Chapter Text
In a distant land, the worst scenario unfolded: the entire nation ablaze, the skies darkened by smoke, bodies upon bodies strewn across the ground, dead in various ways—some cut in half, others decapitated, burned, skinned, impaled—and this pile of corpses led to a battlefield where many bodies lay. In the center of this field were two people: an older man with long black hair and a beard of the same color, deep and cold eyes like hell itself, wearing a black kimono with a feathered haori draped over his shoulders. He wielded a nodachi, a tanto at his hip, and various other equipment such as kunai, shuriken, bombs, and so on. In front of him was a woman with blonde hair tied in a samurai bun. She wore a black kimono, an orange haori, and a red scarf, wielding a katana and an odachi on her back. Her left arm appeared to be a prosthesis. Both figures... They stared at each other and then lunged at one another, blades clashing in quick, precise movements. Both moved smoothly, practically dancing between each cut. The man tried to pierce the girl, but she managed to defend herself and used his weight to close the distance and try to cut off his head. The man narrowly dodged, but ended up being hit in the left eye. He stood still for a while, holding his injured eye. The girl stared at him without expressing anything.
???: "Hmm, not bad, little one... maybe I should go a little harder," the man said calmly, wiping the blood from his eye, then taking a deep breath and whistling.
In the distance, an old owl appeared, flying towards the man. He raised his arm for the owl to land on. The girl watched the shinobi's every move. The man then commanded the owl to advance; the creature soon glowed blue, and suddenly the man disappeared. The swordswoman remained alert to his every move. Suddenly, the man appeared above her and fell, intending to cut her in half. The girl dodged in time, but the man didn't stop and attacked again in a sequence of four blows. The girl defended the blows and tried to parry them, but the man defended as well. He teleported again using the owl and tried to attack the girl from behind, but she was faster and managed to defend. After an exchange of blows, the man kicked the girl away and summoned his owl again. He commanded it to advance against the girl, and in the midst of this advance, the owl turned into pure flames. The girl dodged the owl, but then the man tried to pierce her with a nodachi. This time, the girl stepped on the sword, sending it flying. On the ground, the man tried to pull his sword away, but the girl jumped over him and slashed his back, then stabbed him in the chest from behind... hitting his heart. The man fell to his knees on the ground as he watched the blood on his daughter's blade.
???: Defeated.....by my own....daughter..... - he stared at the blade for a few minutes but soon let out a dry laugh - The feeling....isn't bad..... - his body finally began to fall, and for a last second....he had only one thought - 'You are truly......my little...pride.....' - he finally fell to the ground, his life emptying, he had no regrets about anything....no...he only had one regret....being a terrible father.....
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???: Well, well, even if you were a terrible person, you tried to be a father, and since I'm in a good mood, I think we can... shuffle things around a bit. - A dark figure spoke, seeing the end of the great shinobi. From beneath the shadows, he smiled and then snapped his fingers - Alright, alright, this will be interesting... don't you think? My dear audience...
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The man who had died opened his eyes and... he saw snow? Not only snow, but also trees and... a nearby city.
???: Where...am...I...am? - the man spoke, but soon noticed his voice was...higher? - Why does my voice sound younger? And my arms...shorter? - He looked at his own hands and realized that he had shrunk...no, he had rejuvenated, he was a boy again, small and defenseless...maybe not defenseless, but still weak - I have to analyze my surroundings, find the place, and then think of something.
The now young shinobi walked towards the city near the forest. When he arrived and walked through the icy streets, he noticed how apathetic the people seemed. Even though he was just a boy wearing only a black kimono, nobody stopped to help him. Even though the cold didn't bother him due to Ashina's training, he walked for a while, seeing nothing unusual in the city, until he heard a scream. He looked in that direction and saw a girl being dragged into a butcher shop. Normally he would have ignored it; after all, it wasn't his problem... but... something told him to help that little girl. He didn't know why, but something bothered him... was it... remorse? He was filled with remorse for having witnessed countless times people being taken away and killed, or worse, and even though he had the power to do so... he never acted. He sighed and went to the butcher shop. When he opened the door quietly, he saw the man trying to undress the girl. She screamed for him to let her go. Seeing this, the shinobi crept to the counter, grabbed the butcher's knife, and in a swift movement, slit the man's throat. The man fell to the ground clutching the cut wound. Seeing this, the shinobi pulled the knife from the man's throat and beheaded him right there, without showing a shred of empathy. His face and hands were now covered in blood. He turned to the frightened girl and approached her.
???: Are you alri- - he was interrupted as the girl hugged him while crying.
???: Thank you!!! Thank you!!!!! Thank you!!! - she repeated the same thing endlessly. The boy didn't know why, but he felt a warmth in his chest. He calmly returned the girl's hug.
???: It's okay, he won't do anything else to you, little one - he said while trying to calm the girl down, looking more closely he noticed that the girl had black hair and lilac eyes, she was quite cute - What's your name?
Elsa: Elsa... m-my name is Elsa - she said, wiping away tears. She then looked at her savior and observed him for a moment - And yours?
???: I am Ow- - he stumbled over the sentence, he was, it seemed, in a new life, he no longer needed to use the name Ashina had made him use...he could use the name...that he had always had.
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"My name is Subaru......nice to meet you Elsa....."
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Several years passed, and Subaru understood that not only had he been given another chance, but that he was also in another world... a world where his past... would no longer hold him back.
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In a dark room, Subaru slept peacefully, something he used to consider rare, but suddenly the bedroom door opened and a woman wearing a black dress with purple details emerged, holding a knife with something attached to it. She slowly approached Subaru's bed and then... gently shook him to wake him, which worked. Subaru sat up in bed and looked at the woman.
Subaru: Yes, Elsa? - Subaru asked in a tired voice. He now looked older; his black hair covered the back of his neck, and his build seemed stronger. His eyes still had that same coldness as always, but now they were less frightening.
Elsa: I was baking a cake, and I thought it would be nice to have you try some of the frosting - Elsa said with a smile, she also looked older, her hair was longer and braided while her body also showed more significant changes (it's not the Elsa we know yet, she's still a little small).
Subaru: Am I going to become a guinea pig for your cooking now?
Elsa: Yes - Elsa answered without hesitation, and Subaru just sighed but soon laughed a little.
Subaru: Okay, I'll be your guinea pig - Subaru said, and Elsa smiled. She then showed him the knife that had a little bit of the coating on it. Subaru, with a smile, took Elsa's hand and licked the blade in a... well, showy way, making poor Elsa blush. After tasting the coating, he let go of his lady's hand, but before doing so, he kissed the back of her hand, making Elsa blush even more. - It was good, a little too sweet for my taste, but it was good - Subaru said as he adjusted himself and stood on the edge of the bed. He looked at Elsa and saw how paralyzed she was.
Elsa: Uhhhhh.......well......I.....uhhhh - Elsa didn't know what to say except cover her face. Subaru, seeing this, just laughed, enjoying her reaction - You.....are an idiot sometimes, you know?...
Subaru: Only with you, darling, only with you - Subaru spoke in a loving tone as he got out of bed - I'm going to get ready, I'll see you in a few minutes.
Subaru, saying this, went to the bathroom. While he was washing up, he thought about what he had been through in the last few years. After meeting Elsa, he started living with her. They both began stealing food and money to survive. Subaru always succeeded, but Elsa was a bit clumsy at first, though she quickly learned how to move like a shinobi. After getting enough money, they left Gusteko and went to Kararagi, where they still live today. They lived as mercenaries, doing all sorts of jobs, mostly assassinations and rescues. It was a peaceful life compared to the life of a shinobi. After getting ready, he left the bathroom and put on his traditional black kimono and a black haori. He then went to the living room, where Elsa was preparing tea and cake for them. Subaru couldn't help but smile. He sat at the table and enjoyed the moment with her. Like every morning, they talked about mundane things, techniques, and blades—just a quiet conversation between two assassins.
Elsa: By the way, Subaru, I received a commission.
Subaru: Anything interesting?
Elsa: Just a cleaning up of Mabeast nearby, nothing serious - Elsa said, taking another sip of her tea, and Subaru looked confused.
Subaru: You accepted?
Elsa: Yes, I thought it would be good to have some extra income before we travel again, even though I don't know why you want to leave Kararagi - Elsa spoke in a curious tone, after all she didn't understand the idea of leaving Kararagi.
Subaru: I just want to explore the world... it was... a dream I had as a child - Subaru said, remembering when he wanted to see the lands beyond Ashina, but he could never travel on his own, only on assassination or escort missions.
Elsa: Well, in that case, I think it's a good idea to pool some money, don't you think? - Elsa asked with a sweet smile, and Subaru agreed.
After they both finished their tea, they stood up and prepared for their work. Subaru grabbed a tanto and a katana, while Elsa took two ninjato. They went to a stable and rented a land dragon. After setting off, they rode the dragon for a while, Subaru piloting while Elsa rode on the back. They chatted calmly while thinking of strategies to get rid of the mabeast. As they approached the area where the creatures were, Subaru and Elsa dismounted the dragon and left it in a safe place. They quickly moved and climbed a tree. The forest perfectly concealed them. They observed and saw several Wolgarm and Wagpig, and in the center they saw a Guiltylowe guarding the entrance to a cave. Subaru and Elsa found it strange to see so many mabeast in one place; it was as if they were protecting something. Subaru then looked at Elsa.
Subaru: That's the plan, we'll take down Guiltylowe first, then I'll throw a pepper bomb to distract the others, and then we can get rid of them quickly. We need to be fast and precise, no mistakes. - Subaru spoke and looked at Elsa, who agreed and put on a mask.
They moved calmly until they reached the back of the lion-headed creature. Subaru stared at the beast for a while and pulled out some kunai, which he threw at the beast to get its attention. This worked, as the beast turned towards Subaru, allowing it to see him. The lion roared furiously at Subaru, who threw another kunai. However, butterflies flew towards the creature along with it. The beast broke the kunai with its fangs, but the butterflies following the kunai landed in Guiltylowe's eyes, blinding the creature for a while. Elsa took advantage of this and jumped onto the Mbeast's back, tearing at the creature's nape, making it scream in pain. Subaru seized the opportunity and quickly approached Guiltylowe, cutting off its legs. When the Mabeast fell, Elsa and Subaru joined forces and, in a single blow, cut off the chimera's head. But they didn't waste any time; Subaru threw a pepper bomb. Thanks to the mask Elsa was wearing (which was a purple oni mask) and the bomb, the majus were stunned, and Subaru and Elsa quickly advanced against the mabeast, killing them all with clean and precise blows to the throat. In a matter of minutes, they killed all the beasts in the area. Elsa was catching her breath, as it was the first time she had run so far. Subaru looked at her, a little worried.
Subaru: Are you alright?
Elsa: I'm... just... tired... - Elsa said breathlessly, Subaru pulled out a gourd and handed it to Elsa.
Subaru: Drink this, it will refresh you - Subaru handed her the gourd, and Elsa took it and immediately drank.
Elsa: Thank you.
After catching their breath, they both entered the cave. There were some smaller Mabeast there, which weren't too difficult to kill. Subaru only needed to throw a few shurikens, and they fell easily. Deep inside the cave... they heard something... unexpected, they heard... a cry... a baby crying... Subaru and Elsa quickened their pace, killing any Mabeast in their path. When they reached the end of the cave, they saw... a baby in a nest. Both were surprised to see a baby crying. Without wasting time, Elsa approached the child while Subaru stood guard. When Elsa took the child in her hands, she began to calm the little girl, rocking her from side to side, and this began to soothe the little one. Elsa smiled, seeing that she was able to calm the child. Subaru finally approached her and saw the little one.
Subaru: What is a child doing in a cave?
Elsa: I... I don't know... I've never seen Mabeast acting like this - Elsa said while continuing to shake the girl, she soon had an idea - Subaru could-
Subaru: No - Subaru replied curtly, surprising Elsa.
Elsa: But... she won't survive here alone...
Subaru: We can take her, then leave her at an orphanage and— - Subaru stumbled over his sentence because he looked at Elsa and she was using the old and good puss and boot eyes - Don't you dare use that look on me, woman.
Elsa:Subaru....
Subaru: Elsa... we don't... - Subaru tried to deny it but... he was weak - Okay, we can keep her - Subaru said, looking at Elsa, who smiled and hugged him happily.
Elsa: Thank youuuuuuuu, let's go Meili, your daddy accepted you into the family - Elsa said with her spirits high, Subaru, seeing this, just sighed and felt a slight anxiety.
Subaru: 'I hope that this time... I'll be a good father...'
After that, they left the cave and went to the earth dragon; now the family... was complete.
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Several more years passed, and the Granhiert family was complete. They had traveled almost everywhere; only one kingdom remained... Lugnica.
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In a cart, Subaru was driving. He now had long black hair that reached his back, his cold eyes now possessed a somewhat hidden glint. He wore a black kimono over a gray haori and a feather cloak, and carried a nodachi on his back and a tanto at his waist. He calmly led his faithful earth dragon, Patrasche. Inside the cart was a slender woman with long braided black hair. She wore a purple kimono with black feathers and a cloak with fur on the hood. This was Elsa, now older (now this is the Elsa we know). Beside her was a girl with blue hair and green eyes, wearing a small light blue kimono. They were crossing the border of Lugnica, finally entering the country.
Meili: Is it much longer, Dad?
Subaru: There's still a long way to go, little one.
Meili: Aww... I really wanted to see what the cities of Lugnica are like.
Elsa: We'll see soon enough, darling, Patrasche will take us there in a few hours.
Subaru: Just wait a little longer, little bird, we'll be there soon, and I promise we'll eat lots of delicious things and get some new toys - Subaru spoke gently, something he never expected to be able to say - 'I did it, I managed to make up for everything I did... daughter... I finally managed to be a father...' - Subaru thought as he turned his attention back to the road.
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In the capital of Lugnica, in a specific alley, three thugs were trying to mug a woman with blonde hair tied in a ponytail, red eyes, a near-superficial scar on her left eye, a black kimono, an orange haori, and a red scarf, carrying a katana and an odachi, and lastly... possessing a prosthetic leg.
Rachins: Okay pretty girl, if you don't want your face hurt, you better pass ever- - he barely finished speaking because the girl kicked him hard away, his companions tried to say something but quickly fell like flies.
???:.....Pathetic...... - the girl said, drawing her sword, ready to kill, but before she could do anything, a man with red hair appeared in the alley.
???:You've already defeated them, I don't think you need to kill them - the man dressed like a knight spoke in a calm and smiling tone, the girl looked at him without expressing anything.
???: And you would be?
Reinhard: Reinhard Van Astrea, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss.
??:What do you want? - She didn't answer the name, she just asked in a tone still devoid of emotion.
Reinhard: Well, I saw you going into an alley fully armed, I thought it would be a good idea to investigate, and I'm glad I did.
???: Where I come from, it's normal for people to carry weapons if they don't want to be killed.
Reinhard: Well, I can't comment since I don't know where you came from, but know that you don't need to worry about someone wanting to kill you. I, like other knights, will protect you and all the people. - Reinhard spoke in a determined yet gentle tone; the girl didn't seem very convinced.
???: What nonsense - she said honestly, which made Reinhard uncomfortable, but the girl soon sighed - But I need help. I don't know where I am or how I got here. Could a soldier from this place help me? - she said, sheathing her sword and going to Reinhard.
Reinhard: Well, in that case, I, Reinhard Van Astrea, am here to help - Reinhard made a slight bow, and the girl returned it - Now... could you tell me your name?
???: I don't have a name....but....
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"You can call me......Felt......"
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Continued.