(Cyn rolls for the entire interaction...
she rolls a 3.)
Her body moved like it wasn't hers anymore. Like something else had taken over, like she was just reacting. Not thinking. Not feeling. Just moving. Efficiently.
Cyn stepped forward with mechanical grace, each movement sharp and precise, a fluid predator's gait that didn't match her clunky cyborg frame. She stopped directly in front of Subaru, shielding him.
"Uh. Cyn?" Subaru blinked, voice unsure.
The girl who'd been slightly nervous before, who'd clung to his coat just moments ago, was gone.
Now there was only silence, seriousness, and something disturbingly... focused.
She didn't respond. Didn't blink.Didn't even see him anymore.
Her hand raised, palm open.
Her golden eyes? flicked around like they were tracking something invisible. And then, without warning, the air itself cracked.
A rippling shimmer sparked into existence just in front of her hand. A massive yellow circle lit up the alley, taller than Cyn herself. It spun slowly, etched with a strange symbol: three outward-facing arrows radiating from a central hexagon.
It hummed. It didn't belong.
The world didn't want it here.
A second passed.
Then-
"Wha-?!" the shortest thug gasped, stepping back-
FWOOOOOSH
A brutal gust of wind exploded from the floating symbol.
The small thug was instantly lifted off his feet, launched backwards like a ragdoll. He slammed into one wall. bounced. And smacked into another. By the time he hit the ground, he wasn't moving.
Cyn's arm shifted slightly.
So did the circle.
It angled toward the lanky thug.
"Wait, WAIT-!"
He didn't get another word out. The wind screamed again, and gravity forgot its job.
The lanky thug flew straight back like the alley itself tilted sideways.
He crashed into the far wall where the alley bent. And then he stuck. Pinned like an insect, howling, as the unrelenting wind hammered him into the brick again and again and again.
Pinned, helpless.
Unable to fall.
Unable to move.
Unable to run.
And through it all, Cyn still hadn't blinked.
The last one (big one) wasn't frozen in fear like the others. He let out a grunt, shoulders tightening as he watched his buddy get turned into wall paint.
"Rachins!?" he bellowed.
His grip shifted, both hands curling tight around the massive metal club he'd been dragging behind him like it was a toy. "You little freak! I'll make you pay for that!"
And then he charged.
He was fast. Way faster than you'd expect from someone built like a brick furnace. The club lifted overhead, the ground shook slightly under each stomp-
Whoooooosh (fuck you idk how big ass clubs sound like.)
The weapon came crashing down toward Cyn.
Subaru, who had just finished processing the fact that his new companion could draw glowing symbols which looked like cracks in space, that could summon the literal winds of a tornado, took one look at the incoming swing and had a single, galaxy-brain idea.
No analysis. No internal debate. No, thought. such as the most practical use of empirical reasoning. "omg, this child weighs a fuck ton. Maybe she's made out of some super metal and is extremely durable. while also weighing a Toyota at the same time. Perhaps this FUCK TON weighing child might be durable or something. idk im fuckin subaru"
and instead, goes with the STUPID heroism plan.
i can't let her get hit! He thought heroically. Stupidly. But heroically. I guess...
And so he leaps forward and places his body Right between Cyn and the club.
And guess what this guy does? He protects her.
USING!
HIS!
MOTHER!
FUCKING!
HEAD!
CRACK.
There was silence.
Then a pathetic wheeze.
"...I regret everything..." Subaru mumbled from the floor, twitching. because of course he realised that was a bad fucking idea. right after being smacked in the head with a concussion.
thud
Floor 2: subaru ... idk fucking give him -2. fuck his dumb ass.
The club actually bounced off his mighty fine nogging, enough to make the big guy stagger in surprise. "What the hell!?" the man barked, eyes wide. Obviously confused about where the fuck the flying dumb teenager came from.
Cyn, meanwhile, was still staring ahead—only now her strange, triple-arrow-shaped eyes twitched. A flicker passed through them. One of the glowing symbols in her gaze faded, shifting back to a single, golden pupil.
Her head snapped toward Subaru's collapsed form.
"Subaru...?"
Then louder.
"SUBARU!"
Her arm snapped around with enough speed to make the air crack. A gale roared to life at her fingertips, winds swirling with deadly intent.
And through her rage… she missed the warning.
She ignored the alarm.
One she'd definitely regret later.
"Oh SHI-!"
The man was instantly picked up by the gust like a piece of laundry in a hurricane. He hit the wall with a heavy CRACK, bounced, and collapsed face-first into the alley floor. His club tumbled from his hands with a dull clang.
Cyn whirled to finish the job, a slight... manic expression as her eyes glowed in her sockets, she flexed her fingers, wind forming and the-
[WARNING] [WARNING] [WARNING]
[DANGEROUSLY HIGH HEAT LEVELS DETECTED]
[EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN INITIATED]
"Confused expre-"
She didn't even make a sound, couldn't even finish her phrase before, just collapsing sideways in a puff of wind and steam, smoke curling gently from her clothes.
And so...
The alley fell silent.
Five bodies.
All lying still.
Peaceful.
Sleeping.
...obviously, because this is all voluntary done of course. with not... violence involved.
.
.
.
Wait! Actually, only 4 were taking a nap.
After a minute, the big guy stirred. Groaning. Swearing. Definitely concussed.
He staggered to his feet, bruised, bleeding, swaying like a drunk on ice. But he saw them all: Subaru, limp. Cyn, shut down. His teammates, knocked the fuck out.
"Fucking... monster child..." he hissed, stumbling toward the unconscious girl. His fingers clenched around the handle of his club. He raised it.
He roared something unintelligible, might've been a threat, might've been a declaration of revenge, (or maybe loooooove~) or maybe it might've just been the concussion talking.
But before he could bring it down-
"Stop, you villain!"
THWACK.
A crystal spike slammed into his ribs from the side, launching him like a baseball straight into the wall. He arced through the air with a scream and landed on his face. Right on top of his buddy.
The one Cyn had stapled to the bricks earlier.
...
What a goddamn shitshow.
--- (Emilia Pov)
"Puck, I'm just saying, Ram didn't specifically say I couldn't leave. She said, 'Don't cause trouble.' That's different."
She strolled down the quieter edge of the plaza, arms swinging, hood up just enough to avoid too much attention. The market was still lively, smells of bread and spice thick in the air.
Puck floated lazily beside her, lying on his back midair like he was sunbathing.
"You're stretching it, Lia. Next, you'll say it doesn't count as sneaking out if no one caught you."
"That's exactly how it works."
"Right, and I suppose if you broke a law but smiled nicely while doing it, that'd be fine too?"
"It would definitely help."
Puck snorted but didn't press further.
They rounded the bend where a row of flowerboxes spilt bright petals over chipped windowsills. The cobblestones here were uneven, worn smooth by time. Emilia hummed quietly to herself as her steps brought her toward the plaza's centrepiece: a wide marble fountain surrounded by trimmed hedges.
Water danced high into the air before falling into the basin with a soft, rhythmic splash. Sunlight caught in the droplets, scattering glints of colour over her silver hair.
She stepped closer, tilting her head in quiet wonder. The carving at the centre of the fountain was old and intricately detailed, two dragons coiled around a tall stone pillar, their wings flared wide like protective shields.
"It's beautiful," she murmured.
"You've seen it before," Puck said lazily.
"I know. Still is."
She reached out, fingers just brushing the cool water's surface, until a sudden bump jostled her from behind.
"Ah-!"
Emilia stumbled a half-step forward, just catching herself before she lost balance. She turned with a confused blink, only to catch a flash of golden hair and a flicker of crimson eyes. A small girl, maybe ten or eleven, looked up at her with a fleeting, sheepish smile.
"Oh! Sorry! In a bit of a rush!" the girl chirped before darting past without slowing.
Emilia blinked. "Eh?"
Then the girl disappeared into the crowd, slipping through gaps between market-goers
She turned back toward the fountain, still slightly puzzled, until Puck's dry voice cut in.
"She stole the purse."
"What?"
"The little thief took your purse, as she bumped into you," he said, floating into view with his ears perked. "The one with the insignia in it."
Emilia's eyes widened. Her hand shot to her hip, empty. Nothing but the cleanly cut remains of the leather strap hung against her cloak.
"No-!"
She spun around, scanning the crowd with frantic eyes. Her breath hitched. The once-charming market was suddenly too noisy, too full—voices overlapping, footsteps masking any one direction. But she caught a glimpse of blonde hair vanishing between two stalls near a fruit vendor.
"What! Oh no! I just got that!" I just promised Ram!
Her boots slapped against the stone as she broke into a run.
"Out of the way, sorry, excuse me!" she called, ducking around a startled merchant and nearly knocking over a stack of bread crates.
"Careful, Lia!" Puck floated beside her, barely breaking a sweat, or he would've, if spirits could. "She's quick. Might even have a divine protection. But you've got longer legs and something she doesn't. Morality. That counts for something."
"This isn't the time, Puck! She has my insignia!"
"And your coins, too. Plus, I liked that purse. It had a nice rustic charm," he added cheerfully. Not fitting the current situation.
"Puck, you're really not helping."
"Fine, fine. Call me when you need me," he sighed, vanishing into a shimmer of mana as he returned to her crystal.
Emilia pushed harder, feet slapping against stone as she chased after the flicker of blonde ahead. The girl was fast. Nimble. She darted through the side streets with the ease of someone born to them. Emilia wasn't slow, but she didn't know this city. Not like the girl did. Still, she kept her eyes sharp.
She had to get that insignia back. She had to. It wasn't just about the money or the humiliation. It was her one chance. Her only hope of making things right again.
Up ahead, the girl turned sharply onto a side street. Emilia followed without hesitation. As she rounded the corner, she caught a brief glimpse, the thief glanced back at her for just a heartbeat, red eyes flashing. Then she took off again, even faster than before.
"She's so fast!" Emilia muttered, frustration burning in her chest as much as the strain in her legs.
She pressed on, dodging between shoppers, cutting corners, trying to keep the girl in sight. But the distance grew. The winding streets closed in. And eventually, Emilia skidded to a stop in a quieter section of the city, chest heaving.
She bent slightly, hands on her knees. Her heart pounded. Her lungs burned. She'd lost her.
"Maybe someone saw her..." she whispered to herself, brushing a strand of silver hair from her eyes.
With that, she pushed forward again, walking fast now, stopping people along the way.
"Excuse me, have you seen a small blonde girl run past? Red eyes? In a hurry?"
A few shook their heads. One pointed vaguely toward the east end. Emilia followed that lead, turning into a narrow alleyway that snaked between two tall, run-down buildings.
She stepped into the dim corridor of stone and shadow.
But what she found wasn't a thief.
.
.
.
"What...?" she whispered, breath catching in her throat.
The alley stretched out before her like a forgotten stage after a battle, five bodies strewn across the ground in varying degrees of motionlessness. Two lay crumpled near the far wall, two closer to the entrance. One lay sprawled in the centre, groaning weakly.
Then, the largest among them -the one in the middle- began to move.
He staggered upright, swaying like a broken marionette, blood trickling from a cut along his temple. His breathing was heavy and uneven. As rage clung to him like fog. With shaking hands, he grabbed a thick wooden club from the ground beside him
Her mind reeled. The thief (the blonde girl) was getting farther away by the second. She should be chasing after her. That was more important… wasn't it?
But still… she didn't move.
Instead, her gaze was locked on the girl collapsed in the shadows. A young, black-haired child in a black lolita dress, a black bow drooping from her hair. Not the thief. Not the same girl. Much smaller than her.
Her gaze dropped to the young girl in the dress. The young, Black-haired girl with a cute bow in her hair, slumped forward as if she had collapsed. She looked no older than a child. Not the same girl from before, but definitely smaller.
The man raised his club.
"No," Emilia whispered, breath catching.
He lifted it over his shoulder, aiming to bring it down on the girl's skull.
Her body reacted before thought could intervene.
"Stop, you villain!" she shouted, thrusting her hand forward. A gleam of magic pulsed from her palm.
A sharp crystal shot out, faster than the eye could follow, slamming into the man's chest and launching him backwards.
He crashed into the far wall with a crunch, landing in a tangled heap right atop his two unconscious companions.
Silence fell.
A faint trail of glittering frost lingered where the crystal had flown. Emilia slowly lowered her arm, heart still racing.
She didn't hear any more movement from the pile of bodies.
Only then did Emilia hurry forward, kneeling beside the girl.
"Hey... are you alright?" she asked gently, brushing a few strands of dark hair from the girl's face.
The girl's breathing was faint but steady. Her skin, however, was alarmingly hot, like touching a stone left out in the sun. Yet despite the heat radiating from her, there wasn't a single bead of sweat, no sign of consciousness, no stirring. The only indication she was alive at all was the slow rise and fall of her chest.
Emilia frowned, glancing around at the destroyed alleyway. The chaos surrounding them had painted a picture as if a hurricane had passed through.
It was strange... considering she must've used fire magic to get so hot, right? So why did it look like wind magic was used?
"She must've used magic..." Emilia murmured, eyes tracing the girl's wrinkled clothes and burning body. It made sense.
A flash of light flickered beside her as Puck drifted out from behind her hair, floating lazily before settling beside the girl's head. His tiny tail gave an idle flick as he stared down at the unconscious girl. "Hmm... strange," he muttered. "I can't sense any mana from her. Not even a trace. That's... unusual."
"Is something wrong?" Emilia asked, glancing at him.
Puck tilted his head. "Nothing dangerous. She probably just burned herself out. Poured everything she had into whatever spell she used and went nighty-night. Kitten's completely drained."
Emilia looked back down at the girl, her expression softening. The girl couldn't be older than a child. She turned her gaze to the nearby boy and frowned slightly.
"She must've saved him," she said quietly, a mix of awe and sympathy in her tone.
Puck floated up beside her shoulder again, watching her carefully. "Lia," he said, voice practical. "You do realise the thief's still getting away?"
Emilia sighed, but didn't look away from the girl. "Of course I do. But I'm not just going to leave a little girl unconscious in an alleyway surrounded by thugs." She paused. "Besides... the thief's probably long gone by now. I'll pick up the trail again later."
Puck gave a tiny shrug. "If you say so. Just don't blame me when they vanish into thin air."
"I won't." Emilia smiled faintly, then looked back down. Her brows furrowed. "She's still so hot…"
Puck nodded. "Yeah, you should probably cool her down before she burns a hole through the stone."
Emilia gave a short nod and moved quickly, channelling her magic into cooling the air. like... like... like a fridge...
EMILIA THE FRIIIIIIIIIDGE
She stayed close, watching the girl's breathing, finding the girl's face to be... cute. Beatrice is also cute. She thought, as she brushed a hand through the girl's hair.
While this happened, Puck... continued to stare at Cyn... perplexed and... cautious.
.
.
.
A/N Hope you enjoyed. Also i really enjoyed writing the all hell broke loose scene. where everyone had a nap. Anyway comment because i love validations and um... um... yeah.
see ya.
(Also, please tell me if I mischaracterised any of the characters. thanks.)