"The stone is glowing!" Emilia's voice was tinged with panic.
"It's alright, Emilia." Subaru's eyes narrowed, and he instantly went on alert, shadow energy swirling around him. Looks like we've entered the Sanctuary's barrier...
He recalled Frederica's words: the stone was not only the key to the Sanctuary but also had the effect of spatial transfer. "Otto! Don't stop, no matter what happens—"
Subaru's warning was cut short as his vision was completely engulfed by a blinding blue light. In the final moment before his consciousness was swallowed, Otto's panicked shouts seemed to come from a great distance, as if from underwater. "Mr. Natsuki?! Mr. Natsuki!!"
Then, the world began to twist and dissolve.
When his vision cleared, the scene before him had completely changed.
"Was I... teleported into the forest inside the Sanctuary?"
Subaru looked around. The dragon carriage was gone, replaced by an unfamiliar, dense forest. Ancient trees were tangled with unknown vines, and sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting dappled light on the ground. The air was thick with the damp smell of earth and the faint calls of distant birds and beasts.
"The gemstone in Emilia's hand has a spatial transfer ability similar to Beako's Door Crossing..." he mused. "But now's not the time to study this! Emilia?!"
He immediately tried to sense the location of his shadow soldiers. They were about a kilometer ahead. Just as he was about to set off—
Huh?
His keen intuition made him snap his gaze toward a nearby bush. The bush rustled, and a small figure slowly looked up.
The moment their eyes met, Subaru's narrowed slightly. It was a girl with an expressionless face, her light pink hair falling to her waist. Her porcelain-white skin looked as if it would shatter at a touch, and from her forehead protruded a pair of long, slender horns.
Is this... Ryuzu Bilma from the original story? Information from his memory flashed through his mind. As the de facto manager of the Sanctuary, she's not an ordinary demi-human, but a magical clone. All the existing Ryuzus are independent individuals based on the original...
"Are you... a demi-human?" Subaru asked the girl. "Are you a villager from the Sanctuary?"
The pink-haired girl remained silent.
"What's the matter, why are you running? I'm not a bad guy," Subaru said, but the girl turned and vanished into the dense forest with incredible speed. He didn't give chase. Since I know who she is, we'll meet again sooner or later. Right now, confirming Emilia's safety is the priority.
Locking onto the location of his shadow soldiers, Subaru's figure flickered and disappeared, leaving only a few wisps of shadow to dissipate in the air.
Deep in the forest, an ancient ruin stood silently. Rough-hewn stones were piled into a primitive structure, its surface covered with moss and vines.
"Whoa, is this... a shrine? Or... a tomb?" Otto stared in disbelief at the scene before him. After the bizarre spatial transfer, he had found himself, along with the dragon carriage, in this completely unfamiliar place. "Mr. Natsuki?! Where are you, Mr. Natsuki?!"
His shouts echoed in the silent forest, but there was no reply. He cautiously approached the ruin. It gave him the same impression up close: no signs of human habitation, no traces of craftsmanship. "Is anyone here?! If this is the Sanctuary, can someone please come out and answer me?!"
He sighed in disappointment and hurried back to the dragon carriage. Through the half-open window, Emilia was still asleep, her silver hair spread across the seat like moonlight. I can't leave Lady Emilia's side... As her internal affairs officer, protecting her is my most important duty in Mr. Natsuki's absence. The thought of the powerful Natsuki Subaru gave him a sliver of comfort. Mr. Natsuki will definitely find us.
"You've got a lot of nerve, outsider!"
A rough voice suddenly interrupted Otto's thoughts. He spun around to see a dangerous figure emerge from the shadows of the trees. The man had a head of untamed golden hair, a prominent white scar across his forehead, and was clad in tattered leather. Though he was short for a man, the aura he exuded was chilling. When he grinned, he revealed a mouthful of sharp, white fangs. It was the guardian of the Sanctuary, the half-beast Garfiel.
"W-Wait! We didn't mean to trespass! We were—" Otto stammered, holding up his hands to show he had no hostile intent.
"Shut up!" Garfiel roared, taking a step forward that seemed to shake the very ground. "My Great Self hates it when you outsiders drone on and on! I'll give you two choices—" His feral, emerald eyes narrowed. "Either get the hell out of the Sanctuary right now... or..." He licked his lips. "My Great Self will tear you to pieces!"
"W-We can't leave!" Otto said, his voice trembling. "I came in with Mr. Natsuki, he—"
"Who the hell is Mr. Natsuki!" Garfiel cracked his knuckles, a maniacal grin spreading across his face. "Since you had the bad luck to wander onto my Great Self's turf, you can blame your own bad luck! Get ready to become a flying sandbag!"
His figure vanished. Otto's vision blurred, his collar tightened, and his feet left the ground. He was lifted into the air, forced to meet Garfiel's ferocious gaze. "Let... let me go..." he choked out, his legs kicking uselessly.
"Remember the rules of the Sanctuary—" Garfiel's other hand balled into a fist that looked like it could cave in Otto's skull. "My Great Self's fist—"
BAM!
A black shadow shot out like a lightning bolt, slamming into Garfiel with immense force and sending him flying.
"Patrasche! Nice one!" Otto yelled, collapsing to the ground, gasping for air. The prized black ground dragon, Patrasche, stood protectively in front of him, letting out a proud roar. It was her heroic charge that had saved him from a brutal beating.
"Damn it, I got outsmarted by a ground dragon!" Garfiel growled, slowly getting to his feet.
Patrasche roared again, and with a powerful twist of her body, she snapped the reins connecting her to the carriage. Pouring all her fury at seeing Otto attacked into her charge, she became a black streak, her sharp fangs aimed straight for Garfiel's neck.
"Hmph! A wise decision," Garfiel said, a look of appreciation on his face. "A fine ground dragon... no, I should say, a fine girl."
Just as her fangs were about to make contact, Garfiel sidestepped, and Patrasche's teeth clamped down on his outstretched left arm.
CRUNCH!
"Huh?" The expected pain never came. An adult ground dragon's bite could shatter rock, yet Garfiel's arm was completely unharmed. Patrasche, still biting down, twisted her powerful neck, trying to tear the arm off. But Garfiel's arm didn't move an inch. The veins on his bronze-colored skin bulged as he overpowered the ground dragon in a pure contest of strength. "I won't hurt you," he said, his voice suddenly gentle. "Just take a little nap."
Patrasche's pupils contracted. As she watched in astonishment, Garfiel's bitten hand gently stroked her thick neck. The moment he touched her, the massive ground dragon's body went limp, and she peacefully fell asleep.
"He... he subdued Patrasche with his bare hands!?" Otto stared in disbelief.
"Now then," Garfiel said, cracking his knuckles as he advanced on Otto. "Thank that ground dragon of yours. For her sake, my Great Self will only beat you half to death before throwing you out." He grinned, baring his fangs. "After all, my Great Self swore that I would never let anyone reveal the secrets of the Sanctuary!"
"H-Help me!" Otto screamed.
"No one can save you!" Garfiel's fist, the size of a sandbag, whistled through the air. Otto could feel the wind of the punch sting his cheek—
He squeezed his eyes shut.
BAM!
A dull thud echoed through the clearing.
____
Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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