Master of illusions - Natsuki Subaru

Emilia had finished changing a while ago. She hadn't stepped out yet- not because she wasn't ready, but because she was glued to the other side of the door, quietly eavesdropping. Not exactly ladylike behavior.

Her elven ears, sensitive as they were, could've picked up the conversation just fine from a normal distance. But here she was, practically pressing her entire head against the door like a nosy Nancy. If they opened it too suddenly, she'd be caught red-handed.

What's gotten into me…? she thought.

She couldn't imagine herself acting like this before meeting Subaru. It wasn't that he was a bad influence... at least, not completely, but he had changed her in ways she could no longer ignore. Some changes were subtle, unspoken shifts she couldn't quite explain yet. Others were glaringly obvious… like her current eavesdropping stunt.

Her ears twitched as she caught snippets of the conversation. Subaru had asked for her father's blessing. A favor from Puck, one of the most powerful spirits around, used not for power or magic or wealth, but for her?

Why would he waste something that valuable on me? she thought, stunned. Subaru was talented... too talented for someone like her. And he was lucky in a way that made her stomach flutter and twist at the same time.

Then they talked about love.

Love... The word sat in her mind like a puzzle piece she couldn't place. She understood it, conceptually. She had read about it. Seen it from afar. But she didn't really know what it felt like. Not in the way others seemed to.

More than that, she'd always dismissed the idea that anyone could love her that way. Who would want a half-elf burdened by history? Someone who, if they had children, would pass down the very blood that made others flinch?

And yet…

Even though she heard Subaru's voice clearly, even though she heard what he said, her mind seemed to filter out the words she wasn't ready to accept.

"I love her."

She didn't process it. Couldn't... not yet.

By the time their deal was sealed, she had composed herself. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear, took one steadying breath, and opened the door in one swift motion.

"I'm ready to g—"

WHAM.

The door collided directly with Subaru, who had the misfortune of standing in front of the it. He let out a grunt as he was launched sideways, landing with a dull thud in the snow.

"Punished by an angel…" Subaru groaned, half-dazed. "I don't know if I should be confused… or grateful…" He slowly pushed himself up on one knee, clutching his side with exaggerated drama.

"Wow, Lia! I didn't even have to lift a paw and you got rid of him for me!" Puck chirped, clearly amused.

"I'm so sorry!" Emilia rushed to Subaru's side, kneeling beside him with concern. "I didn't think you'd be right in front of the door… I heard you were finished, but—" She reached out to help him, brushing another loose strand from her face.

Subaru accepted her hand, ignoring Puck's playful jab. "Nah, it's fine, it—"

He paused. His eyes narrowed. The dots were connecting.

Emilia stiffened.

He looked up at her with a sly grin tugging at his lips, eyes gleaming like he'd just solved a mystery. "…You were eavesdropping, weren't you, Mili?" he accused, stroking his invisible beard like a seasoned detective.

"N-No! I—I wuh-wasn't!" she stammered, frantically waving her hands in front of her like a guilty puppy trying to cover its mess. "I just… I didn't… That's not…"

Subaru gasped with mock offense. "I had no idea my Mili was turning into such a degenerate!"

Emilia turned crimson, eyes darting anywhere but at him. "Wha—I am not!"

"Lia, I expected better from you," Puck added, shaking his head with a theatrical sigh.

"W-Well I… Hahhh—" She slumped forward, finally giving up. There was no way she could weasel her way out of this one. Subaru would never let her forget it. But just as she surrendered to the teasing, Subaru's expression shifted. A realization struck him—and his own face turned faintly red.

Oh no… she probably heard that part too…

"Mili…" he said, now the flustered one. "I—I won't hold it against you if you, uh… forget some of what you heard. Okay?"

She blinked, then smiled.

"You just asked Puck for his blessing. I don't see the problem," she replied sweetly, taking his hands in hers. There was something smug in her smile now, like she had come out on top.

"You passed the first hurdle with flying colors, Subaru!" Puck gave him a double thumbs-up, clearly enjoying the boy's emotional whiplash.

"I think you mean I got one leg over it… then faceplanted on the track," Subaru muttered, brushing snow from his coat.

"You hurt your face too? I'm so sorry!" Emilia gasped, taking him literally—again.

Subaru just laughed. "We really gotta work on your Subaruisms…"

"But never mind that! Let's be on our way!" he announced, taking a few confident steps forward before freezing. "…Wait. Uh. Where are we going?"

"Here." Emilia stepped beside him and gently took his hand, making Puck grumble under his breath.

Subaru's heart skipped a beat. "W-Woah! What's with the sudden hand-holding?!"

"You wanted to hold my hand the entire day yesterday," she said, furrowing her brows.

"That's different! My heart was prepared that time!"

"So you don't want to hold hands with my daughter?" Puck added innocently, stirring the pot.

"You don't want to?" Emilia echoed, her voice soft. She looked almost hurt… though she didn't seem to understand why.

"N-No! I mean—Yes! I mean—!" Subaru flailed, then slumped in defeat. "Just… lead the way, please." He looked like he aged two years in a single minute.

"Alright! The three knights are off on an adventure!" Puck declared with gusto.

"…Isn't it the Three Musketeers?" Subaru asked, raising an eyebrow. Before Puck could answer, Subaru caught himself. Right. Muskets weren't a thing here. Magic probably took that role.

Puck opened his mouth, then paused. His ears twitched. His eyes narrowed, sensing something distant.

"Sorry, kids—I have to head out early. Duty calls."

He masked it well, but Subaru noticed a subtle shift in his tone—something like… worry. He filed it away to ask about later. "I thought spirits didn't need bathroom breaks," Subaru joked.

"I guess even cats have needs," Emilia added with a giggle. Puck, however, was not amused.

"Take care of Lia, alright?"

"I'm not the one who needs protection!" Emilia said with a pout.

"I'll be the best meatshield in history!" Subaru saluted proudly.

As Puck floated away, Subaru turned toward Emilia, still holding her hand. At this point, he'd stopped panicking about it. Mostly. He bowed dramatically, placing a hand to his chest. "Shall we go, my queen?"

"Yes, my knight," she answered with matching poise.

They walked side by side. Emilia's satchel rested neatly on her right side, keeping her left hand free—for him.

They had laughed together for a good while, warmth clinging to their words like a soft blanket. But eventually, the laughter faded into a calm, comfortable silence, broken only by the soft crunch of snow beneath their boots. The quiet was pleasant, but Emilia's thoughts weren't. Her fingers, still gently wrapped around Subaru's hand, fidgeted slightly.

She wanted to ask him something. It had been bubbling inside her since the previous day, really. A part of her was afraid it was too personal. What if it was considered rude? What if he didn't want to answer? But she couldn't stop wondering. Now that she knew he wasn't afraid of her, truly wasn't scared by her silver hair or elven features, she wanted to know more about him. Not just the surface-level stuff. She wanted to know where he came from. Who he was.

And so, after summoning a deep breath and pushing down her hesitation, she shot her question like an arrow into the quiet:

"Hey… Subaru?" she asked softly, tilting her head toward him, silver hair bouncing against her shoulder. "Where are you from?"

Subaru glanced at her. His expression was unreadable for a moment. "Well…" he began with a light shrug, "I could say something like it's an island far to the east, but…"

He hesitated. His steps slowed slightly. Should he really tell her? Ludwig had accepted it... granted, the guy had probably seen his fair share of strange things. But Emilia? Would she think he was crazy? Would she laugh? Would she believe him?

"I don't think there are any islands east of here," Emilia murmured, brows furrowing slightly. She tried to remember the maps she'd studied in the village library- crude, limited things. Still, none of them mentioned any distant islands in that direction.

"You wouldn't find my home on any map of this world," Subaru finally said. His gaze fell to the snowy path ahead, and his voice lowered, tinged with something nostalgic and faintly melancholic. "I'm from Japan. A completely different world from this one."

He looked back at her with a half-hearted smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Another… world?" Emilia's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "Subaru, you don't have to fib! I mean, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay." She offered him a kind, understanding smile, though her head tilted in clear curiosity.

"Wow. Fib. Haven't heard that word since grade school," he muttered with a huff, unable to suppress a smirk. "But no, I'm being serious. Here- let me show you."

Subaru let go of her hand and crouched down, scooping up two snowballs and holding one in each hand. Emilia mirrored him at first, assuming he was about to start a snowball fight, but he frantically waved her off.

"W-Wait! Mili, listen, this isn't a prank!" he pleaded. She raised an eyebrow suspiciously but dropped her snowballs, dusting her gloves together. Subaru took a breath and stepped closer to her. Now they stood only a couple feet apart, facing each other. He held up the snowball in his left hand.

"This one's my world," he said. Then he raised the right. "And this is yours."

Emilia blinked, not quite understanding yet, but willing to let him explain. The concept of another "world" was strange—foreign in every sense of the word. Her world already felt so vast, so mysterious. Could something exist beyond the barrier of the stars?

"One day, I was just walking home," Subaru continued, his voice gentle now. "And then—bam—I was moved. Like, instantly. From mine…" He dropped the left-hand snowball. "…to yours."

Emilia gasped softly, her gloved hand covering her mouth. "You were taken… from your home?"

"Yup," he said with a lopsided smile, watching the snowball sink into the snow. "And I don't think I can go back, either." A silence settled between them, heavier this time. Emilia didn't know what to say. The thought of being torn away from everything familiar—her home, her father, her forest—was terrifying.

"Do you ever… miss them?" she finally asked. "Your parents? Your world?"

Subaru stared at the indentation the snowball left behind. His shoulders dropped a little. "Yeah… I do. All the time." A pause. "But what can I do? I can't go back. And besides…" He glanced up and gave her a warm smile, soft and sincere. "I got to meet you instead. That feels like a fair trade to me."

Emilia's heart fluttered unexpectedly at those words. Before she could respond, Subaru suddenly pointed ahead.

"Oh hey- what's that over there? Let's check it out!" he shouted, bolting ahead to hide the glimmer of tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes.

"Subaru…" she whispered, watching his back with quiet empathy.

He came to a halt not far ahead. At first, he thought he was seeing people—villagers maybe, or travelers. But as he drew closer, he realized something was off. The figures were still. Unnaturally so. Statues. Not made of stone, but of clear, frozen ice, their forms dusted with layers of soft white snow.

Their features were striking. Delicate, sharp, familiar in a way. Their ears were pointed. Elven.

"Are these…?" he murmured as Emilia stepped up beside him.

"Yes," she said softly. "They're elves. Possibly the only ones left in Lugunica."

Subaru hesitated. He didn't want to press, but he needed to know. "What… what happened to them?"

"I don't know," Emilia replied, pulling a small towel from her satchel and beginning to gently brush the snow off a statue's shoulder. "My memories are… fuzzy. Puck found me not long after whatever happened here."

He watched in silence, then stepped forward. "Hey, do you have another towel? I could help. Double the cleaning power!"

Emilia smiled, genuinely touched by the offer, but shook her head. "I only brought this one. It's okay, Subaru. This is… my responsibility. You don't have to force yourself."

But Subaru wasn't listening. He walked to another statue and started brushing the snow off with the sleeve of his jacket. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. He couldn't bring himself to use the scarf she'd given him, even for something meaningful like this. It felt disrespectful to her gift.

"Subaru, really, you don't—" she began again, reaching out toward him.

"There! Lookin' better already, Miss Elf!" he said proudly, fists on his hips. He turned to Emilia with a grin. "Don't worry about it! I'm happy to help. Besides, it wouldn't feel right just standing around while you do all the work."

Emilia smiled again, this time unable to stop the warmth rising in her chest. "Fine. But don't knock anything over, got it?"

He saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"

Together, they worked side-by-side, cleaning the snow off the frozen elves. It was quiet, peaceful, and strangely fulfilling. After a while, Subaru wandered a little farther, brushing off another statue—until something caught his eye.

A large, partially melted ice crystal stood alone in a clearing, faintly glowing under the light snowfall.

"Subaru, don't wander off—!" Emilia scolded, yanking his ear before he could investigate.

"OW OW OW! I surrender!" he cried, flailing. Then she followed his gaze and understood.

"That's… where Puck found me," she said. Her voice was hushed. "I was trapped in that crystal. For about a hundred years."

Subaru gawked at her. "You're telling me my cute elf heroine is actually a hundred-year-old grandma!?"

Yank.

"You don't have to make it sound like that!" she scolded, red-faced. Then she grabbed his wrist instead and dragged him back to the main group of statues. As he matched her pace, Subaru glanced back at the crystal, his expression thoughtful. So that's where her story began…

Eventually, Emilia stepped back and looked at their work. "There. We're done."

Subaru stretched and grinned. "So what's next, granny?"

Emilia shot him a glare.

"Okay! Okay! I take it back! I like older women anyway!" he backpedaled, hands up in surrender.

"You're so odd…" she muttered, returning the towel to her bag and pulling out a rolled-up piece of parchment. Subaru peered over her shoulder, eyes catching the hand-drawn map. Colorful, messy, and charmingly labeled.

"'Thorny Thicket'? That's adorable. As expected of Mili," he teased, earning another flustered look from her.

"H-Hey! It's a fitting name!" she tried to defend herself, cheeks pink.

"I wanna explore this area next," she said, pointing to a blank patch near the village. "There's not much left to name… and that place still needs to be mapped."

Subaru's eyes lit up. "Hey, I think that's where I first got isekai'd!"

Emilia tilted her head. "Do you think… if we went back there… you could return home?"

The idea made her heart ache unexpectedly.

"Nah. I've already been back. Nothing happened," Subaru said casually. Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, "Though maybe if a magical ice princess came with me, something might change?"

"S-Stop teasing, dunderhead!" she huffed.

"Haven't heard that one in a while," he chuckled. He offered his arm with a smile, which Emilia took reluctantly, but without hesitation. "Let's finish the map and be home by dinner!"

They walked side-by-side, unaware that the forest ahead held its own quiet warning. The snow deepened. The air grew colder. The trees stood still and watchful, silent sentinels of something long buried.

And then, they noticed it: the reason for the forest's strange stillness.

The clearing was quiet save for the whisper of the wind—until a gravelly voice cut through the silence.

"The witch finally reveals herself," called a burly, bald man whose thick, bushy mustache twitched with every syllable. A jagged scar carved from his brow to the corner of his lip marked him as a hardened mercenary, a lifetime of violence etched into his scowling face. He held a massive sword lazily in one hand, while leaning heavily on a double-bladed axe, like a war-weary sentinel ready to strike.

Subaru's heart sank. This scene... it was horribly familiar. He'd dreamt of it before. At first, the dreams vanished when he woke, but lately, they clung to him longer. Some even stuck with him for days. He stepped in front of Emilia instinctively, arm raised to shield her.

"And there's the boy we're lookin' for," the man added, eyes glinting with amusement as he stroked his mustache.

Subaru's voice was low, furious. "I won't let you hurt her."

His eyes radiated a fire that belied his shaking hands. That dream wouldn't become reality. Not this time. Not ever.

"Seems to me like the witch's got her claws in our missing person," the mercenary said, gesturing dramatically to his gang. They were nothing more than glorified thugs, Subaru realized—but ones bold enough to pretend they were royal knights, probably lured by the promise of coin from some shady noble.

"I didn't brainwash anyone!" Emilia shouted, stepping forward, her voice strong but edged with disbelief.

But it didn't matter.

"You know what that means, boys!" the leader roared.

"Kill the witch!" the bandits cried in unison, their blades flashing as they surged forward.

The scarred man stepped toward them. Emilia froze; horror etched across her face. Subaru trembled. He wasn't a fighter; he was barely more than a scared kid in the wrong world. Could he really protect her?

The man was just twenty feet away when Subaru clenched his fists and screamed, "Damn you!"

He rushed forward, clumsy but determined. He swung wildly, a desperate punch that the man dodged easily. The mercenary sneered and brought down a brutal blow with the flat of his axe, smashing Subaru to the ground.

"Subaru!" Emilia cried. Her hands moved on instinct, launching a barrage of glittering ice toward the man, but he blocked it with both weapons, deflecting her magic with practiced ease.

The other bandits took advantage of the distraction, rushing Emilia and forcing her to split her focus. She fought fiercely, casting spell after spell, but she was slowly being pushed away- farther and farther from Subaru.

"The bitch is pissing me off," the leader growled, turning to move toward her.

But Subaru wasn't finished. Gritting his teeth, he clawed at the snow until his hand closed around a jagged rock. With a desperate swing, he slashed at the man's ankle.

The mercenary howled and staggered, but his rage flared hotter.

"You little shit!"

He raised his axe over Subaru's neck—

"You know," he said, leering, "your old man came to us drunk off his ass, beggin' us to find you. But I reckon the witch was puppeteerin' him. Poor bastard. We did what we had to. We killed him. Just like we'll kill her."

Subaru's eyes widened. He tried to move, to scream, but a heavy boot slammed onto his back, pinning him sideways in the snow.

"No…" he croaked, barely audible. "Run… Emilia…"

She screamed his name, her tears falling freely as she battled furiously, but the distance was too great. Her ice barely grazed the leader. The temperature dropped sharply around her.

Subaru couldn't hear her anymore. His ears were full of snow. He couldn't move. The axe glinted. And then it fell. The blade cleaved through his neck, ending any chance of life in an instant. His world spun. His last sight was of his own blood spilling into the snow. Then—

Emilia.

Falling beside him.

Reaching for him.

"No…" he thought, as consciousness slipped away. "I failed."

Then came darkness.

Subaru Natsuki died... or did he?

Suddenly- light.

He gasped. Air filled his lungs. He blinked, dazed.

He was alive.

Emilia stood beside him. The bandits—still in the distance. The snow—undisturbed. It had all… restarted.

"Did I just… die?" he thought.

"The witch finally reveals herself!" the mercenary called once again.

Subaru's body tensed. He remembered it all. The pain. The helplessness. The sickening crack of the axe. The cold of the snow. Emilia's sobs. Her blood mixing with his.

She had died.

He had let her die.

The rage boiled inside him. It was unbearable. He clenched his fists.

"YOU BASTARD!" he screamed. The ground trembled.

A strange phenomenon surged behind him, unseen by Subaru, but felt by everyone else.

A dragon.

From nothingness, a crimson beast materialized behind him. Eighty feet tall, winged and terrible. Its scales shimmered like blood under moonlight. Its teeth were sharp as obsidian, its eyes glowing like molten gold. Horns swept back from its head, and its very presence radiated heat and power.

Everyone, including Emilia, froze.

"W-what… what is that?!" a bandit whimpered.

"B-boss, I think we should run-"

But Subaru was not listening. His body moved on instinct, possessed by wrath and grief. He had lost control. He was unconscious, yet standing. The dragon mirrored him. It roared—a sound that shook the trees and rattled the bones of every man in the clearing. Subaru raised a hand, as if judging fate itself.

"I flipped a coin in my mind. Heads, you live. Tails, you don't." He pointed forward.

"Tails. Burn." The dragon opened its maw. A ball of fire began to churn within its throat, heat distorting the air. The mercenaries screamed.

"Subaru, stop! You shouldn't hurt them!" Emilia's voice rang out, desperate and pure.

Subaru didn't move. But something in her words, her presence, reached him.

The fireball dispersed. The dragon snarled, then turned its head skyward. With a final, thunderous roar, it released a column of flame into the heavens, lighting up the sky like a second sun. The mercenaries fled. Dropping their weapons, their coin, their courage. They vanished into the forest, leaving only fear in their wake.

A rumor would soon spread: a dark-haired boy who tamed a dragon, accompanied by the Witch of the Forest.

Emilia exhaled shakily.

"Thank you… for protecting me again, Subaru. And for sparing them."

The dragon began to dissolve. Its form unraveling into whirling wisps of red and green—fire and wind spirits.

"Eh?" Emilia blinked in confusion.

Then Subaru collapsed.

"Subaru!" she cried, catching him before he hit the ground.

She cradled him in her arms, trembling.

This day would be etched into the history of Lugunica-

As the birth of the one they would one day call:

The Master of Illusions.