A palm-sized cat standing on its two hind legs was suddenly floating beside the girl.
With its gray fur and floppy ears, it looked closest to what Subaru recognized as an American Shorthair.
The little cat had a pink nose and a tail roughly the length of its own body.
“…The cat talked?!” Subaru’s reaction was huge.
“Eek, no way, really?!” The serious expression dropped from her face, her previously dignified attitude vanishing without a trace as the girl revealed a somewhat flustered look.
“From the look of things, you lost something really important, right?” Subaru stood up and dusted off his pants.
“I really appreciate you going out of your way to stay behind and heal me.
You’re in a hurry, right?
It’d be best if you went after them quickly.”
“—Don’t misunderstand!
We only stayed behind because we had something to ask you, and we had no other choice.
If it weren’t for that, we would’ve left you behind ages ago… That’s all it is, so don’t get the wrong idea!”
The beautiful girl emphasized this repeatedly, speaking with a fierce tone.
A textbook tsundere… Listening to her, Subaru nodded repeatedly.
As expected of an isekai, tsunderes actually exist here.
You don’t see those in the real world—or at least I’ve never met one.
“Well then, we’re in a hurry so we’ll be going.
Your injuries should be mostly healed.
Make sure you don’t hurt yourself next time.
Even if you have things you’re struggling with, you absolutely must not do something so foolish again!”
“A-and I’m not worried about you, this is just advice!
Even if you hurt yourself next time… there’s no benefit for me in saving you, so don’t expect me to lend a hand again!”
Definitely a tsundere!
The girl fired off her words like a machine gun, chattering away without pause.
Taking Subaru’s silence as agreement, she nodded in satisfaction and said, “Good!”
Then she turned around.
Her long silver hair swayed with her movements, shimmering with a fantastical light in the dim alleyway.
“—Hey, wait a sec!”
Subaru called out to her back as she stood at the alley entrance, facing the main street and hesitating over which way to go.
The girl brushed a hand through her silver hair and looked back, a slightly confused expression on her face.
“Aren’t you trying to catch that thief?
I have a way to help you,” Subaru offered.
The girl had her important belongings stolen.
Even though she was in a frantic hurry, she still stopped to talk him down when she thought he was attempting suicide, and even healed his wounds.
He’d been in this other world for barely half an hour, and she was the first act of kindness he’d encountered in this strange land.
Subaru wanted to return the favor.
Even if he couldn’t be a superhero back home, he could still help people in this other world… just like his dad!
“You’re looking for something important, right?” Subaru looked directly into her blue-purple eyes.
“Let me help.”
“But didn’t you just say you don’t know anything…”
“I have a way!
I know it’s weird to say this to someone I just met, but can you trust me?” Subaru’s gaze was completely sincere.
His dad had once told him, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Now that he had the same powers as his dad, he had a responsibility to help others in need, just like him!
“—You really are a weird guy.” The girl pressed a finger to her lips, tilting her head at him as if looking at some kind of rare Pokémon.
“Let me state this upfront: I can’t give you a reward.
As you can see, I’m completely penniless.”
“Don’t worry, I’m a flat-broke pauper myself.” Subaru patted his chest proudly, though even he didn’t know why that was something to be proud of.
“For the record, I’m terribly broke myself.
How tragic… we’re a whole group of paupers.” The cat poked its head out from the girl’s silver hair and waved.
“I don’t need a reward.
Just like you said I was a good person earlier, I think you’re a good person too.
So please, let me help.”
“—There’s no need to trouble yourself.
If you…”
Subaru cut her off.
“Helping out isn’t a trouble for me.
My dad once told me, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ I have the power, so I have the responsibility to help you.”
“Power?”
Subaru’s determined expression left the girl deep in thought, but the little cat sitting on her shoulder gently poked her cheek with a paw pad.
“Come on now, I don’t sense any malice from him, so why not just accept honestly?
After all, the Royal Capital is huge.
Searching blind with no clues or leads is far too reckless.”
“But if we end up dragging him into this mess…”
“Even having a meat shield to take a hit for us wouldn’t be so bad,” the little cat said, dropping a casually terrifying line.
“T-then what do you plan to do?” The girl looked at Subaru.
“You mentioned… power?
Do you know some kind of tracking magic?”
“I don’t know any magic like that.
Actually, I don’t know any magic.
I’m a hundred percent amateur in that department,” Subaru said, extending his arm to her with that same inexplicable pride.
“But I can fly.
I know it’s a bit forward, but please hold tightly to my arm, or I can carry you on my back if you prefer.”
“Eh, fly?
What…” The girl was thoroughly confused, timidly placing her hands on Subaru’s arm.
“Alright then… hold on tight!”
“—Eh!!!”
Subaru kicked off the ground.
With a sharp sonic boom cutting through the air, he shot straight up into the sky.
He hovered in midair, a sea of rooftops spread out directly beneath his feet.
Gazing down at the scenery below, Subaru’s face was flushed with pure excitement.
Sure enough, no matter how many times I do it, flying is just a massive rush.
“Kyaaa—!!!”
“Ah, sorry!”
Caught up in his own excitement, Subaru had momentarily forgotten to consider the feelings of his passenger, and hastily apologized to the girl.
The girl was clinging tightly to his arm with both hands, dangling in mid-air like she was hanging from a pull-up bar, looking precariously close to falling.
“My bad!” Subaru rapidly descended onto a nearby rooftop ridge.
The landing was reasonably steady, successfully avoiding a repeat of the tragic crashes he’d suffered while practicing back home.
“It’s fine… phew, that really startled me.” The girl patted her chest.
“Is this flying magic?
Or a Divine Protection?
It’s very rare.”
“Neither.” Subaru thought for a moment.
“If I had to put a name on it, it’s more like a racial trait.”
“A racial trait?” The girl slowly chewed over his words.
She swept her gaze over him, pausing briefly at his forehead.
“Are you not human?
Lying is wrong, you know.
I don’t see any other demi-human characteristics on you.”
“That’s because of my dad.”
Seeing that she was willing to chat, Subaru plopped down on the roof and gazed up at the sky.
He adopted a melancholic look, though in reality, he was just trying to remember exactly what his dad had told him.
“My dad isn’t human.
He’s a Viltrumite.
Basically, they’re a species that looks exactly like humans… uh, I guess by your world’s standards, he’d be considered a type of demi-human.”
“And my mom is just a completely normal human.”
“As for me, I’m a half-blood born to a Viltrumite dad and a normal human mom.
I guess you could call me a half-Viltrumite.”
Honestly, I’ve been dying to talk to someone about this, especially after my bloodline awakened yesterday… Subaru just kept explaining to himself, completely immersed in his own little world.
He remained completely oblivious to the fact that the girl’s expression had turned deeply uncomfortable.