Re:Zero AU — Chapter 1A: The Wrong Side of the Convenience Store
The hum of fluorescent lights was gone.
Instead, Subaru Natsuki stood frozen in a place that overloaded every sense he had.
The air was dense with the smell of spice, grilled meats, and sweat. The cobblestones under his sneakers were uneven, pressing strangely against his soles. Bright awnings stretched across stalls where vendors shouted and beckoned. Demi-humans with ears, tails, or horns mingled freely with humans as though it were the most natural thing in the world. A wagon creaked past, pulled by a lizard-like beast that snorted steam.
Subaru blinked once. Then twice.
"…Hah?"
One second ago, he had been leaving a convenience store, plastic bag full of instant noodles and soda in hand. The neon glow of his hometown's streets had been his last sight. Then—this.
He spun around in frantic circles, bag swishing against his leg. No asphalt. No vending machines. No flickering crosswalk lights.
Just a medieval townscape bustling with color and sound.
"…No way. No freaking way. Did I—did I seriously just—?"
The words tumbled out in a hoarse whisper, but no one stopped to answer. A few glanced at his strange tracksuit and muttered before moving on.
Subaru's chest rose and fell rapidly. His brain flipped through every manga, anime, and light novel he had ever consumed. The truth struck him like lightning.
"Isekai. I actually got isekai'd…"
His lips curled into a shaky grin even as his stomach twisted.
Okay, Subaru. Deep breaths. This is the dream. Your dream. You're the chosen one. You've been preparing for this your whole life… in theory.
He puffed his chest out, gripping his plastic bag like it was a legendary artifact.
"Figures I didn't get the goddess escort or legendary sword. Nope. I get cup noodles. Best cheat item in the world."
He laughed nervously. It rang too loud against the din of the market, and again, nobody cared.
Still, as his panic ebbed, something nagged at him. His body felt… off. Not wrong—better. His muscles carried less fatigue than usual, his breathing steadier. Even the chaotic market rang clear in his ears, as though his senses had sharpened.
He flexed his fingers. "…Weird."
Unbeknownst to him, Subaru's baseline in this world was not weak. If an average townsperson measured "10" in strength, Subaru was closer to "20." Nothing compared to knights, mercenaries, or true warriors, but enough to tilt the scales in his favor when push came to shove.
And that edge would matter sooner than he realized.
⸻
He wandered for nearly an hour, sneakers squeaking awkwardly on the stone roads, drawing odd stares. Stalls displayed fruits shaped like starbursts, fabrics that shimmered like liquid silver, and weapons gleaming under the sun. His inner gamer catalogued everything with glee.
"That's gotta be an early-game healing potion. And those lizards are definitely mounts. Man, this is like stepping into an MMO hub town…"
At a fruit stall stacked with orange, apple-like produce, his instincts buzzed. He leaned in. "Classic fantasy fruit. If this isn't called something dumb like an appa, I'll eat my shoes."
The burly vendor scowled. "Oi, brat. You buying or gawking? Three coppers apiece."
Subaru blinked. "Funny story: I don't actually have… copper. Or gold. Or any money. Long trip, y'know?"
The man's eyes narrowed. "Then get lost."
Hands raised in surrender, Subaru backed away. "Okay, okay! Sheesh, customer service in this world is brutal."
His cheeks burned as he retreated. He could almost feel his yen mocking him from his pocket. Useless here.
⸻
By sunset, his initial thrill had eroded into weariness. He stumbled into a quieter street, leaning against the cool stone wall of a shuttered shop.
"Let's review…" His voice came out flat, dry. "No money. No house. No skills. My legendary cheat item is instant noodles. Great. I'm doomed."
The alley swallowed his words, amplifying the despair hiding behind his sarcasm.
For the first time, he truly felt it: the terrifying absence of a safety net. No save points. No respawns. Just him, alone in a world that didn't care.
"…Can I really survive here?"
The question stung like ice.
That was when the shadows at the alley's mouth shifted.
Three figures emerged, ragged clothes clinging to lean, mean bodies. Their smiles were sharp, their eyes hungry.
"Well, well," the tallest drawled, flipping a dagger between his fingers. "Look what we've got here. Lost little tourist."
Subaru's heart slammed against his ribs. He forced a crooked grin. "…Uh. Nice weather?"
The men chuckled, spreading out to block the exit.
"That bag looks heavy," one sneered. "Why don't you hand it over?"
Subaru clutched his plastic bag tighter. "No way. This is all I've got. You don't just take a man's noodles!"
The dagger flashed as its wielder stepped closer. "Then we'll take it with your blood."
Fear spiked, instinct screamed—but alongside it, something else surged. Power. His muscles itched to move, his blood raced like fire.
He lowered his stance clumsily, fists raised in mimicry of martial arts manga. His knees shook, but his eyes held.
"…The hard way, then."
The thugs laughed uproariously.
"This'll be quick."
They rushed him.
⸻
Re:Zero AU — Chapter 1B: The Hard Way
The first thug lunged. His dagger gleamed silver, whistling through the air.
Subaru ducked clumsily, his sneakers skidding on the uneven stone. Instinct—not training—dragged his body sideways, and the blade cut only cloth, slicing a shallow tear into his sleeve.
"Fast—!" Subaru gasped, shock flashing through him.
The thug recovered immediately, snarling as he pressed forward. Behind him, the other two moved in like wolves circling prey.
Subaru's body screamed at him to run, but his mind sparked with something strange—an acute awareness of angles, timing, openings. He could see the dagger-hand dropping slightly too low, the stance too wide. It wasn't enough to make him a fighter, but it was more clarity than he had ever felt.
His fist shot forward almost on instinct, knuckles crunching into the thug's jaw. The man reeled back, spitting blood.
Subaru blinked in shock. "I—hit him?"
The thug's head whipped back, and his murderous glare snapped into place. "You little—!"
The second man pounced, swinging a club. Subaru barely raised his arms in time. The impact rattled his bones, driving him back against the wall. Pain exploded across his forearms.
"Ghhk—!"
He staggered but didn't fall. That… should have broken him. Instead, his body held. He didn't know why—he just knew he was tougher than he should be.
Anger boiled up from somewhere raw and reckless.
"I'm not… just some loser you can beat down!"
He shoved forward, ramming his shoulder into the thug's chest. The man stumbled, air whooshing out of him, and Subaru's elbow smashed into his gut. A strangled wheeze followed as the thug dropped to his knees.
The third man cursed, circling with predatory eyes. "Damn brat's stronger than he looks."
Subaru's heart pounded like war drums. He barely noticed the cut on his sleeve bleeding or the ache in his arms. His body thrummed with adrenaline and a strange vitality.
He grinned despite himself, teeth bared. "Surprise. I don't go down that easy."
The first thug, jaw swelling, spat red onto the stones. "Cocky trash!" He lunged again, dagger flashing.
This time, Subaru moved sharper. He twisted his body aside, feeling the blade graze his side, then brought his knee up into the man's gut. The thug gagged, dropping the dagger, which clattered loudly against the stones.
Before he could think, Subaru's foot kicked the weapon away, out of reach.
Two down.
The third thug snarled and rushed in with raw fury, fists swinging wide. Subaru ducked one blow, caught another against his shoulder, and—almost by accident—slammed his forehead forward.
CRACK.
The thug staggered back, clutching his nose. Subaru winced as pain flared in his skull, but some deep part of him thrilled. He was fighting. He was surviving.
But the danger wasn't gone.
The dagger thug recovered, snatching up the blade again. His eyes burned. "You're dead, kid. I'll gut you like a pig!"
Subaru's breath hitched. His body ached, his stamina waning. One mistake, and he'd be bleeding out on these filthy stones.
But then—something in him shifted.
The world slowed. He saw the thug's stance, the way his shoulders tightened before the strike, the tiny hitch in his movement telegraphing the angle. It was like watching a playback in his head before it happened.
Not foresight. Just sharpened instinct.
The dagger came down—Subaru stepped into the attack, not away. His hand slapped the thug's wrist, shoving the blade off-line, and his other fist drove into the man's throat.
The thug gagged, eyes bulging, weapon falling as he collapsed gasping.
Subaru's chest heaved. His arms shook. Sweat poured down his face, mixing with dirt and blood.
The alley was silent save for groans. One thug sprawled unconscious, another curled clutching his stomach, the last wheezing on the ground.
Subaru stood above them, every nerve aflame.
He had won.
Against all odds, he—Subaru Natsuki, shut-in loser from another world—had fought off three armed thugs.
He staggered back against the wall, sliding down to sit on the cold stone. His chest rose and fell in ragged bursts.
"…Holy crap."
His hands trembled violently. Adrenaline still surged, but the fear crashed down harder. He could have died. He should have died. Only… he hadn't.
Something about him was different. Stronger. Faster. Clearer.
He stared down at his scraped knuckles, bloodied but not broken.
"…This isn't normal. I shouldn't be able to…"
A laugh bubbled out of him, half-mad, half-disbelieving. He pressed a hand over his face, shaking.
"I don't get it. But… thank God. At least I'm not totally helpless."
For a long time, he sat there in silence, listening to the faint sounds of the market beyond the alley. Life went on, indifferent.
Finally, he pushed himself up on shaky legs. He grabbed his plastic bag, miraculously intact, and looked down at the groaning thugs.
"Be glad I don't have the guts to finish you," he muttered, his voice low. "But if you try me again…"
The words trailed off into the night air. He didn't even know what he meant.
⸻
He stumbled out of the alley, clutching his side. The streets were calmer now, lanterns glowing warmly against the encroaching dark. Couples walked, vendors packed up, laughter drifted through the air. It was a world that didn't care one bit that Subaru had nearly died just now.
That thought chilled him more than anything.
"…This world's real," he whispered. "Too real."
And he had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
But for the first time, he carried a spark of something new in his chest.
Not just fear. Not just confusion.
Possibility.
⸻
Chapter 1 — End