In hindsight, he should have been better prepared for this moment.
Subaru had expected this reunion; he knew that once he arrived in the village, it was guaranteed he would eventually see Emilia.
He knew what he had to do; to apologize to her, to express his regret for his actions in the capital and seek her forgiveness. However, he hadn't made any preparations, intending instead to speak from the heart, just as he had done with Rem.
But now? He was feeling nervous. With her standing right in front of him, the words just clogged his throat and wouldn't come out.
Should he start from the get go and apologize? Or should he put it off for later? Well, Regardless of his indecision, he couldn't leave her hanging.
"Hey! Emilia! It's… really nice to see you again," he greeted the half-elf with a warm smile.
She wore her signature white and purple dress, and her simple hairstyle decorated with the small white flower only highlighted her stunning features. It made his heart skip a beat.
Great, now he was feeling more nervous.
He had taken down one of Lugunica's strongest knights, defeated twenty-six of them in quick succession and killed the White Whale, yet here he was, unable to maintain his cool in front of Emilia.
How does that make any sense?
"Yeah, it is," she responded, her voice lacking the usual cheerfulness. She seemed anxious, her gaze fixed on the ground for some reason.
'Oh, right. She must have heard about the witch cult being around,' he thought. That had to be the reason for her unease, he concluded.
Unbeknownst to him, the reason for Emilia's nervous attitude was not because of the witch cult, which although did concern her, was not the main cause.
The reason was rather simple: him.
When she learned about the cult's appearance, she hurried to meet Subaru, to make sense of this sudden and frightening situation—especially why the cult was targeting her.
Deep down, she was aware of the reason: there was only one explanation for why those deranged fanatics would target her. And that was because of her resemblance to the Witch of Envy, the one who had wreaked havoc upon the world, and she was an unfortunate soul to bear that likeness.
She wanted to talk to Subaru to make heads of the entire situation, but as soon as she called out to him, nerves and fluster flooded in.
She knew that Subaru was deeply hurt by her departure from the capital. She recognized how much he cherished and enjoyed their time together, and she felt the same way.
Now, however? She was at a loss for words and unsure how to approach him. Should she apologize? Or should she set it aside and focus on the important issue?
'Come on, Emilia! Don't just stand there; say something! Clear the air like Puck always told you before!' she resolved herself, summoning the courage to express what she wanted to say.
"…The sky is really beautiful today, isn't it?"
"…What?"
Seeing the confused look on his face, Emilia wished nothing more than the ground to swallow her whole, just to escape from the awkwardness.
She knew her face was as red as blood from blushing so intensely.
She could confidently deliver speeches in front of those who would determine her suitability for leadership, and she had stood her ground against a mob of angry villagers, yet she couldn't even manage a simple apology to him?
How does that make any sense?
Fortunately, God answered her prayer, sending her a pink-haired savior to rescue her from this awkward situation.
"Ram would rather have her eyes poked out by a Witch Cultist than witness this pathetic conversation again," came the unimpressed and bored voice of Roswaal's most trusted maid, Ram, who scoffed at the cringe-worthy exchange. Next to her stood her imouto, Rem.
Subaru beamed at the familiar face he hadn't seen in a week. "Ram! It's great to see you! You didn't miss little ol' me, did you?" he teased, fluttering his eyelashes.
She rolled her eyes at his antics. "For the first time in a month, the mansion was peaceful and quiet without your annoying presence, Barasu."
"I didn't hear you deny it, so you DO miss me!" he declared, hugging himself and reveling in the thought that Ram actually cared about him.
Ram was ready to deliver a comeback so sharp it would make Reinhard bleed, Rem interjected in the worst possible way.
"Rem can sense through their synesthesia how relieved her Nee-sama is to see you, Subaru-kun!"
If it hadn't been her sweet little sister saying that, she would have shown the speaker the full wrath of the oni clan.
As much as Ram wanted to deny it, there was a tiny, small, atom-sized part of her that missed Barasu. Only because he had grown into a capable butler, which she begrudgingly acknowledged.
Thanks to his growth, she could afford to slackoff—take more tea breaks while he handled her workload.
That's the ONLY reason she missed him. Anyone who claims otherwise is a big fat liar.
"If you're finished with the jokes, could you please explain to Ram what's happening?" Ram's question with her serious expression snapped everyone back to reality.
"Right. As I'm sure Rem told you, the Witch Cult is in town. I've arranged for help to evacuate the villagers while we handle the threat," he informed the maid.
"And how did you find out the Witch Cult is attacking the mansion?"
"My eyes. It's quite obvious," he replied, gesturing to his six eyes.
Ram still found it difficult to believe that his eyes could truly see what he claimed, but so far the evidence seemed to support his claim, making her more inclined to trust him.
"I understand. And where did you find this help, Barasu? How did you hire what looks like a small army?" she asked the question that's been nagging at her mind.
"They're with Crusch, one of the candidates for the throne. I'm sure you remember her, Emilia," he said, surprising the half-elf.
"Crusch? Oh! You mean the one with green hair?" she asked, recalling the duchess who aimed to end the covenant with the dragon.
He nodded, "Yes, that's her. It's a long story, but let's just say I helped her out of a tough spot, and now she owes me a favor, which is why she's helping us."
Ram wore a thoughtful expression, a brief flash of recognition that went unnoticed by the others. "I see... And where are you taking the villagers for evacuation?"
"To Crusch's mansion. It's not far, and she can accommodate them for a few days until this whole Witch Cult mess settles down."
"Actually, there's another place they can go," Ram suddenly interjected, piquing Subaru's interest.
"Oh? What place is that?" he asked.
This time, it was Rem who responded. "What Nee-sama means is a place called 'The Sanctuary.' It's a small village."
Subaru had never heard of it before, and judging by Emilia's expression, she hadn't either.
"How safe is it?" Emilia was the one to ask.
Through the conversation she was silent, catching her cool, but now She wasn't going to sit back and let Subaru handle everything; she was determined to take charge of the situation too!
"It's very safe, Emilia-sama. It's deep within the Forest of Kremaldy, which makes it an isolated, secure place," Rem explained.
Subaru and Emilia's faces lit up at this information. "If that's the case, we can just move the entire village there!" he exclaimed.
There was no need to relocate them far away for days; they could simply take them there and bring them back before midnight!
Ram shook her head in response. "That's not possible. The Sanctuary is too small to accommodate that many people. Ram will take some of the villagers, while the rest will go to Crusch-sama's mansion. That's the best way to go about it."
Just like that, his enthusiasm was extinguished. 'Damn it! I can't have everything go easy on me for once, can I?' he thought. Why do so many things have to be so complicated?
Sighing, he replied, "Alright, we'll follow your plan."
He then faced Emilia, saying, "Emilia, I'm sorry to say this, but I need you to go with the villagers as well."
"W-what?! Why?!" she exclaimed, clearly upset by the suggestion.
Subaru looked at her with concern. "As much as it pains me to say this, the reason they are here is because of you, Emilia."
"I know that!" she replied firmly, surprising him a little. "I know they're after me, but I refuse to hide and run away! I want to defend the villagers and stand up against those villains!"
Subaru had come with an army to protect her and Alarm village, and he had clearly put in a lot of effort. Meanwhile, what had she done? Nothing but wallow in self-pity, like a caged little princess.
He had always encouraged her to be courageous, to face challenges head-on so she could learn and grow, both as an individual and eventually as a leader.
It was time to put an end to her self-pity and her sadness over Puck. She couldn't afford to remain in a self-imposed shell of depression when the situation was sensitive; she would take firm action to ensure everyone's safety.
She would not be a burden to anyone!
"Emilia…" he started, trailing off. He loved the determination in her eyes; they were the eyes of a leader, someone who would boldly declare they could move mountains and actually do it without hesitation.
However, her involvement would only complicate matters.
"As much as I would love for you to help us, you really need to evacuate with the villagers."
"But—!"
"Emilia, just look over there for a moment." He interrupted her, pointing to the villagers boarding the carriages.
"They've put their trust in my words and my promise of their safety to evacuate, but I can still see fear in their eyes. That's why I want you to go with them. You've already saved some of them before, and they really like you. Your presence will help calm them down. Plus, you can protect them if any cultists manage to slip in."
Emilia bit her lip, torn between her desire to stay and help and the correct course of action.
Emilia hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed. "Fine, I'll do as you say."
Subaru beamed at her. "Thank you, Emilia. I knew I could rely on you."
He then addressed the group, "Alright, you all know what to do. Ram, take some villagers with you. Emilia, you'll stay at the head of the caravan en route to Crush's mansion and protect everyone. Rem, I need you to stay at the village and keep a lookout during the evacuation and keep tabs on any… suspicious merchants." They all nodded in understanding.
As each one dispersed to carry out their task, Subaru gently placed a hand on Emilia's shoulder before she could leave.
"And Emilia, once this is all over, we need to have a conversation. A serious conversation, alright?"
She met his gaze, and he met hers. There was a lot that needed to be said, but now was not the right time for it.
"Alright."
With that, everyone set off to accomplish their task, and to fight back against the Witch Cult.
Said cult had no idea what was coming their way.
---------------------------------
Shortly after his meeting with Emilia, Subaru made his way to the village's head house. Inside were the ones who were leading this strike force; Crusch, Wilhelm, and Felix. In the center of the living room lay a map detailing the village and the nearby woods.
With his Six Eyes, Subaru detected several cultists through their Od's scattered throughout the forest, likely scouts based on his observations.
He marked the two locations where he spotted the largest groups of cultists. To avoid alerting them to the evacuation and potential attack, they decided to split their forces and attack them.
Wilhelm and Crusch would fight one group, while Subaru would take on the larger one by himself.
Felix, in place of his lady, would oversee the evacuation of the villagers and would start the process once the cultist scouts were dealt with.
Felix voiced his concerns about his lady going out with only Wilhelm as her backup, suggesting she take some of her men along. However, she shot down his suggestion, but the cat kept pressing on about how dangerous this could be on her.
It was only after Subaru reassured Felix that she would be safe that the stubborn cat finally stood down.
This all led Subaru to find himself in a small clearing, hands in his pockets and a lazy smirk on his face. In front of him stood about twenty witch cultists, all brandishing their weapons and glaring at him through their hoods.
"Yo! I came to deliver some pizza. Which one of ya nasty fuckers ordered pineapple as a topping? Do you even realize how disgusting that is?"
At that moment, Subaru might as well have been speaking a foreign language, as no one responded.
"Jeez, no reaction? Talk about a tough crowd." He sighed a bit, wondering why his jokes never landed.
Before he could make any more jokes drier than the Sahara, the cultists sprang into action. The nearest cult member lunged at him, swinging a curved dagger aimed at his throat.
Subaru quickly dodged the sideways slash, ducking just in time to drive his fist into the cultist's stomach, resulting in a sickening crunch and a pained scream.
"Jumping right into the action, huh? I respect that," he said with a grin, grabbing the cultist by the arm and spinning him around to strike two others who had leaped to attack, sending them sprawling.
He then slammed the cultist to the ground, creating web-like cracks in the earth. Before the disoriented cultist could react, Subaru stomped down hard on his head, which popped open like a balloon.
The gruesome display caused the other cultists to hesitate for a moment, a reaction Subaru quickly noticed.
"What? Did you think I wouldn't kill you?" he taunted, a dangerous smile spreading across his face, radiating an aura of death as cursed energy leaked from him.
"I've heard about the shit you guys do. All of it. Let me make one thing clear: expect no mercy from me. The only way you're leaving this forest is in a body bag."
His declaration, combined with the tense atmosphere, would have made lesser men tremble in fear. Yet, whether out of zeal or sheer madness, the cultists remained unfazed by his threat.
They all charged at him, and he met the challenge head-on, moving faster than they could react. He reached the first cultist just as he began to respond to Subaru's quick approach.
With a swift punch to the throat, he crushed the cultist's windpipe with a sickening crunch. Choking sounds escaped the cultist as he clutched his throat, but Subaru didn't stop there; he delivered a powerful kick that sent the cultist flying, knocking another one down in the process.
Subaru sidestepped a thrust from a blade behind him, grabbed the attacker's hand, and elbowed his arm, breaking it. The cultist cried out in pain, but his scream was quickly silenced when Subaru seized his dagger and plunged it into his head.
In an instant, he pivoted and thrust his hand forward, sending the dagger soaring through the air. It struck a cultist right through the hood and into the eye, piercing the brain and resulting in a near-instant death.
"Come on, is that the best you can do?!" he taunted, provoking the cultists further.
Two cultists stood off to the side, their hands extended outward with palms facing Subaru, their muffled voice chanting, "El Goa!"
Suddenly, two massive fireballs appeared and shot toward Subaru at breakneck speed. He simply watched as they approached, getting closer and closer…
Then, he vanished.
The two cultists blinked in confusion, where did he go?
They suddenly felt a wave of heat approaching and looked up to see the same two fireballs hurtling back toward them.
Before they could react, the fireballs struck true, reducing them to ashes.
"What kind of an idiot are you to not have protection against your own spells?," he scoffed from the same spot where the two had just perished.
His question went unanswered, but it hardly mattered as his fist blurred to the side, catching a cultist attempting to sneak up on him. The blow smashed through the cultist's face, killing him instantly.
In less than a minute, five cultists had fallen, leaving fourteen still standing and suffocating to death.
The remaining cultists seemed to realize their predicament, growing more hesitant to attack him directly. They understood the threat he posed, which he considered a wise move.
So, they devised a plan to attack him from afar and avoid a direct confrontation.
A barrage of spells—ranging from fire to ice, earth to wind—were unleashed toward him, but he dodged them with ease.
Once he had weaved through the onslaught, Subaru teleported behind one of the cultists, seized her neck, and snapped it swiftly, ending her life.
He then ducked under a hammer strike and rolled away as more spells were hurled in his direction. Meeting a charging cultist head-on, he quickly entered his guard and thrust his arm forward, piercing the cultist's chest.
After kicking the lifeless body aside, he leaped to avoid a downward strike aimed at him, which could have split him in two.
Subaru countered with a backhand that stunned the cultist, then seized him and used him as a makeshift shield against the incoming wind and ice magic, all while shouting in defiance.
The sight of one of their own being used as a human shield caused the other cultists to hesitate, fearing they might accidentally hit him.
Or so Subaru thought.
To his surprise, they showed no signs of stopping or hesitating as more spells were shot, indifferent to their comrade's fate, who now resembled a voodoo doll with numerous gaping holes.
'I knew these people were fucked up in the head, but to do this shit to one of their own with no hesitation is just…Barbaric' he thought, discarding the corpse.
This brutal display only reinforced their notorious reputation for cruelty. If they had no regard for their own members, what would they do to the common folk? Women and children? The elderly? The disabled?
'They have to die. All of them,' he resolved, his eyes sharpened as he continued his assault. One by one, the cult's scouts fell, regardless of their tactics or spells; none could withstand his onslaught.
They were so weak that using cursed techniques or magic against them would be a waste, even if the cost was next-to-nothing for him.
"And now, there's only one left…" he said, trailing off as he focused on the last cultist, who appeared to be a dog demi-human based on his features.
He had intentionally spared him for a specific reason, intrigued by something he had seen on his Od.
"What can you do? Got any tricks or techniques up your sleeve, or…?"
"…"
"Is this the silence of denial or the 'I-won't-talk-to-you' kind?"
"…"
"Hello? Subaru to cultist, can you hear me? Blink twice if you're there."
"…"
"Maaan, I hate the silent treatment. You cultists are so boring—" he paused, sensing a slight tremor beneath him, accompanied by a scraping noise that grew louder.
Suddenly, two massive columns of earth, resembling small apartment buildings, surged toward him from both sides, and before he could react, he was trapped between them. A loud crash echoed, sending a cloud of brown dirt into the air.
The demi-human cultist fell to his knees, gasping for air. He had been gearing up his mana to cast his most powerful spell, one that demanded a significant amount of mana and time, and fortunately, he had both.
Regaining his breath, the cultist stood up, the immediate threat neutralized. He needed to report back to the archbishop before—
"Bang."
That was the last sound he heard before everything went dark, a sizable hole through his forehead.
Subaru raised his handgun to his mouth and blew on it. "Not bad! I'll give you two out of ten for the effort. That spell really took a toll on you."
With the twentieth and final cultist dispatched, he could now join Wilhelm and Crusch to take down the Archbishop together.
But first…
"Sorry for the gruesome scene, but in my defense, they had it coming."
Before Subaru stood a large wooden spike, surrounded by firewood. It was clear enough to anyone that it was a stake made for burning people, and there was indeed someone bound to it.
Dressed in green with a dark green cloak held together by a red ribbon, the young man had grey hair, likely a result of this world's unusual hair colors. His bright blue eyes were wide with shock and fear.
It was clear he was terrified of him.
He raised his hand in a playful gesture of surrender, saying, "Take it easy, I'm not here to hurt you. Actually, I'm here to help. Let me cut you down."
He approached the man, broke the spike, and quickly untied the rope that had been used to gag him, freeing the piece of fabric stuffed in his mouth.
"A.. Ah… Th… Thank you… I can't express how grateful I really am. I really thought I was going to die!" the man gasped, tears brimming in his eyes, whether from fear or relief was uncertain.
"Don't mention it, it's part of the gig," he replied, flashing a smile and giving a thumbs up.
"By the way, what's your name? Mine's Natsuki Subaru," he asked.
The man took a moment to catch his breath. "I'm Otto… Otto Suwen."
"Alright, Otto. Here's the deal: I need to get to the nearest village; we're in the process of evacuating everyone there. Look for a cat-eared knight named Felix. Just mention my name, and he'll help you. But be careful—there are still many cultists around."
Otto focused on the last part, understanding what he meant. "Wait, you're not coming with me?!"
"No, I have this pest of an archbishop to deal with—"
"AN ARCHBISHOP?!" Otto exclaimed, his voice so loud that he was sure even Satoru Gojo could hear him from the other world.
"If you can shout so loud, then put that energy in your legs, dumbass! Get moving!"
He stood up Otto and gave him a light shove, causing him to yelp but maintain his balance.
"O-okay! T-thank you so much for saving me, Natsuki-san!" he called out as he hurried away from the scene..
Subaru heaved a sigh of relief. With Otto now gone, he could wait and regroup with Crusch and Wilhelm to—
Suddenly, he heard a loud thud. Turning around, he saw Otto on the ground, looking dazed, his eyes swirling like a cartoon character.
Right, he had put up a Curtain beforehand.
'Oops.'