Despite my bold assertion, the odds weren't tilted in my favor. After landing a single blow, I was completely overwhelmed by the assassin's skills.
He stowed his crossbow on his back and proceeded to completely transform his fighting style, switching to a close-quarters approach. Undeterred by his experienced stance, I approached, and we exchanged punches that ended with me being easily taken down.
How long did my protagonist aura last? About five seconds.
Well, I must admit that even though I didn't expect anything from myself, it was a bit disappointing to lose my momentum so quickly. However, even on the ground, I wouldn't settle for closing my eyes and hoping for a quick death.
So I applied force and swept the cultist's legs, knocking him off his feet as well. Using the small amount of time I had, I got up and ran over him, sprinting toward the nearest exit of the mansion.
As I fled, I heard the whizz of arrows cutting through the air and the sharp thud they made as they embedded themselves somewhere, thankfully not in my body. My strategic retreat wasn't so strategic, since a sniper would benefit from having his target in an open space, but I needed to know if Rem was alive.
I circled the mansion, shouting Rem's name and searching for her, all while the killer pursued me, firing projectiles that I managed to dodge by zigzagging and ducking every few seconds.
I found no trace of Rem even after scouring the entire area she must have been patrolling. At worst, I expected to find her dead or dying, but not missing. That confused me.
"Rem... Are you alive or dead?"
Unfortunately, I didn't have more time to worry about her, because I tripped and fell to the ground, instantly losing the distance factor that kept me relatively safe.
When I turned around, the assassin was already standing in front of me, his loaded crossbow pointed at my chest.
"Um... If you shoot you're a bitch?"
No, it wasn't funny or clever. I should give up on comedy.
***
Minutes earlier, Rem had been standing guard like a sentry. The hours passed slowly, so slowly that the blue-haired oni could feel each second with anguish. Her anxiety had almost reached a breaking point when she saw the mabeast.
It was an ordinary Ulgarm, but with the peculiarity that it showed no aggression or suspicion toward Rem. It hurriedly approached her and began to growl with nervous excitement, panting and letting out short howls of urgency.
Leandro told Rem that one of the village children, a little girl named Meili, had the blessing to command the mabeasts. Somehow, he persuaded her to use her ability for his plan.
As agreed, Meili would send a mabeast to the mansion if the murderous cultist attacked the village or appeared nearby. This mabeast would guide Rem and Leandro toward the invader, who would supposedly be held back by a large horde of mabeasts.
Seeing the Ulgarm there, Rem felt her blood boil. Too impetuous to follow the plan properly, she completely forgot the part where she informed Leandro about the warning to go to the village together.
"Take me to the cultist!" She ordered the monstrous hound, who snorted affirmatively and began to run toward the forest.
Several minutes later, they reached a small hill almost completely covered in Ulgarm corpses. Rem examined the surroundings closely, but found nothing to indicate their enemy was still there.
"He already killed them all!?"
"Miss!"
Suddenly, Meili appeared, riding on King Ulgarm's back. She pointed in the direction of the mansion.
YOU ARE READING
A Random in Re:Zero
FanfictionWhat would happen if someone else took Subaru's place in the story? What would his path, his decisions, and his relationship with the characters be like? Would he have more power or intelligence than Subaru? Would he choose the same route, take an a...
