slid cleanly off, severed by a smooth, precise cut.

Now split in two, its days of service were over.

Reinhard's smile faded. His gaze slowly drifted to Subaru, eyes filled with something close to regret.

Subaru followed his stare, an unsettling feeling creeping up his spine. Swallowing, he hesitantly rolled up his jersey.

Just as before, his torso was completely purple from bruising. But now—there was something else.

A thin red line stretched across his abdomen.

"Ah... yeah. This is bad," Subaru muttered. "Even I can tell what happens next."

The sharp pain arrived first.

Then—

A deep slash tore through his torso.

Blood erupted from the wound, soaking his clothes in an instant. The air was filled with the metallic scent of iron.

"—Hey, Subaru?!"

Emilia's panicked voice rang beside him.

His vision tilted. His body must have collapsed.

Somewhere in the blur, he caught sight of Reinhard and Kaeya, both looking alarmed. Emilia's face was the closest, her expression twisted in sorrow.

'—Ah, even when she's panicking, she's cute. A true parallel world fantasy.'

That fleeting thought was his last.

Pain and shock surged over him like a crashing wave, dragging him into the abyss of unconsciousness.

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"That should do it for now," Kaeya said as the bright glow from his hands faded. Subaru's wound looked much better than before.

With Subaru stabilized, Reinhard turned to Kaeya.

"So, along with fighting, you're a capable healer as well?"

Kaeya shrugged. "I wouldn't say I'm proficient in healing, but I suppose it comes in handy in situations like these."

Reinhard nodded, then glanced around at the wreckage of the loot house.

"You brought down the entire place," he said with a chuckle. "With that level of strength, you could be one of the kingdom's top knights."

"I'll take that as a compliment—though I wouldn't call myself the knightly type."

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Now that Subaru was stable, Emilia let out a relieved breath and turned toward the blonde girl. Sensing the attention on her, the girl looked up warily.

"Is that old man your family?"

Emilia crouched to meet her gaze as she asked the question.

The girl blinked, momentarily dumbfounded. That probably wasn't the kind of question she expected. Even Reinhard, who wasn't familiar with their situation, could tell their relationship wasn't exactly warm.

Scratching her cheek, the girl hesitated before muttering, "S-Something like that. To me, Old Man Rom is my only... Yeah, something like a grandpa, I guess."

"I see," Emilia replied. "I've only got one family member too. He's always asleep when it matters... Not that I'd ever say that while he's awake."

"Yeah, I couldn't say this sort of thing if Rom was awake either," the girl admitted.

Her fingers, which had been idly tapping Rom's head, suddenly pressed harder—almost like she was embarrassed. The pace of her tapping increased, and his bald head was beginning to turn red.

Then, with a hesitant look in her red eyes, she murmured, "I thought you'd be way harsher."

"I suppose you would," Emilia said with a small smile. "Maybe I would have, before... But right now, I don't feel like it."

She shrugged, as if brushing aside an old habit.

"You saved my life. I can't just act ungrateful. I'll return what I stole. If it's important to you, make sure you keep it safe next time."

"It's funny hearing that warning from you," Emilia said, amused.

Felt held up the insignia in her palm for Emilia to take.

Just as Emilia reached for it—

Reinhard's hand shot out, gripping Felt's wrist.

"Reinhard?"

"Ow! You're hurting me! Let go!" Felt protested, struggling.

Kaeya stepped closer to the group, slightly confused. "What's with you all of a sudden?"

Reinhard glanced at him before speaking. "I'm afraid this is a matter of great importance and cannot be overlooked." Then, turning his gaze back to Felt, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Fe-Felt..."

"And your family name? How old are you?"

"I don't have anything fancy like a family name!" Felt snapped. "I'm... about fifteen, I think? I don't know my birthday. Look, just let me go!"

Reinhard's expression grew serious as he turned to Emilia.

"Emilia-sama, I need to take this girl with me."

"May I ask why?" Emilia's brows furrowed. "If it's just for stealing the insignia—"

"That is no small crime," Reinhard admitted. "But it's trivial compared to the gravity of what I've just discovered."

He looked back at Felt. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to refuse."

"Get over yourself! Just because you're a—"

Before she could finish, Reinhard raised his palm. In an instant, Felt collapsed, unconscious.

"Emilia-sama," he said, handing her the insignia, "I will likely be calling upon you again soon. I hope you understand."

Emilia nodded, her expression laced with concern.

And with that, Reinhard left the scene, carrying the unconscious Felt with him.

"Well that was something." Kaeya said trying to break through the awkward silence.

whoosh

"Yes—" Emilia's words halted mid sentence as her gaze landed upon, Kaeya's uncovered visage.

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