With a groan, Garfiel tried to force himself up. The moment he moved, a heart-wrenching pain shot through his entire body. He realized his bones felt like they'd been shattered; he couldn't even move a single finger.
"N-No way..."
This fact was harder for Garfiel to accept than the physical pain. As the guardian of the Sanctuary, this was the first time in his life he had been beaten back to his human form from a full beast transformation. His pride, his strength, had been completely and utterly crushed.
Natsuki Subaru slowly walked over and looked down at the battered Garfiel. "Well? Do you want to continue?" he asked calmly.
In truth, Subaru had been holding back. The entire fight, from start to finish, had lasted less than two minutes. It was a complete, one-sided domination.
Garfiel let out an unwilling growl, his nails digging into his own bruised shoulder. "One day... my Great Self will definitely defeat you!" he bit out through clenched teeth, the words laced with unprecedented conviction.
"Is that so? I'll be waiting," Subaru said, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips. "But for now, are you going to keep fighting?"
Finally, Garfiel closed his eyes in resignation, forcing a few humiliating words from between his teeth: "...I lose."
Natsuki Subaru, a monster who had broken the common sense of this world. His rate of growth completely defied logic. Garfiel's defeat was inevitable.
The dragon carriage proceeded smoothly down the path. Inside, a bruised and swollen Garfiel sat alone in a corner, occasionally letting out a hiss of pain. On the other side, Natsuki Subaru was speaking in a low voice with Emilia, who had just woken up.
"Emilia-tan, a lot happened while you were asleep, but it's all been resolved now." Subaru pointed to Garfiel in the corner. "That guy is Garfiel. You should be able to understand the situation now, right?"
"Garfiel...?" Hearing the name, Emilia's amethyst eyes widened in realization. "The person Frederica mentioned."
Hearing his name, Garfiel straightened up, trying his best to look imposing despite his comical injuries. "That's right! My Great Self is Garfiel, the strongest... man protecting the Sanctuary!"
"I know, Roswaal mentioned you," Garfiel grumbled, the white scar on his forehead twitching. "Though I didn't expect you to enter the Sanctuary this way."
"So, you're Garfiel from the Sanctuary, you're in contact with Roswaal, and Ram and the villagers from Arlam are here... Is that correct?" Emilia asked.
"Believe it or not," Garfiel shrugged. "Anyway, you've already crossed the barrier. It won't be so easy to turn back now."
"Huh? We already crossed the barrier? When?"
"It was when you were knocked out," Subaru explained. "You fainted right when we came into contact with it because of the barrier's effect. But you're fine now."
"I fainted because of the barrier...? Does that mean this stone was glowing because..." Emilia murmured, pulling out the now-dim gemstone and staring at it.
"Yeah, got nothing to do with that rock!" Garfiel said impatiently. "The barrier only reacts to you. It's normal, 'cause the barrier's purpose is to detect tainted bloodlines."
"Tainted bloodline isn't just about half-elves," Garfiel grumbled. "Me and the others here are all... well, we're mixed-breeds."
"What Garfiel means," Subaru smoothly interjected, "is that because you are a half-elf, Emilia, you possess a non-human bloodline, and were affected by the barrier... whereas Otto and I are pure humans, so we weren't affected."
"Right! Mixed-breeds!" Garfiel glanced at Subaru with some surprise, then suspicion. "By the way, since you were coming to the Sanctuary, didn't that Frederica woman explain any of this to you?"
"She couldn't give us the details," Emilia shook her head. "Because of a contract, she could only give us hints... Even with you, we only knew your name."
"Contracts, contracts... hmph." Garfiel scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain for his sister.
"Garfiel, you and Frederica don't get along?" Emilia asked with innocent curiosity.
"Our relationship is bad," Garfiel snapped, a dark look in his eyes. "And what we need to talk about has nothing to do with her. The issue right now is you guys who trespassed through the barrier." He jerked his chin toward the window. The meaning was clear.
"The Sanctuary... we've arrived."
"Mr. Natsuki..." Otto poked his head in from the driver's seat. "Is this supposed to be a village? It looks more like a tribe. Can we go straight in?"
The group looked out the window. After passing through the endless forest, a small, isolated settlement appeared in a clearing. Compared to the grand name of "Sanctuary," the sight before them was far too humble. The entrance was marked by a crumbling stone tower covered in moss. The stone houses in the distance were dilapidated, overrun with ivy. It looked less like a village and more like a forgotten ruin, shrouded in an indescribable gloom.
"To be clear," Garfiel said, his voice dripping with his usual contempt for his home, "the folks inside are even more depressing. A bunch of grumpy old men and women who act like they're on death's door. Roswaal gave this place a fancy name, but in reality, it's just a creature containment facility, a failed experiment."
Just as the dragon carriage was about to enter the settlement, a familiar voice suddenly called out, startling everyone inside.
"Welcome, Lady Emilia. And... Sir Knight, and the carriage's attendant, to the Sanctuary."
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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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