When the knock at the door sounded, Subaru's expression suddenly grew solemn. A sudden sense of foreboding seized her, and she quickly shot a look at Emilia.
Though Emilia didn't understand why, she trustingly began to gather mana in secret.
At the same time, Subaru called out urgently in her heart, 'Tsukasa! Can you hear me? Answer me, quick!'
What she didn't know was that at this moment, Tsukasa was at a critical stage of adapting Cursed Energy and mana. Therefore, no matter how she called out right now, Tsukasa could not respond as long as the adaptation was incomplete.
After her calls yielded no results, Subaru recalled Tsukasa's previous instructions, "If I can't respond, it means I'm in a special state. But I will definitely wake up and resolve everything."
At the time, she had smiled and promised, "I'll definitely hold out until you wake up."
To Subaru, Tsukasa was not only her sole companion in this other world but also her lifesaver. Though she vaguely sensed that he likely also came from her world—due to his accent, which sounded like Japanese—she chose to respect his silence. Because as long as she knew he was on her side, that was enough.
"It's alright." Tsukasa's voice back then had carried a reassuring steadiness, "When I arrive, I will settle everything."
From those words, Subaru keenly perceived that Tsukasa was far from ordinary.
She responded without hesitation, "I understand. I'll definitely hold out until the moment you arrive."
The memory came to an abrupt end.
Subaru took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the tavern for anything that could be used as a weapon or cover.
'No matter what, I have to hold out until Tsukasa wakes up.'
Meanwhile, the oblivious Felt had already strode toward the door, her tone light. "Coming! Stop knocking!"
The moment the door opened, Subaru's heart nearly stopped.
There was no one outside!
At that instant, thoughts began to race through her mind. If there was no one at the door, there were only two possibilities.
Either the person had already left, or... they were already inside.
Where were they?
In a flash of insight, she suddenly thought of a place to hide and immediately shouted to Emilia, "Lia! Aim for the beam!"
Hearing the command, Emilia did not hesitate, and five ice shards shot toward the ceiling beam.
Just as the ice shards were about to hit, a white light flashed.
Clang!
The ice shards shattered.
Felt reacted extremely fast, backflipping to Rom's side and assuming a combat stance.
A dark figure landed gracefully. The dim light outlined the newcomer's silhouette. Waist-length black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and a daring backless dress traced her graceful curves, with the slit in the skirt revealing glimpses of her long, slender legs.
She should have been a stunning noblewoman, but the words she spoke sent chills down one's spine.
"An ordinary person, a half-elf magic user, and two insignificant small fry. What an easy mission."
The intense pressure made Subaru break into a cold sweat, but she forced herself to stay calm and said, "Do you think you can handle a spirit arts user and a three-person ambush at the same time?"
The woman in black gave a contemptuous smile. "Though there's a mage on the field, a burly man who looks like a warrior, an agile blonde brat, and you, an ordinary person, my intuition tells me you pose no threat at all."
She licked the corner of her lips with her crimson tongue and continued, "Besides, I haven't tasted a half-elf's bowels yet."
How could Subaru not know what the black-robed woman meant? She was merely buying time for Emilia.
By now, Rom had pulled a club from under a table. Noticing that Emilia was gathering mana, he didn't hesitate to stomp on the ground. Amidst flying wood chips, the club swept toward the woman in black with the sound of whistling air. However, the woman simply leaped lightly, avoiding the thunderous strike.
"Now! Lia!"
"Hah!"
Over a dozen ice shards hissed through the air toward the target, who was unable to dodge while airborne.
Just as the corner of Subaru's lips began to lift, she saw the woman reveal a sinister smile in mid-air.
"You must be very delicious, right?"
The next second, the woman spun in the air with an incredible posture, her Kukri knife dancing as she shattered every single ice shard.
"Don't underestimate me!" Rom roared, swinging his club upward in an attempt to knock the woman further into the air.
However, the blacl-robed woman unhurriedly drew another strangely shaped Kukri knife. Her body twisted at an angle that defied common logic, not only avoiding the attack but also sending Rom flying, club and all.
"Old Man Rom!"
With a roar, the dazed Felt also joined the fray.