Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

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Elsa, of course, wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by.

The scimitar suddenly broke free from Subaru's attack, like a snake slithering along the ground, heading straight for Rem's side.

Rem realized what was happening a moment too late.

She could see the glint of the blade.

You can also see Elsa's eyes, almost glowing with excitement, behind the flash of the blade.

But she was no longer able to respond effectively.

On the battlefield, victory or defeat can be decided in an instant.

Blood exploded before Rem's eyes, staining her face crimson.

The expected excruciating pain did not occur; it seemed this was not her blood.

At the last moment, Natsuki Subaru stepped in front of her, pushing her aside and, unable to dodge in time, caught the knife with his left arm.

The sharp blade almost severed the entire arm, leaving only a bit of skin and flesh still attached below the shoulder.

Subaru's blood splattered out, splashing onto Rem's face and staining her vision red.

Chapter 38: 038. As long as I live, no one can hurt you in front of me.

"Subaru!?" Rem's voice trembled for the first time.

Why? Why is this man standing in front of her?

Even now, she was still suspicious of him.

Subaru Natsuki's left arm hung limply at his sides.

But his expression remained unchanged, as if he had only been soaked by the rain. He raised his right hand and pressed it above the wound, saying to Elsa:

"That was close."

"You almost succeeded."

Elsa took a step back and looked at his almost severed arm and his seemingly oblivious, still slightly smiling face. The stark contrast was so striking that even she couldn't help but feel a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Rem snapped out of her daze and her first reaction was to step forward and take over Natsuki Subaru's place.

"Step back, Subaru!"

She gripped the chains tightly, her voice trembling, yet almost commanding:

"Leave the Bowel Hunter and the Beastmaster to Rem. Rem misjudged the situation, which gave her an opportunity. Rem should make up for this mistake."

"You've already lost an arm, you can no longer fight!"

Subaru Natsuki didn't back down; instead, he stood in front of Rem.

Rem looked at the young man's back, his drooping left arm, and the trickling blood, and her forced composure shattered in an instant.

“Why…” She stared blankly at Subaru Natsuki.

Her hands were still gripping the chains.

But my fingertips had already started to tremble.

"Why did you save Rem... even though I've always been so good to you..."

Natsuki Subaru glanced back at her, as if he found the question a bit odd. He had already answered it many times, so he didn't mind saying it again:

"Because you are an important person."

Rem's breath hitched, and her voice trembled with tears.

"Rem is just Lord Roswaal's maid."

"wrong."

Subaru Natsuki said.

“You are a noble maid of the Roswaal family.”

"Although I, Natsuki Subaru, am often misunderstood, I am not so bad as to not be able to recognize the important people."

"It's always like this! You're always spouting nonsense!"

Rem cried as she became increasingly emotional:

"If you want to be a madman, then be a madman to the end! Why risk your life to save Rem!?"

Even though... even though Rem isn't even a replacement for her sister... Rem is just a defective product...

Subaru Natsuki didn't know why Rem was so emotional.

He looked at Rem, at her face which appeared somewhat crazed due to the blood, and his tone suddenly became unusually calm.

"This has nothing to do with Ram."

"Actually, after these past few days, I've realized something: you guys and I have different ideas. Maybe others think Rem isn't important to you."

"Yes, Rem is not important at all. You don't need to go to such lengths for Rem!"

Rem almost cried as she spoke, only by belittling herself could she alleviate the immense shame she felt for wronging Subaru and causing him to lose an arm.

But Natsuki Subaru, clutching his wound, revealed a smile:

"But so what? Others are other people."

"I've said it before! No matter what others think of me, I am still me!"

"To me, Rem is the most important person!"

"As long as I live, no one can hurt you in front of me."

Rem stood there, stunned.

There was still Natsuki Subaru's blood on her face.

The blood slid down his cheeks, and it was frighteningly hot.

Subaru turned his head back.

"Don't space out."

"You're going to save the child? That's a matter of imperial importance!"

"Leave this heroine to me."

Subaru Natsuki looked at Elsa and took a step toward her.

"What she wants is my intestines. We still have a drinking debt to settle, how can I let you overstep your bounds?"

Rem finally came to her senses.

"No, Subaru! You're too badly injured. Let Rem handle them! Rem can take care of both of them at once!"

"This is nothing."

Subaru Natsuki laughed.

The smile was even somewhat lighthearted.

"I am the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry of Cao Wei, what kind of situation haven't I seen? It's nothing more than death!"

He looked down at his left arm, which was only held together by a little skin and flesh.

Then, without hesitation, he grabbed the severed arm with his right hand and pulled hard.

Rem opened her eyes wide.

The tearing sound was drowned out by the children's cries and the monster's growl.

Natsuki Subaru held his severed left hand in his right.

Fresh blood dripped down his wrist.

The severed arm hung limply in his palm, his five fingers slightly bent from the tension of his muscles, like a broken and strange short sword.

Elsa watched the scene unfold before her and finally fell silent for a moment.

She was now certain that Subaru Natsuki was not enduring pain.

He genuinely doesn't care.

Despite losing an arm and bleeding so much, Subaru Natsuki showed no fear or hesitation.

His attitude toward his wounds was not much different from Elsa's attitude toward her own body, which had been damaged and mutilated by enemies.

Elsa smiled a smile that could charm countless men, and her eyes became even more serious. At this moment, she completely regarded Subaru Natsuki as one of her own.

"Natsuki Subaru, you and I are the same kind."

She smiled and looked at Subaru Natsuki.

"You are indeed a hero."

"of course."

Natsuki Subaru gripped the severed arm tightly.

"Do you agree to drink with me?"

Elsa smiled.

"Let's talk about it after you survive!"

The next instant, she charged again.

The double-edged blade sliced through the air, aiming straight for Subaru Natsuki's chest and abdomen.

Natsuki Subaru did not retreat; instead, he raised his right hand.

As the art of war says, "When you are real, make it appear unreal; when you are unreal, make it appear real."

"Heroine, today I will show you the formation I have just learned."

"A gauze curtain!"

Yin-attribute magic surged from his body.

A large plume of black smoke suddenly spread out, instantly engulfing Subaru and Elsa.

The village entrance seemed to have been suddenly doused with thick ink, making it pitch black. Elsa's vision went black, but her twin swords did not stop.

She followed the scent of blood and the sound of footsteps, cutting her way forward.

From the black mist, a blood-stained shadow crashed down from the left.

Elsa crossed her two blades, instantly slicing the shadow in two.

What she managed to cut was only the severed arm that Natsuki Subaru threw out.

The gauze curtain blocked Elsa's view, and it also blocked Subaru Natsuki's view.

But Natsuki Subaru was already used to recognizing killing intent amidst the thick smoke, darkness, and piles of corpses on the battlefield.

He didn't need to see Elsa clearly; he only needed to know where the blade would come from.

Elsa was a fraction too slow in cutting open her severed arm.

Subaru Natsuki was waiting for this line.

His right hand emerged from behind the blood shadow, its edge like a knife, and slammed heavily into Elsa's wrist bone.

The scimitar slipped from his hand.

Elsa raised her other knife from below.