"Stop."
A voice came from the alley entrance.
Calm, somber, with an undeniable certainty.
The thugs turned their heads and looked at the man standing at the alley entrance.
Long, silver-white hair, golden eyes, and a dark robe.
Behind him stood a woman with long, light purple hair and extremely long rabbit ears.
Who are you?
The leader of the thugs stepped forward and reached out to push him.
Then his hand stopped in mid-air.
It wasn't that he wanted to stop, but rather that his hand wouldn't obey him.
Not just his hands, but his whole body, his limbs, every muscle in his body was out of control.
What did you do to me?
His voice was trembling.
Higashino Makoto didn't answer. He walked up to the boy and looked down at him.
Black hair, black eyes, and wearing a tracksuit bought from a convenience store.
His face was covered in wounds, blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, and a knife was stuck in his lower back.
That won't do. If he dies, I'll have to start all over again, which is too much trouble.
Without hesitation, he pulled the knife out of Subaru Natsuki's lower back, the merciless action causing Subaru to let out a painful groan.
Just as Subaru Natsuki thought he was about to die, a gentle voice, devoid of much emotion, came from the man's mouth.
"Greater Heal"
His strength began to return, and he touched his injured lower back, only to find that he couldn't even feel a scratch.
No, not only the wounds, but even the blood that had fallen out had all disappeared.
If it weren't for the tear in his clothes, he might have thought what had just happened was a hallucination.
What's your name?
Higashino Makoto asked.
The boy looked up at him.
"Nazuki... Subaru."
Higashino Makoto nodded.
"Stand up."
Subaru Natsuki struggled to his feet, not from physical pain, but from the mental anguish of having faced death twice in a row.
"Thank you--thank you--"
"You're welcome. By the way, these thugs can't be touched right now. Do whatever you want with them. I'll wait for you outside the alley."
He turned around and walked towards the alley entrance.
Reisen followed behind him, her crimson eyes glancing back at Subaru Natsuki and the three thugs before looking away.
The sounds of punches and kicks, along with suppressed, painful groans, echoed from the alleyway.
But there were no screams.
Only dull, metallic sounds of bodies colliding could be heard.
Higashino Makoto leaned against the wall at the alley entrance, arms crossed, his golden eyes gazing at the distant palace tower.
The setting sun was painting the sky a golden-red hue.
Reisen stood beside him, her rabbit ears standing straight up, capturing every sound in the alley.
"Owner."
"Um."
"He... was hitting someone."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
He needs to vent.
Reisen remained silent for a moment.
"Master, you... he's very special to him."
"Not particularly special."
Higashino Makoto shook his head.
"I just feel that he and I look a little bit alike."
Reisen's brows furrowed slightly.
How is it similar?
Higashino Makoto did not explain.
He simply stood there, gazing at the sky dyed red by the setting sun.
After a while, Subaru Natsuki came out of the alley, his hands stained with the blood of the three thugs.
His face was expressionless, but something was churning in his dark eyes.
It felt like the weariness of someone who had just crawled out of some kind of darkness.
"Finished?"
Higashino Makoto asked.
"It's over."
Subaru Natsuki's voice was hoarse.
"No one was killed?"
"... No."
Higashino Makoto nodded.
"Good."
Subaru Natsuki looked up at him.
"Mr. Higashino."
"Um."
"Are you... very strong?"
"Good."
"Can you help me?"
Higashino Makoto looked at him.
"Help with what?"
Subaru Natsuki took a deep breath.
"Save someone, a silver-haired half- Elf Kingdom girl named Satella. Her badge has been stolen. The thief is here, in the Royal Capital. I need to find her and get the badge back."
His voice was trembling.
"But I can't do it alone. I'm too weak. I can't do anything."
Higashino Makoto looked into those black eyes.
In those eyes, there was pleading, there was expectation, and there was an indescribable despair, like that of a drowning person grasping at the last straw.
"OK."
Subaru Natsuki was stunned.
"What—what did you say?"
I said, "Okay."
Higashino Makoto turned around and walked out of the alley.
"Lead the way."
Subaru Natsuki's tears welled up.
He didn't wipe it.
He simply hurried after them.
"Thank you—thank you, Mr. Higashino —thank you—"
Higashino Makoto did not turn back.
"You're welcome. I'm just interested in that girl."
Subaru Natsuki paused for a moment.
"Interested?"
"A silver-haired half -Elf Kingdom, the people of this country must really dislike half -Elf Kingdom, right?"
Subaru Natsuki fell silent.
"Why?"
"Because of Satella? You said that girl's name is that? I think that's probably fake, that name."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
"She probably meant to use this name to tell people to ignore her, that's about it."
Subaru Natsuki looked at him, a complex light flickering in his dark eyes.
"Is that so?"
The three walked through several streets and entered a narrow alley.
The alley was deep, with moss climbing on the walls on both sides, and the stone slabs on the ground were uneven, filled with sewage and garbage.
A musty smell permeated the air, mixed with some indescribable, rotten odor.
At the end of the alley was a dilapidated wooden door.
The width of the dilapidated shack in front of me was probably only about the size of two makeshift toilets on the construction site.
Regardless, the thought of such a little girl living in a place makes me feel sorry for her.
No wonder she was so profit-driven and ambitious; the thought of forgiving her arose spontaneously.
Subaru Natsuki had this thought.
"Living in a place like this, one has to shrink their already small body even smaller to survive. It's no wonder her personality is so twisted. Ah, so pitiful, so very pitiful."
Hearing Subaru Natsuki's words, Higashino Makoto's lips twitched.
It was all an illusion before; this kind-hearted person is nothing like me.
"That's going too far, it's really annoying. What do you want by staring at someone else's place, buddy?"
As he entered sympathy mode, the call from behind made him turn around.
Ahead of him was a short, blonde girl glaring at Subaru Natsuki.
Felt.
"What do you need? If it's a theft commission, a deposit is required, and the amount will increase depending on the quality of the stolen goods."
"A commission to steal... that's a very greedy business. Are you proud of your kleptomania?"
"It's a matter of survival; otherwise, you'll have to sell your body. Or what exactly do you want to do? Or is there something else? It depends on the situation..."
With a slight twitch of her fingers, Felt increased the dexterity of her hands.
Suddenly, as if by magic, a small knife appeared in my palm.
This is a warning to Subaru; depending on the situation, she might use this for self-defense.
"I only have one thing to say to you: I want to buy the badge you stole."