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Chapter Text

The dragon beneath him let out a rumbling cry as it flew erratically.  

Subaru gripped the coarse obsidian scales as the corrupted Ender Dragon thrashed in its death struggle. Multiple purple hands, connected to the beast’s body, vanished. Miasma poured from its body in oily clouds, dripping from its wings like ink bleeding into water. Beneath him, its back was cracked and glowing, the point where his final strike had landed, his enchanted netherite sword, Star Cutter, plunged deep between its ribs.

He didn't dare take a breath. He just held on as the beast writhed, letting out one last, glitching roar.

Suddenly, the dragon stopped moving, eyes closing for one final time. Then, it exploded into particles, its body dissolving into the air with a thunderous burst of light and experience orbs. The force sent Subaru tumbling through the void, weightless for a moment, before he plummeted near the bedrock portal.

His armor groaned under the impact. He sat up slowly, body aching from a hundred battles, and looked at the cloud of shimmering orbs spiraling toward him.

One by one, the experience orbs struck him and dissolved. He instantly felt a warm surge of energy, and the faint hum of enchantment. His damaged netherite gear glowed faintly as Mending activated. The armor let out a silent shriek, cracks and missing pieces began to be replaced with new armor, like if it were living tissue. His sword, Star Cutter, sparked with renewed sharpness, the blade no longer chipped. However, his shield was beyond saving, now nothing more than crumbling wood. 

He finally relaxed, letting out a long, shuddering breath.

With a speck of hesitation, he raised his right hand towards his face.

"Great," he muttered, voice coming out hoarse. "Kill a god-powered dragon... still built like a breakfast cereal mascot."

The sky above him was flat and endless, its palette of purple and black blending into the distance. Defeating the ender dragon should’ve felt like a victory, but now that he’d done it, he only felt hollow. Was it worth it? All the times he died. Burned. Crushed. Exploded. Choked in void fog. Ripped apart by corrupted Endermen that moved wrong, like puppets whose strings were pulled by grief and hatred.

Subaru rose to his feet. His body, still blocky, cast a long shadow across the platform. He walked to it and looked down. The black portal looked back. He was about to jump in but stopped, only doing so after collecting the dragon egg.

There was no music. No closing narration. No sense of finality. 

Only a split second of silence, quickly replaced by the sound of music and a happily dancing parrot. 

Subaru got up from his bed like he had done many times before.

He was in a bedroom modeled to closely resemble his room from Japan. Everything was tailored to be cozy, welcoming, and familiar. On one wall, an item frame held a wooden pickaxe, the first tool he’d ever crafted. The glowstone lanterns illuminated every corner, covering everything in subtle warmth. 

Despite the cozyness, his room was nestled inside the tallest tower of his sky base, a central structure he called The Pleiades. It anchored all the floating islands and buildings to the ground, digging into the bedrock like tree roots. The tower stretched far above and below the main platform, like a celestial spine holding the sky together.

“Will I ever find a way back home?” Subaru asked himself

He walked up to a double chest, one of the few he’d placed near his bed for quick item refills. Opening the chest, he stacked up with necessary items that ranged from totems of undying, to building blocks. 

After refilling, Subaru walked out of the room and exited through a long bridge that arched out from the tower’s upper floor, covered by a gently sloped roof made of polished deepslate and nether brick. Lanterns dangled from chains every few blocks, casting orange light on the intricate tile patterns beneath his feet. From the bridge, he could gaze upon the scale of his creation. 

He looked across the vast expanse of blocky, artificial space he had come to call home

A ring of floating islands surrounded him, each connected by arched bridges suspended in the air thanks to the lack of physics or perhaps by pure will. They were all different, dirt platforms on some, unnatural blocks on others. Most contained builds of fantasy, scifi, or hybrid styles, each being completely unique. There were multiple automatic farms on separate islands, each one of them taking a different theme that told various stories. 

One of the islands was a garden, with flowers from every biomed cluttered together. Across it, multiple signs adorned carefully built gravestones, bearing names such as ‘Rigel the Brave', ‘Wolfy’, ‘Spica’, among others. At the center of the island stood a blocky wolf statue, a bone  floating above it. 

Another island housed a convenience store.

One had a whole fantasy castle built from different stones that gave it texture and green wood planks that gave it an almost ethereal feel. 

Another island contained a medieval village with real villagers, each house personally built by him. On it, was an ethical trading hall with signs depicting enchanted tools, the place where he stocked up on emeralds and enchantment books. Near it, a huge white, mechanical bunny was built, a sign on it read  ‘Mecha Bunny Mk.IV – In case of apocalypse (or snowball fights)’.

Farther off, semi-connected by iron bars and barrier bridges, were wild fantasy-sci-fi hybrids: a blackstone bunker shaped like a starship, a golem foundry with rotating limbs and redstone pulse reactors, and a glass-domed garden glowing with automated crops. 

His base had grown with every death, with every desperate day spent surviving. They weren’t built only by necessity, but by a need to create something beautiful in a world that rarely gave him beauty. As time went on, each build became wilder, sophisticated, and detailed. Building had become a way for him to feel in control, a way to distract himself from his thoughts. Everything needed to be meaningful. Everything needed to be grand. Everything needed to be beautiful. 

Now, his base was something to behold, a fortress against the dangers of the world. Its magnitude blocked the sun rays, casting long, sharp shadows on the landscape below. 

The danger of the ground below, was what caused him to escape to the sky. The mobs of this world are more dangerous than what the game led him to believe. They are able to slowly break blocks. They have enough intelligence to use items to block the sun, allowing them to move during the day. Their strength was enhanced, the freedom of movement making their attacks harder to predict. And, worst of all, they always knew where he was. 

Now, Subaru stood outside the castle, still clad in full netherite armor, infused with faint purple enchantments that reflected the sun’s golden light. Underneath his equipment, his body was blocky, as it had always been in this world. The tracksuit he wore to the convenience store had become like a secondary skin, any tear being healed along with his body. 

He removed his helmet, revealing his square jaw and brown eyes, tired but alert. 

“I love you.”  A soft feminine voice echoed through the world like it came from the bedrock itself.

Subaru froze, breath hitching.

“No. No no no,” he whispered, backing up and putting on the helmet. “I just finished killing that monster. I just got through. Don’t give me a final boss I can’t see.”

An ethereal hum clouded his ears.

He turned, slowly, as if something behind him might crumble if he moved too fast.

Hovering just a few blocks behind him, was a glowing orange cube. It spun softly, its smooth crystalline texture cutting through the air.

‘I just killed a cosmic horror dragon, and now I’m in a cutscene I didn’t trigger. Cool. That’s fine. I’m fine.’ He thought

The Cube approached Subaru, instincts forcing him to take a step back. Then, it pulsed with power, its orange light intensifying, sending huge winds on the otherwise static world. 

Behind the cube, space folded, and a nether portal frame began taking shape, two obsidian blocks at a time. Upon formation, it lit up an orange portal.

Subaru stared

“I-Is this my reward for beating the game? That could be my way home.” He said, regaining a wavering sense of hope “Yeah right. It’s probably an unwanted DLC” 

Subaru stood in deep thought. The world seemed to have stopped around him, as if awaiting his decision.

“Fine” He equipped his sword and stepped forward “What do I have to lose?”

When he stepped inside the portal, the particles hovered around his eyes. A sound entered his ears, like the muted screams of souls. The orange light surrounded his skin, sending shivers down his spine. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling. The same thing happens when he uses a nether portal, a feeling of being in two worlds at once. After a second, his vision began to swirl along with the portal, their hearts becoming one. 

A thief with golden hair and ruby eyes walked home after a strenuous job. With every step, a  leather pouch on her hip chimed with the sound of coins. Her daggers were sheathed, her guard as relaxed as it could be when in a dangerous neighborhood. 

The slums of the capital were as filthy as ever. Dirt paths filled with rocks that made carriage travel inconvenient. Brick walls covered with overgrown moss. Houses built with wood that looked like it came from an old shipwreck. People curled under tarps or broken barrels. Guards didn’t bother coming here unless someone rich told them to.

But Felt didn’t care. The people of slums could say “Live strong” all they wanted, but unlike her, they were weak. 

She was almost near her hut, one she built out of garbage that wasn’t worth the effort of stealing. But, it was her home nonetheless, a place where she could relax. 

She turned a corner—

and the world exploded.

A sound like a giant's heartbeat shattered the air. Wind screamed outward. Her hair snapped back from her face. Light, blinding and orange, poured out from the center of her hut, ripping it apart from the inside like it had been stabbed by the sun itself.

Felt brought both hands to her face, barely covering her eyes from the dust and splintered wood. Her legs lowered, keeping her grounded throughout the whole ordeal. 

Her ears rang

The dust began to dissipate during the aftermath of the explosion. 

She coughed, eyes stinging, vision blurry.

Then she saw it.

Amid the crumbled wreckage, the portal pulsed. It flickered with orange light, warm, alive, and completely alien. From within it, something stepped out.

Heavy, metallic footsteps hit the ground. A blocky silhouette emerged, clad in netherite armor that shimmered with purple enchantments, walking through fire and ruin like the world was bowing before it.

A glowing purple aura shimmered off his chestplate. Strange particles floated in the air like dying embers. The figure stood a few steps aways from the portal, eyes darting around to survey its surroundings.

And then it spoke.

“Huh. I’m not home… but I’m not in Minecraft either.”

Felt blinked.  “...What the hell?”

The sunlight hit his eyes, one that was somehow different from the one he was used to. 

Subaru stepped out onto uneven ground, the heat of smoldering wood radiating behind him. Bits of dust and ash fluttered through the air like dark snow.

His eyes darted around, scanning the ruins. No square blocks. The grass wasn’t uniform. The buildings were curved, patched, and organic. The sky overhead was painted in soft gradients, no square sun, no dense clouds, no render fog, just the natural sky he knew when he lived in Japan.

Subaru’s breath hitched. 

For a moment, a spark of hope ignited in his chest.

This wasn’t Minecraft. He finally made it back home.

He took a few steps forward. The weight of his armor still hugged his body. The HUD in his mind still flickered with health bars and inventory slots, but everything around him was wrong in a way that was too right.

When has anything ever gone right for him?

As he looked around, a small crowd had gathered, made up of only the most curious ones or the stupid ones. Most residents had decided to hurry home, to get as far from the danger as possible. 

Eventually, his eyes fell on the closest figure in the smoke, a girl.

She was young, maybe around 13 years old. Blonde hair like wildfire. Red eyes, sharp with fury. But what truly caught his attention was the boy a few steps behind her. His ears were long and furred, tail twitching nervously. His body was smudged with dirt, but the features were unmistakable.

Beast man.

He staggered forward, breath catching in his throat.

That… that wasn’t in the game. That wasn’t a villager, wasn’t a zombie with a custom skin, and it for sure wasn’t something he could find on earth.

The girl took out a knife and stormed towards him.

“You IDIOT! You destroyed my house!” she yelled, pointing a finger at him. “What are you?! Some noble's magic weapon?!”

Subaru flinched. “Wait! No, I—uh—It was the portal! Not my fault! I just stepped through and was teleported here."

Felt didn’t look convinced, her face twisting to one of rage and confusion.

Subaru’s eyes moved from side to side, quickly scanning the area.

“Here. Let me… fix it”

Before she could protest, his sword was replaced by an ender chest. He placed it on the ground. It adjusted perfectly to the slope of the earth. Next to it, he summoned a crafting table, causing a crafting hud to appear just in front of him. He could directly craft using his mind to bring the materials to the hud, or he could place each item on the actual crafting table. Most of the time, he went for the latter, as it gave him the feeling of accomplishing something with his actual hands. 

After the deepslate was placed on the right spots, he smashed the table. A stack of stairs floated briefly, then dropped into his hand.

In his hand, a netherite shovel appeared, shining with enchantments like all his gear. As he brought it down, the dirt seemed to turn into a small compact block, all happening without any contact from the tool.

Gasps and whispers rose from the crowd, but Subaru didn’t notice. He was in the zone.

When a symmetrical hole had been dug, his hand switched to a small wooden plank. With a thud, the block slammed down on the hole, a perfect fit. It seemed like the blocks behaved just like in minecraft, and so he proceeded with newfound confidence. Block after block, the house was built in record time. 

Walls made of planks and logs. Stone slabs, lamps and other blocks for depth. A Triangular deep slate roof. Something simple. A house that one would find as a youtube tutorial. One that was quick and easy to build, perfect for the current situation. 

“There. My apology structure,” Subaru said, brushing off some dirt from his armor. “Custom designed.”

“...What are you?” Felt asked, the words almost dying in her throat.

Subaru smiled faintly. “A builder. Mostly.”

He took in the surroundings one last time.

Some of the people who had gathered were wearing nothing but rags. A demi-human child looked at him with dead eyes filled with curiosity, dirty like they hadn’t taken a bath in months, skinny like they'd been starving for just as long. In the distance, someone stole a chunk of bread from a younger kid.

At first, he had thought this was just a poor fantasy town, but not even the most unfortunate villagers of the block world were living like this. 

Subaru’s smile faded. “...What is this place?”

“The Capital Slums. Where they toss the trash they don’t want to look at.”Felt responded, voice flat and Bitter.

Subaru looked down at his hands. Square. Unnatural.

He fit right in.

His inventory opened in his mind. Blocks. Food. Tools. Enough to build.

And maybe... change things.

“Okay,” he said with resolve, eyes shining with life. “Let’s fix it.”

Chapter Text

The inside of Rom’s Loothouse emitted a sharp odor of dust, smoke, and metal. The wooden walls were painted with stolen loot. Most of the room was stacked with crates, sacks, and tables, a side of the room being dominated by a bar counter, one that had seen more fists than drinks. On the roof, a cracked chandelier hung by a chain that looked ready to snap.

Subaru sat comfortably on a wooden plank block, something he got used to after a long time without chairs. A broken stool lay beside him, having crumbled under his weight moments earlier. His armor creaked with every movement, giving off a faint shimmer from its enchantments, and the light of the chandelier reflected across the smooth edges of his armor like restless fireflies.

Felt paced around the room, arms crossed, still scowling from the way he’d blocked her earlier.

Her boots tapped the floorboards with a sharp rhythm, a constant beat to her irritated energy.

Rom, the massive old man, was inspecting one of Subaru’s items, a gold bar. He’d given up on holding it, choosing to let it sit on the counter while he looked at it with a squint. 

A knock echoed from the door, very polite, very intentional. 

Rom stood and frowned. “We weren’t expecting anyone.”

Felt’s hand went to her dagger. She approached the door and cautiously opened it.

A woman entered the Loot House: tall, voluptuous, pale-skinned, with black hair cascading down her back like a curtain of ink. Her revealing black cloak was far too elegant for the slums, hugging her form like a shadow cloth stitched in sin. Her smile was the kind you’d find carved into a wax doll. Sweet. Fake.

“I was told I could hire a skilled thief here, “Elsa said, eyes scanning the room. “One that they call Felt”

Felt narrowed her eyes. “Tch. So people in the noble district know my name now? That’s either good for business or really bad for my lifespan.”

Elsa’s smile widened by a fraction. “I suppose that depends on the job… and whether you enjoy staying alive.”

She took another step in, her heels clicking gently against the wood as if she didn’t notice the grime. Her gaze settled on Subaru’s blocky frame. He was sitting there, body turned to the surprise visitor, too relaxed for the amount of tension thickening in the room.

“I need something stolen. An insignia from a silver-haired elf.” 

Felt scoffed, arms still crossed. “What is it with nobles and tiny shiny things? I’m not cheap, lady.”

“I brought payment.” Elsa pulled a pouch from within her cloak and dropped it on the nearest crate. The coins inside clinked with a rich, satisfying weight. “I’m willing to pay half of it now and the other half later.”

Rom grunted. “She’s serious.”

But Felt didn’t move toward the payment.

She tilted her head toward Subaru and jabbed a thumb at him. “Can’t take the job.”

Elsa blinked once. “Oh?”

“I’ve already been hired,” Felt said flatly. “By him.”

Elsa’s gaze slowly drifted back to Subaru. The edges of her lips twitched, not into a frown, but into something predatory. 

“Is that so?” Her eyes trailed his form. Blocky, rigid, sharp edges where curves should have been “I’ve never seen flesh shaped like iron cubes. What are you really?”

“I’m not really from this world. But I like to think of myself as someone who builds things,” Subaru said, standing slowly, “and tears them down when needed.”

“Fascinating,” Elsa breathed, a small blush of excitement making its way to her face.

Subaru gave a small, apologetic smile. “Look. I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing. But I don’t want the people working for me doing shady stuff.”

Several seconds passed in silence.

Felt glanced between them, tense but clearly intrigued. “You gonna pick a fight over a rejection? Or are you used to women saying no?”

Elsa didn’t respond. 

She turned back and started walking towards the exit. “No choice”

Her smile didn’t fade as she neared the door. If anything, it grew calmer, like she’d just exhaled before a meal. “Yes, I don’t have a choice.”

Then she moved.

Fast. Too fast.

Her dagger flashed like a whisper of moonlight, already slicing through the air toward Felt.

"Felt, down!" Subaru lunged. His armor groaned as he shoved her aside. The dagger struck his midsection with a sharp metallic ping, glancing off the netherite, sparks cracking through the movement.

Felt grunted while tumbling across the floor. Rom roared from behind the counter and swung a massive club toward Elsa, the wood splitting the air with a thunderous whoosh, but Elsa twisted beneath the arc, her blade reversing in her grip with practiced elegance. Crumbling wood rained down from where she had just stood, but she didn’t pay it any attention.

She darted behind Subaru in a blur, her movements inhumanly fluid. Another strike aimed for his side.

Subaru didn’t turn to her. A shield materialized on his left hand, tilting at an angle. Steel met wood, the blow echoing through the wooden chamber. The contact cracked the air and sent vibrations through his arm. Elsa’s blade smoothly slid across the shield’s surface, being parried, and compromising her balance.

Elsa leapt back, eyes alight with intrigue, a sweet smile appearing on her face. “Ara ara. You were able to block that one?”

"I have to admit that you’re pretty fast.” Subaru turned to her and stepped forward. “But Endermen are faster."

"I can’t wait to see if your entrails are also squares," Elsa whispered, voice silky and smooth.

From behind the crates, Felt scrambled to her feet and ducked beside Rom. "What the hell is going on?! That bitch just tried to kill me!"

Rom's face was grim, hands clenched tight around his club. "That ain’t just any woman. She’s a monster who walks like a woman. If your friend can’t stop her... we’re all dead."

Subaru’s sword was replaced by a speed potion. He unscrewed the cork, bottle opening with a pop. Bluish liquid filled his mouth cavity, being absorbed by a couple of greedy gulps. His body emitted swirling particles, a sign of the changes his body had undergone.

Subaru dashed forward. The floorboards beneath him groaned and cracked, his momentum a battering ram of enchanted metal alloy. Their weapons clashed again, sparks spreading like waves. Elsa ducked low, slicing at his legs. Subaru blocked with the edge of the shield, his sword sweeping in retaliation. Elsa dodged to the side and jumped onto the nearest wall, crawling on it like a cave spider. She moved around the battlefield like an unpredictable predator, pushing off walls and attacking at odd angles. The battle turned into a barrage of dark and light, purple afterimages from blades. The impacts cracked and echoed through the room like the inside of a steel factory.

Elsa dashed to his side. Subaru’s body twisted, and he swung the shield’s rim at her, only to strike at a mirage. Elsa leapt upward, landing on his shield. She grasped it like a lizard, her blade descending for his throat.

He quickly stepped back, dropping the shield.

It hit the floor with a thud.

Elsa, on all fours, instantly dashed forward, a panther lunging at its prey.

A weakness splash potion soared through the air, bumping against Elsa’s face. The glass shattered at the impact, splashing a greyish liquid into her eyes.

Subaru sprinted forward and swung his blade, but she twisted out, the edge cutting dark hair strands.

Elsa appeared on his side, blade thrusted at his neck, where there was a small gap in the armor.

A wooden door appeared in front of her, intercepting the blade’s thrust. The blade passed through a square hole in the door.

The door slammed open, bending her wrist and pushing her body. She was thrown far away, tumbling down the side. Her blade dropped to the floor with a clank.

She stood up, taking out an identical, hidden dagger.

“Elsa Granhiert,” she said, voice smooth and deliberate. “The Bowel Hunter. That’s what they call me.”

Her lips curled in a sharp grin. “Though I always found that name lacking in grace. I don’t just spill entrails, you see. I savor the moment they fall. When the body opens like a flower and everything delicate inside tries to escape. When their warmth touches my skin...”

She licked a smear of blood from her cheek. “That’s true beauty. True love.”

Subaru looked at her in disgust. “Since you introduced yourself, it's only polite that I do the same,” his eyes narrowed. “Natsuki Subaru. The Monster Hunter”

“Monster Hunter?” Elsa chuckled, “How poetic. Shall we dance?”

Elsa hopped onto a table and jumped into the chandelier, swinging from it toward Subaru. She passed above him and struck down, getting blocked by his blade. The momentum didn’t stop; she continued to the wall, slithering on it to relocate.

A stone block was marbled in front of her, suspended on the wall. She landed on the floor, a swing from Subaru greeting her and forcing her to jump to the side. Elsa landed and surged again, low and vicious. Subaru met her halfway. Sparks erupted from their weapons. Dagger and sword clashed in purple arcs. 

Elsa’s dagger skidded down the flat plane of his sword, catching at the edge where its geometry broke into clean ninety-degree lines. The recoil jolted her wrist, and her smile faltered briefly.

“Even your gear fights dirty,” she muttered.

Directing the force to the side, Elsa vanished and reappeared behind him in one fluid step, but Subaru thrust a hand back, and his sword disappeared. An enchanted trident materialized mid-motion. It was too late for Elsa to stop her advance, causing her to dive into the pointed weapon. The trident partially pierced through her abdomen.

He turned to face her, dragging the trident sideways. Blood and flesh spattered against the wooden floor. Elsa snarled and backflipped away, and the wound began sealing with regenerated skin.

“You are like a buffed witch, one that doesn’t need a potion,” Subaru said, voice filled with amusement. “I usually just slash their throats or hands. But with you, I might need a different strategy.”

Elsa’s smile faltered, just a crack. Her eyes sharpened. "Witch? Such a disgusting thing to call a lady"

She blurred forward, feinting a frontal attack, then twisted into a corkscrew motion, trying to strike under his arm. Subaru parried with the trident, pushing her off.

Two stone blocks were built between them, a third one hidden on Subaru’s side.

Subaru climbed them like stairs and jumped into the air, throwing the trident midway. Elsa dodged back before the trident embedded itself in the floor. Subaru fell, legs landing on the trident’s handle, using it like a pole vaulter to launch himself forward.

Blades met.

Elsa tilted her blade to parry, but the weight behind Subaru’s swing sent her crashing through the room.

When Elsa stood up, she had two identical daggers.

The trident levitated near Subaru, who grabbed it with his right hand. On his left, an ender pearl appeared. He vanished, leaving behind purple particles.

From behind Elsa, he threw the trident at her. It pierced her abdomen, cutting bone and viscera before it appeared on the other side. 

He threw another pearl to the ceiling.

The trident, summoned with Loyalty, dragged her upward, embedding itself deeper as it returned to its master. Her feet dangled in the air in search of any surface to pivot off of.

Subaru dropped from the ceiling like a meteor, sword poised.

His sword cleaved through her right arm, severing it. Blood sprayed on the floor with every heartbeat. Fire burst from the wound as the flames of Fire Aspect consumed both the body and the severed limb.

Elsa screamed, and with her left hand, she slashed behind herself, aiming at Subaru. He stepped back and lifted her with the trident like a skewer. With one swing, she was flung away, body sliding off the tool.

She crashed into a wall. Wood splintered. Her body tumbled into the street, rolling through soot and ash. Flames died out with the wind.

She scrambled to her feet and tried to flee. There was no way she could beat this monster.

From inside the Loot House, Subaru's hand flicked. A fishing rod snapped forward. The hook flew through the smoke. It snapped back, digging into flesh and getting a hold of bone. It hooked her like a death scythe, ready to capture another soul.

He yanked. The black string bent mid-air.

She flew backward, slamming against a 3x2 obsidian wall, sticky fibers from spiderwebs clinging to her limbs.

She struggled, slicing the webs with her only hand. Too slow.

Subaru dropped a stone block on the floor. Then a sticky piston. Then a pressure plate.

He stepped on it.

The sticky piston slammed forward. The block broke through the spider web. It reached her legs, crushing bone and flesh alike.

Elsa’s legs disintegrated into a grotesque slurry. Bone shards protruded out like broken glass. Muscles were flattened and twisted, veins shredded and leaking dark arterial blood. The spiderwebs sagged, drenched in the crimson mess. It oozed down the obsidian wall like thick jam, pooling at the base in slow, bubbling streams.

Elsa shrieked, eyes wide, mouth split in a gurgled scream.

After the scream, Elsa spoke, “You’re crueler than I thought. And I thought I was the monster.”

“You are” Subaru, responded matter-of-factly

She smiled faintly. “No. I just love what spills out of people. But you… You don’t even blink when you spill blood.”

Subaru’s eyes widened, letting a moment of silence pass between them.

"Thanks for the practice," He said flatly.

He stepped off the plate. The block was pulled back.

A lava bucket was poured beneath her falling torso.

Her body dropped into the lava like a puppet with its strings severed. Skin blistered and blackened in seconds, flesh bubbling and cracking as steam hissed upward in furious bursts. The flames spread through her body like they had before due to Fire Aspect. Her final scream turned to a warbled, choking wail as the heat devoured her lungs. Her remaining arm convulsed once, twice, then stiffened. The bubbling magma swallowed her piece by piece, until not even ashes remained. 

To everyone in the room, the loot house glowed red for a heartbeat.

After a while, Felt and Rom walked out of their hiding place, each step hitting the floor with a careful grace brought by fear.

Subaru looked down at his square hands. Then at the smoldering web, and finally at the cracked door, Elsa had once entered through.

He muttered, half to himself, “We should start lighting the area. Put up some torches, maybe dig a lava moat...”

Felt squinted. “...What?”

Subaru blinked, his blocky face reddening. “Wait—never mind. Just habit. It’s going to be nighttime later, and the night usually brings worse things where I’m from.”

Rom tilted his head, pointing at the spot where an execution had occurred. “Worse than that?”

Subaru hesitated.

His voice was quiet. “Yeah.”

Felt stared at him like he’d just grown another head, or maybe she was just terrified of the implications. “What kind of world makes a monster like her look normal?”

Subaru looked out the broken door, the sun's rays bringing some tranquility to his heart. 

“The kind where I stopped pretending to be afraid of monsters...” He paused, voice almost a whisper.

“And started becoming one.”

The forest stood still beneath a pale sky, quiet in that unnatural way that made animals vanish and wind hold its breath.

A flicker of white light sparked between the trees.

The next second, the trees exploded, being pushed away by strong wind currents. The world seemed to push in against itself, making space for the newly created portal.

The floor vibrated once. The portal was lit. 

It was neither Nether purple nor Subaru’s orange.

It was white.

From the portal emerged a figure: tall, blocky, and blank-faced. Its clothes resembled Steve's, but faded, old, wrong. And its eyes…

Pure white. Soulless. Unblinking.F