Otto trembled as he opened one eye. Through his blurry, tear-filled vision, he saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure standing between him and Garfiel. The familiar black back, silhouetted against the sun, was so reassuring that Otto burst into tears.
"Mr. Natsuki!"
"Hey, hey, Otto. It's only been a little while. Why are you crying?" Natsuki Subaru asked, turning his head to look at Otto, his voice as lighthearted as ever.
In that split second, Garfiel's fist had already been thrown. Subaru's figure had appeared like a phantom, precisely positioning himself between them and catching the blow. The sound of the impact was sharp and clear.
"Mr. Natsuki!! You finally came!!" Otto sobbed, his voice choked with emotion. "I almost... I almost didn't get to see you again!"
"It's okay now, Otto. I'm here," Subaru said, gently patting his shoulder. He had sensed the danger through his shadow soldiers and rushed over at top speed. Good thing I made it in time. Another second, and Otto's face would have been rearranged.
"Who... who the hell are you?" Garfiel narrowed his eyes, warily studying the man who had so easily caught his fist. He tried to pull his hand back, only to find it held in a grip like an iron vise. "How can you match my Great Self's strength?"
A breeze rustled through the clearing. In the brief standoff, a smirk played on Subaru's lips. "First time we've met, Shield of the Sanctuary, Garfiel."
"How do you know my name?" Garfiel's pupils contracted. Not only was this outsider incredibly strong, but he also knew his identity?
"Remember my name—Natsuki Subaru," Subaru said, looking him straight in the eye. "I'm also the one who's about to beat you up."
Garfiel had assaulted Otto, a member of the Emilia camp, without provocation. For that, Subaru naturally had to settle the score. But more importantly, he had to completely subdue this troublemaker. Garfiel was a representative of the Sanctuary's conservative faction, stubbornly believing that isolation was the only way to protect its inhabitants. He was an unstable and recurring obstacle in the original story, and Subaru had no time to slowly unravel his emotional issues like his past self did. A violent beatdown, while crude, was the fastest way to make the hot-headed brute see reality.
"Beat me up? You?!" Garfiel's sharp teeth glinted. Enraged, the muscles in his right arm bulged, and he finally tore his fist free from Subaru's grasp. "Stop acting so damn smug!"
His iron fist shot out like a lightning bolt, but it only passed through an afterimage. "Too slow," a casual voice commented from behind him.
"What?!" Garfiel spun around, only to see Subaru standing there, not even a wrinkle on his clothes. Before he could react, a sharp pain erupted from his side.
BAM!
Garfiel didn't even see the attack coming. He was sent flying, crashing through three ancient trees before he managed to stabilize himself. Kneeling on one knee, he wiped the blood from his mouth, but the battle-lust in his eyes burned even hotter. "You bastard... my Great Self is going to tear you to pieces!"
His figure vanished, leaving only a golden afterimage. The wind howled as his kicks and punches flew, each carrying the force to shatter stone. Yet, every single attack missed. Subaru moved with minimal, almost lazy-looking motions, effortlessly dodging every blow by a hair's breadth. It was less like a life-or-death battle and more like an adult toying with a child.
Garfiel grew more and more alarmed. As the "Shield of the Sanctuary," he had always relied on his innate Blessing of the Earth Spirit and his beast transformation to be invincible. But this black-haired boy was completely dominating him in both speed and power. Each time their limbs met, Garfiel felt like he was colliding with a ground dragon. The overwhelming difference in strength was a chasm between them, and for the first time, the proud guardian of the Sanctuary felt... fear.
"What's wrong, scared?" Subaru asked calmly, as if this outcome was completely expected. "Is that all the Shield of the Sanctuary has?"
"Don't you get cocky!" Enraged by the taunt, Garfiel's eyes turned blood-red. "My Great Self is just getting started!"
"Getting started with what? You can't even hit hard. You call yourself the Shield of the Sanctuary?" Subaru shook his head in disappointment.
"You... you bastard!" Garfiel roared, his entire body beginning to twist and deform.
CRACK! CRACK!
The sickening sound of bones reshaping filled the air as his muscles swelled and golden fur sprouted wildly from his skin. In an instant, a four-meter-long golden tiger stood in his place.
"Oh? So you transformed," Subaru commented, still perfectly calm in the face of the terrifying beast. "But turning into a big cat won't change anything."
With a heaven-shaking roar, the fully transformed Garfiel dug his sharp claws into the ground, shattering the rock beneath. His beastly eyes, filled with nothing but primal killing intent, locked onto Subaru.
BOOM!
The ground exploded as Garfiel launched himself forward, a golden blur of fur and fangs.
Subaru didn't even dodge this time. He just threw a single punch.
His right fist shot out like lightning, connecting squarely with the charging tiger's chest. The terrifying impact sent a visible shockwave through the air.
CRASH!
The giant tiger was sent flying like a rag doll, smashing through several massive trees before crashing to the ground. In the dust, it staggered back to its feet. The caved-in wound on its chest was already healing at a visible rate—the Blessing of the Earth Spirit at work. But the beast felt no pain, only an all-consuming rage driving it forward once more.
"A mindless beast only knows how to kill by instinct..." Subaru sighed. This time, he charged forward to meet the beast head-on.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Three heavy blows landed with perfect precision on Garfiel's vital points. The first shattered his foreleg, the second smashed into his jaw, and the third landed squarely on his spine. Blood gushed from the tiger's mouth, but it still didn't know how to retreat. Subaru stepped forward, grabbed Garfiel's broken foreleg with his right hand, and unleashed a torrent of punches with his left.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Each punch carried the force to split mountains. The massive tiger was beaten back again and again. Then, Subaru suddenly changed tactics. His fist became a knife-hand, and he delivered a precise chop to the vital point on Garfiel's neck. The seemingly light blow was infused with a crushing, focused power.
"It's over, big kitty."
With a final, pained roar, the golden tiger collapsed, its transformation receding as it reverted back to the unconscious, battered form of a young man.
All the while, Otto, hiding behind the dragon carriage, had watched the entire exchange with his jaw on the floor. Just moments ago, Garfiel had subdued an adult ground dragon with one hand. Yet this monstrously strong person had been utterly, effortlessly crushed by Natsuki Subaru.
"So strong... Mr. Natsuki..." At that moment, Subaru's figure seemed immeasurably vast in Otto's eyes.
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Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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