"Damn it! Please… please, someone… someone help!" Felt ran with tears in her eyes.
She ran with her eyes close calling as loud as she can.
She then bumped into someone, falling on her behind.
Felt looked up.
"Very well… I'll help." Reinhard gave a charming smile.
The scene changes back to Reinhard standing in front of Elsa with a bleeding Subaru staring at him from behind.
"Reinhard?"
"That's right Subaru. We meet again. Sorry, I'm late."
Reinhard observed the woman before him.
"Black hair, black clothes, and a blade unique to the northern provinces. There is no mistaking those characteristics. You are the Bowel Hunter."
"What kind of evil nickname is that?"
"It was derived from her unique killing style. Her name is known, even in the capital, as that of a dangerous individual.
"Reinhard… "
"Yes, a knight among knights, born to a line of master swordsmen, correct? How remarkable, having all my opponents be so much fun."
"There many things I'd like to ask you. I insist that you surrender."
"You expect such a starving predator to resist such a choice, juicy prey?"
Reinhard just chuckles a bit and looks back at Subaru,
"Subaru, stand back a bit. If you stand next to her that would be appreciated." Reinhard points at Emilia as she was healing Rom's wound.
Subaru smirks and nods. "That woman is like a monster so don't lower your guard… "
"As luck would have it..." Reinhard looks Elsa in the eye. "Hunting monsters happens to be my specialty."
"Badass!" Garfiel had stars in his eyes for the hero's line and posture against this vampire of a woman.
Subaru kneels beside Emilia and notices Rom breathing in pain.
"Old Man Rom is still alive?"
"He isn't out of the woods yet. I have to heal him now."
Subaru looks at her in surprise. "You really want to? He's part of the gang that stole your insignia."
Emilia starts working on the healing spell.
"That's why I need him to recover, so he'll repay the favor by giving me information."
Subaru stares as Emilia speaks softly. "He wouldn't lie to someone who has saved his life. This is as much for my own sake."
"You're a really bad liar, ya'know that?" Anastasia shook her head with indifference to Emilia. The half-elf didn't give a response since she really thought what she had been doing was correct.
The scene returns to the fight between Elsa and Reinhard. The Bowel Hunter (Gay ass name) charged at Reinhard with sonic speed.
"I would rather not use violence on a woman."
Reinhard kicks his foot on the floor emitting a shock wave around him breaking the wood he was standing on and killing Elsa's momentum, forcing her to stand before him unguarded. Reinhard swiftly kicked her in the side making her roll a few feet away.
"Just as the rumors say… No, you're even better."
"I'm not sure I'll meet your expectations."
"Aren't you going to use that sword at your hip? I would love to experience its legendary sharpness."
"This sword can only be drawn when needed. The fact that it hasn't left its sheath, means that this is not one of those times."
"I do believe I have been underestimated."
"It's an upsetting judgment for me, as well. Therefore, "
Reinhard picked up a sword from the ground.
"I shall take you on with this instead. Do you object?"
"No, it is wonderful. Wonderful! Do entertain me please!" Elsa smirks manically and charges.
Reinhard simply activates his power and the sword glows. He blocked the strike and made Elsa drop the blade from her grasp.
Catching the tip of the blade with his two fingers, Reinhard looked at Elsa.
"If you've lost your weapon, I strongly suggest you surrender." Reinhard threw the blade and made it stab into a pillar.
Elsa looked annoyed and threw the broken handle of her weapon behind her as she charged hands empty.
"She's got a second one, Reinhard!" Subaru shouted from the side.
Suddenly, she pulled a second blade from behind her back and swiped at Reinhard. She would have almost cut his stomach had he not been fast enough to step back.
Elsa kept her eyes on Reinhard but spoke towards Subaru. "I'm impressed you knew."
"Well, I've personally experienced it… "
"But I don't have a mere two fangs, would you mind if we start again?"
"If I divest you of all your weapons will you be satisfied?"
"If I lose my fangs, I'll use my claws. If I lose my claws, I'll use my bones. And if I lose my bones, I'll use my life." Elsa began jumping all over the loot house at demonic speeds that turned her into nothing but a blur.
"This is how a Bowel Hunter fights." Reinhard manages to block various speedy attacks with ease.
"Surely Reinhard won't fail to land the decisive blow, will he?"
"Because I'm using my spiritual arts, he cannot fight at full strength."
"What do those have to do with each other?"
"If he was truly intent on fighting all the mana in the atmosphere would turn away from me. I'm almost done healing him. When I give the signal, let him now."
Subaru looks down to find Rom's wound fully closing up.
"Whoa!"
"Now he's all right. Go ahead."
Subaru quickly turned to Reinhard. "I don't really get it, but do your thing, Reinhard!"
Reinhard nods and activates his blessings, soaking up all the mana in the air around him.
"Oh, what will you show me?" Elsa asked as she watched the mana being sucked into his sword.
"The Swordplay of the Astrea family." Reinhard readies sword.
Elsa smiles and prepares two blades in both hands. Wait. How the fuck did sh-
"The Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert."
"Reinhard Van Astrea, of the line of master swordsmen."
The two faced off as Reinhard's sword glows so bright it blinded everyone around him.
Reinhard raised his glowing sword, emitting Whale noises, and struck Elsa with a blow so strong it made the entire loot house explode.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
Subaru looks at Reinhard in shock as the entire Loot house was blown to bits.
"This is excessive!" Otto yelled in astonishment.
Reinhard smiled sheepishly.
Garfiel just looked at the screen with a frown. During this whole fight, the blonde warrior was reminded of how much weaker he was to someone like the Sword Saint. Reinhard had been in total control of this fight from start to finish, it almost seemed as if he was the one toying with Elsa. While in Garfiel's take on fighting the wench, it was messy and foreboding for both sides.
And the sheer power displayed by Reinhard's one swing showed it all.
"Reinhard back at it again, nyan! Saving the day once more."
"Thank you, Felix. But I'd not be there had it not been for Subaru." Reinhard smiled honestly and humbled himself to his friend. Felix simply shook his head but grinned nonetheless.
"Hunting monsters is your specialty, my ass! You're a monster yourself!"
Some laughed at this, but Reinhard smiled warmly. He genuinely cared for his friendship with Subaru. He treats him like any other person.
"Even I'm a bit hurt by a comment like that, Subaru."
The Sword Saint looks at the Sword in his hand as it vaporizes into dust from the sheer power it used in the strike.
"I'm sorry I asked too much of you. Rest well now."
"How stro'g is tis guy?!" Garfiel asked in shock.
"Marvelous, it's done." Priscilla stated with boredom.
Subaru stood up and looked around. "There isn't a shadow left, let alone a body… this is all that's left after just one sword swing?"
"It's over now?" Emilia stood up and tried to walk but stumbled and almost fell as she held her head in her hand.
Subaru caught her immediately. "Yea, somehow or other. Literally."
Emilia notices something and steps back from him. "Why are you staring at me? That's quite rude."
"It's just, you still have your arms and legs, even your head… "
"Of course, I do. Don't say such scary things."
"Yeah, you're right. It's obvious huh? I still have my arms, too. And there's no knife in my back or a gaping hole in my gut."
"You talk as if you've experienced those things before."
"There was a time when I did."
"It's morbid to see him talk about it like this." Rem spoke softly.
Emilia nodded as she glanced at her knight with deeply saddened eyes. "Poor Subaru." The half-elf muttered as she wished he would give her another one of his stupid smiles.
"He did experience all of that… I can't believe this power of his… It's too much." Otto answered with depression. Unable to think about anything less than the grand reveal that his best friend apparently time travels through his death.
Subaru looks at the standing swordsmen. "Oh, yeah, Reinhard… I haven't thanked you yet. You saved my ass! Back in the alley too. I guess you heard my heart's cries for help, friend."
Reinhard appeared to be really happy,
"If I did do that, I'd certainly be proud… Friend."
"You guys seem chummy." Julius huffed softly and narrowed his eyes a little.
Reinhard just smirked at him.
Reinhard looks at Felt as she entered through a broken wall. "She was desperately running around the streets, and asked for my help."
"That's… " Emilia glared at the girl but Subaru waved her off.
"Now, hang on… if she hadn't brought Reinhard, we'd have been destroyed. Just look at this face and spare me the ice statue punishment?" Subaru pleaded with his hands for her.
Emilia looked away with a pout. "I wouldn't do something so violent!"
"And what does your face have to do with anything?"
"Subaru!"
Reinhard quickly called out for his friend as Elsa emerged from a bunch of debris.
"How did she survive that?!" Felix shouted
"Oh no! Emilia-sama!" Petra held her hands to her mouth in fear.
The Bowel Hunter ran with a nasty glare on her face and a blade in her hand towards Emilia, preparing to kill.
Reinhard ran towards her but he wouldn't be fast enough.
"She'll go for the gut!"
Quickly picking up the bat he was fighting with, the battered Subaru pushed Emilia away and stood before Elsa with the bat in front of him to shield his own guts from the blow.
"He got in my way again!" Elsa growled as she glared at the boy.
"Close!" Al whistled, impressed that he survived that.
"Marvelous knockback." Julius' approval was given as well.
"That's enough, Elsa!" Reinhard ran in front of Emilia.
Elsa threw her blade at him but she missed. Everyone stared as the killer smirked with blood running over her ragged face.
"Soon enough, I'll disembowel everyone here." she jumped and landed on a broken pillar.
"Till then, take good care of your bowels."
with that, The Bowel Hunter climbed the wall and disappeared into the night.
(And we will never see her again.)
"And we saw th't bitch again." Garfiel glared hatefully, understanding that this slimy woman had already attacked his captain many times before Garf come into the picture. Which angered him more than anything that he didn't know so he couldn't hit her as hard.
Reinhard ran to Emilia's side in a hurry. "Are you unhurt?"
"Whether I'm unhurt doesn't matter! More importantly, " she pushed Reinhard outta the way and walked to the beaten Subaru's side.
"Are you all right? That was far too reckless!"
"Oh, it was no problem."
"I sure took the long road, but I finally reached this point."
Subaru quickly pointed at the sky and did his pose.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru! And I just saved your life from a heinous villain! Are we okay on that?"
"Okay?"
"It means are we clear on that? So… Okay."
"O-Okay…"
"I, your rescuer, saved your life. And you are the heroine I saved! So, wouldn't that mean you should repay me in kind? Wouldn't it?"
"All right, I get it. Only if it's within my power of course." Emilia glared at Subaru thinking that he will take advantage for some gold or something really gross.
"Pervert Barusu."
"Let's see how he uses this. Will he ask for money? Or fame? Maybe even a home!" Anastasia looked on with intrigue as she wanted to learn how this boy thinks.
"In that case, I have only one request!"
Emilia steeled herself and glared at him. She was ready.
"My request is…"
Emilia stared at him with anticipation, gulping.
"Tell me your name."
"That's very disappointing." Anastasia sighed deflated.
"He has his heart out on his sleeve." The old swordsman sitting beside Crusch smiled warmly at the screen.
Emilia stared at the boy for a few seconds. Then she giggled softly.
"Emilia."
"Huh?" Subaru looked at her with surprise.
"My name is Emilia. Just Emilia." Subaru stared as she smiled under the moonlight. As if she was an angel.
Emilia smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Subaru. For saving me." Emilia opened her palm for him.
Subaru looked at it. Memories of his past loops played.
All those times I got hurt, all the crying I did, all the pain I felt, all the fighting with my life at stake… and my reward was her name and a single smile.
"Jeez… talk about unequal compensation"
Subaru took Emilia's hand and shook.
"You asked for it you fool." Julius chuckled softly, loving the way Subaru handled himself here.
"This is something out of a storybook. Not fair!" Petra fumed childishly about how romantic Subaru and Emilia's 'first' meeting was under the moonlight with him representing himself as a hero.
"Anyway, Subaru, I'm impressed that you're unhurt."
"That thing protected me just in time. If not for that, I'd be in two pieces right now."
"True, if not for this…" Reinhard picked the bat from the ground.
But it was cut in half…
"Eh?"
All three of them slowly turned or looked down at Subaru's belly.
Where his clothing was cut.
"Uh-oh. I should have seen this coming."
Subaru's guts burst open and blood spilled everywhere as he fell down fainting.
"OH NO!" Petra took back all the curses she had said about him, please don't let him die again!
"What the hell happened here?" Ricardo rubbed his head unable to think of a way this would continue without Subaru being awake.
"Emilia-sama is still there to heal Barusu's most surely toxic body," Ram answered from her chair rigidly.
"Subaru?" Emilia worriedly knelt by his side.
Subaru looked up at her as she looked down at him.
Man… she's so cute when she's panicking… A parallel world fantasy...
"Subaruuuuu!" Emilia blushed beet red but had a smile on her upturned lips as she liked the way he complimented her even when they first met.
Knowing the circumstance behind their meetings together made her happiness deflate, however.
Darkness…
"There. His treatment should be complete. He should be over the hump now."
"By the way, Emilia-sama, what is your relation to Subaru?"
"A passing acquaintance? I don't recall ever meeting him before. I thought our meeting today was the first time."
"No, he was looking for you. He said he had something to give you."
"That's why it's so strange… "
"What shall we do with him? I would be glad to take him home as a guest."
"No, I'll take him home with me. That way, I can learn what's really going on."
"I guess, we know now." Reinhard frowned. But he looked to his side to find Felt glaring hatefully at him.
"Lady Felt-san?"
"You mean to tell me that we could've had Subaru on our team! Why didn't you take him with you?!"
Reinhard sweated in worry.
The Emilia camp huddled a little closer to protect their member.
"No one is gonna snatch him, commoners." Priscilla laughed at the group's idiotic antics.
Emilia looked at Felt and Rom.
"What would become of them?" she asked.
"Officially, I cannot overlook what they've done. But… unfortunately, I'm off duty today."
Emilia giggled. "You're a bad knight."
Emilia slowly sat next to Felt, the little girl trying to look away from the guilt.
"Is this old man your family?"
"Something like that, he is the only one I have… he's like my grandpa."
"Hm… Maybe he's really changed." Wilhelm silently regarded the once terrifying demi giant he battled years ago until the ceiling itself caved upon them. He'd sworn to kill the giant if he ever saw him alive again.
And yet this girl's words were putting hesitation into him.
"I've grown soft." The old man muttered to himself, although not joylessly.
"I see. I only have one family member, too. But he's always asleep at the most important times."
"I thought you'd be a lot harsher on me. I'm sorry. You saved my life and I can't let a debt go unpaid. I'll return what I stole, keep it hidden so no one can steal it again!"
"It feels funny, having you give me that warning."
As Felt opened her palm to Emilia revealing the insignia, Reinhard looked at the jewel with wide eyes.
The stone… was glowing.
Felt gasped as her wrist was grabbed roughly by the Sword Saint.
"Reinhard!" "You're hurting me! Let go!"
Reinhard glared at the jewel shaken. "H-How could this be?"
he looked at Felt and asked sternly. "What is your name?"
"So that is how the final candidate was found, huh." Felix noted in fascination.
"It all seems so tight together," Julius muttered with a look of forlorn interest. "It's like destiny and fate were at play here. Not only with Reinhard and Felt-sama's meeting, but with Subaru's arrival and his meeting with Emilia-sama as well."
"Not to mention that power o' his as well." Anastasia's rough accented words cut in on the knight's marveling and soured the mood around her.
"Huh? It's Felt…"
"And your family name? How old are you?"
"I don't have anything fancy like a family name! I'm… about fifteen, I think. I don't know my birthday. Just let me go!"
"Emilia-sama, I am afraid I cannot keep my promise to you. I shall be taking this girl with me."
"May I ask why? If it's for stealing my insignia… "
"That is, indeed, no small crime. But next to the gravity of overlooking the crime unfolding before me, it's trivial."
Reinhard stood up with the struggling Felt as he kept a firm grip on her wrist.
"I need you to come with me. I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to refuse."
"Get over yourself! Just because you saved me-"
Reinhard just sucked all her mana out making Felt fall unconscious into his grasp.
"That wasn't very courtly, either."
"Man thinks himself a lolimancer." Al snorted from above, making a few chuckles bounce across the room.
Reinhard rubbed his head and apologized to the lady he'd semi-nap. Felt simply looked away from him, too pissed off that he wasted a chance to get Subaru just to fulfill some stupid duty.
"I was careful not to use too much. Emilia-sama I'll be calling upon you soon shortly. I hope you understand." Reinhard carried Felt princess style and handed Emilia her Jewel back.
"Please take care of Subaru."
The moon behind them both glowed brilliantly, startling them both and making them look up at it.
"Today might be our last chance to gaze calmly at the moon."
The screen stopped at Subaru's sleeping face.
"That's nooot worrying at aaaall." Roswaal sang out in sarcasm as the screen was obviously eluding to some rough times for Subaru that most of these people didn't even know of.
Second title card:
Starting life in another world from zero.
Credit song: Styx helix acoustic version
Episode 2 Directors Cut end.
"...First Arc. End."
"The Chaotic First Day…"
"So… What happened after that?" Felt asked in a seething manner. Still miffed that her stupid knight did not take the chance to have Subaru under their roof.
"Ram came into the loot house a short while after Reinhard had taken you. She helped me carry Subaru to the carriage and… we left." Emilia counted from the top of her head.
"So… This is how the boy came to be in your camp, huh?" Al questioned mysteriously off-putting.
Emilia nodded her head hesitantly.
"Damn… I don't know if he got it easier than mine or got it harder." Al joked to himself and laughed without letting anyone in on the joke.
"But is that it? Are we done watching this now?" Felix finally asked the question awaited by most of the people inside.
And then suddenly…
You all have questions. You have theories. You have debates.
Every single one of these will be solved.
I doubt you will trust this, but we are not done watching Subaru's 'Journey' as you put it.
The viewings are still not over.
Before the cast could even breathe what they had just seen.
The screen went active again… and the Warden left in what his voice sounded like was… a rush?
The man was clearly being panicky about something following him.
"What the hell do we do?" Ricardo asked, wanting any of these leaders to lead out of this situation.
He only received silence as the others were just as stuck as he was.
And then the screen turned on again with flashing images…
"What's going to happen next...?" Emilia questioned dryly, keeping her arm on his while hoping he would be fine.
"...Second Arc. Begin"
Episode 3….Second Arc's intro…
Start.