Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

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Against a night sky the color of obsidian—black, yet tinged with a hint of purple—it looked dark, but not overwhelmingly so. The Moon shone with a silvery luster, dimly illuminating the firmament of the Land of the Rising Sun.

It stood out from the stars, which, though they sparkled with greater intensity, were not nearly as immense as the Earth’s satellite appeared to be, despite them being massively larger than that celestial body which once formed part of the Earth itself.

Countless stars could be seen, mere pinpoints of light to the people who, by observing them in the past, had created a myriad of asterisms and constellations...

Imaginary methods of grouping these stars to form figures, shapes, and symbols that represented all sorts of concepts: gods, dragons, heroes, mythological beings—as fantastic as they were wondrous.

To some, perhaps this made no sense at all; stargazing had become an archaic act, as it was far more interesting to explore space itself. However, to the average person, neither mattered in the least; they only cared about their own lives—so mundane, ephemeral, and filled with vice, sin, and selfishness.

However, this was not the case for a certain Japanese youth whose given name—derived from the Star Cluster in the Constellation of Taurus, specifically northwest of Orion's Belt, accompanied by Aldebaran who was following closely after it—had led him to take an interest in space and its stars, learning their names, etymologies, histories, and so on.

This same boy, Subaru, son of Ken'ichi Natsuki and Naoko Natsuki, now seventeen years old, found himself that very night at his favorite convenience store.

It was his favorite not because he liked the store itself, the products they carried, or the clerks who worked there, but because he liked to go there to hide—from reality, his reality...

The reality of being the son of that man. That was why he preferred it over other stores that might have been better or even closer; this was his only favorite, for it was a place where he could exist without being Ken'ichi's son and could simply be Subaru Natsuki...

Clumsily picking up one of the display manga from the shelf, he read it briefly, scanning every page and panel as if he had more pairs of eyes than he actually did, before proceeding to put it back in its place.

"I see... so that's how they hook you on this..." he muttered, tossing out a comment as if to himself.

A brief moment later, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a couple walking past the window, which only led him to let out a silent sigh.

After that, he set about seeing what groceries he should buy, though with what he had, it would barely be enough for a simple snack.

"Not the Natto one..." he murmured, grabbing the corn pottage next to it instead.

He approached the counter, placing his purchases on the desk. They were then scanned by the cashier, who immediately requested payment after stating the price.

"That will be 365 yen..."

"Sure" he replied, reaching for the money, noticing he had an old 10-yen coin before handing the cash to the employee.

With that done, he left the store to begin walking toward his home—or at least, he intended to. He rubbed his eyes as he began to see things, stopping just before crossing the road that led to the station he needed to take.

"I guess anyone would start seeing things after staying up all night gaming..." he said his thoughts aloud again in a faint whisper, closing his eyes out of habit.

Upon opening them, he couldn't believe what he saw...

"Eh? What the hell..." he expressed in utter confusion, looking at the city he was in—very much like Medieval Europe—and to top it off, there were lizardmen, as well as people who looked like anthropomorphic animals.

"Don't tell me... it's that..." He made a dramatic pause—not on purpose, but because he needed that second of silence to process everything.

"I've been summoned to a parallel world!" he let out a hysterical shout, which immediately caused the most logical reaction people would have upon seeing someone screaming nonsense in the street: looks that condemned him to absolute madness, which soon ceased as they moved to ignore him.

．．．．．．．．．．．．❝The Moon Took Away The Uniter that Night❞ ．．．．．．．．．．．．

１．１

"So... I can understand what they're saying, but..." he said, looking at an illegible sign in a market that was obviously selling apples, "of course, I can't understand a single jot of whatever is written on this piece of wood..."

Subaru had been wandering since he arrived in this new world, getting lost among the crowds until he reached what seemed to be a commercial district. Filled with shop after shop, looking at the products and listening to the murmurs of the people around him, he ended up at a place that mostly sold fruit—specifically, one that had only apples.

Then, out of mere instinct, he decided to grab one of them, perhaps to check if they were truly the same as in his world, or maybe they were enchanted or something.

From that thought, a mental image formed of a golden apple glowing with a violet hue that screamed "this thing is enchanted, bro, and yes, this is a Minecraft Reference".

But before he could do so, he was interrupted by a voice that nearly deafened him...

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! Don't you try touching my appas without giving me at least five copper coins for them first!" a robust man with green hair shouted, suddenly approaching. Apparently, this was his shop.

"Appas? You mean apples, I guess..." he murmured with a drop of sweat on his forehead and the thought of "this world really is different, Sasuga isekai fantasy" swirling in his mind.

"Eh?" the man replied, confused. He was about to make a scene, but he held back, anticipating it was better to see if the kid would buy them; a customer was a customer, no matter what nonsense they said—if they pay, they’re a customer, regardless of how insane they are.

"I don't know if they're good here, but I only have a few yen on me right now, though I have a feeling they won't be worth anything..." he said, extending his hand with the yen in it while watching the man look at them.

"Eh!? What kind of money is that? You can't buy anything with that in Lugunica!" he replied, very angry.

"I figured as much..." he said with a sigh, putting his money back in his wallet, leaving the complaints about his Status as a protagonist in this world for later.

"Fine, if you don't have anything more than that, I can't let you just stand there looking at my appas"

"Sure" he replied. However, for some reason, he didn't react immediately... staying right there, staring at the appas...

"Wait, isn't that exactly what he said he didn't want me to do" he thought, realizing too late—too late to avoid what would happen.

"If you don't have money, get lost! You're scaring away my customers with those villainous eyes!" the man barked, growing angrier...

"Hey, I can't do anything about those, it's not like I can change my face... and besides, I got them from the coolest woman in the world, who makes the best mayonnaise in the world, so..." he stopped, not because he ran out of arguments, but because the memory of his parents hit him all at once.

His mind already knew; it had accepted it the moment he had shouted earlier, and the thought of it being true was too much for him. He felt guilt for having been happy to be in another world—one without his parents, without his father, one where people didn't know about Ken'ichi Natsuki.

Instead of feeling sad and helpless about ending up in a world where he would probably never see his parents again, he had felt happy and motivated because finally, perhaps, he could shine like the star he knew he was; one where people, upon looking at it, would see Subaru and not his father. In this new world, a world without his father, a world without his parents...

"Dad, Mom, I..." he murmured as tears fell from his face, and unable to hold it any longer, he immediately collapsed to the ground.

It was hard, concrete, but he felt it was what he deserved after being a bad son, and he thought in the last instant he remained conscious: "I really don't deserve to be their son..."

．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．

In the deepest depths of a person's mind lay the consciousness, which wandered in the infinite void that occupied its own existence. Consciousness usually has no one but itself, but some had an anomaly that allowed the opposite.

As his mental space held the consciousness of Subaru Natsuki, he was one of these anomalies—not due to a condition or disorder, but because of something given to him by some higher being. Thus, a voice expressing nothing of humanity spoke assertively in his space:

【I inform you that your mental space is being occupied right now; I do not believe it is prepared to house both of us for very long. I am sorry】

"Oh, wow, what a problem..."

【...】

"..."

【You accepted that faster than I anticipated. I assumed humans did not like mind invaders like me... But I see that is not the case.... Or it is only you, an anomaly among anomalies】

"Ah, in fact I don't care about any of this... Right now, I'm busy trying to feel worthy of even existing..."

【How depressing... Would you like me to try and cheer you up?】

"I don't know... Do whatever you want, as I said, I don't care..."

【I understand...】

It replied to think and analyze the situation. It wasn't its specialty, but it would try...

【Then, I suppose I will not be able to function well with a host in this state. I will use your memories to see what would excite you】

"..."

【Alright, information gathered... You are a great fan of Anime and Manga culture, known as a failed otaku, HIKI-NEET, and anti-shower】

"..."

【According to my conclusions, what would cheer you up now, in the 'isekai protagonist hero' situation you are in, is knowing about what I am, and what I provide you】

"..." Although he continued to say nothing, he showed a bit more interest, but not enough to respond.

【I am an effect of the 'gift' given to you without your consent, known as a 'Witch Factor' to some. Apparently, this evolved into me; the reasons for this are unknown... but I assure you it has not harmed your body in the slightest】

It paused, and the boy responded with another silence.

【Though perhaps the corrupted mana or miasma exhaled from your body might cause you some trouble with people who consider it something associated only with the apparent cult whose hobby is said to be worshiping our benefactress】

【Anyway... Basically, a Factor grants you an Authority, which is an ability capable of distorting reality itself... Are you interested in hearing about your Authority? That is, about me...?】

The last part was pronounced with a rather strange tone, terrifying to some. But Subaru didn't notice due to the state he was in...

"Fine... I'll listen, but if it doesn't convince me, I'll just get even more depressed..."

【Do not worry... I am the coolest Authority there is! I am an all-terrain model; I can give you any power or ability that exists】

It responded. It decided to use a feminine pronoun—doing so out of pure instinct.

"..." He waited for it to elaborate; it sounded too good to be true. But he didn't want to give himself false hopes.

【I can randomly grant you an ability on a temporary basis. The duration of the ability is random; you can exchange it for another as soon as its duration ends. Usually, weaker abilities last longer and more powerful ones last less. But there are some exceptions】

"So, I can get a cool power? Can I really be a hero in another world?" he asked out of mere reflex. He wanted anyone's approval, even if it was just an artificially created being.

【...】

【That will depend as much on your luck as on yourself. By the way, I can feel that you are about to be awakened】

"Eh?" At that moment, he felt as if his body on the outside was wet... It felt so sudden that he woke up immediately, thus leaving his mental space.

．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．

"Haidara!" He shouted as he felt the cold water all over his body...

"Kid, are you okay? Forget about the money... Take this" the man replied, holding an apple in his left hand and a glass with water in his right.

"Eh... Yeah" he answered, confused. He grabbed the glass and drank... He would eat the apple later. He processed the conversation he had earlier.

"..." He looked at him while analyzing him. He hadn't taken the time before, but the kid was definitely not someone you saw every day.

Black hair and brown eyes. He wore very strange clothes, but by the look of them, they must be quite expensive. Was he perhaps a foreign noble...? The kid would hardly be Vollachian, so he could only be from Gusteko...

His attitude changed too... He's acting much kinder... How much time passed since I lost consciousness...? Everything seems normal, it's unlikely anything interesting would happen in the commercial district...

【Less than fifteen minutes have passed. I suppose you are right about that... But, I sense that something is about to happen... Just in case, you should be prepared. Do you want me to activate my ability?】

Oh... Alright, what exactly is going to happen?

【Possibly a robbery】

Sure... I guess it must be pretty common here... What ability will I get?

【That remains to be seen...】

How nerve-wracking....

It sounds like a weird mix between a gacha machine and a roulette wheel... I hope it's not just a Detarame"Scam"...

〚−Toothpaste Creation−〛

"Eh?" he murmured upon hearing that nonsense...

【I believe the name explains itself... For two minutes you can create toothpaste; I recommend using your fingers for greater convenience】

"..." His reaction was as empty as his eyes. But then he was brought back to reality when he heard something.

Fussssh Classshh

They were ice icicles... He noticed a silver-haired girl chasing a blonde girl... She was going so fast he was surprised he had even managed to see her.

"Oh... So that was it" he replied. He only saw the back of the silver-haired girl, but it was enough for an idea to occur to him.

"Good grief... Again, huh?" the man said, a bit surprised by the use of magic more than anything.

"Oh, does it happen often...? Do you know who it could have been? That girl was very fast... I think she had blonde hair" he asked to try to get some information.

"You've got good eyes... It must be Felt, she lives in the Slums. It’s not a place you should go..." He replied, trying to sound menacing.

"Yeah. I know, at least I have some information... Thanks, Occhan! When I get some money I'll come back, I really appreciate it!" He replied, getting up and taking a bite of the apple.

"Ha. You'd better... Don't get into too much trouble, you pauper" he said jokingly.

"I'll try!" he said finally as he left. He knew what he had to do; he assumed it was the main quest...

【Only one minute remains... Maybe the toothpaste will be useful; I have no idea if they have anything like that in this world】

"Mmm. I guess I can store it in my bottle... Good thing I brought my backpack, it would be ridiculous to only have a shopping bag as a Starter Kit!" He said as he entered an alley. He left his things on some stairs while he emptied the water bottle.

Opening it, he used his new power to create toothpaste; it felt very strange... When he filled the bottle, he put it away. He assumed then that the time was up and confirmed it when nothing else came out...

【I feel a presence. Do you want to activate me again?】

"Yes. If I get another piece of nonsense, I'm going to have to name you Detarame-chan... I'll feel really ripped off!"

【I will pray that something a bit more useful comes out】

"I hope so" he said when he heard something coming toward him.

"Hey, brat! What are you muttering to yourself for, are you some kind of lunatic!" said a dwarf. He had a mushroom-like hairstyle; he looked very kickable.

"Yeah. You'd better not try anything funny, give us all your stuff" a robust man said. He was the most menacing of the three...

"What they said! Drop everything you've got" a lanky one added. He looked like Mahito, but definitely the Temu version...

"Great... they're the typical circus villains... If I don't get something useful, my power is definitely a scam"

〚−Music Record Creation−〛

"To hell with this! Am I supposed to throw them?!"

【That would be the best use for them. This ability lasts six minutes】

"Great!"

"..." The three of them fell silent upon seeing the strange guy in front of them talking to himself...

After deciding my strategy, I lunged for the big guy, taking advantage of them being distracted by seeing me act like a total nutcase. He blocked my attempt to kick him, but taking advantage of his arms being occupied, I extended my right arm to hurl a record at his face

As soon as he reacted, clutching his face by reflex, I kicked him in the balls with all my strength. As soon as he fell to the ground, I grabbed him by his center of gravity to toss him away. The other two were stunned, so I lunged at the lanky one

I cursed internally and backed away... Knives are very terrifying...

"W-What's wrong? W-Who's scared now!?" the lanky one replied, but it was clear he was trying to sound relaxed when he wasn't.

"T-That's right! Y-You better stop t-trying to play the hero" his companion added, clearly more scared than him...

Crap, what am I supposed to do? Throwing records at them would be useless; they don't do much damage and they already know I can throw them... Although I don't think they know what they are...

I thought they were going to be CDs, but they are vinyl records. That's a good thing, since they're harder and better for attacking... I never thought I'd be using vinyl records as if they were shurikens...

"Ouch. Dammit! Y-You're going to pay for that, you bastard!" Great...! He got up immediately after being thrown away, they are definitely stronger than they look.

"Heh. Looks like you finally understand the situation you're in... Since you hurt Ga— my partner, things are gonna go worse for you than before!" The one with the knives said.

"..." I cursed again in my mind. I couldn't handle the three of them at once; the biggest problem was the lanky guy with the knives...

【I recommend you retreat. I see no way you can defeat them】

I know that! At least can you have a mental map of the area or something? Since you're able to know when something is about to happen, Detarame-chan!

【I am sorry, I am not capable of such a thing... By the way, someone is approaching. I believe it is the girl from before, the one who was robbed by the blonde girl】

"Stop right there! You'd better return what you stole!" a voice that sounded like silver bells rang out. Though I already knew who it was, I was still surprised.

Not only was she a pretty girl, but the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Sasuga isekai fantasy! She's even cuter up close~

"O-Oneesan! I—" I was interrupted by the voice in my head.

【Someone with malicious intent toward you is approaching. It is the blonde girl; it is likely she is going to rob you】

"Eh!?" I didn't have time to react; just as Detarame-chan said, the blonde girl stole my flip phone...

I had it in my pockets and she still snatched it out of there at high speed... This girl is the real deal...

"Hey!" I complained, unable to do anything.

"..." Everyone present fell silent...

What just happened...?

Lia. That was the person who stole that insignia from you earlier; she just took something from that guy over there.

Oh... Thanks, Puck. So she's the thief... Which means I have no time to lose here!

"Great...! I just lost something invaluable, at least they can't unlock it..." the boy murmured. Then he remembered what he was about to say.

"O-Onesan, I was going to tell you that we weren't the culprits. But I guess I don't need to explain..."

"How did you know about that" she replied, trying to sound threatening.

"I saw it. I was planning to see if I could help you... The girl's name is Felt and she's from the Slums" He replied truthfully. But I averted his gaze slightly.

"Mmm" she judged him with her gaze. But she was interrupted by a voice that appeared out of thin air.

"He's not lying... But it's up to you if we trust him" the spirit cat replied as he appeared, to Subaru's surprise and the thugs' terror.

"Well, I think—"

"A-A spirit arts user!" the dwarf interrupted the girl, trembling as he spoke.

"Great! Then why don't you help me with these guys...? I was having some trouble dealing with them..." He replied, embarrassed.

"Ha. I can tell you're lying slightly. They were too much for you" he said to tease him. He felt the urge to do it, as if he were programmed for it.

"N-Not at all! These guys are only dangerous because they have knives... Being unarmed, I can't do much!" He respond nervously.

"Yeah, yeah. So... what do we do, Lia?" he asked his daughter and contractor.

"It seems he can be useful to us. Helping him will benefit us" she answered, being as kind and naive as ever...

"Right! You heard her...! If you don't want to be cursed for the next hundred years... you'd better run!" He answered threateningly. Despite being a flying kitty, he can be very scary when he puts his mind to it.

"It's not worth it!"

"T-This isn't over!"

"N-Next time you w-won't be so lucky"

After saying that, TonChinKan fled at an impressive speed. It seemed they were experts at running and hiding...

"Phew... Thanks, uh... L-Lia-san?" He replied, embarrassed. He didn't know if it was her real name or just a nickname...

"Ah. I'm... E— Elia. Just Elia, I don't have a last name" she replied; for some reason, she decided not to say her real name. She didn't want to involve a stranger in all this trouble...

【She is lying. I have the feeling that Lia must be a nickname based on the end of her name. She must be named Amelia, Amalia, Malia, Emilia, Natalia, Julia, Cecilia, Aurelia, Thalia, Celia, Cordelia, Cornelia, Lilia, Magnolia, Delia, Ofelia, Rosalia, Adalia, Noelia, or Camelia】

Oh... Considering she stammered the E, then she must be named Emilia...

"I see... Nice to meet you, Emilia! I'm Subaru... Subaru Natsuki! Not only am I not lying when I say my name, but I'm also a complete ignorant who just had the only valuable object he had stolen!" He replied to tease her. Striking his legendary pose, which consisted of abnormally bending his arm and pointing a finger toward the stars.

"Eh!?" she replied, surprised and embarrassed. Like a child caught doing something naughty by her parents...

"Wow... I didn't think you had the ability to read minds... You're even weirder than I thought" the cat who definitely deserves to be neutere replied indifferently as he always did...

"Ha. I've always been the terror of Game Masters! That's why they always kicked me out of DnD campaigns!" He replied, using terms he knew they wouldn't understand... Puffing out his chest proudly and pointing to himself.

"Y-You're very strange... S-Sorry for lying to you... Uh... N-Natsuki" she replied, embarrassed.

"Oh...! So, Western naming order... My last name is Natsuki, Subaru is my name" He corrected. From now on he would say his name backward, even if it sounded too strange to him.

"Ah. S-Sorry! S-Subaru...." she replied, feeling even more embarrassed.

"It's alright. You're apologizing too much... It's better to thank someone once for being corrected, instead of apologizing a thousand times for a silly mistake" I replied. Though I didn't apply that advice much myself...

"You're right... Thank you, Subaru" she replied. She felt like she had heard something similar before... But she couldn't remember when, where, or from whom...

"I-It was nothing..." I replied, embarrassed. It was quite embarrassing to watch the two of them talk; neither definitely has any social experience...

"I feel we should focus. You said you know about that thief, meat shield" the jealous cat intervened.

"That's right! I'd love to brag about knowing everything about her, but I only know her name and where she's from... But it's not like I know her exact address, I just know she's from the Slums" I replied honestly.

"I see... But, are you sure you want to help me...?" she replied, looking down.

"Of course! We're both in the same boat, remember? She dared to steal from me too..." I replied, pretending to be very angry.

<"Oh... Right!" she replied, probably remembering what she saw earlier. She really was very distracted...

"Good. We should start the search for the thief soon! Emilia-tan!" I exclaimed, hiding the embarrassment I felt at calling her that. At least it was less cringe than using -taso, even if both terms are equally Otaku...

"Tan?" she asked. She obviously never heard anything like it.

"It's a pet name, it means I hope we get along!" I lied slightly; it was impossible and too complicated to explain its meaning...

"Get along... l-like friends?" she asked, strangely agitated. .

"That's right! I'm fine with starting out as friends!" I declared without hiding my intentions. Unaware of the trouble it would bring me later...

【I feel strange intentions coming from the cat. Be careful with him... And you can activate me again. Do you want to do it now...? maybe you will get a power that helps you locate the thief】

Oh. I'll keep it in mind... Do it then, third time's the charm...

【Understood】

"A friend..." she repeated, assimilating what it meant to her... Does Subaru really want to be my friend? She thought

The bar is already very low, there's no way I'll be disappointed with whatever comes out.

〚◯Telepathy◯〛

"Yes! Finally something good!" He exclaimed. He was so happy, so much that he shouted it to the four winds.

"Oh... Sorry. Heh heh" he replied, covering his mouth. He wanted the earth to swallow him up right then and there.

"You really are very weird..." she replied, not knowing how to feel about Subaru.

...«He really doesn't care that I'm a half-elf... Oh. Maybe he hasn't realized yet. If he finds out, he'll leave too. Yes, there's no way he'd want to be my friend»...

...«Lia... I must be careful with this boy. He's dangerous for my Lia»...

I feel bad listening to their thoughts... So Emilia-tan is an elf, no wonder she's so pretty~

【This ability works automatically within a twenty-meter range around you. It lasts only five minutes】

"Wow You're the last person I'd want thinking that way about me! Miss Elf~ Well, half-elf~" He replied to tease her a bit. He felt bad about taking advantage of my new ability like that... But considering it would only last five minutes, he had to make the most of it.

"Eh? Y-You knew!" she replied, surprised.

"Sure! Let's just say I'm a guy who's less dense than I look" he declared. Although everything I had discovered so far was due to my ability.

"W-What do you feel about me...? I-I mean, you shouldn't fear me or hate me... I mean, I'm a half-elf. A silver-haired half-elf" she said, hesitating and nervous.

"Eh? Why? Elves have always been known for being very beautiful. And you're no exception!" He responded, knowing nothing of this world.

【The person who gave me to you was a very feared witch. Satella, the Witch of Envy... I can confirm she was a silver-haired half-elf. Her cult causes disasters in the world... Elves are treated as if they were the very incarnation of sin; she expects you to hate her as the rest do... What will you do? What was your opinion and what is it now?】

She... is a fool. I've known her for a short time, but I know she's a good person... Just because of that, she thinks she deserves the hatred of others. The fact that she herself believes it must be so... it really makes me angry!

"Besides, Emilia... stop believing you should be associated with bad people just because you look like someone else. Or do you actually want to be her!? Do you want to be feared and hated? Do you want to be seen by others as a demon? Is that what you want? Is that why you expect and want me to hate you too, just like the others do?!" He replied, getting angry. He didn't understand much about her situation or this world's, but he did understand what it was like to be compared to someone else...

Even if our cases were opposites... deep down, both wished to be seen as their own individuals... Subaru understood what Emilia wanted, because he wanted the same thing...

Subaru knew Emilia wanted to be accepted by others. To be seen as Emilia, not as a witch. But also that she wanted to be treated the same as everyone else; she lived being treated differently. She wished to be treated like the rest, therefore he couldn't do the same.

He had to treat her like everyone else; he shouldn't give her special treatment. Even if it were good treatment.

"I—" she murmured, but couldn't continue. Her emotions were mixed, and she was becoming unstable.

"Say it with certainty! If you aren't able to accept or understand yourself, how do you expect others to do that for you! The first step is for you to understand what you want; only then can you move forward... Until you reach a future where you are treated as you deserve!"

"Treated as I deserve...?"

"Yes! It would be impossible for you to be treated like a princess or something like that. The minimum you can hope for is to be treated as an equal. Just saying it makes my blood boil! While others are ambitious and greedy, never satisfied with what they have, you, who has nothing, only want what they don't value... You just want to be treated like the rest! You want to be treated like a normal person!"

"I... I..." The boy's words struck her. It was exactly what she needed to hear, and possibly at the perfect moment...

Tears fell, her body trembled, and her vision was now a blur. Emilia had never felt this way before. Why...?

Why was this boy being so kind to her? Why did he care enough to tell her that...? Why...? Why...?

The unfair way she treats herself is horrible... She doesn't feel she deserves this... Besides, that cat is the worst. His thoughts are very twisted, he treats her like a child... I don't know their relationship, but that cat is a terrible father...

【In a few seconds you will lose your telepathy. Do you want me to activate your Authority immediately? As you heard, the cat intends to harm or even kill you... it would be best to keep an eye on him】

Relax. He said he won't do anything for now. For the moment, we'll put away Gacha-Roulette, Detarame-chan.

【Understood】

"..." After her tears finished falling, she looked at Subaru. He looked a bit intimidating, seeing him from below since she was kneeling on the ground.

"I won't press you any further... We don't have time, but take the chance to think about your feelings... We're going to the Slums..." He replied, focusing on the top priority. He would talk to Emilia later.

"O-Ok, Subaru..." she replied as she composed herself. The cat decided to hide in her hair and whispered something to her.

Subaru couldn't know what it was, since he had already lost his ability. After that, the two of them set off for the Slums. Although they had to go ask someone, as neither of them knew where it was.

After Subaru asked the same Occhan of the Appas. Who decided to answer them in an annoyed manner after they insisted. Just then, a purple-haired woman came over. She looked very worried and told Kadomon something.

"What?! P-Plum is lost!" he replied, to Subaru's surprise. He didn't expect him to act that way; he assumed Plum must be his daughter.

"That's right... She got separated from me for a moment, but when I called her, she didn't answer..."

"Dammit!"

"So, a missing girl... It would be useful to have someone's help!" Subaru suggested, activating Gacha-Roulette.

"Ha. I don't think you can help us find her on your own... The capital is like a giant maze" replied Kadomon, somewhat agitated.

"Don't underestimate me... With a bit of luck, even someone like me can find her!"

〚◯Bloodhound Scent◯〛

That'll do, even if it sounds ridiculous.

"Do you have anything she's used? I mean, something she has with her very often?" he asked, after hearing it would only last four minutes. He had to hurry.

"Eh!? What do you think you're doing!" he replied, getting angry.

"Honey. I think we should listen to him... Do it for Plum" she replied; she was very worried. She knew it was best to keep their calm...

"Está bien" he said, looking away from Subaru and hiding his anger.

"Will this work? Sometimes she wears this ribbon in her hair" she asked while giving him a pink ribbon.

"Yes, it's perfect! Uh... Wait a second..." he exclaimed, heading into an alley; it would be weird if he were seen sniffing it.

After recording her scent, he began his search, followed by a curious Emilia and the girl's mother, Raksha. Kadomon couldn't leave his shop, so he trusted that his wife would be safe. He also decided to trust Subaru; he was possibly their only hope.

Sniff Sniff

"She was here... She went that way" he said as he caught the scent. He was thankful he didn't need to go on all fours sniffing the ground.

【The ability will only last a few more seconds... I feel a presence nearby that is scared and apparently lost】

"Perfect!"

He continued his way; he lost the ability, but he was already close. Thanks to Detarame-chan, he was able to find the girl. After being thanked by the girl's mother, due to the rush, they parted ways.

Now, having completed their side quest, they would head straight to the main quest. Go to the Slums!

１．２

After asking a man from the slums, they managed to reach the Loot House. Apparently, it was run by a giant named Rom.

"Are you sure you want to go in first...? Subaru," she said, worried about him.

"I’ll be fine...! Besides, I told you we’re only planning to buy back our stolen things: your insignia and my flip phone," he replied to calm her down.

"Why do we have to buy back something that belongs to us?" she replied with a pout. Everything seemed so unfair to her.

"If things get ugly, we'll have to take them back by force. I don't know how valuable your insignia is, but... losing technology from another world is definitely the kind of situation one could die over!"

"You keep saying weird things... But, I suppose my insignia is something similar to yours."

"I see..." he said as he forced the door. But he couldn't open it, as it was locked.

I should have created more of those records... maybe you could have sold them, since they would definitely be worth more than toothpaste and corn pottage...

"Great...! I wouldn't want to have to break it, I wish someone from inside would open it!" He shouted so his voice could be heard from within while kept pounding on the door. Just in case, he activated Gacha-Roulette.

"What the hell is wrong with you! Stop being a pain in the ass so early, this is the time when I only put alcohol into my body!" opening the door in annoyance, the giant swung his club.

But it didn't hit the boy directly; he was being protected by none other than his tracksuit. His entire outfit had deformed into what looked like a giant black bird.

〚◎Pannokinesis◎〛

"You're lucky I'm over the moon right now! Otherwise, you wouldn't get out of this one, Jiijii," he replied, saying a phrase he had always wanted to say, since he finally obtained a power that was meccha kakkoii. It was quite reminiscent of Akutagawa's Rashomon or Tokoyami's Dark Shadow...

"..." He was stunned by what he saw. He wondered if he was hallucinating—no, that boy had definitely transformed his clothes into a sort of giant crow that protected him...

【This ability lasts a while, fifteen minutes to be precise. A shame you can't get much use out of it now...】

Don't ruin my moment! Let a man be happy after so many silly powers, Detarame!

【Understood】

"Anyway, we both have business here. Let's just say someone named Felt stole something from us; we just came to buy it back," he explained, as he began to play with his ability.

This time, he made his sportswear turn into a group of small animals. Due to the lack of control over the ability, they didn't look like any specific animal, but the fact that they moved with little hops implied they were supposed to be rabbits.

"I see... Wait out here, Felt will be here soon," he replied; he didn't trust them too much. He had a feeling something bad would happen...

"Wow, what a bad host you are~ But I guess it’s only fair..." he said, only to be ignored by the giant, who went back inside.

"It’s like talking to a wall... I had already forgotten how that felt, it brings back bad memories..."

"Um... Subaru. Are you okay? I didn't really understand what you did, but it looked like you had everything under control! What kind of magic was that?" she asked after the situation calmed down.

She was truly relieved that Subaru was okay; she didn't think he was capable of something like that. Before, it seemed those thugs had left him at a crossroad.

"Ah... Well, let's just say it's complicated to explain. D-Do you know what an Authority is?" he asked, remembering the term Detarame used earlier.

"Mmm... No, sorry. I've never heard a term like that. Maybe Puck knows something," she said to summon the lazy cat.

"Is something wrong, Lia?" he said, appearing. He immediately got angry seeing Subaru so close to Emilia. If he had done or said anything to her, he would kill him...

"Puck, do you know what an Authority is?"

"..."

I never thought I would hear that term from my Lia... Subaru is dangerous, I must get rid of him...

"It is the power that those shamans from Gusteko try to imitate. They are powers that oppose Divine Protections. Basically, they are very powerful abilities, but also dangerous."

"Why are you asking me that, Lia? What happened while I was gone...?"

"Ah, well. Not much really... I only asked you because I didn't know what they were, as I think Subaru is trying to explain his powers to me."

"Powers...?"

「はい！すご〜く素す晴ばらしいかった！スバルは凄すさまじい天てん空くう海かい闊かつな豪ごう傑けつみたいだった」

"I don't think there's anyone who would describe it like that..."

"Subaru... Why are you so interested in Lia?"

"Ha. You make it sound like you're a yandere father! Besides, you make it sound like I'm stalking her or something! My courting methods are more sophisticated than that!"

"I don't have the capacity to know, but do you have an Authority, Subaru? It's the only way you'd know what they are in the first place."

"Bingo! It’s quite annoying, I've only gotten two good powers out of five. Because I consider Bloodhound Scent to be a very bad ability! Not only is it very situational, but it also lasts too short to be put to proper use!"

"Eh? So that's why you could find Plum-chan... Besides, what do you mean by all that? If you're going to explain something, explain it well and entirely!" she replied with a mini-pout. Subaru really could be an Otankonasu sometimes...

"Well basically I have the power to—" his voice stopped, it was as if he were choking on his own words. It was something horrible; something or someone was preventing Subaru from revealing his Authority.

【Oh. I didn't think you had that limit... It seems you cannot reveal any aspect of your ability to anyone】

Great...

"Ahem!" He coughed to hide what was happening.

"Um... imagine you have a die with infinite faces; you can only roll it once every X minutes. Logically, a different face will always land. You won't know which face will come up and you'll have to make it work out with what you get temporarily. That’s how my—! Think about what I said...!" he explained as he was permitted. That way, he could test the limits of what he can and cannot say. Fortunately, it didn't really hurt; it just felt strange.

"Eh...!? So you mean... for example, you could get the power to use ice magic, but then when you roll the die again, you could get the power to create appas? Something like that?" she replied after thinking carefully. Her studies for the Royal Selection had definitely helped her develop her thinking capacity.

"Exa— I can't confirm it... I'll just say I didn't expect you to be so smart, Sasuga Emilia-tan!"

"B-Baka. Even I can think if I set my mind to it," she replied, trying to sound angry. But it was obvious she was only faking it to hide her embarrassment.

"Wow... This looks more like a Romcom than an Isekai... So the Main Heroine was a Tsundere all this time!"

「もう～ いたずらするなよ！てやんでえ、わけわかんねぇけど、間ま抜ぬけなことだけはわかってんだよ！スバルはおたんこなす！」

「えっ？てやんでえ？まぬけ？そうして、おたんこなす？。。。それはマジで今日きょう日び聞きかねーわ！」he said to tease her. Also using an equally outdated term on purpose.

"Subaru~"

【The cat is staring at you. He is thinking about something. Be careful. There are only seven minutes of Pannokinesis left】

"Well. I'm a bit tired today, Lia. Call me if anything happens..."

"Eh. Sure..." she said as she watched him go back into his magic crystal.

"Phew~ Anyway, looks like it'll just be you and me for a while! Until Felt comes, of course..."

"Mmm. I can use magic, don't try anything weird..." she replied to sound threatening. Summoning small icicles to show she was serious.

「怖こわっ！けど、可愛かわいい〜」

「スバル〜 べらぼうなあんぽんたんめ！」

「可愛かわいい！今日きょう日び聞きかねーわ。けど、可愛かわいいい！」

「スバルッ！」

１．３

When I finally arrived, I noticed two strangers sitting by the door. They seemed to get along, but they were very noisy... Wait, aren't those the...!

"Y-You guys! How did you find me?!" she replied nervously, trying to sound threatening.

"Relax, we only came to buy back what's ours. We have many things of value!"

【You were very lucky. You managed to get some things that will serve as a trade for your stolen items】

〚◯Thermal Vision◯〛【Lasted eight minutes】

〚◯Metal Detection◯〛【Lasted eight minutes】

〚◯Pocket Flashlight Creation◯〛【Lasted five minutes. You created a bunch just in case, as you didn't know if you'd get something worth more than that】

〚−Phallus Shrinkage−〛【Lasted thirty minutes. It was the only ability you didn't bother explaining to Emilia; instead, you deceived her... You led her to believe you got a power that made you mute for that time, as you didn't want to talk about it】

〚◎Limb Stretching◎〛【Lasted six minutes】

〚◯Ballet Mastery◯〛【Lasted ten minutes】

〚◎Lion's Roar◎〛【Lasted four minutes】

〚−Pipe Creation−〛【Lasted seven minutes】

〚◎Chain Creation◎〛【Lasted fifteen minutes】

〚◯Sound Nullification◯〛【Lasted three minutes】

〚◉Golden Touch◉〛【Lasted seventy five seconds. You used it to turn almost half of the flashlights into gold. You have eighteen gold flashlights and twenty normal ones. You also use to create cool golden chains and pipes】

〚−Clumsiness−〛【Lasted five minutes. It made you lose the ability to speak and think coherently. It was humiliating for you】

〚◯Food Distinction◯〛【Lasts one hour. Twenty minutes left until it ends】

"It's fine... But you better not try anything strange! Especially you!" she said, pointing at the boy.

"Me...?"

"My client told me to be careful with you... So I'll be watching you," she said, approaching the door and knocking.

Client...? I still don't know who Emilia really is. Beyond a naive girl with low self-esteem... I feel bad for having read her thoughts, but even so, I couldn't learn her circumstances. The only thing I know is that this insignia is very valuable to her...

"For a rat?"

"Poison!"

"For the White Whale?"

"A harpoon"

"And for the Divine Dragon, we are?"

"Trash!" She replied after saying the code, entering the Loot House.

"..." Emilia and Subaru followed her in. Emilia seemed nervous, and Subaru took it upon himself to make her feel better.

"Fine, I'll trust you for now... Besides, I want you to know that Rom-jii is very strong!" she replied while drinking milk.

"Puagh~! Rom-jii, did you put water in the milk? You know I don't like watered-down milk!" she exclaimed, stopping and putting the glass on the table.

"Come on~ I worked hard to prepare it, do you plan to reject this old man's feelings?" he answered to convince her.

"Hmph. Say what you want," she replied, continuing to drink it.

"I didn't expect you to get along so well~ I'm a bit jealous, since Emilia and I have only known each other for like six hours!"

"You don't need to say it, Baka... I know we barely know each other... And that—"

"That's why I'll work hard to improve our relationship as fast as possible!"

"Yeah, yeah... Good for you! But, do you really have enough money to buy your items? I was offered 45 Holy Coins for the gem of this thing and for this strange thing!" she replied, showing the insignia and the phone.

"Ku Ku ku~ We don't have any money! But we have plenty of things that could be worth a lot!" he exclaimed, pulling the gold items from his backpack.

"Ohh~" Felt replied, looking at the golden objects. But she had to make sure they were real first.

"Mmm. If my sight doesn't fail me, they don't look like fake gold. I'd say they could be worth 50, no, 60 Holy Coins." Rom replied calmly.

"Yatta! Then the deal is closed, right?"

"No. I said I have a client. You won't lose much waiting for her; we agreed she'd come at this hour. She should—" As if to confirm what he was saying, he was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"Wow... I'm dying to meet her."

【I can feel a presence with sinister intentions. According to my hypothesis, she must intend to kill everyone here. Especially now that the two of you are here. The twenty minutes have already passed; you can activate me whenever you want】

Do it... If it's something good, I'll attack her immediately. I just hope it's not something stupid again.

【Understood】

"Coming!" Felt replied, going to receive her. Remembering that she hadn't given the password.

"Emilia... This is going to get ugly. Stay behind me."

"Mmm... If you say so..." she replied, obeying him. She didn't like being considered weak, but she decided to trust him.

"This way! The place is a bit messy, but just ignore it," Felt was heard saying as they approached.

As soon as he saw what arrived, he smiled. Seeing the woman's silhouette, he felt chills; he didn't need Detarame-chan to tell him—she was a dangerous woman.

"Felt! Get away from her, I wouldn't want to hit you by mistake!" he exclaimed while his left arm began to transform.

"Ha?"

"..." Seeing the woman who was near his granddaughter, and having seen Subaru fight, Rom decided to trust his instincts.

"Do what he says!" Rom replied, while holding his spiked club.

"Ara~ Look at you showing off, my contractor told me to watch out for you~ I expect a lot from you, boy," she replied while her eyes lit up, seeing the boy's strange arm.

"The power of firearms! Gatling Gun Arm!" Saying that, he used his new ability to create a barrier of bullets. They pierced through the woman's entire body, creating a smoke that covered everything. Because of this, he also destroyed part of the Bazaar.

〚◉Weaponized Body◉〛

【This ability lasts three minutes. You can only turn parts of your body into weapons that use bullets; you cannot use missiles or flamethrowers】

Concentrating on maintaining the gunfire, he decided not to waste time talking. He kept going until the ability disappeared. He hoped that had been enough.

"..." Everyone fell silent. They didn't know how to feel seeing such a scene. They had never seen anything like it; everyone wondered the same thing: "Who the hell is this boy?"

"Ah~ That was fantastic~ I can feel how some of these projectiles stayed in my body, it's a fantastic sensation."

"Shut up! You're nothing more than the stereotype of a crazy yandere and masochistic killer!" he replied, running toward her. He prayed he would get a power for melee combat or at least to stop her.

Being heard by the gods, his wish was granted, and he created a red ethereal substance from his hands. This expanded, and jumping backward so as not to be trapped in it, it created a dome that trapped the assassin.

It's as surprising as they told me~ I feel as if I were being crushed by an entire city... I can't move a single muscle...

〚◉Gravitational Imprisonment◉〛

"Ha... Ha..." he panted while catching his breath; he had spent some energy creating that dome.

【The prison will exist as long as you have the ability. It lasts eight minutes】

"Oh... Great! At least we can think of a plan to—" he was interrupted when he felt an intense heat on his cheek. The sound of something thrown at him, plus the blood he was shedding, gave him an idea of what happened.

"How unfortunate~ My aim is very bad being in here~ I feel like my whole body is being crushed from the inside~ But I'm also getting used to this~ I think this will serve as training for me~"

"Great!" He replied, running toward where the others were watching everything.

Shit... My body won't stop shaking... Am I that afraid of—? No, that won't happen. I don't think she can get out yet; besides, we have time to launch an attack. Well, I sense that only Emilia or Puck can.

"Subaru... You're—"

"There's no time! The important thing now is to take advantage and attack her! You or Puck can launch a powerful spell! My bullets did nothing to her... But I doubt she's truly immortal, so maybe magic will affect her!"

"A-Alright," she replied, summoning the cat.

"Meow~ It's almost my bedtime~ What's the matter, Lia?" he replied, yawning. Then he looked at Subaru; he didn't expect to see him so scared. He smiled, seeing that he was a coward...

"Well... That girl over there is dangerous... I think she's something like a vampire! She survived Subaru's attack, so we need to take advantage while Subaru could at least immobilize her a bit to a—" he felt his body hit the ground.

"Puck! Launch the strongest spell you have! If you don't, she'll kill us all—she'll kill Emilia!" he declared after having just saved Emilia from being skewered by another Kukri thrown by Elsa.

Both were on the ground, their bodies against each other. Were it not for the situation they were in, both would turn red as tomatoes.

"Ara~ Just when I had aimed well~ You're a very annoying boy~ I'm dying to open up your stomach~ Your guts must be just as fantastic as you are~"

【Only three minutes remain】

"I see... I wouldn't want to follow your orders... But the priority is protecting Lia!" Puck replied while accumulating his most powerful spell. He would definitely disappear as soon as he launched it.

Until that woman is totally stiff or you confirm she's gone, don't stop activating Gacha-Roulette. Activate the automatic activation mode! Also just say the minutes, I'll know it's the duration of the ability!

【Understood】

"Well... Staying up late is bad for the skin; since you are nothing but a child to me, you won't be able to understand... But, Goodnight!" He replied, launching a giant glacier at her.

The impact resonated through the entire Loot House... It had hit dead center, as the Huntress couldn't move her body to dodge it.

"Don't lower your guard! I don't want to be pessimistic, but that woman is a real Terminator!"

"You're overestimating her quite a bit... There's no way she survived that."

"The spirit is right~ That definitely would have killed me~ I'm thankful they gave me this cloak that absorbs spells~" she replied as the cloak disappeared, as it was single-use.

"Freeze~!" He said, lunging at her. He truly wished that would be enough.

As soon as Subaru touched Elsa, her body began to be covered by a layer of ice. He stopped her movement just as she was about to stab him with her Third Fang that her contractor had given her. It was a special Kukri that functioned similarly to the Sword of Life...

This one didn't completely eradicate the Od; it only fractured and tore it apart. To be cut by that sword means physical and spiritual pain.

〚◉Freezing Touch◉〛

【It is a single-use ability. Activating Gacha-Roulette again】

"Great!" he replied as he moved away from the newly created ice statue.

Break

The sound of ice cracking was heard; Elsa's ice statue split. Immediately upon thawing, she lunged toward a Subaru with his guard apparently down.

Her Kukri was about to sink into his stomach, but Subaru placed his hand to block his palm...

Instead, the Kukri hit something that sounded metallic. Elsa was surprised, and her distraction was met with a strong kick that forced her back.

〚◎Matter Assimilation◎〛

Subaru's body now looked the same as the blade of Elsa's Kukri. He had absorbed the metal from it and had caused his entire body to transform into it.

【Six minutes】

Elsa fell to the ground and blocked Subaru's attack; he had deformed his arm into a sword...

"You're fantastic~ What exactly are you?"

"Shut up! I've always hated the cliché of villains who talk while fighting!"

"How mean you are~"

"..." Their exchange continued without anyone seeming to have the advantage. Subaru easily blocked Elsa's attacks and vice versa.

Although Subaru was more resistant and stronger, his metallic body was too slow compared to Elsa's. Also, Elsa's combat experience and reflexes were far superior; there were few who could follow her in combat.

He backed away as his body lost its hardness. He was so focused on the combat that he forgot he would lose the metallic body as soon as he lost his ability.

Fortunately, he blocked Elsa's attack with a black hand. The shadows of the place had deformed to protect him. Thanks to the Pannokinesis from before, he could control this ability much better due to their similarity:

〚◉Ombrakinesis◉〛

【Eight minutes】

He deformed Elsa's own shadow into tendrils and tentacles that tried to catch her, but she simply blocked or cut them. He had changed the fight to a ranged one.

Subaru rested while feeling the exhaustion of his Ombrakinesis. It was an ability that consumed his energy; he was thankful it lasted so little. He only hoped the next ability would allow him to gain the upper hand in the fight.

Elsa cut, blocked, and dodged the attacks from Subaru's shadow constructions and creations. They were giant hands, snake heads, tiger paws and claws, the fangs of a dragon, and all sorts of things he could think of.

He had strategically pushed Elsa away, cornering her to prevent her from throwing her Kukri at him. Now that the shadows disappeared, he was already prepared to block any attack, using a table as his temporary shield.

As soon as he heard the ability, he thought for an instant about his play and threw the table at full speed in Elsa's direction...

Usually, Elsa could dodge a table thrown by Subaru, but this one had an extra that made it so fast it hit Elsa directly.

〚◎Kinetic Energy Transmission◎〛

【Two minutes】

Subaru proceeded to grab objects from the loot—swords, knives, dolls, books, boots—they were all stolen items, so he didn't care about having to use them. He threw all the objects; some hit Elsa, but she soon adapted to their speed.

No matter how much I want to, I can't throw my fang at him; he might dodge and collect it. It's better not to give it to him; it's the only thing that can truly damage me... Although, maybe being damaged by it won't be so bad~

Elsa immediately lunged toward Subaru. At first, he looked for anything to protect himself, but when he noticed the ability he obtained, he stopped doing so and with a smile, he stood still and closed his eyes to show off.

The blade collided with Subaru, but failed to pierce his stomach.

"I knew you'd go for my stomach... Bowel Hunter!" He replied, grabbing her. He had to take the chance to try and take her weapon away.

Elsa resisted; no matter how much she attacked Subaru, he didn't back down. It was as if nothing was affecting him.

〚◉Invulnerability◉〛

【One minute】

"I've got you," he grabbed the Kukri with his hand, but began to feel a strange discomfort, despite the fact that it didn't seem to be doing anything to him.

【Let go immediately! Her weapon is damaging your Od! That is, it's hurting your soul!】

"Eh?!" He exclaimed, letting go immediately.

【I felt something strange before, now I know what it is... Her weapon directly hurts the Od, that is, a person's Soul. The invulnerability ability only affects your body; you are capable of being damaged metaphysically!】

"And now you tell me!" He replied angrily as he moved away from Elsa. Only seconds of his invulnerability remained.

Seeing his reaction, Elsa assumed her Kukri was still capable of hurting his Od. With a smile, she lunged at him.

Being centimeters from him, his scared look was too much for her.

"How fantastic~"

In that split second, the tension between the two was maximum. Subaru was trembling with fear, while Elsa was with excitement.

Her Kukri was centimeters from hitting his left side. But immediately it began to go in another direction. Then Subaru regained his calm when he saw his new power. With his reddened hand that seemed to distort the space around it, he gave Elsa a push that sent her flying far away.

〚◎Distorting Heat Generation◎〛

【Three minutes】

"Shit!" he shouted to calm his body. His heart was about to explode; he was only still standing because of the adrenaline.

He only had a minute of rest before Elsa immediately appeared to throw another one of her sadistic comments. He was starting to get fed up with her!

Using his power in his feet, he propelled himself while distorting the space in his path.

"Ah~ Such a fantastic heat~ This whole area is on heat~ I think I am too~"

"You're so disgusting!" he said, attacking her, but she dodged and counterattacked. His ability allowed him to make it so Elsa couldn't touch him; space itself prevented Elsa from reaching him.

"Ha... Ha..." He started to feel strange. Then he realized that his power was also heating his own body; he was definitely running a high fever.

In one last use of his power, he kicked the ground to go flying away from Elsa.

What...? Is that another sound? Gacha-Roulette doesn't sound like it usually does.

Answering his question, he saw Elsa stop in mid-air. He felt his fatigue disappearing as well; everything there had come to a complete standstill.

〈Permanent Ability Obtention〉

"¡¿...?!"

《One ability from one of each previously used category will be selected randomly》

Is that a good or bad thing...? I also noticed some abilities had different symbols.

"Go to hell!" After saying that, time resumed.

With his heart on the verge of bursting, hearing that two of the abilities were totally useless made him think it was the end...

【Permanent Ability: 「Pannokinesis」】

"..." He smiled like he never had in his life.

"Finally, dammit!" he shouted while blocking Elsa's attack with a Black Dragon. He had taken off his jacket, standing only in a black t-shirt.

He thought about taking that off too, but decided against it because it would be too embarrassing...

Transforming his tracksuit into a crow once again, he sent it to fight Elsa while he rested. He dropped to the ground with style, calming his poor heart.

【Should I keep activating Gacha-Roulette?】

Eh..? Does that mean I can keep Pannokinesis and have another random ability?

【That's right! And you can obtain three more permanent abilities; it all depends on your luck!】

"Great! Why didn't—?" he exclaimed to the four winds, but remembered that to the rest it looked like he was talking to himself and covered his mouth in embarrassment...

W-Why didn't you tell me before? You're so mean, Detarame-chan~!

【I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be. I just wasn't sure you'd get them so soon. I'm very sorry!】

Relax, I'm just teasing you~ But it's time to continue this dance, activate Gacha-Roulette!

Elsa was fighting the tracksuit, which constantly changed shape. Subaru's control over the ability had increased significantly thanks to using it before, plus the experience with Ombrakinesis.

Now he had experience with kinetic abilities; he could adapt to any of them. Curiously, he would now put that to the test.

〚◉Hydro-geokinesis◉〛

"Perfect!"

【One minute】

Propelling himself with jets of water, he collapsed the ground where Elsa was. He then created a dome of earth to enclose her, only to collapse it and suffocate her inside.

He used the water to lift her in a giant bubble and launched her upward as high as he could, breaking through the roof and sending her flying several kilometers.

【Should I continue?】

"Yes."

Let it be something to attack her as soon as she falls... I hope it's a finisher!

〚◉Supersonic Scream◉〛

【45 seconds】

"Yeeesss!" he shouted, accidentally activating the ability and completely destroying a wall of the place.

"..."

"I-I'm sorry!" he apologized, embarrassed. He was thankful they weren't right there.

"..." No one responded or recriminated him; they were still busy processing what they had just seen. Barely half an hour had passed, and yet they had seen totally incredible things...

Looking at the sky, he began to channel his scream. It would definitely be heard throughout the capital, though Subaru didn't know that...

As soon as he visualized Elsa, he prepared himself. Watching her get closer and closer, until:

"Just die already, bitch!" he shouted, generating a powerful blast that made the whole place shake. Without knowing it, he could have deafened everyone else, as the ability protected Subaru from his own screams.

When Elsa was hit, her entire body was crushed; it was worse than Gravitational Imprisonment... Her ears were destroyed and her body was too.

She was propelled upward again, but only a little. She ended up falling back, Subaru moving aside so she wouldn't land on him.

【Continue?】

"Yes!" he shouted. He knew he shouldn't trust that she was dead just from that. But it was definitely the most damage she had received in the whole fight.

Seeing the body of the girl convulsing, he felt a bit of pity. Then he remembered she was a crazy killer and it passed.

〚 ．．．．．．．．．．．．．．． 〛

"Eh...?"

【Nothing came out... You will be able to activate Gacha-Roulette again in one hour】

"Go to hell!" he said, immediately running toward where the others were.

"..." They looked at him with fear, wonder, and caution respectively.

"That was incredible, Subaru!"

"That's an understatement! What the hell are you, Oniisan?!"

"In my youth, I could do the same..."

"Save the compliments, questions, and lies for later! She's still alive, and I don't have any method left to finish her!" he replied, being honest. He was starting to get desperate because Pannokinesis, while cool, wasn't enough to kill her.

"..." None of them knew what to say, as they had no way of doing something like that either.

In that dead-end situation, Elsa finally managed to recover.

"Ara~ It's the first time I hate feeling pain~ That wasn't very nice of you~ You completely burst my eardrums."

"I admit I went a bit overboard... and I mean for you guys... I just didn't have time to warn you," he said to gain time. He would take advantage of the fact that Elsa was a hunter who played with her prey.

"I-It's okay...! My ears caught your intent before you screamed fully, and by instinct, I covered them... And I told them to copy me; thanks to that, we're fine," she replied, telling him not to worry about them.

"Um~ It feels very bad to be ignored like that~" she replied, lunging at them.

Subaru immediately called his tracksuit, but it wouldn't arrive in time. Frozen with fear, in the depths of his being, he pleaded for someone to help.

Please! Anyone, please! Save us from this crazy woman!!

As if the gods had heard him, a new voice made its presence known. It was firm and serious, but also curious and interested.

"That's enough!" he exclaimed, blocking the huntress's attack with his bare hands.

"Wwah!" shouted Subaru as he almost collapsed, but managed to resist.

"Eh...? R-Reinhard!?" Emilia asked, surprised.

"Lady Emilia... I'm sorry we meet again this way... I came because of the scream I heard; the Divine Protection of Frequency Origin Detection helped me find you," he replied while looking at Elsa closely, confirming her identity.

"Ara~ The Sword Saint~ My opponents are always such powerful and interesting subjects~"

"R-Redhead, don't get overconfident! She can regenerate. I don't know how strong you are, but fight without holding back!"

"Understood. Thank you for the advice," he said, looking for a sword in the room. Finding one stuck in the wall—it must have been one Subaru had used before...

【That person is the Sword Saint. He is basically the Gojo Satoru of this universe】

I see... I knew his voice sounded familiar... Nakamura Yuuichi always plays the Overpowered Ikemens!

"Ara~ You don't intend to show me your sword that is so juicily long, the one kept in its sheath~ I would like to taste its legendary edge~" she replied, licking her lips. Not even I, the narrator, know if that double entendre was totally intended or not...

"I'm sorry. If it doesn't leave its sheath, it means it is not the time to use it. Do you mind if I use this one instead?"

"Not at all~ It still seems fantastic to me~"

"Reinhard van Astrea... The Sword Saint!" he replied, preparing his attack while introducing himself.

"Elsa Granhiert~ The Bowel Hunter," she replied, expectant of what Reinhard would do.

In just a second, Reinhard completely destroyed the place... The Loot House was a total ruin, thanks to two people who don't know how to hold back.

"Great! Well done, Go— I mean, Rein! I, Natsu— Subaru Natsuki, will be eternally grateful!" he said, approaching the redhead. He could see something familiar in his gaze. He understood that he felt lonely too...

"Rein?"

"I thought a nickname was appropriate for my Onjin! And well... a possible friend...? But if it bothers you, I can—"

"No!! I-I mean, it's fine... S-Subaru," he said to calm himself. It affected him more than he thought that someone decided to be his friend... So much so that the thought of him cutting the closeness they might have made him get a bit over-excited.

"Good. Do you think you finished her?"

"I don't know. Give me a second."

"Well. According to the Divine Protection of Death Detection, it seems I didn't..."

"Divine Protection...? Let me guess, they're OP powers you can get whenever you want..."

"I don't know what OP is, but you're right in what you said. I can obtain whatever Divine Protection I want... but it's not a big deal."

I see... He's just Gojo in power and Seiyuu... Clearly he's very humble; he's the good guy archetype!

While Subaru and Reinhard were talking, a shadow emerged from the rubble. She was gravely injured.

"Ha... Take care of your bowels... We will definitely meet again~" she said while escaping.

"I should go after her..."

"Better leave her, we'd only waste time... The important thing is knowing we're all okay! And that we're all besties now! Besties who don't steal from each other! Right, Felt-chan?"

"Ah~ No fair! That's emotional manipulation! But... I'll give you your things back; it's only fair after all this..." she said, taking out the phone and giving it to Subaru.

Just as she took out the insignia, Reinhard noticed a familiar glow. Stunned, he reacted by grabbing her arm.

"H-How old are you? W-What is your full name?" he asked nervously.

"Ouch! I'm like fifteen... Ouch! I'm just Felt, I don't have something like a last name...! Now let me go!" she replied while resisting uselessly.

"Astrea...! What are you doing to my granddaughter!" Rom replied angrily, gripping his club. He didn't care if it was the Sword Saint; he wouldn't let anyone hurt his granddaughter!

"Wait, wait! What's with all this sudden secret plot! Explain first why you're doing this, Rein!" Subaru replied, confused, but decided to act as a mediator to calm the situation.

"I'm sorry... You're right," he expressed, letting go of Felt.

"I-If it's for my insignia, I—"

"It's not that! It's not a small crime, that's for sure... But compared to the crime of ignoring what is before my eyes, it is..." he replied in the most unnecessarily suspicious way possible...

"Stop acting all cool and mysterious! Just say what's going on!"

"E-Exactly! Explain yourself, p-pervert!" she said, hiding behind Subaru.

"Yeah! Apologize to my new Imouto and the ball of meat she has as a grandfather!" he replied, a Big Brother instinct suddenly waking up in him.

"I... I'm sorry, Felt-sama... Um..."

"It's Rom-sama to you, Astrea..."

"Rom-sama. I will explain everything to you. It's just quite difficult to digest."

"Stop hyping it up unnecessarily! Just say it already!"

"Very well... Lady Emilia. You can help me with this."

"Eh!?"

"You can see that nothing happens to the insignia when I hold it; the same would happen if you held it, Subaru," he said, giving it to him.

Grabbing it, indeed nothing happened. Then he gave it to Emilia, and this time the insignia glowed. Then Rein asked them to give it to Felt and observe what happened.

Then, once again, the insignia glowed. This was something only Emilia understood.

"Eh! T-That means Felt is..." she started to say, surprised.

"Stop with the mysticism cliché! Just tell us what it means!" he replied angrily.

"It shouldn't be a big deal... It just glows when the two of us hold it, so what?" Felt said, indifferent to the situation.

"I-It means we are both... Well... Royal Candidates," Emilia replied, still processing the situation.

"Eh~?"

"In other words, you're both princesses!"

"Not exactly... Well... No... They are simply the ones who have the opportunity to renew the pact with the Dragon and become rulers of the kingdom."

"Oh, I see... It was just that, and here I thought— It's basically the same thing! It's even more important; you're both potential Queens!"

"..."

"Well... some other candidate might win, so..."

"Save the pessimism for later...! The important thing is knowing how Felt feels!"

"You're all just talking nonsense... There's no way I'm something like that!" she replied, denying it all.

"Felt... Tell me, what do you want to do?"

"Eh...? What's with that serious expression!? Rom-jii!"

"Rom-sama is right. What do you intend to do, Felt-sama?" Rein said, bowing slightly.

"Stop annoying me! Go to hell, both of you!"

"Felt... Tell me, you'd like to change the whole country, wouldn't you? You want to turn everything upside down...?"

"Of course I do...! But it's just a wish; there's no way I can achieve something like that!"

"You can do it... You just have to stop playing deaf! You have the chance to change the whole kingdom you hate so much... You must deceive those nobles! Become one of them; you can't beat them if you don't play their game! Surely all those guys live off sucking each other off like parasites. You must take advantage not only to suck them off but to bite them too!"

"What kind of advice are you giving my granddaughter!" Rom replied angrily.

"You must manipulate them, take advantage of the fact that they look down on you... To kick them in the balls! Are you going to waste the chance to change your life? Or rather, are you going to let your grandfather die living in this dump?!"

"I—"

"Say it with certainty! You don't need to believe in yourself if you're not capable, so I'll limit myself to believing in me... in the me who believes in you!" he replied, saying one of the lines he had always wanted to say.

"I..."

"I want to turn this whole shitty kingdom upside down!"

"And what else...? Is your ambition so small...?"

"Of course not! I'm going to destroy this whole kingdom and rebuild a new and better one from its ashes!"

"That's the spirit! Although it's a bit extreme! I think I've created an anarchist monster without realizing it..."

"Ha. I don't know what that is, but I like how it sounds!"

"Better if I don't tell you..."

"Whatever...!"

"But... Thanks, Oniisan!"

"It's nothing. Now I think Reinhard wants to kidnap you. Surely they'll take care of putting you in dresses and all that... Just bear it! I assure you it will be worth it; learn to be a lady so you can later surprise those silly nobles with your true self...!"

"Yes! Just the thought of putting on dresses makes me want to puke... But I'll do my best!"

"Felt..."

"Don't worry, Rom-jii! I'll make sure you die in a gold coffin!"

"Don't jinx him like that! He has enough with his face..."

"Oh... You're right!"

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry if I interrupt. But I believe we should hurry, Lady Felt, Rom-sama."

"Well... I guess we should too, Emilia-tan~?"

"W-We?"

"Yeah, I mean... I really don't have a home to go to..." he said, remembering his parents...

"Oh... W-Well, if you want, I can take you w-with me."

"Great!"

While that was happening, Reinhard looked at the moon, which was visible thanks to the attacks both he and Subaru had made.

This might be the last time we can see the Moon in peace...

．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．❝A Haphazard Life❞ ．．．．．．．．．．．．．．．