Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

This is a simultaneous update.

This is the Subaru side, Route A.

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"Listen? There are four people in the mansion who need to be rescued. All of them are girls."

　From inside the moving dragon carriage, Subaru holds up four fingers as he explains.

　The scenery flashes by at high speed and the road is rough. And yet the car doesn't shake and there's no wind to blow. No matter how many times he experiences it, somewhere in his mind it's a strange sensation, and Subaru nods at the two of them, who are looking at their raised fingers with serious expressions.

"One of them is Frederica. You know her, Garfiel's older sister. If an attacker comes, Frederica is the only one we can hope to buy some time."

"My big sister...to be honest, I haven't seen you for ten years."

　With an awkward look on his face, Garfiel scratches his short blond hair.

　Garfiel has remained stubbornly in the Sanctuary, and it will be difficult for him to face Frederica, who has assumed that he has abandoned the Sanctuary to go to the outside world.

"You haven't seen each other in ten years? From what the Margrave and Ram-san have said, it seems there has been a lot of travel between the mansion and the Sanctuary."

"I'm sure it was pretty awkward for you too. You never followed that bastard Roswaal around... and as for letters, it seems you received loads and loads of them."

"What do you mean, it looks like he came?"

"I left it all with the old hag without reading it."

　Garfiel looks away with a sulky look on his face. His attitude towards his awkward sister is now that of a child. It will surely be an emotional reunion.

　Subaru sighed, and Otto, his last companion, who seemed to have had a similar feeling, pulled the reins,

"So, the second one is Petra-chan, right?"

"That's right. The second promising new maid at Roswaal Mansion is the slightly precocious Petra. She's a completely normal village girl, without any hidden agenda, so if she becomes your target, you'll be in big trouble."

　In fact, so far Petra's death rate during the attack on Roswaal Mansion is 100%.

　Of course, the death rates of the other three were also high, but in Petra's case, she was often quickly eliminated due to the issue of whether or not she had the fighting power.

　If we wanted to protect it, we would have to find it quickly.

"The other one is Rem. Ram's younger sister. I doubt you remember her though."

"I'm still skeptical, General. Even if you say she's a twin sister who looks just like Ram, how could someone like me, who has known her for so long, forget about her?"

"That's the kind of 'curse' that can even make you forget your other half, Ram. Solving that is a different story, but... anyway, worrying about Rem isn't that urgent. That's because Rem isn't on Erza's list of targets - the assassin attacking the mansion. I think that's probably because Rem's existence wasn't known at the time of the request."

"Even so, if we find Rem asleep in the mansion, it won't be free, right?"

"...There's no doubt about that."

　It's about Elsa.

　Even if Rem wasn't included in the request, if he found her he would reach out for fun. In fact, the case of Rem being murdered was also part of the loop, something Subaru hadn't seen with his own eyes.

　Rem wasn't taking any proactive steps, so all he could do was pray that she wasn't in the room that Erza had happened to open.

"Either way, relying on the other party is not a good idea."

"I will rely on you guys, and on my enemies as well. This is Natsuki Subaru's style of warfare, I call it 『Adversity Wind, Forest, Volcano』."

"So, so cool...!"

　Garfiel clenches his fists and his eyes sparkle.

　Subaru felt an unusual sense of guilt when such careless remarks were made and Garfiel was expected to accept them. When he had more time, he would give Garfiel a proper Furinkazan.

　With that decision in mind, Subaru frowned and looked at Garfiel, "However..."

"It's scary to watch for a while now, but is it really effective in that condition?"

"It can't be helped since it's urgent, right? Even I would prefer it if there was a better way."

　Garfiel responded with a dissatisfied look on his face to Subaru's slightly hesitant words.

　Garfiel's point was reasonable, but Subaru's point was also inevitable. After all, Garfiel was currently holding on to the outside of the carriage, conversing with Subaru and the others through the window.

　Hanging from the window frame, Garfiel's feet scrape against the ground beside the rapidly turning wheels, as he is dragged along by the dragon carriage.

　For Subaru, who had previously taken down a hated enemy by ramming his wheels into them, a situation where a simple slip of the hand could cause a replay was far from calming.

"If something goes wrong and you end up in a coma, then my PTSD will be immediate and the mansion will be left with no other options."

"Right, boss. You're such a worrier. I'm telling you, it's okay. Come on, come on! Come on, come on!"

"Stop it!! You'll die!! I'll die before you!!"

　Using the window frame he has grabbed as a starting point, Garfiel spins around using only the strength of his arms. This acrobatic feat is only possible within the ``Windbreak Protection'' and with Garfiel's superhuman grip strength. In fact, the window frame he has grabbed is deformed and creaks as he grips it, and one can imagine Otto, the carriage's owner, feeling heartbroken later.

　Anyway,

"The effect of the 'Divine Protection of the Earth' doesn't work unless your feet are on the ground. Since Garfiel needs to be in perfect condition, or close to it, to arrive at the mansion, we'll just have to accept it as a necessary measure."

"I understand that logic, but you know, if you look at this from the outside, it looks like they're running at full speed to shake off someone who's trying to get on the dragon carriage. But in reality, it looks like they've thrown a 14-year-old boy out of the carriage, dragging him along the ground as they continue to run at high speed."

"It's not normal to talk like that about both your reputation and your private affairs, is it?!"

　Otto, who was pulling the reins, would probably want to avoid being seen that way by others. However, the two earth dragons, Patrasche and Furufoo, were pulling the carriage with relentless force, continuing to race along as if completely unaware of the intentions of the driver holding the reins.

　That's the reason why Garfiel is running like an acrobat.

　The main injuries had been healed by Emilia's magic at the time of Sanctuary, but the mana and blood that had been lost from within his body had not been restored.

　The distance from the Sanctuary to the mansion was about half a day. Even if Patrasche and the others made good progress, how much of Subaru's strength would he have left to recover?

　Garfiel, who draws power from the earth with the Divine Protection of the Earth Spirit, remains the trump card. Subaru and Otto simply prepare the stage for him to fight at full strength.

"Well, that's it, the conversation has been interrupted, boss."

"a?"

"It's what I was saying earlier. There are four people we need to save, and there are still three left. I still can't hear the name of the last one. Who is he and where is he from?"

　Garfiel lifts his body and peers into the dragon carriage. He gives Otto the same questioning look he gave Subaru, but Otto just shook his head and shrugged.

"Unfortunately, I never met the last of them. I was at the mansion for about a week, but during that time we never crossed paths."

"Are you sure it's alright, bro, to be hated so much by someone you've never even seen that you don't even want to see their face?"

"I'd like to believe that maybe that wasn't the reason we weren't able to meet!"

　In response to Garfiel's pitiful gaze, Otto retorted with a desperate look on his face.

　Watching the noisy exchange between the two, Subaru pounded his fist on the seat and let out a sigh.

"The last one...Beatrice, I think only I can take her out."

"――――"

　Upon hearing Subaru's words, Otto and Garfiel both shut their mouths and looked in his direction.

　The sincerity in his voice must have led them to believe him without even asking why. What encouraging friends they are.

"I'll take Beatrice out. I'll get her out. I have to."

　None other than Subaru had to do this.

　Even if Beatrice acted as if she didn't want that on the surface.

"If the general says so, then it must be so."

"We should also evacuate the people of the nearby village of Arlam if possible. To avoid any chaos, I'll see to it."

　Seeing Subaru's resolve, the two of them each expressed their support in their own way.

　Subaru should have his own role to play. And we should each have our own role to play.

　They are truly, truly reliable people.

"Thanks, you two idiots."

"Can't you just say thank you honestly, you idiot?"

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　The battle suddenly became more ferocious, scattering destruction throughout the luxurious mansion.

"--Ohhhhhh!!"

"Ahhhh!!"

　The sounds of steel clashing against steel, sparks mixed in with the scraping sounds, the deflected slashes and the shockwaves of blows, all disrupted the everyday life of the moonlit Roswaal mansion.

　The window glass exploded with a soft sound, the carpet flew up from the impact as it shattered the floor, and a painting hanging on the wall was shattered with a roar.

"Okay, you're the best."

"I wouldn't be particularly happy if someone other than Ram said that to me!!"

　His right arm, gripping his shield, shot out, passing by the woman as she dodged and slamming into the wall. Chasing the woman as she slid to the side, Garfiel used the momentum of his right arm to turn around and slammed his left arm into the woman's shadow with a back fist.

"disappointing"

"It's not over yet!"

　Before the woman could dodge and raise her blade, Garfiel slammed her left arm down, swung again, and drew her right arm from the wall to strike. The woman stopped swinging her knife, and the recoil of her raised arm sent her somersaulting backwards - Garfiel's strike pulverized the space the woman had passed through in the split second.

"Rrrrr――!!"

　Left back fist.

　Right fist.

　Left rear roundhouse kick.

　A straight right thrust.

　Left spinning kick.

　He spins around, launching one attack after another, not letting up on his pursuit of the retreating woman. Eventually, the woman, who had her hands full dodging Garfiel's successive attacks, realised she had reached the end of the corridor and raised her head.

"Go get crushed!!"

　Stepping forward, Garfiel simultaneously released both of his pulled arms.

　Both of his fists pierce the wind, and in the dark corridor, a silvery violence reflecting the moonlight approaches the woman.

　A direct hit from the beast's strong arms would undoubtedly turn a living human into minced meat. With her back against the wall, the woman bent her knees slightly and placed the sole of her right foot against the wall.

　Then, taking aim at the approaching fists, he thrust the tip of his curved sword into the air. Once again, there was a grating of steel as the blade was twisted into the gap between the two shields. But,

"There's no way such a trick would work――!"

　The woman's plan was to thrust a blade between the two shields and impale Garfiel with the knife as he charged, but Garfiel's strength was not something the woman could manage with just her thin arms.

　The tip of the curved sword was pinned vertically, unable to break through the guard and instead bent distorted and broke.

　Just before that――,

"Well, how about we add another little trick?"

　The woman's body spins vertically, using her foot as a fulcrum against the wall.

　In an instant, the woman's left foot rose up to spin backwards and kicked the butt of the knife handle whose tip was bitten into the shield, slightly prying open the gap between the shields.

　The gap that opened up,

"And this is the real deal."

"--!?"

　The woman's left hand, turned upside down, was gripping a different knife to the one that had created the gap in the shield. This was the third sinister curved sword she had, but how many knives was she hiding?

　The thin knife easily slips through the gap between the shield and the blade.

　The deadly blade approached without even a sound cutting through the air, aimed narrowly at Garfiel's neck. Even if he instantly transformed into a beast, it was a vital spot that would inevitably result in a fatal blow.

　However, Garfiel takes brutal measures against it.

"nice"

"---I'd be so happy even if I was killed!!"

　Garfiel thrusts his face in front of the woman, who is murmuring in ecstasy.

　The sharp canines were firmly blocking the blade in the woman's left hand. Blood was dripping from the slightly cut corner of her mouth, and the smell of iron, peculiar to the knife, filled her nose.

"Stinky!!"

　Putting force into his jaw, Garfiel bit the knife to pieces in an instant.

　He spat out shattering fragments and slammed his toe into the woman's upside-down head from below. A relentless kick that split her skull apart, and the woman immediately offered up her left arm, which she had been pulling back.

　There was a sound like a wet rag being slammed against the wall, and bright red blood splattered across the hallway. Garfiel wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve, took a deep breath, and turned around.

　A few meters away, there was a woman who had escaped from a dead end with no way out, except for her left arm, whose bones from wrist to shoulder had been repeatedly broken and twisted.

"You managed to escape with just one arm. Ah, my mouth hurts."

"...fufu, thank you. Ahh... it hurts, it hurts. I really feel like I'm alive."

"What? So you like not only slashing but also being slashed? I can't understand that. Well, I have no intention of ever understanding you."

　Garfiel felt a sense of revulsion as he clapped his shield against the woman, who was smiling ecstatically even as blood oozed from her face. Then, he noticed something further behind the woman,

"Hey, sis. Are you still hanging around like that? As I saw, showing off your cool side is no good. Just hurry up and get it done."

"...Eh, yes, that's true."

　Though she hesitates, Frederica manages to nod in agreement with what Garfiel says.

　To be precise, Frederica didn't just watch in silence, she simply couldn't move. That was how high the battle between Garfiel and the woman had reached.

　At the very least, if Frederica had been involved in this battle, she would have dropped out early after the first few rounds of exchange. That is how superior the skills of both of them were.

　Frederica glanced at the woman's back and then at her destination - the room Rem was sleeping in. Though it was only a few meters away, she was much closer to the room than the woman, and she couldn't imagine herself reaching the room before her.

　If only he could reach the room, he could pick up Rem and escape through the inner window.

"There's no need to be so cautious, sister."

"...picture?"

"Right now, I'm completely infatuated with your little brother. I don't care what room you're in or what you're doing there. I'm not interested in that at all."

"--!"

　Without even looking back, the woman guaranteed Frederica's safety.

　There was no lie in what she was saying. I didn't think she was the type of woman who would scheme like that, nor did she need to. Above all, the truth of her words was apparent to everyone who heard them.

　The woman's entire consciousness was now focused on Garfiel.

　He really doesn't pay any attention to Frederica anymore.

　And yet, from the woman's figure she exuded a demonic aura that could engulf the entire mansion. A dense, violent, murderous intent that made the ominousness she had displayed when they first met seem like child's play.

"Big sister."

"--I believe you."

　In response to Garfiel's few words, Frederica also conveys her trust in him in a few words.

　Frederica made her way through the space filled with the woman's demonic aura, feeling an oppressive sensation as if she was swimming through water, and finally reached the room she was aiming forーー,

"――――"

　He glanced at Garfiel one last time before slipping into the room.

　Witnessing this, Garfiel exhaled deeply.

"I guess it's not like I was too relaxed to let my sister go..."

"Do you think I'm such an unfaithful woman that I can remain calm in front of such a fine partner? Right now, you're the only one for me. ――Ahh, I can't stand it."

　The smile of a woman is a terrifying combination of fragrant sensuality and the smell of blood and evil.

　Bathed in what could almost be described as passionate stares, Garfiel spread his legs and crouched down.

"Honestly, it's just creepy. I'll bite it off and tear it apart."

"I promise I'll rip your intestines out without hurting you either."

　With her left arm hanging limp, the woman turns the knife in her healthy right hand.

　And when you lean forward so far that your chest almost touches the floor,

"I'm Elsa Granhiert, the Intestine Hunter."

"...The ultimate shield, Garfiel Tinsel."

　The moment he finished introducing himself, the woman moved first.

　The woman - Elsa's smile melted into the darkness as she ran at lightning speed, showing no sign of being affected by her injuries. Just when you thought you heard the first sound of someone kicking the floor, sounds like something was piercing the wall continued from above, below, left and right.

　Kicking the floor, the wall, the ceiling, Elsa's form leapt repeatedly as she approached Garfiel. Her speed made it impossible to focus on her target, and the movements of a creature unlike anything Garfiel had ever faced before. No being, human or beast, could approach with these nightmarish movements.

　What's most amazing is that his speed is clearly faster than before his injury.

"Interesting――!!"

　Garfiel bared his fangs and laughed at the leaping shadow, then took action.

　If his opponent used tricky moves, Garfiel's counterattacks were similar. Facing a jumping opponent, Garfiel put all four limbs on the ground and exploded with his hind legs.

　Garfiel, now a human-sized mass bullet, crashes through the straight corridor of the mansion.

　Holding his shield in front of him, he unleashed the force of a ferocious tiger's charge, sending a shockwave that blew broken window glass and pieces of wall flying all at once.

"Gahhhh!!"

　Without even seeing the result, Garfiel roared and thrust his arms into the floor, forcing himself to stop. He instantly flipped his body over and took up a beast-like stance again, his hind legs smashing into the floor.

　An explosion shook the mansion, and the carpet was thrown into the air as it was destroyed. Garfiel, with a piece of red fabric caught on his body, flew into the air - and in an instant,

「――――!!」

"Ahahaha!!"

　Elsa's blade, which plummeted using the ceiling as a foothold, clashed with Garfiel's shield, which flew straight down the corridor. The impact pierced the eardrums, and the violence of the sound shook the moonlit corridor sharply.

　Laughing, Elsa was thrown off and spun to the side at high speed. Garfiel's trajectory was altered by the force of the slash, and he crashed headfirst into the wall to the side, crashing through the stone and tumbling into the guest room.

"Baa!"

　Trailing white smoke, Garfiel rolled and instantly grabbed the leg of a nearby bed. His arm muscles swelled, and he lifted the nearly 100kg thing with ease, hurling it at the hole he had just smashed and jumped through. There was a thunderous roar, and from the other side of the bed that had been split in two, a woman in black hurled a silver blade.

　He swatted it away with his left shield, and tried to smash Elsa's face with his right shield as she approached. However, his blow only grazed her braids, which Elsa had been slow to escape as she bent over. The moment the tip of her black hair tickled his nose, Garfiel, following the fear that ran up his spine, flew forward without caring about anything. He narrowly avoided the slash that rose up from under his legs, and with his back being scraped by the arching blade, he smashed through the door, and the battlefield once again shifted to the corridor.

　Without a moment to catch her breath, Elsa leaps out in pursuit of Garfiel. Garfiel's kick is aimed at her slender waist. It's a direct hit, and there's no feeling. The woman turns with extraordinary dexterity, dodging the impact of the kick by altering its trajectory so that it brushes against the surface of her stomach. Conversely, Garfiel stops moving with his legs stretched out, and the tip of his curved sword cuts through the air as it approaches.

　Unlike the previous slash, which was launched from a poor position, this time the speed and power was such that if he had tried to stop it by biting, his head would have been cut in half. Garfiel's decision was instantaneous, as he slid his right shield into the path of the blade to parry it, then his left shield caught the flowing blow and diverted it further.

　A creaking sound. Red and yellow sparks flying. Black eyes wide with shock, and the woman's torso exposed. Garfiel roared and slammed his foot into the floor, preparing to sink his fangs into Elsa's side, ready to spill her organs in a way befitting her grandiose nickname.

「――――!!」

　It could only be said that it was instinct that caused him to interrupt the blow from his fangs and pull his head down with the same momentum.

　Garfiel was too late to dodge and his left ear was blown off, and he rolled through the mist of blood to evade. He placed his foot on the wall and dodged the pursuing slashing attack by fleeing to the ceiling. Dodge, dodge, dodge completely.

　Splitting the ceiling with his stabbing arm and causing part of the upper floor to collapse, Garfiel creates an opening for Elsa's pursuit and uses that time to retreat. Placing his arms and legs on the carpet, Garfiel uses his palm to hold back the bleeding from the upper half of his missing left ear.

　Breathing heavily, Garfiel gritted his teeth in pain, then cut through the thick smoke and stepped forward, his mouth curling up as he saw Elsa.

"You bastard... I thought I had rendered that left arm useless."

"Yeah, it hurt. But wounds in the human body heal."

"Sorry to ramble on about my narrow common sense, but a mangled arm healing in two minutes isn't something you can say about the human body."

　Rather, it transcends the category of living things.

　Even with Garfiel's "Blessing of the Earth Spirit," he would need several hours of rest before he could move his broken arm again. He would choose a land with rich mana, and use all his strength to laze around.

　It's unthinkable that a body could heal wounds in the middle of a fight, much less in such a short time.

　Subaru had told him beforehand that "even if you kill him, he won't die," but Garfiel's reasoning at that point began to take on a more realistic slant.

"Well, that's easy. You're not human. I don't know where you were born, but at least you've stopped that."

"Contrary to your appearance, you're surprisingly smart."

Subaru: "I don't feel particularly happy when someone other than Ram praises me. Besides, I have an idea about that abnormal recovery tendency."

　Pointing his finger, Garfiel voices his theory.

　Garfiel, as surprising as it may seem, is a person who likes books. That's because, in the boring Sanctuary, where there is no one to rival him in terms of power, reading is an important way for Garfiel to kill time.

　However, Garfiel's interests were adventure novels, myths, and folklore, and unfortunately he had no interest in accumulating knowledge.

"The books I read were filled with monsters, heroes, and other things I didn't know could really exist. Among them was one with a body identical to yours."

"... I think it's a bit troubling to be compared to the figments of delusions in a picture book."

"It's not a picture book, it's a book full of words.... There are pictures here and there, but that's fine. And I can't say for sure that this is the product of my imagination."

　Elsa listens to Garfiel with a calm expression.

　The fact that she stayed with him until the end of the conversation made her seem like a woman whose fierce expression didn't match the impression she gave off during battle.

　I'll change the color of your complexion.

"Well, I heard that a long time ago there was a witch with the same body."

"――――"

　The swaying movement of the tip of the blade stopped.

　Elsa's dark eyes casually look at Garfiel. She points her finger at him so he can see.

"--That body is what they call a "Vampire"!"

"I don't drink blood or anything though."

　Hearing that statement, Elsa kicked the floor with a sigh.

　With her left and right arms already completely healed, she brandished curved swords in both hands and approached Garfiel, blocking the diagonal slash with both her shields, and at the same time thrusting her right foot up for a straight kick - Elsa also unleashed a kick on the same trajectory, the soles of their shoes colliding and sending him flying backwards.

"I don't like it! Your left hand is completely restored to its original state!"

"You've also finished treating my ears while you were buying me some time, right? We're even now."

　"Have you noticed?" Garfiel thought to himself, sticking out his tongue.

　While he continued speaking, he used healing magic with his left hand, which had been covering the wound, and the injury to his left ear was already healed. He expected the missing part to gradually grow back, but even so, with an injury as severe as Elsa's, Garfiel's healing magic would only be able to provide first aid.

"So you're not denying it, does that mean you're a vampire?"

"It's up to the people around me to call me what they want to call me. I don't drink blood and I eat normal food. If I go out into the sunlight, the guards just make a fuss, but it's nothing serious."

"So, is it your intestines that are telling you this? Is it because you're a vampire?"

"That's just my fetish. I just love looking at colorful intestines and touching their warm-looking internal organs."

"That's far more frightening."

　In front of Garfiel, Elsa takes off her cumbersome black cloak.

　Seeing this, Garfiel decided that Elsa's motivation had only increased, and he gnashed his fangs, clashing the shields on his arms together,

"The world is vast... It's a bit tough, but do your best, boss."

　Saying this, Elsa charged again, and Garfiel roared as he swung his shield down.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　--When the door was opened, the smell of a huge amount of paper wafted from inside the room.

　Perhaps the suffocating feeling was the weight of time spent there for a long time. Or, if we consider the nickname "The Room Where Time Stops," perhaps the time spent there is completely irrelevant.

"That's something I've been thinking about a lot lately at the Sanctuary. I'd like to hear your answer."

"--Why"

　Without even getting permission from his master, Subaru brazenly stepped into the library.

　The atmosphere is still one of tranquility and gloom. There are no windows to let in sunlight, and not even a small window for ventilation. If you stay there for long, you'll definitely feel sick and depressed.

　This was all the more so given the exhausted look on the face of the young girl who looked up to greet Subaru.

"How did you end up in this room again? I don't remember calling for you."

"Sorry, but I'm the kind of guy who shows up uninvited. I'll never forget the time when I showed up uninvited at a friend's birthday party in middle school and made the atmosphere awkward."

　Even Subaru, who was obviously unable to read the mood, decided to refrain from doing so next time.

　However, I decided to just accept it and say, "Well, I'll skip it for today!" and came home making more noise than anyone else, so from then on I wasn't invited to anyone's birthday parties.

"My heart is about to burst with sadness, so let's stop talking about that."

"There's no point in me quitting. You were the one who started it. You're so selfish."

"Yeah, it's up to you. So, no matter how much you hate it, I'm coming here."

　I saw the girl in front of me gasp.

　As reflected in the girl's eyes, Subaru bowed respectfully there and then,

"I'm going to take you out, Beatrice. This time, you're going to be dragged out into the sun by my hands, and I'm going to play with you until your dress is completely covered in mud and black."

　Hearing Subaru's tirade, the girl - Beatrice - embraced herself while still sitting on the stepladder as usual.

　Holding a black-bound book in his arms, his trembling eyes stared at Subaru.