Ram looked around as the sounds of rustling leaves and shaking bushes grew louder. The forest itself seemed to tremble under the weight of something coming.
"You don't have to worry about if they find us—only when," Subaru muttered grimly.
Toyota, crouched nearby, directed Ram to clear the area with her wind blades, slicing away foliage and debris while he stacked the heaviest throwing stones he could find into a small pile behind a rocky outcrop.
"What makes you so sure?" Ram asked, falling into formation with Subaru, their backs nearly touching. Her voice was calm, but her expression was sharp—ready.
"Because of the Witch's Scent," Subaru answered, voice quiet but sure.
Ram's eyes widened. She glanced down for a beat, then nodded in grim understanding.
Subaru smirked and slid his sword from its sheath with a clean, practiced motion. His eyes scanned the treeline.
"Rem's goal is to hunt all the mabeasts, right?" he said. "So, they'll be drawn to the scent. They'll come to us."
"I call it Operation Bait," he added, raising his voice just slightly with mock pride.
Toyota blinked. "I think it needs a new name."
"Oh yeah? What do you suggest?"
"What about... Operation Doggy Diversion?"
Subaru snorted. "That makes it sound too cute."
"Whatever we're calling it," Ram said flatly, her eyes narrowing as the rustling grew louder, "we're likely to get severely injured."
Then—
Snap. Crunch. Growl.
From the trees, black-furred beasts exploded out like living shadows.
Mabeasts. Dozens of them. Maybe more.
Ram and Subaru moved to the front. Toyota stayed behind them, pressed against the rock face with his pile of jagged stones.
Toyota knew the odds. Slim. But if they could just hold out—Roswaal should be returning soon, and Rem was more than capable on her own with this brief reprieve.
If things got bad, he could use the rocky outcrop behind him—filled with jagged protrusions like primitive stakes—as a makeshift barrier. The mabeasts weren't small enough to squeeze through.
Subaru readied his sword and gave Ram a half-grin. "Okay, I'm going to have to rely on you to do most of the fighting, so… go for it."
From behind, Toyota called out, "I currently have no weapon—so you two, please be useful meatshields!"
Ram scoffed. "At least Barusu is fighting. Now I have to protect a useless, perverted stalker."
"When this is over," Subaru growled, never turning from the treeline, "take an objective look at what you just said... until you regret it."
He threw a glare over his shoulder at Toyota, who only shrugged behind his pile of rocks like a man about to be sacrificed.
Before he could shoot back with another sarcastic remark—
WHSSHHHT!
A sharp gust cracked the air.
Ram had already moved.
Her wind blade tore through the neck of a lunging mabeast mid-leap. Its body hit the ground with a sickening thud, twitching once, then going still.
Then came the chaos.
Growls. Snapping branches. Screams.
The clearing exploded into violence.
Subaru shivered slightly, his breath fogging in front of him. But he gritted his teeth, lifted his sword, and muttered, "Scary."
A beast lunged from the left.
He ducked low, sidestepped, and drove his sword upward, piercing under its jaw. Blood sprayed like mist across the leaves.
Ram didn't flinch. Another came for her, and with a twist of her wrist, she unleashed a wind blade that bisected the creature instantly. Cold, calculated, and brutal—every motion efficient.
Toyota stood at the back, gripping a jagged rock. He hurled it like a fastball—he'd thrown enough in school to have decent form. The stone cracked against a beast's skull with a sickening CRACK.
It staggered. Wobbled.
Then a second later, Ram's wind blade finished it off at her feet.
"I can't even kill one with a perfect hit…" Toyota muttered, frustrated. "All I am is a weak support guy! A useless background character!"
"Then stop talking and support, background character!" Subaru barked, parrying another bite as a mabeast clawed across his arm. Blood welled. He hissed—but didn't stop moving.
Ram spun in place, summoning a whirlwind. A cyclone tore through the clearing, lifting three beasts into the air like ragdolls. They flew—screaming—straight into the rocky outcrop behind Toyota. Their bodies hit the jagged spikes with wet cracks and thuds.
The same spikes that had ended Subaru in a previous loop.
Toyota was thinking we just need to hold on until Roswaal gets here "Assuming he doesn't find us already dead!" he added, more to himself than anyone else.
Then—snap.
Another mabeast lunged for him.
His eyes widened—too slow to dodge.
But Subaru's sword blurred through the air in front of him, intercepting the beast with a flash of silver and a spray of crimson.
The creature collapsed.
Toyota blinked.
"…Thanks."
Subaru didn't look back.
"Don't make me save your ass again."
"Haaa…" Breathing heavily in relief, Toyota could only breathe out his thanks.
***
Rem was looking down, unfocused—covered in blood, grime, and gore.
Her mace was also coated in a crimson sheen, surrounded by broken trees and the corpses of fallen and crushed dog beasts.
She turned around suddenly, catching the scent of something.
"…Is that Subaru?"
***
Around 20 minutes later
Toyota and Subaru were running through the forest, Toyota carrying a sack of potatoes called Ram under his arm. The reason was because, with the main fighter down, they no longer had the resources to defend the area.
Toyota could only angrily shout, "How dare you call me useless, you hypocrite!"
"Ha! This is what I get for believing you when you said you could fight," Subaru shouted, defending Toyota from the dog beasts chasing him.
Ram, whose voice was barely above a whisper, managed out, "Well… I was fighting, wasn't I? My strength just didn't hold out as long as I thought it would…"
Toyota, who now had an excuse to make fun of Ram, said in a disappointed tone, "Pathetic."
They continued running until they found another cliff before them.
Subaru cursed, while Toyota felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
He remembered what happened here in the anime—Subaru slid down the cliff using the sword to slow the fall. But the sword eventually broke, and they needed Ram to stop their fall using magic.
So why waste time with the first step?
Just jump off completely and save the sword.
Sure, it might put an even bigger strain on Ram…
But her usefulness needs to be milked so everyone could survive.
"Subaru, do you trust me?"
He hesitated for a moment, turning toward him.
"...Kinda."
"Stop ruining the moment and just say yes."
"We need to jump together at the exact same time. Ram, you need to use your wind magic to stop our fall."
"What?" Ram interjected. "I'm drained. I am not confident in this suicidal plan."
Toyota snapped back, "Well, too bad! On three."
Subaru and Toyota started counting together.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three—"
Toyota jumped.
But Subaru continued, "—Go!" Then he jumped.
There was a full second delay.
Mid-air, Toyota screamed in fury, "WHY ADD AN EXTRA 'GO'?!"
Subaru, realizing his mistake, was already flailing.
"It's too late—Ram, now! Use the strongest spell you can!"
"El Fula!" Ram shouted, flinging a wind blade at the ground below.
The blast created an explosion of wind, launching Toyota and Ram upward slightly before slowing their descent. For a brief second, they hovered—weightless—before landing, arms outstretched, onto the dirt.
Toyota forced himself upright as quickly as he could, blinking dust from his eyes. He looked up—and saw Subaru.
Still falling. Fast.
"S***—!" Toyota tried to swear but the rest came out strange, as if censored.
Toyota scrambled into position just in time. Subaru's arms were out, trying to slow himself midair, but it was no use. He crashed into Toyota with full blunt-force impact, sending them both tumbling into the dirt.
There was a sickening crack.
Toyota's heart dropped. Please don't let that have been Subaru.
But then—Subaru groaned, face scrunched in pain, sweat beading on his forehead.
"That... was too close. Seriously, if you weren't there, I might've had a death just like last time."
Toyota glared at him. "It's your fault, you idiot! Who adds 'go' to a countdown?!"
Subaru just laughed breathlessly.
Toyota sighed in relief, starting to calm down. What even made that sound?
He glanced at Subaru. A little roughed up, but fine—just a few claw marks and bruises.
Then he checked himself.
Everything seemed fine—until he saw his wrist.
It was bent.
At a 45-degree angle.
There was only a dull ache… but the moment the adrenaline wore off…
"I'm gonna be crying, aren't I?"
Toyota quickly looked down at the silent maid lying face-down in the dirt.
"Ram…?"
She was unconscious—blood trickling from her nose and ears.
"H-Hey… damn it, you can't be serious."
Subaru turned around at the sound of growling—his eyes widening.
A horde of mabeasts had emerged from the forest, glaring and snarling. Their claws scraped the dirt as they crept forward, boxing them in against the mountain of jagged rocks they'd just dropped from.
This timing couldn't be worse.
Subaru grit his teeth. "Toyota, grab Ram and run. I'll hold them off."
Toyota gave a tired smile. He already knew… this felt like the end.
"I'm sorry… but I can't."
"What?" Subaru looked at him, stunned. "Why?! This is all because I got cursed. Don't be the hero—just grab Ram and run!"
"It's not that I won't… it's that I can't."
Toyota raised his arm, showing it to Subaru.
His wrist was bent at an unnatural angle.
"I can't carry Ram with one arm."
Subaru gasped. "Was that from… catching me?"
He looked down in guilt. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault…"
Hearing the self-deprecation in Subaru's voice, Toyota clenched his jaw.
Enough.
He opened his system interface with a quick eye flick.
Time to stop hesitating.
He was going to use his points to heal his wrist.
Then he would haul Ram to safety—no matter what.
Thump.
The two of them looked up, startled by the sudden fall of loose stones beside them.
A blue-haired, horned oni maid dropped down from the cliff above, landing hard on both feet—right between them and the beasts.
"Rem!" Subaru called out in relief.
The maid slowly turned her head and gave Subaru a sadistic smirk.
Seeing that expression, any sense of relief Toyota might've felt was crushed under a wave of anxious dread.
Subaru, seemingly oblivious, smiled brightly and began talking.
"Thank goodness you're alive! We're saved!" he exhaled deeply, a wave of relief washing over him.
What he didn't expect—was the mace.
It shot forward like a blur, aimed directly at his face.
Subaru barely managed to dive to the side, his sword slipping from his grip.
The spiked mace missed by inches, slamming into the rocky wall behind him with a thunderous CRACK.
"Toyota, stay back!" Subaru shouted. "She's in her demon mode—she can't control it!"
Subaru looked up at the crazed, psychotic demon—the twin sister of the unconscious maid lying in the dirt.
Her glowing red eye pulsed with bloodlust.
She had completely lost her reason.
"Hey, Rem—it's me," Subaru started, desperate. "Natsuki Subaru. A completely useless trainee in odd jobs, Roswaal Mansion's most promising servant…"
He ducked again, just in time as the mace smashed down once more. He rolled, blood smearing on the dirt from a deep graze across his shoulder.
"I've always caused trouble for you and Ram—but we've been friends, right?! At least sometimes?!"
The mace that had once killed him was now chasing him again—swing after swing.
"Trying to beat me to death while I'm talking is bad manners!" he cried, tears brimming in his eyes.
Toyota swayed where he stood, vision blurring.
The pain was catching up with him. He had been riding an adrenaline rush way too long.
Subaru's line echoed in his mind—
"Trying to beat me to death while I'm talking is bad manners…"
It reminded him of someone.
Regulus.
The Archbishop of Greed.
"…Guess I'll have to kill him eventually, huh…" Toyota muttered, voice trailing off.
His legs gave out.
His body tilted forward.
The dull thud of the ground met him as everything went black.
Rem was about to continue her rampage, but the horde of mabeasts—who had been silently watching—finally decided to act.
As they charged, Rem snapped to life, swinging her mace with a monstrous cry. She began slaughtering the dogs, one after another in a flurry of violence and blood.
Subaru, meanwhile, quickly threw potato-Ram over his shoulder and scooped up his fallen sword.
"Now's my chance! Toyota, make a run for it—get to the village!"
He hadn't realized Toyota was already unconscious.
In the chaos, the same little pup from earlier—the one with the bald spot—stood atop a rock, growling and barking orders like a commander.
Suddenly, a mabeast burst from the ground, lunging at Rem.
She blocked with her arm, then began punching it in the face over and over until its skull shattered with a sickening crunch.
Another dog rammed her from the side—headbutting her hard.
Rem was sent flying, crashing to the ground on her back.
Subaru stopped running.
He turned back.
"Damn it… It's no use. I can't ignore her."
He steadied himself, exhaled sharply.
"Time to take the plunge…"
"Men are about the gut, and women… are about the beauty… so—"
Subaru took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Quit making that scary face and try to smile, Rem! I can return by—"
The world froze.
His heart clenched, softly—painfully.
Time slowed. His breath caught.
All the nearby mabeasts—and Rem—turned toward him.
Their bodies tensed.
And then—
They all screamed.
Oni and beasts alike, howling in unison, furious and wild.
Subaru gasped for air, breathing fast, trying not to collapse.
His heart throbbed violently, but the pain began to ease. Slowly, steadily.
Rem suddenly whipped around and resumed her attack—even faster than before, killing dogs at a breakneck pace, her movements a blur.
Subaru took that as his cue and bolted from the scene.
Ram stirred against his back, her voice weak but clear.
"Her horn…"
"You're awake?!" Subaru blinked in surprise.
"That… that should've been the perfect moment."
"What about her horn?" he asked, dodging branches as he ran.
"It's… the horn that's making Rem a demon. One good, solid hit should bring her back."
"Really?" Subaru asked skeptically. "You're sure?"
"I am… I think… I hope."
"…That's vague."
Behind them, Rem chased, looking like something out of a nightmare.
She cartwheeled through the trees, leapt through the air like a gymnast possessed, her mace spinning like a storm of iron.
She crushed every mabeast that got close.
Subaru glanced back, watching in awe.
"If those dogs—with attack speeds faster than mine—can't land a hit…" he muttered, eyes wide, "…what chance do I have?"
***
Meanwhile, Toyota lay unconscious—still bruised and battered—right by the cliff face.
Almost every dog had chased after Subaru, drawn by the overpowering scent of the Witch's miasma. But as the dust began to settle and loose fragments of stone crumbled from the cliffside, one of the stragglers—still lingering—took notice.
It sniffed.
A trail.
It followed the scent slowly, its nose leading it to the figure lying in the dirt.
Toyota.
The beast approached cautiously at first, as if it had stumbled upon roadkill. The prey wasn't moving. It showed no signs of resistance, no struggle. Easy.
Too easy.
It didn't bother to pounce. There was no reason to.
It crept forward—methodically—its jaws hanging open, saliva dripping from its fangs.
Inches away.
It could already taste the flesh.
Then—something passed through its mind.
An order.
Don't touch him.
The command wasn't spoken aloud. It wasn't even heard. It was simply… understood.
But the beast had gone too long without food.
It whined softly.
Then its whining turned to a growl.
So what if it was told not to touch him?
It was right there. So close.
Its jaws snapped forward—clamping down on Toyota's shoulder, ripping cartilage and flesh. Blood splashed as the beast felt the sick satisfaction of a bite finally landed.
But then—
Its instincts screamed.
Danger.
Its eyes turned, just barely managing to glance upward.
Standing there, not far away, was a little girl.
On her lap sat a puppy.
But the aura it exuded—cold, commanding, dominant—felt far from harmless.
And the girl's expression toward the dog… was furious.
The beast didn't have time to process anything else.
Its vision spun, twisting violently.
It saw its own body tumble to the side—landing limply atop the prey it had just tasted.
And then—
Everything went dark.
(AN: I have senior skip day this week for my high school, so for a limited time, I will make longer and more chapters. Also, I've realized how annoying it is for me to come up with chapter titles.
I've also set an official release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Bonus chapters will drop on Saturdays if my demands are met. 🔫
Trade deal:
You give me 50 power stones, and I give you a bonus chapter.
Sounds fair, right?)