Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a fine day in Lugunica, all the Royal Candidates had gathered on a hill discussing matters of politics over a cup of tea. Subaru, Al, Julius, Ricardo, Felix, and Reinhardt were all off to the side, the knights having friendly banter with each other.

However that peaceful moment was interrupted, when a strange magical anomaly began swirling in the sky turning it into a dark foreboding vortex.

“Nyaa what’s going on!” Felix yelled, meanwhile Julius ran over to try and protect Anastasia.

But before they could react, all the Royal Candidates were sucked up into the sky, along with Subaru and Aldebaran, the others looking at them helplessly as they disappeared into the sky.

“Emillia-Tan!”

“Princess!”

“Whaa!”

“Whoah!”

“What!”

“Hm.”

“What the hell is happening!”

“Felt-sama!” Reinhardt yelled, the knight jumping with all his strength to reach the person he swore to protect. However even he could not reach them as the five candidates, along with Aldebaran and Subaru disappeared beyond the veil of Od Laguna, leaving the rest unable to reach for their sworn Ladies, and Friends.

* * *

After being swirled around in the mass of mana and spacial distortions the two of Subaru and Aldebaran found themselves regaining consciousness in a strange land, having been sent somewhere else than where they were before, as noted by the cartoonish and whimsical landscapes that now surrounded them.

Subaru sat up first groaning as he clutched his head “Ugh…. What just happened? Where are we?”

Aldebaran who calmly stood up, regarding the Forrest surrounding them, spoke up next. “This doesn't like like Lugunica. It seems we’ve been transported to another world.”

Upon his revelation Subaru began to panic speaking frantically. “Another World?! Again, are you serious?!”

“Though the princess and the other ladies should be here with us since they got dragged in with us, but I don’t think we’ll being getting any other help bro.” Al continued ignoring the raven haired boys exclamation.

Subaru just sighed accepting their situation choosing to make the most of it.

“Alright then, Mission find Emilia-Tan and the Royal Candidates is a go! Quick question before we leave, do you have any idea where they are?”

Before Aldebaran can respond, the sounds of distant shouting catches their attention, and smoke can be seen coming from a medieval looking castle off on the horizon. They quickly exchange glances and move towards the noise.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Royal Candidates—Emillia, Felt, Crusch, Anastasia, and Priscilla— wake up laying on a dirt street in the middle of a bustling village, the peasants taking the time to stare at the five fabulously dressed women as they gained their bearings.

Emilia spoke up first, looking around the area, while noticing an intrinsic change to their environs. “This place feels… strange. The mana here is completely different.”

Next the sun princess smirked, taking her turn to speak. “Hmph. It seems even the heavens cannot resist whisking me away for a more fitting stage for my brilliance.”

Anastasia adjusted her hat. “Well, this is certainly an unexpected development. Anyone have a plan?”

“First, we assess our surroundings. Then, we find a way back.” the Valkyrie spoke calmly.

Felt grinned as she added “Or we can just punch our way out. Either works.”

Before they can formulate a plan however, a scream rings out. A large group of barbarians began rampaging through the city, torching the straw roofs setting them alight. The candidates all take defensive positions, as the large form of the Barbarian Leader came up to them, and spoke laughing.

“The princesses! We found the princesses! The Wizard will reward us greatly!”

Emilia confused replied “Princesses? What are you talking about?”

The barbarians ignored the half-elf, quickly surrounding the group, capturing Felt, and Anastasia being tied to poles, while the other three put up a fight.

“Unhand me, you filthy curs! Do you have any idea who I am?!” Priscilla roared out, the Barbarian Leader giving a nonchalant reply, continuing to laugh at them.

“You’re the King’s Princesses, duh! Now quit squirming!”

Priscilla, Emilia and Crusch all proved difficult to subdue, anyone coming close to them getting slashed away by their weapons. Just as they were about to give up, the Evil Wizard showed up flying on a floating crystal and aims his wand at the three.

“Allow me to handle these ones.”

He waves his wand at them, and magical bindings wrap them in place, silencing their protests. Priscilla glares at him, her eyes promising retribution.

“You will regret this, fool.” she muttered under he breath.

The robed wizard turned to the barbarians, his voice cold and commanding.

“Take them to the others, I won’t tolerate any mistakes.”

“Yes my lord” The Barbarian Leader bowed.

* * *

Subaru and Aldebaran, having made there way to the castle town, arrived just in time to see the Candidates being taken away, tied to wooden poles. They hid behind a wall, watching as the Evil Wizard disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the barbarians dragged them away.

“Great. Just Great. First, we get dragged to this weird world, and now our friends are kidnapped. What’s next?!” Subaru whispered angrily.

Aldebaran calmly replied. “We’ll need a plan. Charging in blindly wont help them.”

As they discuss their next move, a group of four knights dressed in red, blue, orange, and green armor approaches them. Behind the knights are the King’s actual daughters, who look apologetic.

“We’re so sorry for the mix up, that Evil Wizard and his goons are up to no good!” the blonde princess in a portly blue dress spoke up, followed by the one in the green dress.

“Those guys were you friends right? They Must’ve mistook them for us.”

Subaru exasperated rounded on them. “A Misunderstanding!? They Kidnapped our Friends.”

“Which is why we’ll make it up to you” The one in the red dress spoke in a placative tone, before continuing. “Please, take our knights with you. They’ll help you rescue your friends and defeat the Evil Wizard.”

The four knights stepped forwards each striking a heroic pose.

“Don’t worry, well get your friends back in no time!” the red one spoke first.

“And maybe find some cool loot along the way!” the orange one added.

“We’ll handle this with precision and skill” The blue one said stoically.

“And a touch of poison, if necessary.” The green one said, holding a vile full of green liquid.

“Poison? That’s… uh specific.” Subaru said raising an eyebrow.

“It’s effective” the knight replied.

The princess in an orange dress spoke up next, her voice muffled by the covering over her face. “The Evil Wizard stole the King’s crystal, and we need it back to restore peace to our Kingdom. If you help us retrieve it, we’ll do everything we can to help you.”

Aldebaran nodded “It seems our goal align. We’ll work together.”

Meanwhile Subaru sighed. “Alright, fine. Let’s go save everyone, defeat this super totally-evil Wizard guy, and get the super important crystal back. Just make sure to keep the poison away from me.

“No Promises” the Green Knight replied.

The princesses waved Subaru, Al and the four knights goodbye, as they set off on their journey.

“Good luck! And sorry again about the whole ‘your friends getting kidnapped’ thing!” The orange princess yelled out her voice still being muffled.

“What! What was that, I couldn’t hear you!”

As the group marches towards the horizon, Subaru mutters under his breath.

“Why does this kind of stuff always happened to me.”

* * *

Outside the castle walls Subaru, Al, and the four knights fought their way through a battlefield, waves of barbarians charging at them, while archers shot at them from behind cover. However the group stood their ground pushing onward.

Subaru used his whip to disarm one of the barbarians chasing after him, kicking it away before yelling.

“How many of these guys are there?! This is exhausting!”

“Stay focused, Bro. We’re almost through.” Aldebaran said while calmly punching a barbarian.

Just as Subaru thinks things can’t get any worse, the ground begins to shake. A massive War Machine—a towering, clacking contraption with cannons strapped atop it, began barreling towards them.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!”

The War Machine nearly runs him over, and Subaru scrambles to his feet, glaring at the monstrosity.

“Oh, come on! Who even builds something like that?!”

The group rallies as they avoid the cannon fire, and manage to break the War Machine down, defeating the barbarians operating it inside.

Subaru collapses to his knees, catching his breath.

“Okay… that’s one less death machine to worry about. Can we take a break now?”

The Red Knight grinned under his helmet as he spoke “No time for breaks! We’ve got a Kingdom to save!”

The group snuck into a barbarian outpost nearby, where most of the soldiers were asleep. Subaru signals for everyone to be quite as they tiptoe through the room.

“Shhh! Let’s just get through without waking them up.”

The groups nods and begins to move quietly. However, the Orange Knight stabs one of the sleeping barbarians, causing him to scream and wake up the others.

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!” Subaru yelled while the knight shrugged.

“He looked uncomfortable. I was helping.”

“You’re unbelievable” Subaru said facepalming.

The barbarians now having woken up from the commotion, went on the attack. Forcing the group to fight their way out, as they sprinted through the base and onto a bridge. On the otherside was a large metal door, and with no other way to go, the knights began to break the door down.

“Seriously you guys! Is destroying things your only solution!”

Subaru losing his mind, followed the group as they entered into the barbarian’s arena.

* * *

Inside the arena all the Royal Candidates were still tied up on the wooden stakes, hoisted off the ground behind the crowds of cheering Barbarians. As soon as they spotted Subaru and the others they began calling out for help.

“Subaru! Over here!”

“Took you guys long enough!”

“Hurry up, and free me peasants!”

“We’re counting on you!”

Anastasia in the middle of the group smirked. “About time you showed up. I was starting to think I’d have to save myself.”

Subaru waved at them, relived to see they were okay.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of—“

Before he can finish, the door on the other side of the arena opens, and a lone, beefy Barbarian steps out, roaring at the group.

Sighing Subaru continued “Of course. Another one. That’s it? Just this guy?”

As if on cue, the door behind the Barbarian began to bulge outwards before collapsing onto him, revealing the gargantuan frame of the Barbarian Leader, the imposing figure stepping into the arena. On his back a large plank of wood filled with spikes just as large rested.

“I take it back! I take it back!”

The fight commences and the Barbarian Leader proves himself to be a formidable opponent. Immediate, he slams one of the knights into the ground, laughing manically as he does so.

“Is that all you’ve got!”

“HE’S DEAD! HE’S DEFINITELY DEAD!” Subaru screamed, while the blue knight put a calming arm on he shoulder before stating simply.

“He’s Fine”

The Knight pulls himself out of the ground, brushing off the dirt as if nothing happened, Subaru staring at him in disbelief.

“How are you not a pancake right now?!”

The fight continues, with the Barbarian Leader drinking a mysterious potion and spewing fire, launching himself across the arena. Aldebaran shoves Subaru out of the way just in time.

“SINCE WHEN DID THIS GUY BECOME A FLAMETHROWER!”

The Barbarian Leader crashes into the wall momentarily stuck. The group seizes the opportunity and launches a coordinated attack, finally defeating him

As the Barbarian Leader collapses, Subaru breathes a sigh of relief. However, his reprieve is short-lived as a large treasure chest falls from the top of the arena, crushing the unconscious Barbarian Leader into a bloody mess.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!”

Two barbarians could be seen from the top of the arena overlooking the area, where they accidentally dropped the chest they were carrying.

“Oops.”

“Our bad.”

“YOU JUST KILLED YOUR LEADER AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS ‘OOPS’?!”

one of the Barbarians just shrugged “Oops?”

Subaru just threw his hands up in frustration.

“I’m too tired to deal with this anymore. Let’s just get the everyone down from there, and get out of here.” Subaru gestured to the arena stands where only Anastasia remained, still tied up to her pole.

“Um… actually while you guys was fightin’ and stuff, they took the others somewhere else.”

Subaru’s eyebrow twitched, as he officially has had enough off this day.

* * *

As Subaru regains his composure, the rest of the group rushes to free Anastasia. The Blue Knight uses his ice magic to freeze the ropes binding her, making them break apart, while the Red Knight catches her as she falls. Anastasia brushes herself off, adjusting her hat with a smirk.

“Took you long enough. I was starting to think I’d have to negotiate my way out of this mess by myself.” the merchant said dryly.

Subaru laughed nervously, having collected himself enough. “Hey, we got here as fast as we could! You’re welcome by the way.”

As Subaru celebrates their victory, the Red Knight suddenly steps forward, his sword still drawn. He points it at Subaru, his expression serious.

“Alright, now that the damsel is saved, it’s time for the real challenge.”

The group freezes, staring at him in confusion.

“Uh… what are you talking about?” Subaru asked blinking

The Red Knight grinned under his helmet as he continued. “The rules are clear: whoever saves the princess gets to kiss her. But since we all helped, we’ll have to fight to the death to decide who gets the honor.”

The arena falls silent. Subaru’s jaw drops, and Anastasia raises an eyebrow, clearly unamused. The other knights exchange glances, some looking intrigued, others exasperated.

“FIGHT TO THE DEATH! Are you serious!”

The Red Knight nods enthusiastically. “Dead serious. It’s tradition.”

Anastasia crossed her arms. “Excuse me, but I don’t recall agreeing to this so-called tradition. And even if I did, I’m not some prize to be won in a fight.”

“I have to agree with her. This seems… unnecessary” Al noted calmly.

The Blue Knight just sighed. “Red, you’re being ridiculous again.”

“Actually, this sounds kinda fun! I call dibs on the first round!” the Orange knight excitedly yelled.

Subaru steps between the Red Knight and Anastasia, waving his hands frantically.

“Woah, whoa, whoa! Let’s all calm down! There’s no need to fight—or kiss anyone! We’re a team, remember? We saved Anastasia together, so… let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

The Red Knight narrows his eyes, clearly disappointed.

“You’re no fun, Subaru. Fine, we’ll skip the fight… for now. But next time, I’m not holding back!”

“Next time, I’ll save myself and spare us all the drama.” Anastasia smirked.

The Tension dissipates, and the group laughs nervously. Subaru sighs in relief, muttering to himself.

“Why does everything have to be so complicated?”

As they prepared to leave the Arena, the Orange Knight suddenly pipes up.

“Hey, wait a minute… if we’re not fighting over who gets to kiss the princess, does that mean I can keep this treasure I found?”

He holds up a massive, glowing pile of loot he apparently took from the chest that had crushed the Barbarian Leader, the chest clearly having been opened. The group stares at him, unsure whether to laugh or facepalm.

Subaru groaned. “You know what? Sure. Take the treasure. Let’s just get out of here before something else crazy happens.”

The group heads out, leaving the arena behind, as they make their way down the road uncertain to their next destination. Anastasia walks beside Subaru, giving him a sly smile.

“You know, Subaru, if you ever change your mind about that kiss, I might consider it… for the right price.”

“W-what?! That’s not—I mean—ugh, never mind!” the raven haired boy relented while blushing.

The group laughed, as they continued on their journey, the Red Knight grumbling about “missed opportunities” while the Orange Knight happily held onto his newly acquired treasure.

Chapter Text

Subaru, Al, Anastasia and the four knights continued down the road when they eventually found themselves at the docks, the salty air filling their lungs, as a light breeze came in from the sea.

It was on that quiet breezy pier that a loud voice shouted out.

“What do you mean this ship doesn't have a steering wheel?! Can’t you just, I don’t know, find replacements?!”

The Raven haired boy was currently arguing with a sailor, who just shook his head at his words.

“It’s not that simple, those three relics are magical. No replacements will do.”

“You’re telling me we have to go on a search quest for some magical trinkets, just to go out to sea!”

Anastasia stepped forwards, butting into the conversation. “The better option for us now is to try traveling up the road first, rather than risk going out to sea without proper navigation. We’ll find another way.”

“Fine, fine. Road it is. But if we get ambushed by more barbarians, I’m blaming you.”

With that, they continued down the road, the group heading towards the forrest entrance. There as they were making their way through the grassy plains, they came across a large bipedal reptile. It’s form, and scaly skin, making it look like a cross between a crocodile and a dinosaur.

Excitedly Anastasia suddenly spoke. “A Ground Dragon! Perfect for traversing rough terrain.”

The Blue Knight frowned under his helmet as he went to correct the merchant. “I apologize dear maiden, but I believe you are mistaken. That is clearly a Crocodile.”

Anastasia just smirked at the knight thinking he was pulling some kind of joke. “Come on now quit pulling my leg, I’d know a Ground Dragon when I see one.”

“But there is clearly nothing draconic about it, look at it’s hide and tail.”

“Come on everybody knows what a Ground Dragon is, look at it’s posture and scales.”

The two began to argue, with Subaru watching in exasperation.

“Are we really arguing about what to call this thing? Can we just move on?!”

Anastasia ignores him and mounts the creature, patting it’s head.

“Since I’m riding it, I get to name it. Therefore, it’s a Ground Dragon.”

“That’s not how naming works.” The Blue Knight mumbled.

Meanwhile Subaru just facepalmed as he continued to walk down the road. “Whatever. Let’s just go before something else happens.”

The Group continues through the grassy field, Anastasia’s ‘Ground Dragon’ chomping on any thieves who dare get in their way. A problem arises however, when multiple large buff thieves appear that prove to be quite the challenge to the knights, Al, and Subaru, who get thrown around like rag dolls.

Subaru yells as one of the large figures throws him into a bush.

“Why are these guys so strong?!”

“Focus, bro. We need a plan.” Al said calmly dogging a punch.

The Green Knight standing alongside them pulled out a green vial of liquid as he spoke. “I could poison them. It’d be quick an efficient.”

“No poisoning! We’re not turning this into a war crime!” Subaru quickly shut the knight down, while the Orange Knight came up with a plan of his own, grinning under his helmet.

“I’ve got just the thing!”

He Suddenly pulled out multiple bombs from his satchel, causing Subaru to do a double take, staring at the knight in disbelief.

“Wait, you’ve been carrying those this whole time?!”

“Of course. Who doesn't have multiple bombs on them at all times.” the knight shrugged.

“NORMAL PEOPLE!”

Despite Subaru’s protests, the Orange Knight threw the bombs, taking out the thieves in a series of explosions. The group continues their journey, with Subaru muttering about how insane his companions are.

As they approach the entrance to the thieves’ woods, Anastasia suddenly emerges from a bush on her ‘Ground Dragon,’ followed by a floating, spherical critter that resembles an Owl but is almost perfectly round in shape.

“What the hell is that thing?!” Subaru yelled while starring at the creature.

Anastasia smiled. “This little guy was hiding in a bush when he spotted me. He went and got me some appas. Ain’t he a cute little thing.”

She holds up a few green apples, and the creature chirps happily.

“They’re called apples.” The Blue knight corrected, earning him a stare from the merchant.

“I’ll call them whateva’ I want.” she said narrowing her eyes.

Subaru steps between the two of them before another argument can break out.

“Enough! We don’t have time for this. Let’s just get through these woods before something else tries to kill us.”

With that the Group heads into the thieves’ woods, the spherical Owl in tow, as Subaru mutters under his breath about how nothing in this world makes sense, while the others prepare for whatever danger may face them.

* * *

The Group was continuing their journey through the woods, dispatching the thieves that continued to ambush them with ease. Subaru swings his whip, knocking a thief into a bush, and sighs.

“This is so boring. Can’t we fight something other than these thieves for once.”

As if on cue, a large bear emerges from the bushes, roaring menacingly. Subaru freezes, his eyes widening.”

“Oh, come on! I didn’t mean—“

Before he can finish, a massive thud shakes the ground, causing the bear to freeze mid-roar. The bear’s eyes widen in terror, and it promptly turns tail and runs, crashing through the underbrush.

Subaru still staring at the bear, turned around and exclaimed. “What just happened?!”

“Whatever it was, we should get outta here. Now.” Anastasia spoke grimly, as the group quickened their pace.

Eventually they found themselves at a river, however they chose not to slow down and went across. As they were wading through the waters, Subaru noticed something strange.

“Uh, Al? There’s a floating seahorse following you. And it’s… floating in the air.”

Aldebaran glances at the seahorse, which hovers lazily beside him, and shrugs.

“I don’t mind. It’s kind of cute.”

“Of course you don’t mind. Why would anything in this world make sense?” Subaru began muttering to himself.

They continued through the woods finding themselves in some form of ruins, when the Orange Knight suddenly stops and looks around frantically.”

“Huh, what’s the matter Orange” The Red Knight called out.

“My Treasure! It’s gone!”

The group turns to see an Imp in the distance, carrying a large bag full of gold. The Imp grins mischievously and dashes off.

“After him! That’s my treasure!” The Orange Knight yells out as he begins to give chase.

The group reluctantly followed behind, not wanting to hurt the Orange Knight's feelings. However, the Imp is fast and soon disappears from sight. Stopping to look around they find themselves in a makeshift camp, up ahead they can see multiple thieves fleeing in their direction.

“What are they all running from?” Subaru says, when the Red Knight suddenly points ahead and yells.

“TROLLS!”

Black, beady-eye creatures begin swarming the camp, their many members bearing down on the group while Subaru takes the time to criticizes their appearance.

“What are these thing!? They look like someone slapped googly eyes onto black pipe-cleaners!”

He begins batting them back with his whip, turning them to dust. However, a particularly large troll emerges from the abandoned mill ahead, spawning multiple smaller trolls, causing Subaru to groan.

“Are you kidding me?! Now there’s more of them?!”

“Stand back” Anastasia says. She raises her hand, and a beam of light—Jiwald—blasts the large troll, setting it alight, which causes it to disintegrate almost Instantly.

“What the hell was that?!”

“That was a Troll Mother. Nasty creature, thankfully it was weak to fire.” The Blue Knight informed the raven hair boy.

“Okay, so that was the mom. Where’s the dad?” Subaru joked.

As if on cue, the ground began to shake violently. The trees part, revealing a ginormous troll towering over the Forrest. The critters of the woods scattering, running into the abandoned mill up ahead.

Anastasia gave Subaru a disappointed look. “You just had to say something, didn’t you.”

“I didn’t mean to curse our luck! I was just making a joke.”

The giant troll roars, and the group springs into action. Aldebaran and the knights jump onto deer that are fleeing the scene, while Subaru barely manages to grab onto one, as it rockets forward, propelled by a well-timed crap rocket.

“WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?!”

Anastasia, still riding her ‘Ground Dragon,’ leads the way as the group dashes through the mill, dodging fallen logs and debris. The giant troll smashes through the walls, roaring in frustration as it tries to grab them.

“Ow! Why are there so many walls?!” Subaru yells as his face is slammed into the wooden paneling still being propelled forwards.
Eventually the Group finally reaches the edge of the mill and they all leap into the river below. The giant troll reaches out to grab them but falls short, roaring in frustration as they float away.

Battered but alive, Subaru groans, lying back on the deer as it swims.

“I swear, if one more giant monster tries to kill us, I’m quitting this adventure.”

“You’d miss the excitement.” Anastasia smirks, while Subaru replies with a deadpan expression.

“I’d be fine with a little less excitement, thanks.”

* * *

As the group continues down the river, Aldebaran, and the knights cling to debris from the mill as they are swept down the rivers rapids. Subaru remains holding onto the deer, while Anastasia clings to her ‘Ground Dragon,’ which is surprisingly adept at wading through the water, smiling as she pat it.

“Whoever would’ve thought you were a Water Dragon too? You’re full of surprises.”

The Blue Knight sighed as he went to correct Anastasia again. “It’s not a dragon. It’s a crocodile. How many times do I have to—“

But before he can finish, Subaru yells out in panic.

“SHARKS! SHARKS IN THE RIVER!”

Fins slice through the water, cleaving the group’s makeshift rafts in half, while Subaru gets knocked of his deer and thrashes about in the water, yelling while trying to avoid the thuggish looking fish that are now lunging at him.

“What is up with this river?! Why are there sharks?! And why do these fish all look like they belong in a correctional facility?!”

Aldebaran grabs Subaru and pulls him out of the way just as a particularly aggressive fish tries to swallow him whole.

“Stay close. These fish are more dangerous than they look.”

“No Kidding! They’re trying to eat us!”

Just as the situation seemed hopeless, the King arrives on his royal boat, waving at the group.

“Fear not, brave adventurers! We’re here to save you!”

“We’re saved! Thank Goodness!” Subaru said relieved.

However, the celebration is short-lived. The water begins to bubble ominously, and a large creature bursts forth from the river. It’s a grotesque amalgamation of a cat’s face attached to a fish’s body.

Subaru stared at the creature in horror. “CATFISH! IT’S A FREAKING CATFISH!”

“Ew. That’s… that’s just wrong.” Anastasia said while grimacing.

The Catfish roars, hurling a hairball at the group. Anastasia dodges it, her expression one of pure disgust.

“Gross. Absolutely gross.”

“Protect the boat! Don’t let that monstrosity destroy it.” The King yelled out.

The Knights valiantly charged at the Catfish, but it’s thick scales made it difficult to damage. Subaru, meanwhile, is desperately trying to swim out of it’s path.

“Why does everything in this world want to kill me?!”

Aldebaran, ever observant, points to the Catfish’s back.

“Look, There’s something on its back.”

The group turns to see a small, white bear-like creature controlling the Catfish’s actions.

“Is that… a teddy bear? What is it doing there?!” Subaru said staring at the creature.

“It’s controlling the Catfish. If we can knock it off, we might stand a chance.”

At Al’s words the group begins to devise a plan. They bait the Catfish into ramming the King’s boat, causing the white bear to lose it’s grip and fall into the river. The impact also knocks everyone on the boat off balance, but they quickly recover.

“Load the cannon! Now’s our chance!”

The gray knights scramble to load the cannon, aiming it directly at the Catfish’s face. With a loud BOOM, the cannon fires, blasting the Catfish and killing it instantly. The creature collapses into the river, sending a massive wave crashing over the group.

The group cheers in celebration, relived that the nightmare is over. Subaru, however, is still clinging to a piece of debris, looking utterly soaked, and exhausted.

“Can we… can we board the boat now? Please?”

The King laughs heartily and extends a hand to help Subaru onto the boat.

“Of course, my boy! You’ve all earned a rest. And perhaps a change of clothes.”

“Finally. Something normal for once.” Subaru mutters.

As the group boards the boat, Anastasia’s ‘Ground Dragon’ climbs aboard as well, shaking the water off it’s scales. Everyone exhausted by the adventure heads to the cabins to rest.

* * *

The next day the ship lands on the coast anchoring into the sand of the shore. The group steps out onto a beach, a field of tall grass stretching out before them. Subaru looks around warily.

“Alright, let’s scout ahead and see what we’re dealing with. Anastasia, you good with helping unload stuff off the ship.”

The merchant smirked as she replied to the boy. “I’ll handle it. Just don’t get yourselves killed out there.”

The Knights, Subaru and Al ventures of into the tall grass, where they soon encounter a tribe of white teddy bear-like creatures. The bears gathered around a campfire, seemingly peaceful at first.

“Do you think they’re friendly.” Subaru whispered.

As if in response, the bears notice the group and immediately begin to charge at them, their cute appearances belying their ferocity.

“NOT FRIENDLY! NOT FRIENDLY!”

The group fights their way through the bears, but the creatures are relentless, continually chasing them through their village. Eventually, they had come upon a clearing, where a lone bear stood with a banner attached to it’s back depicting a large paw mark.

The Bear began to preform a strange rain dance, and within moments, the sky darkens, and rain pours in torrents, which causes Subaru to panic.

“Why is it raining?! What is happening?!”

The rain makes the terrain slippery, and the group is quickly overrun by the bears. The banner bear suddenly spins rapidly, transforming into a mini-tornado and slamming into Subaru, shredding him into pieces.

* * *

“I’ll handle it. Just don’t get yourselves killed out there.”

Subaru suddenly gasps, finding himself back on the beach where the King’s ship had landed. He takes a moment to collect himself, muttering under his breath, while Anastasia looks at him confused.

“Those bears are no joke. We need a better plan this time.”

He turns to the Orange Knight, who is rummaging though his bag.

“Hey, Orange. Do you have any more bombs?”

“Of course! I stocked up at a shop in woods. You never know when you’ll need explosives.”

“Great. Let’s bomb those bears before they have a chance to counterattack.” Subaru replied not even questioning it.

The group returns to the tall grass field, this time with a plan. They sneak up on the bear tribe and unleash a barrage of bombs, scattering the creatures and clearing a path. The banner bear tries to start its rain dance, but a well-placed bomb throw interrupts it, sending the bear flying.

“That’s what you get for trying to mess with mother nature!” Subaru said smirking.

With the bears defeated, the group climbs up the cliffs, where they spot a group of thieves handing over Emilia and Felt to two cloaked figures. Emilia sees Subaru and calls out to him.

“Subaru! Help us!”

Before Subaru can react, one of the cloaked figures waves a hand, and Emilia disappears in a puff of frost. The other figure grabs Felt, who kicks and screams as she’s dragged into the caves ahead.

“Let me go, you jerk!”

“We have to go after them! Now!” Subaru said panicking

The group charges into the cave, determined to rescue Felt. Inside, the cave is damp and cold, sending shivers down Subaru’s spine, making him rub his arms as he continues to walk forwards.

“Why is it so cold in here? It’s like a freezer!”

Suddenly Aldebaran pointed ahead. “Look out. Something’s coming.”

A large swarm of bats flies through the cave, screeching loudly. The Orange Knight covers his ears, looking visibly distressed.

“I hate bats! I hate them!”

Before anyone can react, a massive bat appears, its tongue lashing out and slamming the Orange Knight across the cavern. Subaru yells as the massive creature begin to take flight.

“What the hell is that thing?! And why is it crapping everywhere?!”

“Careful. It’s droppings are poisonous.” the Green Knight noted calmly.

“Oh, great. Just what we needed. Poisonous bat crap.”

The group fights the massive bat, dodging it’s attacks and avoiding its toxic droppings. Eventually, they manage to subdue it, and the bat deflates into a small, harmless version of itself. The tiny bat flutters over to the Orange Knight, who looks less than thrilled.

“Why is it following me?!” the knight groaned, Subaru giving him a smirk.

“Looks like you’ve got a new friend.”

With the bat defeated, the group presses on, determined to rescue Felt and escape the cave.

Chapter Text

Subaru, Al, and the knights emerge from the cave, exiting to a large open field, Where Anastasia and the King’s guards can be seen preparing catapults. Subaru regards them with a strange look, while turning to look back at the cave, looking back and forth between them rapidly.

“What the!? how did you all get over here so quickly?”

At his words the purple haired merchant perked up walking over to the group on her ‘ground dragon’. “Oh it was simple really, while you guys were fighting your way through that cave, we took the side route.”

The group all took a look behind them to see that there was indeed another path to the side of the cave that lead to the field they were standing in.

“You’re telling me we went through all that trouble for nothing!” Subaru yelled out.

Anastasia ignored his antics as she continued the discussion. “Anyways all the catapults are set up, now all we need is to choose a destination.” She gestured ahead.

Subaru turned to see what Anastasia was referring to, and off in distance he saw what looked like two large castles, each equally imposing but differing in architecture. He quickly points to the closet one as he addresses the group.

“Let’s hit that one first. It’s closer, and we still need to gather more information on everyone’s whereabouts.”

The group slowly approached the castle, which was a mixture of brick and machinery. Making their way to the entrance, they found that it had been covered by a massive plate of sheet metal and bolted in. From the balcony Priscilla could be seen tied up next to a wiry looking man who had a mustache. He was wearing a set purple nobleman’s clothes and atop his head sat a strange mechanical looking hat.

Twirling his mustache the man began to address the group. “Ah, so the peasants have arrived! But you’ll never make it into my castle! Since I’ve gone ahead and blocked the entrance up ahead of your arrival! Mwahahaha!”

Subaru simply looks at the Industrial price with an incredulous look.

“Is this guy serious? He’s just slapped some sheet metal on the door and thinks he’s invincible?”

The Blue Knight shakes his head. “That sheet metal is made of Impervium, it’s impossible to destroy.”

“Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be.”

Subaru turns to Al exasperated, gesturing to the castle walls.

“Let’s just climb up and save Priscilla. How hard can it be?”

“Sorry bro, our stars were bad. It’s not the right time.”

“We should come back when we’re more prepared.” Anastasia added, to which Subaru grumbled.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re just going to leave her there? This isn't reasonable!”

“Look Bro, I don’t like this anymore than you do. We just have to come back when we’re prepared to face him, and then get the Princess back.” Al said with all the restraint he could.

Despite his protests, the group decides to head to the other castle instead. Subaru pouts as they march away, muttering under his breath.

“Unbelievable. We could’ve just broken in, but nooo, let’s come back when we have some hypothetical item that’ll allow us to destroy the indestructible metal, great plan guys.”

Priscilla calls out from the balcony, her voice carrying a mix of amusement and arrogance.

“I’ll be waiting, commoners! The world always turns in my favor, after all.”

* * *

The group continued on their way, heading towards the second castle, passing through a field of abnormally large flowers. The landscape was beautiful, and for a moment, the group admires the scenery. Subaru smiling as he took it all in.

“Okay, this is actually kind of nice. For once, something in this world isn’t trying to kill us.”

As if on cue, giant bees emerge from the flowers, buzzing angrily and attacking the group.

“NOT THE BEES! WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE BEES!”

The King, his guards, the knights, Aldebaran and Anastasia fight desperately, swatting at the bees and getting stung repeatedly. Subaru, his face already swelling from the stings, calls out to the Green Knight.

“Hey, Green! Some pest control would be great about now!”

“On it” The Green Knight nodded, releasing clouds of poison magic.

The Bees all fall to the ground dead. Subaru despite his swollen face, gives the Knight a thumbs-up.

“Thanks Green, I’ll never dismiss poison again!”

The group finally reaches a large cliff face, with the second castle just out of reach, it’s purple brickwork glinting in the sunlight. Subaru stares at the gap groaning in frustration.

“Great. Now how are we supposed to get across?”

“By catapult, of course!” the King grinned.

“You’re kidding, right?”

The Knights begin loading themselves onto the catapults, looking completely serious. Subaru sighs, realizing there’s no other option.

“Alright, fine. But if I die, I’m haunting all of you.”

One by one, the group launches themselves across the cliff, the knights, Al, and Subaru who was screaming all the way, landing on top of the castle safely. Subaru, despite his initial protests, had managed to survive, though visibly shaken.

“Hah— I did it, I actually did it, I thought I was going to die.”

Looking ahead on the rooftop, multiple of the conehead guards could be seen converging on their position quickly, the fight wasn’t over yet. Subaru having had time to collect himself gets off the ground and joins the fray along with the rest of the group.

“Felt, were coming to save you!”

* * *

Elsewhere inside the Conehead’s castle Felt could be seen dressed in an elaborate wedding dress, standing in the middle of a grand venue. The tables were all pilled high with food and decorations. In front of the yellow haired candidate the Conehead Groom stood, getting onto one knee, holding out a ring as he proposes to her.

“My dearest, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were the one. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?”

To those words spoken with love and adoration, Felt stares at him, her eye twitching in disbelief.

“Grrr… ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!”

Felt her face red with anger, bolts off into the palace, knocking over multiple tables and throwing food and candelabras at the guards.

The Conehead Groom heartbroken, cries out dramatically as Felt continues to destroy his wedding venue smashing it to pieces.

“Not my dream venue!”

The guards eventually manage to subdue Felt by holding her in place, but the damage was done and the entirety of the hall was thoroughly trashed. The Groom stands up dramatically fuming as he marches over to the candidate, as she in turn bored holes into his helmeted head with her red eyes.

“If I cannot have your heart, Then I shall have your hand— BY FORCE!”

Just as the Groom was about to drag Felt away with him, a resounding crash could be heard. Subaru, Al, and the knights had broken through one of the stained glass windows, landing onto the wedding cake which absorbed their fall, causing it to fall apart.

“MY CAKE!” The Groom yelled, as Subaru struck a pose while covered in frosting, making his entrance.

“We’re here to save you, Felt!”

Felt’s eyes lit up as she saw their figures, walking in front of the distraught Groom. “Big bro! About time!”

But the Conehead Groom now furious grabbed Felt by the wrist dragging her away with him as he ordered the guards to attack the group, making off with her— Subaru and the others fighting off the guards as they chased after them.

Fighting their way through explosives and waves of helmeted foes, they eventually make their way to the cathedral, where the Conehead Groom can been seen at the alter holding Felt tightly.

“Let go of me Creep!”

She stomps on his foot, causing him to let go, allowing her to run to Subaru and the others. The Groom however doesn't stand down as he pulls out a glowing sword challenging the group.

“Is that a LIGHTSABER?!” Subaru stared at the sword, while the Groom smirked under his helmet.

“Prepare to face the explosive power of my love.”

The fight begins, with the Groom using his saber skillfully as he multi-tasked tossing multiple explosives at the group, moving at incredible speeds, making it difficult to counter attack.

“We should start throwing bombs at him, fight fire with fire.” The Orange Knight yelled, but Subaru just panicked telling him that would just make things worse.

Felt, seeing an opportunity, uses her Divine Blessing of the Wind to outpace the Groom, landing multiple consecutive kicks, sending him flying across the room.

The Conehead Groom, battered but undeterred, stumbles over to the church organ and begins to play.

“Now, I give to you, the symphony of passion and love… in canon!”

Lasers shoot up around him, creating a barrier as large cannons appear above the organ, firing at the group. Subaru and the others scatter, dodging the cannonballs.

“This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen!”

Despite the chaos going on around them, Subaru started to come up with a plan thinking to himself as he avoided the canon fire.

‘Okay Natsuki Subaru, That crazy pin head is locked up behind those lasers, and no one else can reach him. It’s your time to shine!’

Pulling out his Guiltywhip Subaru latches onto the arm of the Conehead Groom, passing through a gap in the lasers and pulls, taking him away from the piano and into the lasers frying the man in his armor.

Unfortunately for Subaru his whip conducts the electricity, causing him to fry along with the Groom and collapse.

“At least… I actually beat someone this time.”

The lasers power down, and the Conehead Groom collapses, defeated. Felt rushes to Subaru’s side, shaking him while panicking.

“Big bro! Wake up! Someone help him!”

The Red Knight steps forward, rubbing his palms together as lighting cracks between them. He uses his lighting magic to act as a defibrillator, jolting Subaru back to consciousness, sitting up.

“Did we do it? Is he dead?”

He looks over at the Conehead Groom’s lifeless body, but before anyone can confirm, the sound of a toilet flushing echoes through the cathedral.

“Uhh.. guys did someone forget to check the bathroom?” Subaru spoke nervously.

Suddenly the Cyclops emerges from behind a door with a crescent shaped carved in, slamming it into the wall beside him. Upon seeing the lifeless corpse of the Groom he rushes over and picks him up.

“NOOO! MY BEST FRIEND!”

He turns to the group, his single eye blazing with rage. Before anyone can react, he grabs Felt and drags her towards an elevator.

“HEY! LET ME GO, YOU ONE-EYED JERK!” Felt Yelled, kicking and screaming in his grasp.

The Cyclops ignores her as he stepped into the elevator, slamming a fist into the call button, disappearing before the group can stop him. Subaru bangs on the elevator doors, yelling in frustration.

“We have to go after them! Felt!”

He slumps to the floor, exhausted and defeated. The Orange Knight meanwhile simply looks up, pointing to the church organ, where the cannons still stood at the ready.

“We could use those to catch up.”

“No way. I’m not doing that again.” Subaru groaned.

Outside the castle, the Cyclops could be seen loading a tied up Felt onto a carriage, yelling expletives and curses at him. He simply ignores her however, pulling the reigns and driving off into the distance.

“You won’t get away with this, you big ugly—“

Felt gets interrupted as the Cyclops suddenly shoves a piece of cake in her mouth silencing her, as the carriage continues off into the horizon leaving those in the castle behind.

* * *

The carriage continues to speed down the cobbled road, the Cyclops holding the reins while Felt, still tied up, sits beside him looking resigned to her fate. Suddenly though, a sound akin to yelling could be heard progressively getting louder, as Felt thought she heard a voice she could recognize.

“WHY DID I AGREE TO DO THIS AGAIN?!”

Subaru, Aldebaran, and the knights land onto the roof of the carriage behind them, having launched themselves from the cannons in the cathedral.

“That’s the last time I’m doing that. I mean it this time.” Subaru said soaked in sweat from the rush of adrenaline of being launched through the air.

Felt seeing them, spits out the cake in her mouth as she calls out to them. “Big bro! You’re back!”

Her excitement is short-lived as she notices something behind them.

“Look out!”

Subaru barley doges a laser beam that scorches the carriage roof. He looks back to see the Giant Troll from before, now with laser eyes, chasing them.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING DOING HERE?! AND WHY IS IT SHOOTING LASERS AT US?!”

“No time to think. Just fight!” Aldebaran told him calmly.

Multiple guards vault from inside the carriage onto the roof, forcing Subaru, Aldebaran, and the Blue Knight into a fight. Meanwhile, the other knights fire arrows at the Troll, trying to slow it down.

Just as the Troll prepares another laser beam, Anastasia arrives on her ‘Ground Dragon’ unleashing a jiwald spell directly into the Troll’s eyes. The beam of light forcing the Troll to abort it’s attack.

“Nice to see y'all again. Need a hand?” The merchant said smirking as she rode beside the group.

Felt takes advantage of the Cyclops being distracted by the chaos going on behind them, chomping down on his hand causing him to let go of the reins.

“Ow.”

Without the horses to control the carriage it begins to veer of course, starting to head down hill towards a rocky cliff.

“Um, ya guys are headed right into danger right now!” the merchant warned them.

“We need to stop this thing right now” The Blue knight yelled as they continued to pick up speed, an array of rocky spires coming into view.

Subaru unfurls his whip, and tries to slow down the carriage by wrapping it around the axle of the wheel. However, he doesn't have enough strength.

“A little help here!”

Aldebaran and the other knights grab onto Subaru, pulling with all their might. Just as they start to slow the carriage, the Green Knight points up ahead.

“Rock! Rock up ahead!”

With no way to doge the carriage hits the rock, launching into the air. Subaru, Al, the knights, Felt, and the Cyclops are all thrown from the carriage, slamming onto the ground with a thud. Subaru loses consciousness.

* * *

When Subaru woke up he found the landscape around a mess of debris from the crashed carriage, off in the distance he could see The Cyclops running off with a knocked out Felt in his arms, as he ran off to a cave.

Subaru quickly tries to get up but his legs give out beneath him. He turned to the group to try warn them they had to chase after him, only to find that they were still unconscious.

On top of that The Blue and Orange Knight were laid strewn atop the crashed carriage, which was now teetering off the edge of the cliff into the spiky stone terrain below.

“Oh, come on! I’ve been dragged into one of those ‘pick who you want to save’ cliches?!”

He unfurls his whip, trying to pull the carriage back onto solid ground, but his strength isn’t enough. Desperate, Subaru calls forth Invisible Providence, summoning a shadowy hand to help him. The pain in his head is excruciating, but he manages to pull the carriage to safety before collapsing in exhaustion.

The group wakes up, and Anastasia arrives on her ‘Ground Dragon’ checking on everyone.

“Everyone alright?”

Subaru stood up his eyes blazing with determination. “We’re fine. But we’re not done yet. It’s time to go after the Cyclops and rescue Felt—for good this time.”

The group nods, rallying together as they head towards the cave where the Cyclops took Felt.

Chapter Text

The group had continued their journey chasing after the Cyclops who had kidnapped felt, leading them to the cave where they now found themselves in. Making their way further inside, the heat grew with each step. Subaru wiped the sweat from his brow, as he grumbled under his breath.

“Why is it so hot in here? It’s like walking through an oven!”

Unlike the caves from before which had been cold and damp, here it was smoldering an orange glow permeating through. Subaru, the knights, Al, and Anastasia simply followed the few lamps which showed the path forward, fighting off any coneheads the Cyclops sent after them to slow them down.

However as they were continuing along the path, the Red Knight suddenly stopped, taking his foot off the floor to reveal a gooey, translucent substance stuck to his boot.

“Uhh… I think I stepped in something.”

Before anyone could respond, a slime dropped down from the ceiling onto the Red Knight's helmet, muffling his screams as he thrashed about, trying to pull the creature off his face. More slimes emerged from the shadows, attacking the group.

“Slimes?! Seriously?! What’s next flying pigs?!” Subaru yelled, running to the Red Knight to help pull the slime off, successfully tearing it from his head and throwing it away.

The Red Knight simply brushed himself off, grumbling as he regained his composure.

“I could have handled that.”

“Sure you could.” Subaru replied rolling his eyes.

They continued to fight their way through the cave, fending off the stray slimes, along with the occasional Conehead guard. Just as they think they've cleared the area, the Orange Knight points ahead, his voice filled with rage.

“IT’S YOU!”

Up ahead the Imp from before could be seen sneaking through the cave, still carrying the stolen treasure in it’s bag. Having been spotted as it tried to loot the fallen Conehead’s bodies, it tried to take off. However the Orange Knight threw a bomb at the cave ceiling, causing a stalactite to fall and pierce the creature, defeating it.

“Not so fast, you little thief.” the knight said smugly as he went to re-collect his treasure, however Subaru grabbed him by the shoulder, furious.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! You could have caused a cave-in!”

As if on cue, the cavern began to shake violently, fissures forming in the ground along with rocks falling from the ceiling.

“RUN!”

Subaru yelled at the top of his lungs, as the group all sprinted towards the exit, barely making it out as the cave collapsed behind them. They had stumbled into a tunnel leading outside, as they caught their breath.

The group turned to the Orange Knight, their expressions a mixture of anger and disbelief, Subaru voicing his opinion first as he lambasted him.

“Do you have any idea how reckless that was?!”

“I… I just wanted my treasure back.” the knight replied sheepishly.

Anastasia just gave him a look while crossing her arms. “And you nearly got us all killed in the process.”

The Red Knight went up next clearly disappointed with his brother in arms. “They are entirely right, as a knight you should act as a protector of the realm and of others. Yet, you acted recklessly in a self-serving interest, endangering the rest of us. As such, being leader of our group, I hereby punish you.”

The group had all agreed to punish the Orange Knight, stripping him of his right to hold onto the treasure they collected on the journey for one month.

“And no less.” The Red Knight finished cementing it in stone.

“What.. No! You can’t do that!”

Ignoring the knights pleas, the treasure was take from him and handed over to Anastasia, having been decided given her responsible nature in regard to all things of monetary value.

“I’ll take good care of it. After all, I’m perfect for the role.” the merchant said while smirking.

The Orange Knight sighed, begrudgingly accepting the punishment. “Fine… but I’m keeping an eye on it.”

As they made their way outside, Subaru stopped in his tracks, staring at the magma and lava-filled landscape ahead. The heat was unbearable, and the ground glowed from cracks in the basalt slopes.

“Oh come on! First a slime filled cave, and now we have to make our way through a Lethal Lava Land?!”

“Looks like we got our work cut out for us, bro.” Al noted calmly.

Large lava plumes dotted the landscape, and off in the distance a large fortress could be seen ahead. The Cyclops was near and Felt was still in danger, with a determined look Subaru step forward.

“Let’s finish this for Felt.”

The group nods, ready to face the challenge ahead and rescue their friend.

* * *

They had quickly made their way through the unstable landscape, avoiding the lava plumes that periodical shot up from the ground, as they carefully made their way to the fortress.

Subaru lead the way, his eyes darting around nervously, whispering to the group as they entered through the front gate.

“Stay quiet. We don’t want to alert anyone.”

Up ahead a Conehead guard could be spotted sitting on a stool, reading a newspaper. Subaru signals for the others to sneak past, and they successfully do so—until the Orange Knight stabs the guard, causing him to cry out.

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!” Subaru yelled.

“I wanted to read the daily paper.” The Orange knight shrugged in reply, picking up the newspaper off the ground as he started flipping through it, completely unfazed.”

“That’s it! Your treasure suspension just got extended by two weeks.”

“Aww… come on!”

The Orange Knight pouted under his helmet as the rest of the guards moved in on their position, having been alerted by the screams. Having been forced into battle, the group fought their way through wave after wave of the conehead guards.

Just when they though they cleared the area, fire demons fly in, harassing the group.

“I was kidding about the flying pigs!”

Subaru was flabbergasted only momentarily, when he suddenly felt a surge of confidence, as he used his whip to tear down one of the flying demons, succeeding.

“I don’t know what’s up, but I suddenly feel stronger for some reason.”

Subaru train of thought was interrupted when Anastasia went and pointed something out behind him, where a small, floating elephant-like creature could be seen hovering behind him.

“Looks like you’ve got your own pet now, Natsuki-kun.”

“Great. Now we’re running a zoo of weird creatures.” the raven haired boy sighed.

Continuing on the group finally reaches an outdoor chamber, where the Cyclops sits on his throne, mourning the Conehead Groom in his casket. Felt can be seen suspended in a cage above, pouting as she sees the group arrive.

“About time you showed up!”

At the sudden disturbance the Cyclops moves it’s singular eye over to the group, roaring as it spots them. The fight suddenly began as the Cyclops launched itself of it’s throne charging the group with knives in it’s hands.

Subaru barley doges an attack, taking the time to yell at the Orange Knight, who is casually eating a banana.

“Why are you eating a banana right now?!”

“It tastes good.” the knight replied with his mouth full.

The Cyclops attempts to throw his knives aiming directly at Al and Anastasia, however the attack never reached as Subaru used his whip to pull on the Cyclops’ leg, causing his aim to go off course.

The Knight’s take the opportunity to move in to attack, but the Cyclops bats them away as he begins to charge at Subaru, who begins to panic.

“Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!—”

Just as the Cyclops is about to strike, the Orange Knight discards his banana peel, throwing it into the Cyclops’ path. The Cyclops slips on the peel and slides into a pool of lava.

“NOOOO!”

Sinking into the magma, the Cyclops gives a thumbs-up as his body melts apart. Leaving the group stunned.

“WAS THAT A TERMINATOR REFERENCE?!” Subaru yelled at the top of his lungs, while Aldebaran could be seen nodding to the side saying “Classic.”

Anastasia and the knights were left confused as they asked “What’s a terminator?”

Their questioning was interrupted, as Felt’s voice called down from above.

“A little help up here!”

The Red Knight cuts down the cage, allowing Felt to Run over to Subaru, who give the raven haired boy a hug while smiling.

“Thanks, big bro. I knew you’d come through.”

However their joyful reunion was interrupted as the Red Knight stepped forwards, clearing his throat.

“Now that the maiden is safe, it’s time for our fight to see who gets to kiss her.”

Felt’s face suddenly twists into a scowl as she walks up to the Red Knight and kicks him the crotch.

“I’m not marrying or kissing anyone, you got that!”

“got it.” The Red Knight replied weakly, as he collapsed to the ground in pain, the rest of the group sans Anastasia feeling for the pain of their fellow in arms, while the merchant tried to hold back a snicker.

With Felt rescued, and the way back cut off due to the collapsed cave, the group presses on forward into Lava World, ready for whatever challenge lies ahead.

The Blue and Green Knight help Red off the ground as he mutters about “nobody respecting traditions.” as the rest of the group heads off into the molten landscape.

* * *

The group had continued down the path fighting off Fire Demons, until they eventually came across an enormous door shaped like a sandwich which blocked the way forwards.

Anastasia and Felt ruminated over what it could mean, the merchant saying it could possibly be a hint to opening it, where as the yellow haired candidate argued that it could simply be where they store their food, all the while Subaru groans in frustration.

“We’re doomed. Absolutely doomed.”

The Orange Knight, ever the wild card, pulls out a sandwich he looted from a fire demon’s corpse.

“Don’t eat that! Who knows what’s in it?!”

But before Subaru and the other could stop him, the Orange Knight took a bite. Immediately, the knight grew in size, becoming buff and muscular. Using his new found strength he grabbed onto the gate pulling it off and tossed it to the side, as Subaru stared at him, dumbfounded by the sight.

“What… What the hell are in those thing?!”

“Protein. Lots of protein.” The Orange Knight said grinning under his helmet, as he returned to normal size.

As the group enters through the now opened gate they pass by a sign that reads: “Volcano town: No Active Volcanoes.” with a crude depiction of a happy crowd surrounding a volcano, which Subaru scoffs at.

“Yeah, right. This whole place is an active volcano!”

They continue heading downhill, where they arrive in the town, the plants, buildings, and even the people all entombed in a thick shroud of pumice and ash. Felt shudders, muttering under her breath.

“This place is creepy…”

“Agreed. I don’t like it.” The Orange Knight spoke nodding along.

Suddenly the Necromancer flew over the group, using his power to animate the entombed corpses into skeletons. Subaru seeing what he’s doing tries to take him down with his whips, but the Necromancer simply flies away, leaving the group to deal with the newly made skeletal army.

“Raising the dead! Seriously?!”

Subaru yelled at the absurdity, while Felt and the Orange Knight clung together frightened as the reanimated corpses descended upon them. Anastasia comes in on her ‘Ground Dragon’ crushing the bony creatures as she lectures the two.

“Come on you two. Get a grip, they’re just a pile of bones, nothing to worry about.

After a grueling fight, the group defeats the skeletons and presses on, heading up hill. Anastasia points to a nearby volcano, her voice tinged with unease.

“Hey, doesn't that volcano look like it has a face?”

The volcano’s eyes snap open, and it begins raining blobs of molten magma onto the group.

“Are you freaking kidding me?! That thing is alive?!”

While Felt gawked at the absurdity of the creature in front of her, the knights went onto the attack. But there weapons proved ineffective against the hard stone shell of it’s exterior. So instead they came up with a different plan.

“Lets eat the sandwiches, the boost in strength might allow us to take this foul volcano down.” The Blue Knight suggested, however Subaru protested.

“But I don’t do steroids!”

Ignoring him, the knights bite into the sandwiches, becoming buff and tearing the living volcano apart till it’s no more.

With the Volcano defeated the group pushes onward. Up ahead Aldebaran spots the golden steering wheel sat atop a cliff face pointing it out to the group.

“Hey bro, look.”

“Ahh— That’s one of the things we need!”

However as they went to retrieve it, a large dragon suddenly appeared from behind the mountain. It gleaned at them with it’s yellow eyes, pulling out a sock puppet as it surrounded the group. At the sight of the draconian creature Anastasia paled, while Felt just sputtered.

“We’re doomed.”

Subaru tried to assure the merchant, and yellow haired candidate, that everything was fine, as he tried to remain calm.

“Hey, maybe it’s just putting on a show for us. You know, like a puppet routine?”

The Dragon started spewing fire at the group, proving Subaru wrong.

“I don’t like this show!” The Orange Knight yelled as he ran way.

Using it’s sock puppet hand the Dragon grabbed onto a boulder and dropped it down a slope, heading towards the group. Aldebaran tries to hold it back with a dona spell, to prevent it from crushing them.

“Hurry! I can’t hold this forever.”

The knights fight the dragon while Subaru, Al, Anastasia, and Felt flee from another boulder. The raven haired boy running ahead as he looked back at their encroaching doom.

“Are we recreating Indiana Jones now too?!”

Seeing them about to get flattened, the Green Knight steps up, eating a sandwich to become buff. He picks up the boulder, heaving under it’s weight, and throws it at the dragon, knocking it out.

The group recuperates, catching their breath after the intense battle. Anastasia looks at the unconscious dragon, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe we just beat up a dragon.”

Subaru comes back down from the alcove having grabbed the golden steering wheel. “Yeah, well, we’ve got the steering wheel. Now we just need to figure out a way to get out of here.”

The group looks around, realizing they’re stranded in this volcanic wasteland, with no easy exit. The group all groans in unison as Subaru laments their position.

“Of course. Why would anything be so easy.”

* * *

The groups travels had brought them to a cave, which apparently acted as a store. Felt quickly ran up to the fire demon running the front desk, shouting at him in a demanding tone.

“Hey! You got any clothes here? I’m tired of staying stuck in this tacky dress.”

She pulled on the tattered wedding dress, that had been stained with soot and dirt for emphasis and the manager showed her the catalog. One article in particular was almost a one-to-one replica to her typical thief outfit from her time in the slums, only much more quality.

“How much for it.” Felt asked bluntly.

“Oh that one there will cost you 400gp.”

“What kind of currency is that?!”

The Red Knight stepped forward holding a bag of gold that he set on the counter.

“Not to fear dear maiden, for I shall fit the bill.”

“If you think this is gonna get me to change my mind about kissing you, your gonna have another thing coming to ya.”

“Well then, I guess my graciousness is not warranted here.” The Red Knight said in a huff, as the Blue Knight just sighed pulling out his own money.

“I’ll pay for it.”

Meanwhile as the others were grabbing onto items they wished to purchase, Subaru started looking around the cave asking the manager if there were any paths forwards.

“Well there is that path we use for shipping—“

“That’s perfect thank you so much.”

Elated the raven haired boy took off down into the caves, the rest of the group following suit as they finished paying.

After hours of traversing through caves tunnels and mountainous terrain, they had finally made their way out of Lava World as they re-entered back into the large open plains.

“Oh thank goodness, I think I’m gonna collapse from exhaustion.”

Subaru huffed as they finally crested one of the jagged rocky hills, collapsing onto the grassy floor, looking ahead at the familiar sights of the two castles.

With the group tired from the journey, they reluctantly trudged on.

Chapter Text

The group had descended from the mountainous terrain back into the open fields with Subaru and the others ready to collapse. Thankfully up ahead they spotted the King and Grey Knights, who were currently repairing the carriage that they had crashed before.

“Thank Goodness were saved!” Subaru said in relief as the group gratefully climbed aboard, relived to finally have some rest from their weary journey.

Felt stretched out in the back seat, as she spoke up. “Man, it’s nice to ride in a carriage without being tied up for once.”

“I’ll drink to that. This is the most relaxed I’ve felt in days.” Subaru said, leaning back in his seat.

Meanwhile Aldebaran nodded. “Agreed. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts.”

The group sat silence for a while as the Knights sat doing their own things, Anastasia holding the reins in the stage coach as her ‘Ground Dragon’ lead the horses down the paved road. That was until Felt decided to start up the conversation again.

“So What’s our goal here anyways? Besides saving everyone else.”

“Ahh— that’s right! You weren’t there for the exposition.” Subaru said as he let the Orange Knight explain the situation.

“Well it’s simple really we just need to retrieve or Kingdom’s crystal from that dastardly Wizard before he misuses it for his evil deeds.”

In response Subaru shot back with a question. “You know, you never really explained that. What’s so important about the crystal anyways?”

The Blue Knight quickly spoke up to respond interupting the Orange Knight. “The Crystal is a vital artifact for our kingdom, which allows the king to grant the most loyal and hardworking among the knights special elemental powers. In fact the four of us originally were just like any other knight within the kingdom, before we were granted this privilege for our hard work.”

“Show off.” the Orange Knight muttered in his seat at his eloquently put explanation to which Subaru paled.

“So what you’re saying is this Wizard now has an instant super power granter, and we’re supposed to fight against that!”

“Well the hope is we can get to him before he makes full use of it, but yes it is quite the dire situation.” The Green Knight admitted.

“Then we just need to kick that bastards but as quick as we can.” Felt spoke optimistically as she grinned.

Suddenly from up front Anastasia called to the group. “We’re almost at the Industrial Palace. It’s time y’all make a plan to break Priscilla out.

Subaru sat up. “Easy. The knights use their sandwiches to break open the door, and we rush in. Simple, effective, and no time for the Prince to set up more traps.”

The group agrees, and they quickly enact the plan. The Red Knight, now beefed up from eating a sandwich, tears off the metal sheet blocking the entrance. The Industrial Prince, seeing the group storm in, runs off with Priscilla in tow.

“You’ll never catch me!” he yelled maniacally.

However Subaru grinned as he replied back “Famous last words.” as he along with the knights and Al rushed inside.

——

As they made their way into palace, the group found themselves fighting through machine filled halls as they dogged saw blades, acid balls, and crushers Subaru began ranting as an Industrialist sent another blade in his direction which he barely dogged.

“That’s definitely an OSHA violation! What kind of factory even is this!?”

The Industrialist took the time to reply explaining, “Why, It’s to make the finest leather boots!” before being punched by the Red Knight knocking him out.

“Not anymore, it’s not!”

They continued through the factory, ducking and weaving through flickering electric traps, while Aldebaran remarks on the absurdity of it all.

“They must have one heck of an electricity bill.”

Eventually, they reached a platform that began to slide up a slope as multiple guards slid down to attack them, causing Subaru to resume his rant.

“This place would make any inspector cry. It’s a death trap!”

After beating up one of the large guards, the group had finally managed to reach a large open space, where the Industrial Prince stood behind a large thick pane of glass, smirking at the group as he twirled his mustache.

“You’ve fallen right into my trap.”

With that he pulled on a switch, which turned on a large Industrial Machine, the floors surrounding exits were heated to scorching temperatures leaving the group at the Prince’s mercy.

As the Industrial Prince laughed at their misfortune, electricity filled spires began to rise out of the ground, threatening to fry them. However Subaru took out his whip and tore the spire down, as the knights and Al destroyed the rest.

“Sorry, but I don’t feel like going through that experience again!”

The Industrial Prince hid his nervousness, saying “That was only but a taste of the power of my great machine!” as he activated turrets which began spewing, fire, acid, and ice shards at them.

The Orange Knight grinned under his helmet as everyone else ducked, yelling “My turn.” as he pulled out multiple bombs which he began throwing at the turrets, destroying them completely.

The Industrial Prince now visibly sweating, began to panic as he pressed down on a large green button.

“That’s it! you’ve forced me to bring out my trump card hahahah~! Behold… THE HAND!”

A large mechanical hand began to walk over to the group using it’s fingers like legs as they looked dumbfounded at the sight.

Subaru stared at the device, clearly unimpressed. “Seriously? That’s your trump card?”

The Knights easily demolished the mechanical hand, causing the Industrial Machine to break down as it exploded into bits and pieces. The Industrial Prince panicked as he rushed off with Priscilla, the group now chasing after him.

His panic soon turned to relief however as he reached the balcony, where the Evil Wizard stood floating by on the stolen crystal. The Industrial Prince quickly tossed Priscilla aboard, but as he tried to get on the Wizard fried him with his wand, much to Priscilla's amusement.

“Well deserved for a hound like yourself.” She retorted with a smirk, before the Wizard flew off with her, leaving the Prince behind.

Aldebaran ran to the Balcony's edge, yelling in frustration.

“PRINCESS!”

But it was to late. The Wizard and Priscilla were already high in the sky, flying off into the distance. In a fit of rage Aldebaran turned to the Industrial Prince who was huddled against the railing, picking him up with his one arm as the Prince tried to mutter pleas of mercy.

“Now There’s no need for v-violence. W-we can—!”

But the pleas were cut short as the helmeted man threw him off the balcony. Subaru placed a hand onto Al’s shoulder to help calm him back down.

“We’ll save her. I promise.”

“Thanks bro, I got a little carried away.” he replied as he scratched the side of his helmet.

As they began to recuperate, the Blue Knight spotted a cardinal bird and followed it to a telescope, calling the group over at the sight of the trinket.

“Over here! I think I’ve found one of the artifacts we need.”

Subaru became excited as he walked over. “Great find! Let’s see what this thing can do.”

The raven haired boy looked through the telescope, marveling at the distance he can see.

“Wow, I can see the other side of the ocean from here! This thing is amazing!”

As he adjusts the lens, he spots Emilia at the window of a frozen castle far way. His glee at seeing the silver haired half elf unharmed, turned to anger as he watched the Frost King forcibly drag her away from the window.

“Hey! Hands of my Emillia-tan!”

With a new goal in mind, the group heads to the seaport, determined to cross the sea and rescue Priscilla, Emilia, and possibly even Crusch.

——

The Group had been traveling down the road by carriage on the way to the seaport, when Anastasia had suddenly pointed out a glaring issue in their plan.

“Wait a minute. We’re still missing the compass for the ship.”

Subaru’s shoulders slumped, his mood instantly souring as he began to mope.

“Ugh, of course we are! How are we supposed to get the other continent, and save Emilia-tan and the others without it.”

The raven haired boy beat himself up verbally as he lamented the situation muttering “stupid..stupid..” over and over as he let his excitement blind him to reality. He was brought back from his self-deprecation when Felt lightly punched him in the arm.

“Lighten up, big bro! We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

As the Yellow haired candidate cheered up Subaru, the Green Knight entered the conversation.

“We should stop by the blacksmith first. We could use some new weapons before we set sail.”

Anastasia nodded. “That’s a good idea. We’ll need to be prepared for whatever’s waiting for us on the other continent.”

Subaru reluctantly agrees, trudging along with the group as they head to the blacksmith.

At the blacksmith’s shop, the group is greeted by a burly man with a hearty laugh. His shop, however, is inside the mouth of a large frog-like creature with antlers.

“Welcome! Come on in and take a look at my collection!” The man spoke cheerfully.

Felt Grimaced. “No way. I’m not going inside that thing. It’s gross.”

Anastasia nodded in agreement. “Agreed. Let’s wait out here.”

Subaru, Aldebaran, and the knights venture inside, perusing the walls of the creature’s insides, which are lined with an assortment of weapons. Subaru’s eyes light up when he spots a familiar-looking sword.

“Is That Excalibur?!”

He rushes over to pick up the legendary sword, but it’s far too heavy for him. The Blue Knight chuckles as Subaru struggles to lift it.

“It might be a bit above your level, Subaru.”

“No Way! I can handle it!” Subaru said grunting as he tired to drag the sword along, but he quickly collapsed under it’s weight. The Knights, meanwhile, find new weapons suited to their strength and exit the shop.

As they go to leave, Subaru is still pouting, muttering under his breath.

“Where are we even going to even find this compass anyway? We’ve already been everywhere!”

The Blacksmith overhears him however, and pulls a golden compass out from his pocket.

“You mean this compass?”

Subaru stares at him dumbfounded, before yelling at his dumb luck.

“Seriously?! It’s been here this whole time?!”

Felt patted him on the back. “Well, at least we found it. No need to get worked up.”

“It all worked out in the end” Anastasia said while smiling.

——

With the three relics in hand, the group finally boards the ship and set sail. Subaru and the others enjoy the view of the ocean, with Anastasia and Felt marveling at the vast expanse of water.

“I’ve never seen so much water in one place before” The purple haired merchant said in awe.

“Yeah, It’s kind of amazing” Felt nodded in agreement.

Subaru smiled. “That’s the ocean for you. It’s pretty incredible, huh?”

Meanwhile, the Orange Knight was currently leaning over the railing, tinged a shade of green under his helmet as he held back the urge to vomit. Suddenly though he notices another boat in the distance pointing to it, as he weakly called out for the rest of the group.

“Uh… guys? What’s that?”

Before anyone can respond, the other boat begins firing their cannons at them. Subaru yells in panic as multiple figures begin landing on their ship, launched from across the sea by cannon.

“Ninja… pirates?! Are you serious?!”

The group springs into action, fighting off the ninja pirates. Anastasia mounts her ‘ground dragon’ to begin chomping the foes away while the Red Knight, and Blue Knight use their magic to shock and freeze the invader respectively.

Meanwhile Felt and the Green Knight find themselves being overwhelmed as the Ninja Pirates continue to launch onto the boat cornering them.

“Tch— There’s no end to these guys!” Felt yelled in frustration as she batted another pirate away with a kick as The Green Knight covered her side.

“We’ll need a plan, perhaps I could poison them.”

“And more of them will come to attack us, there's like a thousand of these guys!”

As everyone in the group was fighting for their life trying to stop the onslaught of the Ninja Pirates, The Orange Knight still nauseous stumbled over a barrel, causing it to roll through the horde of pirates, knocking them over like a bunch of bowling pins.

“Nice one, Orange!” Subaru grinned as he praised the knight’s unintentional attack.

Getting a spark of inspiration, Subaru uses his whip to grab onto one of the barrels and spun it around, before hurling it into one of the cannons on the opposing ship. The cannon explodes as it tries to go off, setting off a chain reaction that leads to the sinking of the ninja pirate ship.

“Yeah! Take that, ninja pirates!” Subaru yelled, while whooping.

“Good thinking sir Subaru.” The Blue Knight congratulated the raven haired boy, everyone joining in to praise him on his quick thinking.

“Yeah you saved our skins, big bro!”

“Ya did us a real favor Natsuki-kun!”

“Ah! It really wasn’t a big deal, I got the idea from Orange after all.”

The knight in question was laying still on the floor as he clutched his stomach, while Aldebaran shook his head in amusement. “Looks like no matter the fantasy world, ninja’s just aren’t very ninja like.” he chuckled as the pirates retreated onto the remains of their ship.

With the threat neutralized the ship continued it’s journey across the sea unimpeded. Subaru stands at the bow yelling to the heaven’s.

“Hey, Evil Wizard! Look out, because we’re coming for you!”

Behind him the Orange Knight leans over the railing, vomiting into the sea.