บท 7: Reinhard vs. Elsa

General POV

Subaru lunged at Elsa, throwing blows with the heavy club that shattered the ground in its path. Elsa gracefully dodged and parried the attacks, throwing quick slashes that kept Subaru on the defensive. Emilia watched helplessly, unable to intervene without risking injury to Subaru.

Subaru thought he saw an opening in Elsa's defense. With a cry of determination, he feinted with the club, releasing it in mid-air to pivot on his foot and launch another spin kick at Elsa's head.

But this time, Elsa wouldn't fall for the same trick. With precise movements, she caught Subaru's leg in mid-spin. "Gotcha~" she whispered with a dark smile and raised her kukri, ready to slash at his leg.

*Clang!*

A large, sharp knife flew from the distance, hitting the kukri and deflecting the attack at the last second. Seizing the moment, Subaru managed to wriggle out of Elsa's grip and backed up toward Emilia, panting.

"I thought I'd miss!" a familiar voice broke the tension and Subaru spun towards the entrance.

"You like my aim?" Karou grinned. "It's my first time throwing a knife, I thought I hit you by mistake, Balse!"

Subaru almost exploded in frustration. "What took you so long, I told you to come quickly!"

Kaoru scratched his neck with a nervous smile. "I'm sorry, buddy. I'll explain later." Her expression changed to a more serious one as she gestured to Elsa. "We have more important things to do right now."

Beside him, an imposing man stepped forward, quietly but with a commanding presence. "Reinhard van Astrea," Kaoru announced, almost as if introducing a living legend. "The Saint of the Sword is here."

Elsa, who had maintained her playful composure until then, made a slight grimace of annoyance. "Oh my," she said, adjusting the kukris in her hands. "This just got more interesting."

"You're going down, that's my 1-0 for you, checkmate," Kaoru smiled, confident in Reinhard's ability to handle the situation.

Reinhard fixed his gaze on Elsa, noting her black hair, dark clothes, and the iconic northern leaves. "So it's true. You are the Bowel Hunter," he said calmly, thanking Kaoru for the information that confirmed it. Then he took a few steps towards Elsa. "I suggest you surrender. I have many questions to ask you."

Elsa smiled, her voice filled with mockery, "Surrender? You expect a hungry predator to abandon its juicy prey?"

As they spoke, Subaru and Kaoru stepped aside to make room for them and approached Emilia, who was concentrating on old Rom with water healing magic. Subaru, still uncomfortable, commented, "That woman is a monster."

Reinhard, without turning around, replied calmly, "Fortunately, hunting monsters is my specialty.

Kaoru looked worriedly at Emilia. "How bad is the wound?"

"He'll be fine," Emilia replied with a small sigh of relief. "He's out of danger."

Subaru and Kaoru exchanged relieved glances while Reinhard and Elsa prepared for the inevitable confrontation.

Elsa lunged at Reinhard with impressive speed, but he stepped firmly on the ground, creating a blast of air that stopped her attack. He then spun and delivered a side kick that knocked her to the side of the house. Elsa slowed nimbly, smiling dangerously as she got into position to attack again.

"You're much better than rumor has it," Elsa commented mischievously.

"I'm sorry if I don't live up to your expectations," Reinhard replied calmly.

Elsa pointed to the sword at his hip. "Aren't you going to use that legendary sword? I'd like to feel its edge."

Reinhard shook his head calmly. "I will only draw it in front of someone worthy. This will do for now." He lifted a worn sword from the ground, ready for battle.

Elsa moved with extreme speed, attacking from multiple angles. Reinhard, unperturbed, blocked each blow with superhuman precision, his movements calculated as if anticipating each attack.

From a corner, Subaru watched in bewilderment. "Why isn't this over yet?"

Emilia, focused on healing Rom, explained, "Reinhard can't use his full power. It would drain the mana from the atmosphere and i wouldn't be able to finish healing him."

Emilia finished her healing spell and looked at Subaru. "Okay, I'm done. You can tell him now."

Subaru, who wasted no time, shouted at Reinhard. "That's it, do it now!" Reinhard nodded, relaxed but concentrated. He closed his eyes and began to absorb mana from the atmosphere, a radiant glow enveloping the sword he held.

Elsa, with a dangerous smile, bowed gracefully. "Elsa Granhiert, known as the Bowel Hunter. I expect you to entertain me."

Reinhard looked at her resolutely. "Reinhard Van Astrea, Saint of the Sword. If you seek excitement, I will indulge you one last time."

In one swift and precise motion, Reinhard slashed with his sword, now fully imbued with mana. The blade unleashed an attack of blinding, destructive light that pierced the air with a deafening roar. The blast of energy obliterated half the house, sending debris in every direction and leaving a stony silence in its wake. Elsa was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell was that?" exclaimed Subaru, his mouth hanging open in shock.

Kaoru, crossing his arms and touching his chin, nodded slowly as he looked at the wreckage of the impact. "So this is a hint of the Sword Saint's power, huh? Scary."

Did he really turn her into ash? There's no trace left... Kaoru thought and felt a knot of unease in her chest.

Subaru approached Reinhard with a relieved smile. "Thank you, really. Without you, we'd be lost."

Reinhard shook his head calmly. "You are welcome. Thanks to your friend and the girl who came running for help, I managed to get there in time." Behind the door, Felt stuck his head out tentatively, as if still assessing whether it was safe to enter.

Emilia turned to the young woman. "She..." she began, but Subaru cut her off.

"No matter what she did before, if it wasn't for her, it would have been much worse."

Emilia hesitated for a moment, then nodded silently, accepting Subaru's words.

Meanwhile, Kaoru couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Easy... Too easy. This can't be it.

Suddenly, the sound of moving debris interrupted the conversation. Before anyone could react, a bloodied figure emerged from the ruins. Elsa, covered in wounds but wearing a dangerous smile, lunged at Emilia with her kukris aimed straight at her stomach.

Kaoru and Reinhard noticed the attack at the same time, but it was Subaru who acted first. With a shout, he pushed Emilia out of the way and raised Rom's club just in time to block the attack. The blades clashed against the club with a brutal impact as Elsa clicked her tongue in frustration.

"I will disembowel you all soon. Guard your entrails until then~." With a nimble leap, Elsa backed into a pile of rubble. From there, she jumped onto what was left of a roofless wall and disappeared into the night, leaving behind only her menace and an air of latent danger.

Kaoru let out a sigh of relief as she watched Subaru and Emilia. "That was close," he commented, allowing her shoulders to relax after the tension.

Reinhard, always alert, approached Emilia. "Are you okay?"

Emilia shook her head and pointed at Subaru. "Never mind, it's him." Before anyone could stop her, she ran over to Subaru while Kaoru also rushed over to check on his friend's condition.

"What were you thinking?" demanded Emilia, her tone somewhere between anger and concern.

Without losing his typical attitude, Subaru tried to calm her down. "It's nothing, I'm fine, hehe."

Kaoru, relaxing at the sight of him standing up, smiled. "You really showed off, buddy."

Subaru allowed himself a self-confident smile. "Looks like we have a happy ending."

"Still waiting for the credits." Kaoru add.

The answer made Subaru laugh, who assumed his trademark pose. "I'm Natsuki Subaru and I just saved you from a villian. Is that OK?" he said, dramatically turning to Emilia.

"OK?" Emilia asked, clearly confused by the term.

"I'm the protagonist, and I'm the one who saved you. Don't I deserve a reward?" he asked, adding a ridiculous hip movement that only he could do with such confidence.

Kaoru watched the scene and put her hand over his face. "That idiot..."

Emilia, still a bit confused, stammered. "Well..."

Subaru, feeling triumphant, snapped his fingers. "Tell me your name," he asked with a more serious face.

Kaoru almost choked in surprise. "Really!?!! You already knew her name! You could have asked for anything else, you had her on a plate served, you simp!" he thought, struggling not to scream in his face.

"My name?" Emilia laughed sincerely. "My name is Emilia... Subaru," she replied with a beautiful smile as she wiped away her tears.