Chapter 22 - 022 : Conclusion

As Reinhard gripped his blade, Elsa made the first move, darting to the side. As she made her slicing attack she leapt to increase its speed. In response, Reinhard readied a stance to swing his sword from below, straight upward.

In that moment of attack and defense, Subaru was able to get a clear view of what was happening.

Reinhard's strike was sublime, it was magical, it was perfectly trained. In his hands, even a throwaway sword at its end of life, sleeping away in a cellar, shone like some treasured sword passed on by legend across generations.

Reinhard's sword technique captured every ounce of performance that could be extracted by the sword and he used it at will. With just one strike from him he easily disarm Elsa with ease.

Elsa had no words for the fate of the kukri she held in her hand. The blade had become just a handle, and as for the remainder…

"Now that you have lost your weapon, I recommend you surrender."

…as Reinhard turned around, he held the blade of Elsa's kukri in his free hand. With a flick of his wrist he threw it, and with a sharp sound it stuck, lodged in the wall. Even Subaru could hear Elsa gasp.

"He really is not normal. I can't even find the energy to joke about it."

Subaru just bȧrėly squeezed out what he thought, and hurried to put distance between himself and the battle taking place.

Elsa was on her knees but Subaru couldn't see her face. All Subaru could think was that Reinhard had taken away her will to fight. With his old sword down by his side, Reinhard approached Elsa with his defenses down.

Surely Reinhard had confidence in the difference in ability between himself and Elsa, but pride always leads to the worst possible outcome. An alarm rang inside Subaru's head.

"Reinhard! She's got another blade!"

As Elsa's second kukri was drawn from her waist, it took a bit of Reinhard's bangs as he leaned back. With her surprise attack evaded, she turned her eyes toward Subaru.

"I'm surprised you knew."

"Well, I've already experienced it once before!" said Subaru, giving her the middle finger in a bragging tone—although it really couldn't be called bragging.

Elsa apparently decided that what Subaru was saying was nonsense and ignored him.

"However, you'd be wrong to think I have only two of these fangs. …Shall we start over?" she said to Reinhard.

"Will you be satisfied if I destroy all of your weapons?"

"If I lose my fangs, I'll fight with my nails. If I lose my nails, I'll fight with my bones. If I lose my bones, I'll fight with my life. That is how I, the Bowel Hunter, do things."

"In that case, I'll just have to have you forsake your ideals."

Elsa drew a third knife from her waist and held both at the ready. Worthy of the "spider-woman" insult that Subaru had lobbed at her before, Elsa seemed to fly about the room as though she were ignoring gravity, using all space on the ground and in the air available to her.

But before she can reach Reinhard a brilliant light blew off the roof of the loot cellar and ripped right through it, cutting the entire space into two halves.

Subaru couldn't help but feel that the entire world had shifted as an immense light filled the room and whited everything out in an instant. As the light cleared, the world was subjected to another sudden shift, as the displaced space tried to return to where it had been before.

Air was distorted as residual waves from the attack swept over the room and caused strong gusts to rush, spiraling back into the center of the room. Along with those gusts, stolen items, furniture, and even materials from the building's structure itself were pulled in.

Subaru desperately tried to protect Emilia, Rem and Rom from this storm of collateral damage.

"Just what is… H-hey! Hey!!"

Subaru couldn't really explain how all of this was happening, but he knew who caused it.

The "Sword Saint " had, at full power, swung his sword. Once. Only once, and this was the result.

Subaru kept yelling, trying to get through the pain and the wind, as finally, the storm lost its strength and the various items tumbling to the ground signaled its end, along with the chorus of dull creaking sounds from the building.

Subaru tossed away the remains of a scroll-like object that had landed on his head and checked that both Rom and Not-Satella were still okay. It looked as though Subaru's cover wasn't completely enough, as Rom looked as though he was covered in milk and other things, but Subaru thought he deserved to be cut a little slack.

"What do you mean, 'Fighting monsters is my specialty'? You're enough of a monster yourself!" shouted Subaru.

"Even I get hurt when you say things like that, Subaru," replied Reinhard, the root cause of all of this destruction, with a weak smile as the gusts of wind blew his fiery red hair.

"I'm sorry for pushing you so hard. Rest well."

…his two-handed sword disintegrated. Something of such a poor making could not last even one of Reinhard's true swings. The strike was enough to make the steel of the sword's blade rot away, so as for Elsa…

"Forget a corpse, I don't even see any trace of her left… This is all just from one swing of your sword?"

In the path of Reinhard's attack, which had seemed to rip through the very fabric of the world, there was absolutely nothing left. In the destruction, the counter next to the cellar's entrance was blown completely away with all of its chairs, and the residual waves of damage extended even into the open space in front of the building. The resulting gusts of wind had wrecked the supports of the building, and it seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

The space where Elsa had been standing was of course within range of Reinhard's attack, and her tall, black-clothed figure was nowhere to be seen.

When Subaru feel relief and want to check condition of Rem who currently is fell dizzy and squat on the floor with one hand on her head and Emilia trying to use her magic to heal Rom wound.

"Subaru!!"

…Reinhard suddenly turned toward him and yelled, and Subaru realized that they hadn't escaped danger yet.

Scraps of the building had been thrown up, and underneath them was a black shadow. The black shadow, with black hair trailing behind it and blood

"Enough already…!"

After having somehow survived Reinhard's incredible strike, Elsa's murderous eyes were filled with a pitch blackness. The murderous intent that she released was greater than any she had before, and it sent chills racing down Subaru's back.

It would only be a few seconds before she was close enough to strike, and in that short amount of time, Subaru sent his thoughts racing.

One instant and it would all be over. Elsa was counting everything on this one strike. Reinhard wouldn't make it in time. If Subaru could stop Elsa this one time, Reinhard could handle the rest. Emilia didn't even have time to turn around, and Rem can't control her body like usual because she affects by the sword strike from Reinhard who suck out all of mana in the air.

Where was the target this time? Subaru had experienced this twice before: two deaths, the fear and the pain. He would protect her the third time. Protect the girl!!

"She's aiming for your stomach!!"

Subaru push Rem, and using the club from before still in his hands, he guarded his own stomach as Elsa's strike collided with him.

The horizontal slice felt less like a cut and more like being struck by a heavy blunt object. The force of the collision swept Subaru off his feet and he

felt the world spin 180 degrees as he vomited blood. It wasn't just his vision but his entire body that was spinning. Unsure of how far he had been thrown, Subaru struck the wall, unable to catch himself and lost his consciousness.

Knowing her last attack is failed Elsa click her tongue and retreat. As Reinhard came running up, Elsa understood that there was no longer any meaning in continuing the fight. She threw at Reinhard her knife, which had been completely bent in that last attack to the barrier. Her aim was off, but the throw succeeded in drawing Reinhard's attention away from her, and that was enough.

"One day, I will open the stomachs of everyone here, so take care of your bowels for me until then!" she cried, using a part of the collapsing building as a foothold to leap up onto the roof.

It didn't look possible to chase her down as she leapt lightly from roof to roof as she made her getaway.

Reinhard, who was not interested in pursuing this fight any further, didn't run after her.

"Who said you can run when trying to hurt my little miss?"

A cold voice is heard

Crakle! Booommm!!!

A very fast object is shoot down from the sky to one of corner in the slum and a blast of explosion is heard accompany by a electrical light fluctuating in there.

Elsa who successfully dodge the attack look up to the sky and finding a young man with medium length white hair with bangs and blue eyes, there is flickering lightning coming out of his body with a dozen of knifes floating around behind him.

"Who are you?!"

Elsa with her battle instinct can predict he is a very troublesome and strong opponent, but what she gain is not an answer..

"Aahhh!!"

Without knowing how it's happened, Elsa is feel a strong force on her stomach and she is send flying across several houses and she can stop and negates the inertia when she is nearly thrown away for fifty meters.

Where she stood before is the man who at first is in the sky but now he is standing where she is stood before with a right foot hanging on the air.

Elsa shock to the core because when she is fighting with Reinhard she still can catch his movement even if she knows Reinhard still held his strength, but the new opponent in front of her ... the word fast alone is not enough to describe it, and he is also not use his full power.

"Really, i very happy my employer give me this job so i can fight with interesting opponents .. but this time i think i want to smash his head for not giving me information about the possibility of someone that no worse than sword saint is appear"

Elsa adjust her breath and run as fast as she can without looking back with unpredictable way of run, but Arthur didn't have intentions to let her go as a knife is shining and take an aim to Elsa .

"Arthur, that's enough "

Emilia who is currently treating Rem is speak to him, with a tired expression on her face

"Emilia, how can i-"

"Arthur, can you hear me?"

This time Emilia use a tone look like a pleading, and Arthur just can accept and do as she want.

"Alright.."

Arthur understand why Emilia stop him, when he attack before this is make the people in the slum feel very frightening. And Emilia didn't want appear more casualties from the fight that's already destroy a large place here.

Arthur walk to Emilia side that complete her treatment for Rem who just unconscious for a moment. But the problem is Subaru who start letting out blood from her stomach.

"Rem, can you treat his wound? At least make the blood stop to come out. Emilia is nearly depleted her mana"

"Alright Arthur-sama, i will try"

Rem move to heal Subaru who get the wound from Elsa after covering her so Rem will treat his wound even if Arthur didn't tell her to do it.

"You-"

"Can you let it slide for now? You will find her you know"

"What do you mean?"

Reinhard has a lot of things he wants to ask, but Arthur look like didn't have intentions to talk about it and his last sentence caught him off guard.

"Emi, what we will do to the girl?"

"Can you leave it to me?"

"If this is your wish than i must step a side"

"You're very good boy"

"Can you not treat me as a child, little miss"

"Then don't call me little miss! Hmph"

"Aw!"

after stomping her foot to Arthur like a child who throwing tantrum. She walked toward the blond-haired girl who was still hugging the old man beside her. When she noticed Emilia coming, she looked up, prepared to face her.

"Is this old man your family?" asked Emilia, squatting down so that she was on the same level as Felt. Felt looked shocked. Of all the things she had expected to hear, that was not one of them.

Even Reinhard, who didn't know what had happened between the two, could tell that they were not on particularly good terms. He can try to find an answer from Arthur who not to far from him but Arthur just shrug his shoulders and said "Emilia hearth is too soft... sometimes i afraid she will get trick by someone else"

Felt scratched her cheek and tried to regain her composure, and then, as if trying to hide her embarrassment, she slapped Rom a few times.

"I-it's kinda like that. To me, Old Man Rom is like my only…uh… grandfather figure sort of thing."

"I see. I only have one family member as well. He's always sleeping when it counts, and when he's awake I don't think I could ever say that to him."

"Well…I can't say these sort of things when Rom's awake, either."

Felt then looked up at Emilia, with a weak light in her red eyes.

"I was sure you were going to be angry at me."

"Well, that might have happened if things were as they were before, but I don't feel like I have it in me anymore. So while only a little bit, I'll forgive you for his sake," said Emilia with a weak smile and a shrug, before pointing back over to Subaru, who was still sleeping.

"He is trying to save you before and also save me and Rem, so won't it will be very bad on me if i do something to you?"

Felt looked at Emilia, then at Subaru, and then looked down before quietly saying, "I'm sorry. He saved my life, too. I can't be so ungrateful as to ignore that. I'll return what I stole."

"Good. That makes things easier on me. I really, really would feel bad if I had to sic this guy over here on you," said Emilia with a wink, pointing to Arthur.

"With knight among knight here and the guy over there... i must be crazy if i try to runaway"

Upon hearing those words, Reinhard just smiled back at Felt, wordlessly. But Arthur with playful expression on his eyes said "with divine protection from wind i think you can runaway "

Felt who know he is just toying with her is held up her fist and shouting to Arthur

"Are you crazy?! Are you taunting me so i will try to runaway and you will toying me with your power?! If i can run from you i will never be in this situation!"

But after she said it, Felt remember the one who she is rebuke is a man who can make Elsa run desperately for her life.

"Don't worry, i will not make a move to you with my little miss word is your only lifeline "

"As i said don't call me little miss again!!"

Felt stood up and walked over to Emilia, who stood up as well.

"All right, I'll give it back," said Felt, digging around in her brėȧst pocket.

"If it's that important to you, make sure you hide it better so it doesn't get stolen again."

"That warning feels a little strange coming from you. …If possible I would like it if you stopped your thievery altogether."

"That's something I cannot do," said Felt in a flat refusal. "Just so you know, I'm only returning this to you this time because I owe my life to you all. I don't think I did anything wrong, and I have no plans to stop." Felt put on a strong-willed smile.

Considering Felt's age, it was almost painful to watch. As Felt declared her intentions, Reinhard looked on in silence. Given his occupation, Reinhard knew that this was not something he should overlook, but what other way of life did she have? What right did he have to talk of justice without offering her any alternatives?

Reinhard had seen enough of the capital to not be so naive as to ignore thatfact. Emilia seemed to realize this as well, and after lowering her eyes for a few moments, she stuck out her hand without another word. "Understood. …I was asking for too much."

And for Arthur? He didn't give a damn about it because he knew what will happen next.

"If I was able to eat without having to work for it, I might quit, but that's not happening. Anyway, here you go."

Felt reached out to put the thing she had taken out of her pocket intoEmilia's hand, to give back what she had stolen. For an instant, Reinhard saw a flash of red cross in front of his eyes. That bright light was something he had seen before, and as he narrowed his eyes Reinhard searched through the sea of his memories for it. Then after he had found what he was looking for…

"Huh?"

"Reinhard…?"

…he reached out and grabbed Felt's hand, still holding on to the badge. Both girls looked up in surprise at Reinhard, but when they saw his serious expression, both fumbled for words.

"Th-that hurts… Let go…" said Felt, shaking her head and trying to resist.

However, Reinhard did not loosen his grip. The strength in his hand was such that, if he wanted to, he could bend steel. Even if he wasn't using his full strength, it was not something that a slender girl like Felt could shake away from.

"I don't believe it…" muttered Reinhard, his voice shaking. Upon hearing those words, Emilia responded, her eyes trembling.

"Wait, Reinhard. I understand that it is hard to let her off without a word, but she didn't realize how much this badge is worth. Plus, I do not find fault with her. It was my fault that I let it get stolen in the first place."

"You're mistaken, Lady Emilia. That's not what I have a problem with," said Reinhard in a forceful tone. Confused, Emilia went silent.

Reinhard stared intently at Felt, so much that he had already forgotten how rude he just was to Emilia.

As Felt looked back at the young man with hair as red as her eyes, those red eyes of hers wavered with anxiety.

"…What is your name?"

"It's F-Felt…"

"What is your surname? How old are you?"

"I-I'm an orphan, all right? I don't have a surname and I…I think I'm about fifteen years old. I don't know my own birthday. But enough about that. Let me go!"

As Felt spoke, she seemed to regain a bit of her composure and tried to wrestle herself away from him.

Reinhard kept his firm hold on Felt and then turned to look at Arthur.

"The last.... are you referring to her?"

But the one he ask is just standing there closing his eyes and refuse to respond him.

"Lady Emilia, I'm taking this girl with me."

"…May I ask why? If the reason has anything to do with this badge…"

"That is certainly not a crime I would like to ignore, but considering the far greater crime it would be to watch this moment before me unfold without any action, it is a trivial matter."

Emilia furrowed her brow, in both hesitation and confusion. But Reinhard accepted Emilia's confusion. He felt that there was no helping it. After all, this was something she was used to. It would be cruel to tell her to realize what was happening.

"You're coming with me. I'm sorry, but I can't let you refuse."

"What are you, crazy?! Just because you saved me doesn't mean you can just… Huh?

Just as Felt was about to continue yelling at Reinhard, her body went limp. As the power drained from her body Felt glared at Reinhard, until the very end, finally saying, "Burn in hell… Damn it…" before her head drooped and she fell unconscious.

"That's again not a very knightly thing for you to do… If you do it that roughly, it's going to leave lasting effects on the gate."

"Fortunately, this is something I've had to live with all my life, so I understand how to keep everything in moderation. …Lady Emilia, I believe you'll hear again from me soon. Please understand. And Arthur, i hope we can met again in a better situation"

Reinhard gently took Emilia's badge out of Felt's limp hand and gave it to her.

"I ask that you take good care of Subaru," said Reinhard with a bow, after Emilia silently took her badge from Reinhard and continued to look at him. Feeling Felt's light weight in his arms, Reinhard brushed her blond hair away from her forehead. When she was unconscious like this and didn't have to be so on guard, her white face looked both innocent and charming. If she were given a change of clothes and a bath, surely she would shine.

When he is no longer around, Arthur decide this is the time to come back so he teleport the unconsciousness Subaru with Emilia and Rem back to mansion.