Subaru crossed his arms, shaking his head with an exasperated sigh. "So let me get this straight… A lizard guy claimed he was from our hometown, you completely lost it, got into a fight with him and a bunch of pissed-off merchants, they called you racist, and then Rem had to swoop in and bail you out before you got kicked out of the bar?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss anything?"
Rem, walking beside them, looked over at Tanaka, her voice laced with concern. "Why did you do that, Tanaka?"
Tanaka kept his gaze forward, jaw tightening. Even on their way back, he had no interest in revisiting the fight—or the reason behind it.
"Tanaka! I thought you said you'd be careful," Emilia finally spoke up, her usually gentle tone now firm.
"It's not my fault!" he snapped, then immediately sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Those bast— Those scum—" He clenched his fists, visibly struggling to contain his frustration. "They were bad people trying to take advantage of me, and I just… got mad."
Subaru let out a low whistle. "You were really fighting for your life not to drop a slur just now. Or am I imagining it?"
Tanaka shot him a glare but said nothing.
"What about the part where they called you racist? Why did you react that way?"
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
The truth was, he had been pissed off at all of them—every smug merchant who tried to scam him, every blatant lie they spewed. His patience had already been stretched thin. But the moment that lizard man had made his ridiculous claim, something inside him just snapped. He flipped—hard.
And coincidentally, the one he lashed out at just happened to be a demi-human.
Subaru sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, Emilia-tan, I can actually vouch for him this time. Back where we're from, there are no other races besides humans. When I first met you in the capital, I was shocked because I had never seen a half-elf, an Oni, or any demi-humans before. That lizard guy at the bar? He was just trying to scam him."
"Every time you and Subaru bring up your hometown, it's always something I have never heard about."
Tanaka exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's just say we were sheltered and didn't know much about the outside world."
Now that he thought about it calmly, this is the first time in his life he was ever accused of being racist. And considering the fact that he was mixed, it felt quite humiliating.
Just then, a soft blue glow flickered around Tanaka. Tiny spirits, no bigger than fireflies, floated near him, casting an ethereal light over his bruises. The moment they touched his skin, a soothing warmth spread through his body, easing the pain from the fight.
Emilia's sharp gaze immediately snapped to the scene.
"That doesn't change the fact that you were reckless," she said, her voice quieter but firm. "You should reflect a little."
Tanaka flexed his fingers, watching as the spirits worked their magic. "Anyway," he muttered, brushing off the tension, "I was kinda unlucky today. But the good thing is that Rem's okay, and I'm fine. I'll just have to push myself a little and be more careful tomorrow."
He smirked, as if that would somehow put an end to the conversation.
But Emilia and Rem just stared at him, their expressions unreadable.
Neither said a word.
The silence dragged on.
Tanaka awkwardly cleared his throat, looking away.
*********************************************************************************************************
"I can't believe I got put on house arrest too," he muttered to himself, his voice dripping with irritation.
No matter how much he tried to reason with her, Emilia wouldn't budge. She had made it clear—until she was done with her business, he wasn't allowed to roam around the city. And because Subaru had also been ordered to stay put, that meant Rem had to watch over him, which, in turn, meant she couldn't accompany Tanaka either.
"After I'm done with my business, I'll come with you, and we can all look together. But until then, please stay here."
Her words echoed in his mind, each syllable grating against his already frayed patience.
It was frustrating, but he knew—deep down—this was his own damn fault.
Still, frustration kept piling up, pressing against his chest like a weight that refused to let up. With a quiet exhale, he ran a hand through his hair.
"I can't take this anymore."
His voice came out barely above a whisper, but the moment he spoke, a thought surfaced—one he hadn't had in a long time.
"I need a smoke."
Without another second of hesitation, he pushed himself off the bed and headed toward the balcony.
At some point, he had gotten rid of the habit. After everything that had happened last month, the stress, the constant cycle of life and death, he had spent so much time not smoking that the craving had simply faded into the background. He had forgotten about it.
Yet now, as he stepped onto the balcony, the weight of frustration pressing down on him, the urge resurfaced.
Or rather, this was the only way to distract himself.
Puff.
As the smoke curled upward, blending with the cold evening air, he exhaled.
"This is the worst," he muttered, his voice laced with something between resignation and self-loathing.
"Yeah, the absolute worst."
Tanaka stiffened. His eyes widened slightly before his head snapped to the side.
Standing there, casually leaning against the railing, was Subaru.
Tanaka instinctively took a step back. "Since when the hell were you standing there?"
Subaru shrugged. "Since the beginning."
His gaze flicked to the cigarette in Tanaka's hand, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Knew you were full of crap when you said you were gonna quit."
Tanaka frowned but then let out a sigh, smoke slipping past his lips like a manifestation of his frustration.
"I brought this with me on a whim," he muttered, rolling the cigarette between his fingers, "but turns out I was gonna need it anyway."
Subaru leaned against the railing, his usual smirk in place. "From what I heard, I guess you had a tough day."
Tanaka took another drag. "I don't think you had the best day either."
That was all the invitation Subaru needed.
"There was this smug asshole—purple hair, not very good-looking—kept flirting with Emilia-Tan, saying some crap about escorting her. Meanwhile, I get ditched and left to fend for myself. Then, as I'm wandering around, I see this girl with orange hair getting dragged into an alley by some thugs. And obviously, being the heroic guy that I am, I step in and try to pull that classic 'pretend-to-be-her-boyfriend' move, like in manga. You know the one, right?"
Tanaka gave a slow, unimpressed nod.
"Yeah, well, guess what? She doesn't play along. So there I am, getting tangled up in her problem, about to get my ass kicked—until someone else jumps in and saves us. And then Emilia finds out and gets pissed at me! Like, come on, isn't that unfair? Maybe she was jealous? Actually, if she was jealous, maybe my day wasn't so bad..."
Tanaka exhaled sharply, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Augh... So that's why your day was so terrible..."
Subaru blinked at him. "What do you mean 'so terrible' like it's nothing?" He threw up his hands. "At the end of the day, Emilia-Tan's mad at me, and now she won't let me go with her tomorrow! This is a disaster!"
Tanaka didn't respond. He just stood there, staring at the horizon.
Subaru noticed the shift—the way Tanaka's jaw tightened slightly, the way his shoulders tensed. It was obvious.
"You should take things a bit easier," Subaru finally said, softer this time.
"You know, in this world, in both worlds," he said sharply, "you are the last person I should be hearing that from. You want to attend an extremely important political event that you know almost nothing about when you can barely be considered a literate person."
"Well that.. It's because I have a crush..."
Tanaka didn't even crack a smile. His expression remained serious, his brows furrowed in irritation.
"Don't you think you're taking this way too easy? I mean... you have a family back on Earth, right? Don't you think they're worried about you?"
"What can I do?"
"What?"
Subaru let out a short chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah, I get your point. But what can I do? We should consider ourselves lucky that we've got a job and a roof over our heads. It's not like it's expected of you to unveil the secret to multiverse travel or something. Okay, yeah, I admit you're smart... but you're still just a regular dude."
There wasn't a realistic, known way back. And if he can't do anything about it, he might as well enjoy cherish his life in another world.
Tanaka stood there, silent. He wasn't expecting that kind of response.
Subaru always played the fool. With his happy-go-lucky attitude and carefree approach to their situation, it was easy to assume he hadn't given any real thought to their predicament. That's what pissed Tanaka off the most.
"I guess you are right. But still, Emilia is way out of your league."
How could he be so casual about this?
But that reply—it wasn't a joke. There was something in Subaru's tone, a subtle weight to his words that made it clear he had thought about it. Maybe more than he let on.
Tanaka closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, the cold night air carrying away the tension in his chest.
Then with a subtle chuckle, he extinguished his cigarette and looked back at Subaru.
"Hah… I guess you're right. Sorry, I sounded like a dick earlier."
Subaru smirked. "Oh, so now you feel free to curse? You only hold back when Emilia-Tan and Rem are around, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah." Tanaka waved him off.
Beatrice was also included, he didn't like cursing in front of girls in the first place and now that he learned that almost all of them are minors, he made sure his mouth was zipped.
"Well, I'm going to bed."
As he turned to head back inside, he paused at the doorway, glancing over his shoulder.
"In any case… Emilia's way out of your league."
Subaru jolted upright. "Oi! The hell's that supposed to mean?! Have some faith!"
Tanaka smirked and shut the door behind him, leaving Subaru fuming on the balcony.
As Tanaka lay in bed, his smirk slowly faded, his expression hardening.
'I can't afford to take it easy.'
*********************************************************************************************************
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Subaru wasted no time launching into his second round of nagging, desperately trying to convince Emilia to let him accompany her.
However, her response remained the same.
Not a chance
And just like that, she was gone. With both Emilia and Roswaal out for the day, only the three of them remained behind.
Naturally, Subaru did the only sensible thing left to do—Throw a tantrum.
"Dammit! if it's going to be like this....Hey, Rem, let's go have a feast today!"
"No, today's menu consists of roasted ringa, ringa salad, a pie made with plenty of ringa jam, and for dessert, freshly squeezed ringa juice."
"An all-ringa meal!? That damned scar-faced fruit seller!"
Subaru cursed at the imaginary figure of the fruit shop owner, who appeared in his mind's eye with a thumbs-up.
"You are conveniently ignoring the fact that you were the one who bought and brought back nine ringas."
Resolving himself, he gritted his teeth and laughed recklessly.
"Whatever! It just so happens that ringa is my favorite fruit! This is Linga Night Fever! Let's devour it all!"
"Oh no, I wouldn't dream of interfering with Subaru-Kun's enjoyment. Since you love ringa so much, I'll leave all of it for you."
"You seem like you're on my side, but you mercilessly cut me down when it counts!"
As he kept watching their back-and-forth comedy routine, Tanaka briefly looked as if he was deep in thought before quickly shaking his head, as if to clear it.
With that, he turned and left,
*********************************************************************************************************
Inside the bathroom, Tanaka locked the door behind him and leaned against the sink. He exhaled deeply, his shoulders relaxing as he muttered under his breath,
"Alright, you guys can come up now."
At his call, the air shimmered, and in an instant, tiny blue beams of light flickered into existence. The minor spirits manifested one after another, their small, glowing bodies zipping around the room with barely contained excitement.
Tanaka chuckled under his breath.
"I should be grateful Rem can't sense you guys," he muttered, his gaze shifting upward toward the window. A thick metal barrier covered it, preventing any conventional burglars from getting in or out.
But that was about to change.
"Alright, let's get started."
At his command, the spirits shot toward the metal barrier, splitting into pairs, each one hovering over the edges of the reinforced bars. Their glow intensified, and almost immediately, frost began to creep along the metal's surface.
A deep, chilling crackle filled the air as ice crystals formed, rapidly spreading along the structure. The temperature of the bars plummeted—so low it rivaled liquid nitrogen. The sturdy metal turned brittle, its structural integrity weakening under the intense cold.
Tanaka observed carefully, waiting for the right moment.
"Easy, guys—just the edges."
If he tried doing this alone, it would've taken far longer. The precision required to freeze each section individually demanded concentration, but with the spirits' help, the process became effortless.
The first small fractures formed—a web of tiny cracks lacing through the frozen metal. That was his cue.
"Alright, that's enough."
At his word, the spirits backed away, their glow dimming. Tanaka stepped forward, grabbing a thick cloth and wrapping it around the middle of one bar. He tested it, giving it a light shake. The frozen edges groaned in protest.
A few more forceful jerks—
Snap!
The metal bar broke clean off.
Tanaka quickly caught it before it could clatter to the ground, carefully lowering it onto the floor with a soft thud. He stared at it for a moment, then sighed.
"I'd rather not have this drop on someone's head."
Of course, he had technically just committed property damage—but since this place belonged to Roswaal, he could always pay for the repairs later. Right now, he had more pressing concerns.
He crouched by the now partially open window, peering down.
"Tch—why does it always have to be the third floor?" he muttered in frustration.
The drop wasn't impossible, but it wasn't exactly welcoming either. He inhaled deeply, forcing his nerves to settle.
"Alright… here goes nothing."
Tanaka leaped.
As he fell, he swiftly extended a hand downward, murmuring under his breath,
"Huma!"
At his chant, a thick mound of powdery snow materialized beneath him. His body crashed into the soft cushion, sending a small flurry of snowflakes into the air.
For a moment, he lay still, processing his successful landing.
Then—he felt eyes on him.
A few bystanders stood nearby, their gazes fixed on him with varying degrees of confusion.
Tanaka immediately dusted off his clothes, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
'Don't mind me.'
Without wasting another second, he turned and bolted.
"I don't like this James Bond crap."
But at least he was out. Now, he could finally get to work.
___
_____
______
"Hah."
A lifeless chuckle escaped his lips as he slumped onto a wooden bench in the marketplace, staring up at the clear blue sky.
A rumor had spread.
Apparently, a "racist black-haired guy" had been going around causing fights in pubs. As a result, he was banned from every tavern in the area.
The moment he even tried stepping into a pub, people recognized him on sight.
"I can't..." He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Racist? In what sense, exactly?! Had he even said anything offensive?!
It was ridiculous.
Comical, even.
And yet, here he was, aimlessly wandering the streets, stuck in the same deadlock as before.
"Nothing is ever working out."
Every time he tried to take a step forward, he somehow fell two steps back. Even after going through the trouble of escaping his lockdown—a reckless, rebellious act that went against his very nature—
It amounted to nothing.
He sighed.
His mind drifted as he walked through the bustling capital streets, his feet moving on autopilot. The lively chatter of merchants and townsfolk blended into background noise, unimportant. Right now, he truly had nothing to do.
—
—
"Tanaka-Kun!"
A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Tanaka blinked, head snapping toward the source.
Standing just a few feet away, holding a bag in her arms, was Rem.
His body stiffened.
'Great. Just great.'
As if his day couldn't get any worse.
Now, not only was he stuck in the capital with no leads, but he had also just gotten caught by Rem.
The sheer embarrassment of it all made him want to evaporate on the spot.
Rem approached, stopping in front of him with a surprised expression. "What are you doing here?"
"I escaped through the bathroom window."
There was no point in hiding it.
But even as he said it, something felt... off.
Rem's expression immediately shifted into one of disapproval. "You are being too reckless, Tanaka-Kun! Emilia-Sama specifically said that you mustn't leave the house today! And after what happened yesterday, at the very least, Rem must accompany you!"
Tanaka raised an eyebrow. Something clicked in his head. "Wait a second—Rem, aren't you forgetting something?"
Rem tilted her head, her expression blank and confused. "Subaru. You brought him here with you, right?"
Tanaka sighed, dragging a hand down his face.
Him escaping against orders was one thing. But leaving Subaru alone was far more concerning. Fighting in bars was bad, but the possibility of him interfering in political affairs?
That was infinitely worse.
Rem blinked innocently. "Subaru-kun said he was sick." Then, with all the seriousness in the world— "He said he had a serious case of mayonnaise deficiency."
Tanaka froze.
A long, suffocating silence hung between them.
Rem, completely unaware, continued, "So, I came to the market to buy the ingredients to make some for him—"
Tanaka inhaled sharply.
Then, very slowly, he raised both hands to his face.
He squeezed his temples, dragging his hands down in pure, unfiltered disbelief.
Rem, meanwhile, just tilted her head in confusion.
Taking another deep breath, he schooled his face into the most neutral expression he could manage. "Hey, Rem..." His voice was eerily calm.
Rem blinked. "Yes?"
"There's no such thing as a mayonnaise deficiency."
A beat.
"There isn't?"
"No. There isn't."
Rem frowned slightly, clearly puzzled by this new revelation.
The sheer audacity of that bastard Subaru. The sheer gullibility of this girl.
His eye twitched again.
"That bast— That idiot is trying to follow Emilia and get into the castle."
Tanaka exhaled one final time, straightening his shoulders.
"Alright." His voice was flat. "Apparently, I should have listened to Emilia and stayed back today to keep an eye on that moron."
There was no point in getting mad now.
He turned toward the street ahead, his tone laced with exhausted resignation. "In any case, let's hurry up and find him before he causes a scene."
Without wasting another second, the two of them took off, weaving through the bustling capital streets. The chatter of the pedestrians filled the air, blending with the distant sound of dragon-drawn carriages rolling over cobblestone.
As they ran, Tanaka tried to think of the fastest way to track Subaru down. Then, a thought struck him.
"Rem, can you track his scent like you did before?"
Rem, keeping pace beside him, glanced his way. "You also have that scent, Tanaka-kun."
Tanaka blinked. "Huh?"
"It's much weaker compared to Subaru-kun, but it's still present. However, even with that, we need to get closer to Subaru in order for me to notice him."
Tanaka's brows furrowed. "I see..."
His mind raced, piecing together what that could mean. Subaru had said that up until now, he had died six times. Meanwhile, Tanaka himself had only truly died once.
'Is the strength of that scent connected to the number of times we've died?'
There was no time to dwell on that now.
They needed to find Subaru fast.
Just then, Tanaka suddenly halted mid-step.
Rem turned to him, puzzled. "Tanaka-kun?"
A flicker of an idea crossed his mind.
"I have another way."
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, steadying himself.
A moment later, a soft blue hue engulfed his body. The surrounding air shimmered, and almost immediately, tiny motes of light began flickering into existence around him—minor spirits, drawn to his presence.
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd as passersby took notice of the phenomenon. Rem herself stared in astonishment.
She had already known Tanaka had a natural connection with the mansion's spirits, but for him to attract spirits in the capital on his very first interaction?
As the light slowly faded, Tanaka opened his eyes, the glow in his irises dimming.
"They saw another guy with black hair and a butler outfit get into a carriage," he said, his voice calm but firm.
Rem's eyes widened slightly. "A carriage?"
Tanaka nodded. "They said it was heading toward the royal castle."
Without hesitation, the two of them sprinted through the capital, taking sharp turns and adjusting their path based on the spirits' guidance. They navigated the maze-like streets with precision, dodging pedestrians and leaping over crates as they followed Subaru's trail.
Tanaka's chest burned from exertion, but he pushed forward. There was no time to stop.
Then, suddenly—
"Tanaka-kun!" Rem called out. "Subaru-kun is in that carriage!"
Tanaka's gaze snapped forward.
There it was—a luxurious carriage rolling steadily down the street, just moments away from crossing a stone bridge.
His heart pounded.
'If it crosses that bridge, we won't be able to catch up.'
Rem didn't hesitate.
With a sudden burst of speed, she reached for Tanaka—
"Wait, wha—?!"
Before he could react, she wrapped an arm around his waist and leapt forward.
A blur of colors rushed past his vision as they soared through the air, cutting over the heads of stunned pedestrians. The wind whipped against his face, his stomach lurching at the sheer height—
And then, with perfect precision, they landed right in front of the moving carriage.
The carriage came to a screeching halt, the horses neighing in alarm. For a moment, there was only silence, save for the distant chatter of the confused onlookers.
Then, from the driver's seat, a flustered voice squeaked out.
"A-Ah! W-Who are you?! Where did you come from?!"
The voice belonged to a small boy, no older than a child. His striking red eyes darted between Tanaka and Rem, brimming with both fear and confusion. His peach-pink hair, fluffy and curled at the ends, framed his delicate features, making his already androgynous appearance even more doll-like.
Tanaka opened his mouth to answer—
But before he could utter a single word, the carriage door swung open.
A presence emerged.
Even before seeing him, Tanaka could feel it. The weight of the man's presence alone was enough to make the air grow tense.
And then, he stepped out.
A stocky, broad-shouldered man, his body packed with thick muscle, giving him an imposing aura. Scars littered his exposed skin. His left forearm was missing entirely, wrapped in old, tattered bandages, while more bandages coiled around his feet and right wrist, adding to his rugged, almost drifter-like appearance.
But the most striking feature—
Was the helmet.
Jet-black and intricately refined, it concealed his face completely, save for the plume of neat red hair cresting the top. Its presence gave an odd contradiction to his otherwise rough, almost bandit-like outfit.
He exhaled, his voice oozing with casual annoyance.
"Oi, idiots. I dunno what you were thinkin', jumpin' in front of the carriage like that, but—"
He cocked his head, his tone gaining a distinct serious edge.
"Because of what ya did… the princess is in a pretty bad mood right now."
With that, he reached for the weapon at his side.
A massive sword, drawn in complete silence.
"Just so ya know," he mused, shifting his grip, "I'm naturally clumsy. And that tends to make things… painful."