In The Manor: 03

The garden was massive. Like, ridiculously massive. Subaru felt like she'd stepped into a botanical wonderland designed by someone with too much money and not enough sense. Flowers of every colour bloomed in perfect symmetry, hedges were trimmed into fancy shapes, and there was even a small fountain that gurgled happily in the centre. It was like stepping into a painting.

But Subaru had no time for admiring art.

"So, this is where you hang out, huh?" she asked, hands on her hips as she turned to Emilia.

The half-elf nodded, her silver hair shimmering in the sunlight. "Yes. It's peaceful here. I like spending time in the garden when I need to think or relax."

Puck, perched on Emilia's shoulder, stretched lazily. "And it's perfect for sunbathing, right, Lia?"

Subaru raised an eyebrow. "Sunbathing? Aren't you, like, made of magic or something? Do you even tan?"

Puck puffed up his tiny chest. "I don't need to tan to enjoy the warmth of the sun, Hero Girl. You wouldn't understand."

Subaru rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, totally. Meanwhile, I'm over here thinking about how much sunscreen it'd take to keep from turning into a lobster in a place like this."

Emilia giggled softly, her violet eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're funny, Subaru. I can see why Puck likes you."

Subaru gave her a mock bow. "Thank you, thank you. I aim to please."

Then, with a sudden burst of energy, she clapped her hands. "Alright, enough chit-chat! Time for me to show you guys something awesome. My favourite exercise routine. I call it... Victory!"

"Victory?" Emilia tilted her head, clearly confused.

"Victory!" Subaru repeated, throwing her arms wide. "It's not just an exercise. It's a lifestyle. A philosophy. A celebration of life!"

Puck snorted. "Sounds like a lot of flailing around to me."

Subaru shot him a mock glare. "Watch and learn, furball."

She took a deep breath, planting her feet firmly on the ground. "Step one: the warm-up!"

With that, Subaru began jogging in place, her movements exaggerated and over-the-top. "Feel the burn, folks! Gotta get that blood pumping!"

Emilia covered her mouth, clearly trying not to laugh. "Is this... normal?"

"Totally normal!" Subaru replied, her voice slightly breathless. "Now, step two: the poses!"

She struck a dramatic pose, one arm extended toward the sky and the other on her hip. "This one's called 'Reach for the Stars.'"

Puck blinked. "Looks more like 'Reach for the Cookie Jar.'"

"Quiet, you," Subaru muttered before transitioning into another pose. She crouched low, one hand on the ground and the other stretched behind her. "And this one is 'Lightning Strikes!'"

Emilia clapped her hands. "That's impressive, Subaru!"

"Thank you, thank you," Subaru said, panting slightly. "But wait, there's more! Step three: the grand finale!"

She leapt into the air, twisting her body into a dramatic spin before landing with her arms raised in a V-shape. "Victory!" she shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

Puck stared at her, unimpressed. "That was... something."

"Something awesome," Subaru corrected, wiping sweat from her brow.

Emilia, on the other hand, was genuinely delighted. "That was amazing, Subaru! You're so full of energy."

Subaru puffed out her chest. "That's right. Energy, determination, and a whole lot of style. That's me in a nutshell."

Puck sighed. "You're definitely something in a nutshell, alright."

Subaru plopped down on the grass, her grin never fading. "You guys should try it sometime. Nothing beats a good round of Victory! to start your day."

Emilia shook her head, still smiling. "I think I'll leave that to you, Subaru. But it's nice to see you so happy."

Subaru leaned back, resting her hands behind her head as she stared up at the sky. "Well, what can I say? Life's too short not to strike a pose every now and then."

Puck chuckled. "Hero Girl, you're one of a kind."

"Darn right I am," Subaru replied, closing her eyes and basking in the warm sunlight. This world might be strange, but moments like this made it all worth it.

Emilia knelt down, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she waved her hand. A tiny, shimmering ice cube materialised out of thin air, twirling in the air like it was showing off.

"Ta-da!" she exclaimed, holding it up proudly.

Subaru's jaw dropped. "No way! That's actual magic? Like, real magic?"

Emilia giggled, pleased by Subaru's astonishment. "Of course. It's not much, but it's something I can do easily."

Puck, perched smugly on Emilia's shoulder, chimed in. "Everyone has at least some magic affinity. Even you, Hero Girl."

"Me?!" Subaru's eyes widened as she pointed at herself dramatically. "No kidding? What's mine?"

Puck shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't know yet. But we can find out!"

Subaru scratched her head, confused. "Uh, how? Do I have to, like, eat a magic rock or something?"

Emilia stifled a laugh while Puck sighed. "You've really got a lot to learn. Lucky for you, I'm an excellent teacher." With a bounce, he leapt from Emilia's shoulder onto Subaru's head, nestling in like a smug little crown.

"Whoa, hey! What're you doing up there?!" Subaru protested, trying to swat him off.

"Stay still," Puck ordered, holding a paw up like he was an all-powerful wizard. "This'll only take a second. Hmm… interesting…"

Subaru froze. "What's interesting? Is it something cool? Please say it's cool."

Puck hummed thoughtfully, then gasped. "It's Yin! Shadow Style!"

Subaru blinked. "Shadow Style? What the heck is that? Sounds like I should be wearing a ninja headband or something."

Puck jumped off her head, landing neatly on the grass. "It's a rare magic affinity that manipulates shadows. Very few people have it, and almost nobody knows how to use it properly. The last recorded user was the Great Sage Flugel himself."

"Wait, Flugel? As in, that super famous guy who did all the sage-y stuff?!" Subaru exclaimed, her hands flailing.

Emilia nodded. "Yes, he's a legend. They say his knowledge was unparalleled, and he used Shadow Style magic to accomplish incredible feats. But no one knows much about the technique anymore. It's almost like a lost art."

Subaru grinned ear to ear. "So you're saying I'm one of a kind, huh? A living, breathing relic of awesomeness!"

Puck snickered. "Relic might be pushing it, but sure, Hero Girl. Let's go with that."

Subaru cracked her knuckles, excitement bubbling up. "Alright, let's give it a shot! Shadow Style magic, here I come!"

She focused, furrowing her brows as she stretched her arms out dramatically. "Alright, shadows! Time to bend to my will! Do my bidding!"

Nothing happened.

"Uh… maybe it needs a warm-up?" Subaru muttered, wiggling her fingers.

Still nothing.

Puck covered his mouth with his tiny paw, trying not to laugh too hard. "It's not that simple, you know. Shadow Style isn't just about waving your hands around like a lunatic. You need to channel your mana properly."

"Oh. Yeah, sure, totally. I knew that," Subaru said, her face red as a tomato.

Puck tilted his head. "You know, the Great Sage Flugal sometimes used shadows to enhance his combat skills. A technique called Domain Expansion—err, something like that. With mana, of course."

"Combat skills, huh?" Subaru muttered, rubbing her chin. Her eyes lit up as an idea hit her. "Wait a second. Does that mean I can, like, summon a cool shadow sword or something?"

Puck shrugged. "Probably. If you learn how to control it."

Subaru's grin widened. "Awesome! I'll just whip out a shadow sword and—" She paused, looking down at her empty hands. "Oh. Right. I don't have a real sword to, uh, compare it with. Guess I'll have to postpone my epic shadow training montage."

Emilia tilted her head, concern etched on her face. "Are you sure you don't want to try practicing now?"

"Nah, I need props. Props make everything cooler," Subaru said, waving her off. "For now, I'll just revel in the fact that I've got some super rare magic style. No big deal."

Puck smirked, climbing back onto Emilia's shoulder. "Hero Girl, you're one of a kind, alright. In more ways than one."

Subaru puffed her chest out proudly. "Darn right I am."

With a newfound spring in her step, she looked at her companions. "Alright! Let's go conquer the day!"

The garden fell silent for a moment before Puck quipped, "Just don't trip over your own shadow on the way out."

Subaru groaned, but even she couldn't hold back a laugh.

The sunlight poured down over the garden, casting a golden glow over the neatly trimmed bushes and vibrant flowers. Emilia and Subaru found a cozy bench beneath a blossoming tree, its petals occasionally drifting down like nature's confetti.

As they sat there, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere, Emilia tilted her head and gave Subaru a curious look. "You know, Subaru," she began, her voice soft and sincere, "your hair is really beautiful."

Subaru blinked, caught off guard. "My hair? Oh, uh… thanks, I guess?"

Emilia smiled, reaching out hesitantly as if asking for permission. "It's so long and red, like a ribbon of fire. And the way it shines in the sunlight… it's just so pretty."

Subaru flushed instantly, her face turning as red as the hair in question. She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly very aware of how warm her cheeks were. "Oh, uh, w-well, y'know, it's just hair. Nothing special about it, really…"

"But it is special," Emilia insisted, her silver hair catching the sunlight as she leaned in for a better look. "It's such a rare colour, and it suits you so well. I've never seen anyone with hair like yours before. It's… enchanting."

"Enchanting?!" Subaru's voice cracked, and she immediately tried to cover it up with a cough. "I-I mean, uh, thanks. That's really nice of you to say, but you're way prettier than me, Emilia."

"Me?" Emilia blinked, surprised by the sudden praise.

"Yeah, you!" Subaru pointed at her dramatically, her embarrassment temporarily forgotten. "I mean, look at you! You've got that whole ethereal, fairy-princess vibe going on with your silver hair and those big, innocent eyes. You're like, unfairly gorgeous. It's honestly kind of intimidating."

Emilia's face turned pink, and she quickly waved her hands in front of her. "Oh no, I'm not that pretty! You're exaggerating, Subaru. I'm just… normal."

"Normal?" Subaru repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief. "Emilia, you could walk into a room and make flowers bloom out of sheer embarrassment. You're that pretty. Don't even try to deny it."

Emilia laughed nervously, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress. "Well, thank you, Subaru. That's very kind of you to say."

Subaru leaned back, crossing her arms with a smug grin. "Kind? Nah, just honest. But seriously, if we're going to talk about looks, you're like, the leading lady, while I'm just the goofy sidekick.

Emilia shook her head, her laughter more relaxed now. "No, Subaru, you're the kind of person who brightens up any room you walk into. You have this energy that makes people feel happy just being around you."

"Oh, stop it, you're gonna make me blush," Subaru said, already blushing harder than ever.

The two girls sat there for a moment, the sunlight warming their skin as the petals from the tree above floated gently around them. The garden seemed to hum with life, and for once, Subaru felt like she could actually take a deep breath and relax.

"Hey, Emilia," Subaru said suddenly, glancing sideways at her. "Thanks for, y'know, being cool. Not everyone would be this nice to a weirdo like me."

Emilia tilted her head, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be nice to you?"

Subaru chuckled, shaking her head. "Eh, forget it. Let's just say you're one of a kind, and I'm lucky to have met you."

Emilia smiled softly. "I think I'm the lucky one, Subaru."

For once, Subaru didn't have a snarky comeback. Instead, she simply smiled back, feeling an odd sense of peace in the quiet garden.

TBC

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