Chapter Text
Subaru opened and closed his eyes repeatedly. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or if he had lost his mind. Before him was a sight that made no sense.
'What is this?' He thought as he turned around to check what was behind him. 'The convenience store is gone? Could it be?' His eyes widened in excitement. A silly smile appeared on his face.
"I was summoned to a parallel world?!"
He yelled out unintentionally. He couldn't contain his excitement, but after garnering the attention of the confused crowd around him, he fled the scene with a reddened face.
He walked around, trying to take in the impossible scenery that he was looking at. It was reminiscent of the stories he read all the time. The ones he read instead of studying or doing anything productive in his life.
The town he found himself in looks like something resembling medieval Europe. The houses, the roads, and the clothing that people wore. It was as if he was thrown back in time. But history books never spoke of giant lizards pulling on wagons. They never spoke of Furry people walking around normally as if they weren't an impossible existence. But he saw all of those things before him, going about their lives as if it were the most normal of all Tuesdays.
So he deduced that he was in an alternate world. 'I have been waiting for something like this for so long! I wonder if I have some crazy ability now.'
He looked around as if looking for someone. 'This pattern? Is this one of those stories where you don't meet the beautiful girl who summoned you right away? Ugh! What a pain.'
He decided to walk around and try to familiarise himself with the town. He heard people talk, and surprisingly, he understood them. 'No language barrier? This is good. I don't want to spend my time trying to acquire basic communication skills.' He paused for a second. 'Who am I kidding? I barely talk to anyone anyway. As if this would have hindered me much.'
He came across the shop area. He saw many people standing over their stalls, selling various products. Most of them were selling fruits and vegetables.
He approached one of the stalls. The vendor was selling red apples. He looked quite muscular and had unusual green hair. Apparently, odd hair colours were the norm in this town. He tried to read the wording on it. He couldn't. 'I can't read? What the hell? Why can I understand what they say, but not what they write? This is annoying. I suppose it is better than nothing, but-'
"Hey, Kid. You gonna buy something? Or are we just staring at each other?"
Subaru was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the Apple vendor's voice.
"O-oh, excuse me. I was wondering how much these apples cost."
"What? You mean Appas? Seriously? You can't read?"
"Shh, shh! No need to say that out loud!"
"Kids these days, I swear. Anyway, one Appa is one copper coin. Six Appas for five. You won't get a better deal or better prices anywhere else in the capital."
Subaru took out his wallet and took some coins from it. He showed them to the vendor confidently.
The vendor looked at his coins, then back at him, then back at the coins again.
"Are you trying to con me?"
"Huh? N-no. I just wanted to know what this can get me."
"They can get you a beating, that's what they can get you. Get the hell out of here. You are obstructing my business."
"Really? Aren't they worth anything? Look! Aren't they like, unique or something? I am sure there are some people who are interested in one-of-a-kind things like these, and would pay a good amount for them."
"Not interested. If they are as valuable as you claim, then you would have sold them for real money already. Now step aside. I have a business to run."
Subaru sighed and walked away, disappointed.
'Great! I am now officially both broke and homeless. I'd better find my beautiful summoner girl quickly. I don't want to sleep under a bridge.'
Subaru thought as he walked aimlessly. He didn't know the way. He didn't have any destination in mind. He had nothing and was effectively nothing.
'I have my noodles and my chips. They aren't good enough to survive on, but I am short on options. I have my phone. I don't think there is any reasonable way for me to charge it in this world. I think it's best to find a way to sell it and get some money for it while I still can. My clothes are very unusual here, too. They make me stand out too much. Maybe I can even sell them for profit and get something more... normal.'
He stopped by an alleyway to his right. He looked into it. It was between two tall buildings, and the sunlight didn't make it inside. He squinted his eyes to try to see what was in the alleyway. The contrast between the shade in there and the sunny day made it hard to see, but he managed to see three figures standing in the alleyway.
One was large, one was normal, and the other was small. 'What is this? A McDonald's drink size comparison?'
The three people in the alleyway seemed to have spotted him, too.
They approached the entrance of the alleyway but did not cross into the main street, where Subaru remained standing.
"Come in here, bro. I am sure it's hot out there with the sun being out and all. Swear we won't jump you."
The medium guy started talking in a completely non-suspicious way.
"Why did you have to specify that last part?"
"Ugh, you know. People see two strong guys and Camberley in an alley, and they jump to all conclusions."
"Two strong guys? I assume that the big dude is a giant, and the other is a dwarf. Dwarves are usually very strong in these types of stories, so that leaves only one thing. Your name is Camberley, Right?"
"Wha? No! I am the other strong guy! Camberley is the shorty!"
"Oh, my bad. I assume your name is Greg, then?"
"Greg? What even is that?"
"Oh, I just assume that all normal guys are called Greg. Especially if they are as aggressively normal as you."
"..."
"So, Not-Greg, why do you want me to go into the alley?"
"I am done playing this game." He took out a large knife from his pocket. "Hand over that bag and your wallet if you want to live."
"I thought something was up. Come and get them then, big boy."
Subaru noticed that he remained inside the alley and did not go into the main street. "What? Are you a vampire or something? Scared of the sun?" He smiled smugly. "Or is it that you are scared of being seen robbing someone?"
He saw Not-Greg make an angry face as he clicked his tongue.
"Ha! Right on the money!"
"Don't get cocky, brat! This won't end well."
"Sure, it won't. Alright now, later!" He said that as he started walking away.
"Wait! Come back here, you coward. We aren't done here."
Subaru ignored him as he kept walking. The shake in his hand was now settling. 'Damn, I almost fainted when he pulled out that knife. Good thing my bluff worked. This place is not safe at all. I need to find shelter as soon as possible.'
He set off with a concrete goal for the first time since he arrived in this world.
"Ahhh. This is pointless!" Subaru exclaimed as he saw the sun setting. 'No one is willing to give me shelter in exchange for what I have. I guess I need to find someone who deals with unique artifacts in order to actually get some money in my hands.'
He felt tired. He was walking around the capital streets all day.
'Welp, can't do much today. It is already nighttime. I need to find somewhere to sleep. I guess I will have to go and sleep under a bridge. I hope I don't catch a cold.'
He traced back his steps to a bridge he passed by on his way there. 'This sucks. My tracksuit is not good for this at all.'
He had no choice but to sit down to rest. His only shelter was the bridge above his head. The wind still reached him. They felt cold. Too cold. 'The day was much warmer than this. Does it always get this cold at night? Just my luck.'
He took out his bag of chips. 'I really wished I could sell this for something and get proper food, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess.'
He took a bite after another. It wasn't enough to quell his aching stomach, but it wasn't nothing either. 'At least these chips are tasty.'
He felt his fatigue catching up with him. He looked around for anything that could make him even a tiny bit more comfortable, but he found nothing. 'Parallel fantasy, my ass.'
He lay down on the hard stone floor. It made him feel even colder. He wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to feel warmer.
He felt himself drifting to sleep despite his discomfort. "I... Should have at least... made a fire... or something"
"I am cold." Subaru woke up an hour later. "This is so cold. It's freezing. What the hell?"
His body was trembling to no end. No amount of self-hugging made him feel warmer. If anything, he was feeling progressively colder and colder.
"I thought it was like summer or something. It wasn't this cold earlier." He spoke through his shivers. His teeth were clicking. "I have to move. I might freeze to death at this point."
He tried to get up, but he felt pain all over. "It hurts to move. My bones hurt. My muscles hurt."
He was starting to feel scared. "Someone... Please... I am cold..."
His voice was too low for anyone to hear.
"Please... I don't want to die..."
No one was going to come for him. He had to do something.
He forced himself to try to sit up. He heard something cracking. He looked to the source of the sound. His eyes widened in horror.
"Ahh... Ah... Ah..."
He saw his leg. It was broken as if it were a piece of glass that had been dropped on the floor.
His lungs hurt with every breath. The air he inhaled was too cold. He couldn't voice the pain he was feeling. He couldn't scream.
'It's cold. I am scared.' He couldn't feel his limbs anymore. 'I am dying. I am freezing to death. This is the end of my life. I don't want that. I don't want to die. Please.' A tear made its way down his face and froze on his cheek.
He heard another crack.
It was his arm. The one supporting his weight. It gave way and let him fall onto the ground. His body shattered on impact.
Natsuki Subaru has died.
"Heeeey? You hear me?"
"Huh?"
Subaru opened his eyes to a scene that felt familiar. He looked to his sides. He saw people walking around, carrying baskets full of fruits and vegetables. He glanced upwards. He saw a clear blue sky. It was daytime.
"Stop ignoring me and buy something or get lost!"
His eyes snapped back to the source of the voice. He saw the same green-haired Appa vendor that he met earlier.
"N-no. You already said you won't take my money?"
"Alright then. Kindly get the hell out of here."
Subaru nodded without thinking and let his legs take him away from the scene. He was not able to comprehend what was happening.
'It is daytime? How? It was nighttime a few moments ago. Where did the cold go? Did I just make that up? Was I daydreaming? That felt very real.'
He found himself standing in a familiar street. He glanced to the side and saw the same alleyway as before.
"Heeeey! Is someone here?" He yelled into the alleyway at the top of his lungs. 'If the dream was right, Not-Greg and the two other thugs should be here in this area.'
He waited for a few minutes, but no one came out or replied to him.
'What the hell? Was it all in my head then?' He decided to walk into the alleyway to investigate. He looked around carefully with each step he took. He saw some wooden boxes stacked suspiciously high.
He stared at it for a second. 'If they are here, it is likely that they are hiding behind this... mountain of boxes.' He thought as he maintained a safe distance from the potential hiding spot. 'And what the hell? This is so obvious. This is the most 'Someone is hiding here' hiding spot I have ever seen. Are they seriously that dumb?'
Just as he finished his thought, he saw the Giant and the Dwarf come from behind the stacked boxes.
"It is just one idiot. There was no need to be this cautious, Rachins."
"Rachins?" Subaru blurted out. "Isn't the shorty's name Camberley, or something?"
"How do you know my name?!" The shorty looked at him suspiciously.
Subaru looked confused. 'What is happening? The dream wasn't completely wrong? I got that short guy's name in the dream, yet it turned out to be his real name. That means there should be a third guy, but he isn't here?'
"Rachins would be me, dumbass."
Subaru's blood went cold as he heard the voice coming from behind him. He felt something being pressed to his back. He didn't move. If the dream had truth to it, then that guy has a large knife on him, which is what he is currently feeling in his back.
"Uhh, we meet again, friend! Long time no see!" Subaru tried to awkwardly greet the guy standing behind him.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I have never seen your ugly mug in my life."
"What do you mean? We met earlier, right?"
"I am sure I would remember someone who wears clothes as dumb as yours. Anyway, appealing to familiarity won't save you, asshole. You know things about us. Start talking now."
"W-What do you want to know?"
"How do you know Camberley's name? How did you know we were here? Why did you call for us? Try to lie, and I will personally introduce you to Od Lagna."
"Od Lagna? I have no idea what you are-"
"Don't play with me!" He yelled in Subaru's ear. "I won't give you any more warnings. Where did you get your information from? What is your goal?"
"I saw you earlier, I swear. I am not planning anything. Listen to me."
"I don't like this guy," Camberley spoke. "He might be an undercover knight or something."
"Knight? Are you an idiot? This guy seems useless in a fight." The big guy spoke. "He is likely a spy or something. A spy that is really bad at his job."
"But why would anyone spy on us?" Rachins raised an eyebrow.
"I think your dad might have sent him." Camberley replied.
"Wait, wait, wait. What are you all talking about? I am not-"
"Shut up!" Rachins screamed. "I am not coming back, dumbass." His anger flared up.
"Rachins, calm down!" The big guy spoke out.
"Tell that old fart that I am never coming back again. I am done with him and that family." Rachins ignored him and kept talking.
"It hurts..." A weak voice escaped Subaru's mouth.
"Rachins, stop!" Camberley yelled. "The guy is bleeding!"
"Huh?" Rachins paused and looked down. The knife he was pressing into Subaru's back was now lodged deeply in him. He must have accidentally stabbed him in his fit of rage.
"Shit!" He immediately pulled out his knife, causing Subaru's bleeding to intensify. He collapsed to the ground instantly.
'It hurts.' Subaru tried to clutch the wound on his back. 'It hurts. It burns. It hurts so much.'
"Shit! What did you do, you idiot?" The big guy yelled at a horrified Rachins. "This is bad."
"I-I didn't... " He grit his teeth and shook his head. "That's what you get for spying on me, asshole." He turned towards the other two. "Let's get out of here before the knights come."
They hurriedly scrambled away from the area, leaving Subaru to slowly bleed out on the ground.
'I need to... stop the bleeding... I need to...'
His breathing was becoming shallower. He felt his body getting hotter. His eyelids were suddenly heavier than he remembered.
'Don't... sleep yet... I need to... '
He felt his strength leave him. He couldn't keep his eyes open. He didn't know where he had been stabbed, but it wasn't a flesh wound. He felt his consciousness fade.
'Someone... Please...'
These were Subaru's last thoughts as he was slowly bleeding out.
Natsuki Subaru has died.
"Heeeey? You hear me?"
"Huh?"
Subaru saw a familiar scene before him again. His body started shaking. His legs felt weak. He felt dread creeping up on his spine.
"Ah... Ah..."
He let out some unintelligible noises. His mind was overwhelmed, so it decided to shut down.
"Kid? Hey kid, what's wrong?"
The last thing he heard was the vendor's voice before he lost consciousness again.