This Is Hero Time: 01

The room was still, save for the faint creak of the wooden chair as Subaru leaned back, a thick, dusty tome open in her lap. The letters were strange, foreign, curling and twisting like the roots of some ancient tree. She squinted, trying to make sense of them. The script resembled German, but it might as well have been some eldritch language, whispering secrets she would never unravel.

"This is pointless," she muttered, her voice low, echoing faintly in the cavernous dining room. Her fingers traced the edge of the page, smudged with the weight of forgotten hands.

Before she could toss the book aside, the sound of heavy footsteps and laboured breaths shattered the quiet. The main door burst open, the force reverberating like a thunderclap.

Standing in the doorway was a young girl, her blonde hair wild, her green eyes wide with terror. She clutched the frame, her small body trembling, her breaths ragged.

"Help!" she choked out, her voice raw and desperate.

Subaru snapped to attention, the ominous weight of the child's plea tightening in her chest.

Emilia appeared first, her steps light but hurried, a swirl of silver hair and concern. The twins followed close behind, their contrasting demeanours equally sharp and alert.

"Who are you?" Emilia's voice was kind but firm, her amethyst eyes scanning the girl for injuries.

"I-I'm Petra," the girl stammered, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face. "The village... it's under attack!"

The air seemed to grow heavier, the shadows in the room stretching like claws.

"Attack?" Ram's cold tone broke the silence, her gaze narrowing. "By whom?"

"MaBeasts," Petra whimpered, her voice trembling. "Big ones. Scary ones!"

The word hung in the air like a curse. MaBeasts. Predators born of mana, twisted and violent. Creatures that fed on flesh and fear alike.

Subaru stood, the chair scraping against the floor. Her mind raced, but her body moved faster. Before the weight of the situation could settle fully, she found herself in her room, her fingers tearing at her casual clothes, her armour gleaming darkly in the dim light.

Her breath hitched as she strapped the pieces into place, the cold metal biting against her skin, grounding her. The process was instinctive, her hands working with the precision of someone who had done this a thousand times before. And yet, she felt detached, as if watching herself from afar.

When she came to, she was already running, the dining room a blur behind her. The heavy cape fluttered at her back, a shadowy banner of resolve, and her boots struck the ground with an unyielding rhythm.

"Honored Guest!" Rem's voice echoed from behind, sharp and urgent.

Subaru didn't stop. Her heart pounded, her vision honed like the edge of a blade. The manor, the gardens, the gates—all passed in an instant, swallowed by her single-minded determination.

The wind howled around her, cold and biting, but she was relentless. In the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving only the faint echo of her footsteps and the trembling whisper of her name in the air.

Ö~Ö

Otto Suwen crouched low behind a crumbling stone fountain, his back pressed against the damp surface as his heart pounded in his chest. The river flowed sluggishly nearby, its once serene waters now a taunting backdrop to the chaos around him. His pale face was drenched in sweat, his hands clutching his ledger as if it were a holy relic.

"I came here for profit," he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling, "not for... whatever this is!"

The village was in pandemonium. MaBeasts—towering, grotesque creatures born from nightmares—prowled through the narrow streets, their glowing eyes scanning for prey. Some villagers had barricaded themselves inside their homes, their muffled cries of desperation audible even over the roars of the beasts. Others ran, their panic-stricken faces blurring as they darted past Otto's hiding spot.

A sudden growl rumbled behind him, low and guttural.

Otto froze, his blood turning to ice. Slowly, as if fearing the very act of movement, he turned his head.

It was a wolf-like MaBeast, but calling it a wolf felt insulting to wolves everywhere. This thing was massive, its fur matted and black as coal, its eyes burning like embers. Its maw curled into a snarl, revealing jagged, yellowed fangs.

"Oh no," Otto whispered, his voice barely audible over the beast's heavy breathing.

The creature's massive claw rose, its shadow engulfing him. Otto's breath hitched as he shut his eyes tight, his thoughts a chaotic blur of regrets and prayers.

This is it. This is how I die.

Slash.

The sound was sharp, decisive—a blade slicing through flesh.

Otto's eyes snapped open. He blinked rapidly, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

The MaBeast was gone—or rather, it was fading, its grotesque body dissolving into particles of shimmering mana. Standing where it had been moments ago was someone who didn't seem real.

She was radiant. A young woman with long, flowing red hair that danced in the breeze like flames. Her deep blue eyes burned with unwavering resolve, her face set in a calm yet determined expression. She wore gleaming armour that caught the faint light, giving her an ethereal glow.

In her hand, she held a sword, its edge dripping with the beast's fading remnants.

Otto could only stare, slack-jawed, as she turned to him.

"You okay?" Her voice was steady, almost casual, as if slaying monsters was a daily chore for her.

"Uh… y-yeah…" Otto stammered, his voice barely audible.

She tilted her head slightly, brushing aside a loose strand of her crimson hair with an armoured hand. Then, she extended the same hand toward him.

Her gauntlet gleamed in the faint light, every detail catching Otto's eye—the delicate engravings, the faint scratches from battle, the way it contrasted with the soft, pale skin of her wrist.

He stared at her hand like a complete fool.

"You okay?" she repeated, her voice tinged with mild impatience now.

"Y-yeah," Otto mumbled again, this time snapping out of his daze. He reached up, grasping her hand. Despite its size, her grip was firm, strong, and steady, belying the fragility her slender fingers suggested.

She pulled him to his feet effortlessly, her strength apparent in the ease with which she moved. Otto found himself standing, still clutching his ledger, still feeling like the luckiest idiot alive.

Her eyes shifted past him, toward the chaos in the distance. The village was still under siege, the remaining MaBeasts rampaging through the streets, their roars echoing like thunder.

"Time to serve justice," she said, her voice low and resolute.

Before Otto could process her words, she was gone—a blur of silver armour and red hair streaking toward the heart of the chaos.

He stood there, rooted to the spot, watching her disappear into the fray.

A single thought burned itself into his mind, one that he would carry for the rest of his life.

I need to write this down.

And thus, the future Bard of Subaru Natsuki was born. 

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