"Clang—!"
The deafening sound of metal colliding abruptly burst forth, as if the air in the entire hall had been torn apart.
A hand wreathed in thick shadow unexpectedly emerged from the void!
Its five fingers, like iron tongs, clamped down tightly on the curved blade that was about to pierce Rem's abdomen. Under the shadow's suppression, the blade let out a shrill shriek, and sparks flew in the dim hall, tracing several fleeting golden trajectories.
"...Eh?"
The anticipated pain did not arrive.
Rem's consciousness was still stuck in the moment death loomed: Elsa's blade, the chilling killing intent, the spreading darkness at the edge of her vision.
She should have died.
But at this moment, she felt a familiar warmth.
—Because someone had embraced her.
The sensation was so real that Rem, in a daze, thought she had fallen into a dream.
"This isn't a dream, is it…?"
Rem slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry from mana exhaustion.
But even so, she could still make out that familiar silhouette.
A black uniform, messy black hair, a taut jawline, and those deep, dark eyes that always burned with unwavering conviction.
"Subaru… is that you?!"
Rem's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, as if she feared that if she spoke any louder, the illusion before her would vanish.
But the other person tightened their arm, pulling her closer.
"It's alright now, Rem. I'm back."
—It was his voice.
—It was his warmth!
—Yes, it was Subaru!
Rem's fingertips unconsciously clutched Natsuki Subaru's uniform. The rough feel of the fabric finally assured her that this was not an illusion.
She wasn't dead.
And her hero had returned.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest, blood rushing against her eardrums. Rem could even hear her own rapid breathing, her eyes welled up slightly, and a burning emotion threatened to burst from her chest.
She had thought she would never see him again.
But now—
Natsuki Subaru stood before her, catching Elsa's blade with his bare hands.
"Subaru…"
Rem called Natsuki Subaru's name, her voice choked with a sob she didn't even realize was there.
"I'm here, Rem."
The hem of Natsuki Subaru's black uniform still trembled slightly, and in his inky black eyes, a reassuring determination burned.
He held Rem tightly with one arm, while his other hand clamped down on Elsa's curved blade, the blade unmoving in his palm.
He should have been leading the villagers of Sanctuary on their way home.
But the moment he sensed Rem's danger, Natsuki Subaru unhesitatingly activated the Shadow Monarch's exclusive skill—[Shadow Exchange].
This ability allowed him to swap places with a pre-marked Shadow Soldier.
And the Shadow Soldier he had secretly hidden in Rem's shadow earlier completed the exchange at the last possible second, allowing him to cross space and block this fatal blow.
"How is this possible?!"
Seeing Natsuki Subaru suddenly appear before her, a clear tremor appeared on Elsa's seductive face for the first time, her black pupils contracting violently.
As a top assassin who walked the line between life and death, she instantly deduced that this black-haired youth must have used some kind of spatial transfer magic to appear before her.
But what shocked her at this moment wasn't the spatial magic, but that Natsuki Subaru had caught her fatal blow with his bare hands!
"You actually… caught my blade?"
A rare ripple appeared in Elsa's voice, her black pupils slightly contracting.
As the Bowel Hunter renowned throughout the kingdom, she had survived countless life-or-death battles, yet she had never encountered an opponent who could catch her blade with their bare hands.
Not to mention, this youth before her, just over a month ago, was merely prey desperately fleeing from her blade.
"Something's wrong…"
Elsa's tongue lightly touched her upper palate, tasting a faint, unfamiliar metallic tang—blood oozing from her own lip, bitten in excitement.
"His aura… it's completely different."
Elsa's scarlet tongue unconsciously licked her lips, her pupils slightly contracting.
The last time they clashed, there was still a restrained glimmer of fear and panic in the black-haired youth's eyes.
But now, deep within those inky black eyes, something spine-chilling burned.
Icy killing intent pressed down on her nerves like a tangible presence, and even more terrifying was the absolute confidence it contained, as if the outcome was already predetermined.
This feeling made Elsa's entire body tense, like a venomous snake on the hunt suddenly realizing it was the prey.
"Interesting~" Elsa suppressed the tremor in her heart, looking at Natsuki Subaru, her voice half a degree lower than usual. "It seems you've grown quite a bit recently, young man."
"Indeed." Natsuki Subaru calmly met Elsa's gaze, holding the blade in one hand with the ease of toying with a plaything. "This time, I definitely won't let you get away."
Of course, Natsuki Subaru wasn't truly disarming her with his bare hands.
Instead, he had activated the ability [Ruler's Authority], an invisible force field firmly clamping Elsa's kukri curved blade, holding it as motionless as if it were cast in steel.
"You're quite confident, young man."
Though she said this, Elsa's attempt to pull her blade free was like a mud ox entering the sea, stirring not the slightest ripple.
"C-R-U-N-C-H—!"
A grating, metal-twisting sound abruptly erupted.
Natsuki Subaru's shadow-wreathed fingers suddenly tightened, and a terrifying crushing force erupted from his palm.
"Bang!"
Amidst a deafening explosion, Elsa's kukri curved blade, which had tasted countless blood, shattered into powder within the shadow as if it were fragile glass!
Countless sharp metal fragments traced silver trajectories in the air, clattering onto the marble floor.
"Now…" Natsuki Subaru said, his eyes cold as he stared directly at Elsa, "it's time to settle the score for hurting Rem!"
As a Level 60 Shadow Monarch, his strength attribute was around 300 points, more than thirty times that of an ordinary human.
Such a disparity allowed him to crush a weapon forged from fine steel as easily as snapping a dry twig.
"This isn't good…"
Elsa's battle instincts suddenly screamed a frantic warning. Her slender waist sharply arched backward—
"Whoosh!"
But it was too late.
The shadow-wreathed fist had already torn through the air, striking with a speed that left afterimages on her retina.
In that instant, time seemed to stretch infinitely.
Elsa could clearly see the ripples the punch created in the air, hear her own heart pounding like a drum, and even feel the chill of death approaching.
"CRACK!"
Elsa's hastily raised arms for defense instantly twisted into a grotesque V-shape. The sickening sound of breaking bones echoed through the hall, stark white bone splinters pierced through her skin, and blood sprayed like a fountain.
Immediately after—
"BOOM!"
The terrifying impact sent Elsa flying backward like a cut string kite, smashing through three granite walls consecutively.
Each wall crumbled upon impact, sending rubble scattering like heavy rain.
Finally, Elsa's body, like a broken doll, embedded itself deep into a stone statue's base twenty meters away, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Natsuki Subaru didn't even glance at his fallen enemy. All his attention was focused on the weak Rem in his arms.
His slender finger tapped lightly in the air, a pale blue system interface flashed, and he retrieved a bottle glowing red with healing potion from his inventory.
"Rem, drink this."
Natsuki Subaru gently lifted Rem's chin, his voice incredibly soft, completely unlike how it had been moments before.
It's worth noting that healing potions were the most basic yet practical consumables in the system store.
In the previous battle to subjugate the White Whale, this small red liquid had saved the lives of seriously wounded individuals.
The healing potion shimmered slightly in the glass bottle, emitting a soft glow like the morning sun.
"Gulp~"
Rem didn't hesitate at all, obediently tilting her head back and downing it in one go.
Almost instantly, her pale cheeks regained their color, and the shocking wounds began to heal at a visible rate.
"It's alright now, Rem."
Watching Rem gradually recover, Natsuki Subaru's tense shoulders finally relaxed.
"Subaru."
Rem, whose spirits had fully returned, gently rubbed against Natsuki Subaru's palm like a kitten, a happy curve rising on her lips.
The hand that brushed her cheek was both gentle and warm, as if it could dispel all shadows.
From their first meeting at Roswaal Mansion, to his selfless protection during the Magic Beast attack, and now to this last-second rescue.
Every time, every single time, Subaru would appear in her most desperate moments, just as the fairytales described.
And Rem suddenly realized that, unknowingly, this admiration had deepened into a profound affection.
She was infatuated with the warmth of Subaru's palm, with the tone of his voice when he called her name, and even just watching his back in battle filled her with an unparalleled sense of security.
This feeling was too intense, so intense it made her a little scared.
Afraid she wasn't worthy of such gentleness, afraid that one day she might lose it…
At this moment, Rem suddenly remembered a fairytale she had heard as a child.
It was a story sung by bards countless times.
In the story, a brave knight always appeared at the princess's most critical moment, overcoming all obstacles to rescue his beloved from the claws of an evil dragon.
After defeating the dragon, they held their wedding in a star-studded castle.
Later, the princess bore the knight a pair of adorable children. The little prince inherited his father's bravery, and the little princess was gentle and beautiful like her mother.
The sight of the family of four playing in the kingdom's rose garden became the most heartwarming scene in the entire kingdom.
"Subaru is Rem's knight, her beloved…"
As this thought emerged, Rem's mind uncontrollably drifted to a more distant future.
If only she could have such a happy family with Subaru.
The boy would surely be brave and reliable like his father, Subaru, and the girl perhaps like herself......
Thinking this, Rem suddenly realized what outrageous things she was imagining, and her cheeks instantly flushed, even the tips of her ears turning crimson.
She couldn't help but hurriedly lower her gaze, her slender eyelashes fluttering like startled butterfly wings, afraid her shy thoughts would be seen through.
But that sweet tremor in her heart couldn't be hidden.
Her lips still held an upturned curve, exactly like a child giggling after secretly eating candy.
"Really… what silly things is Rem thinking…"
Rem quietly scolded herself inwardly, yet couldn't resist burying her face deeper into that warm palm.
But… how wonderful it would be if it could stay like this forever.
"Rem, I'm here. Don't be afraid."
Natsuki Subaru whispered, his fingertips gently brushing the blue strands of hair on Rem's forehead.
Rem shook her head lightly, her hair swaying with the movement, her cerulean eyes fixed on Natsuki Subaru without blinking:
"As long as Subaru-sama is here, Rem isn't afraid of anything."
"Why are you staring at me?"
Natsuki Subaru felt a little uncomfortable under Rem's focused gaze, unconsciously touching the tip of his nose.
"Smelling Subaru is Rem's special privilege!"
Rem's voice held a childlike pride, and a sweet curve unconsciously bloomed on her lips.
But then, as if she suddenly realized how bold her words were, her whole body stiffened.
Burning heat spread from behind her ears all the way to her cheeks, even tinting her neck a faint pink.
Oh heavens, how could she say something so shameless!
But… but Subaru's scent really was wonderful, with a faint, clean aroma similar to lavender, making her feel so safe she wanted to be enveloped in it forever.
"Uh…"
Natsuki Subaru looked down at the crimson-faced Rem in his arms. Her clear cerulean eyes were now veiled with shy moisture, leaving him speechless for a moment.
The rapid beating of her heart reached his fingertips, the scorching warmth palpable even through the fabric.
What should he say at a time like this…
Natsuki Subaru, of course, knew Rem's feelings, and his own feelings for Rem were also—
"Um… Rem, you…"
"Ugh......"
A faint groan instantly broke the ambiguous atmosphere between them.
"It's Frederica-senpai!"
Rem snapped out of her daze, remembering her equally injured companion. She hastily got up from Natsuki Subaru's embrace, but stumbled due to her sudden movement.
"Be careful!" Natsuki Subaru quickly steadied Rem, his other hand already retrieving a new healing potion from his inventory. "Just give this to Frederica to drink, and leave the rest to me."
Natsuki Subaru wasn't worried about Frederica's safety, because as long as she had a breath left, a healing potion could pull someone back from the brink of death—that was the terrifying power of system creations.
"But—"
Worry still flickered in Rem's cerulean eyes, and her slender fingers unconsciously tightened around the bottle of the healing potion.
"I'm fine." Natsuki Subaru reached out and ruffled Rem's hair, a reassuring smile gracing his lips. "Go on."
Feeling the warm touch on her head, Rem nodded firmly:
"Subaru must be careful too."
Rem hurried towards the fallen Frederica, feeling both guilt and self-reproach in her heart.
She had been so immersed in happiness that she forgot about her companion's safety—this was simply…
But…
Rem looked back at Natsuki Subaru, a warm current flowing through her heart.
Meeting Subaru in this life truly was Rem's greatest good fortune.
Just as this thought flashed by, the sound of falling rubble suddenly came from ahead.
______
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