Sure enough, getting transmigrated to another world was just the best!
Inside his body, Diavolo was speechless.
Strolling around, making small talk, and even walking a kid home—this thief-chasing mission was playing out like a game of house.
To put it nicely, Subaru’s behavior was a heart-fluttering crush; to put it bluntly, he was thinking with his lower half.
Pathetic.
However, he was quite interested in Puck.
In his own world, there were also fictional works featuring spirits, but they were completely different from this.
More importantly, compared to this silver-haired half-elf girl, that cat was far more dangerous.
That feeling was like…
Hiding something terrifying.
Fortunately, they managed to unearth some useful information in the end.
The source was unexpected—it was that very same appa vendor.
The thieving child was named Felt, and she was quite notorious in the slums.
With a destination in mind, the two headed straight for the slums.
By the time they arrived, the sun had already nearly set.
“Is this the place?” Subaru looked at the dilapidated scenery around them, feeling a slight chill.
Ragged houses, filthy streets, and the air carried a strange, lingering odor.
Worse still, the people here all cast hostile gazes their way.
So this was the slums.
Just as terrible as he had imagined.
“Should we…
come back tomorrow?” Subaru looked at the setting sun.
With night fast approaching, this kind of place was bound to be even more dangerous after dark, right?
“Forward or back—decide quickly.
I’m running out of time.” Puck spoke up suddenly, his voice sounding somewhat weak.
“I’m a spirit, after all.
Maintaining a physical manifestation consumes a lot of mana, so I generally have to return to the crystal to rest at night.” “Ah, no good, I’ve reached my limit…” As Puck spoke, his form began to grow translucent, fading away bit by bit.
Before leaving, he didn’t forget to give Subaru a final reminder.
“Young man, please take good care of Emilia for me.
I’m counting on you.” With that, he vanished completely.
“Let’s keep going.
It doesn’t matter if Puck isn’t here.” After a brief silence, Emilia spoke softly, her tone resolute.
“Don’t get any funny ideas, you know.
I can still use magic.” She added, shooting Subaru a deliberate glare.
Naturally, she was just saying that.
Through their journey together, she could sense Subaru’s sincerity and kindness.
Aside from the times he muttered incomprehensible things to himself.
“Ah, I won’t, I definitely won’t!” Subaru shook his head hurriedly, his face flushing red.
Funny ideas…
He certainly wanted to, but he didn’t have the guts.
The first time hanging out alone with a beautiful girl.
In a dim place like this.
Just thinking about it made him a little excited…
Wait, no.
It would be even better if Boss wasn’t secretly watching.
“Boss?
Are you asleep?” he whispered internally.
Diavolo didn’t answer him, though a sense of ominous foreboding gnawed at his mind.
A Stand user’s sixth sense was telling him— Something was deeply wrong with this place.
“Searching like this is too slow.
I’ll ask the lesser spirits.” “Lesser spirits?” Emilia stopped abruptly, raising a hand as she began to chant softly under her breath.
The next second, specks of faint light suddenly materialized all around them—tiny things, resembling fireflies, fluttering in circles around her.
It was utterly dreamlike.
Subaru stared in wide-eyed fascination.
*Whoa.* *Is this magic?
It’s way too pretty.* Diavolo was captivated as well.
*Conversing with lesser spirits?* *This kind of ability…* *I wonder if I can do it.* Since King Crimson was essentially the manifestation of Diavolo’s spirit, it served as secondary proof of his formidable mental fortitude.
Perhaps…
“Mm, found it.
It’s in that direction.” Emilia said cheerfully.
Guided by the lesser spirits and a few passersby they encountered along the way, the two quickly located Old Man Rom’s loot warehouse.
It was a dilapidated-looking large building with its doors tightly shut.
“Is this the place?” Subaru asked in a low voice.
Emilia nodded in affirmation.
“Still, if she’s just returning a stolen item, why do we need to pay for it?” “You saw what the slums look like all the way here; perhaps this is just their way of surviving.
Anyway, leave it to me—I’ll try negotiating with them.” After exchanging a few lighthearted remarks, Subaru stepped forward cautiously and placed his hand on the doorknob.
Just as he was about to push it open— “Hey, brat, step aside and let me take over.” Diavolo spoke up suddenly, his voice grave.
“Huh?
Boss, you weren’t sleeping?” Subaru was startled.
“Cut the chatter.
It’s dangerous here—didn’t you smell the thick stench of blood?” Diavolo’s voice carried a hint of solemnity.
As someone whose existence was steeped in blood, he was exceptionally sensitive to the scent of carnage.
“Blood?” Subaru sniffed hard.
“No, I don’t smell anything.
Did you get it wrong, Boss?” “Aside from smelling a bit funky, there’s nothing else…” “Brat, people of a certain kind are drawn to one another.” Diavolo stated slowly.
“It wasn’t a coincidence that you ran into that white-haired girl.
This time is no different.” “O-Oh, I see.” Subaru swallowed hard, growing nervous.
“As long as you understand.
Hand over control of the body, and don’t resist.” “Got it.” Subaru didn’t hesitate.
He trusted Diavolo.
The next second, he felt as though his consciousness had been shoved aside.
His vision blurred, and control over his physical body was usurped piece by piece.
Then, his gaze transformed.
A flash of green light flickered within his pupils.
Diavolo, online.
“Um…
Subaru?
What’s wrong with you?
You’ve been spacing out for a while now.” Emilia looked at him with puzzlement, a nagging feeling that he had somehow changed entirely.
“Shut your mouth, woman.” Emilia froze.
*Eh!??* Wait.
That tone…
It was completely different from before!
Was it because of the teasing earlier?
“Wait, wait, wait, Boss, how can you talk to her like that?!” Subaru screamed frantically inside his mind.
“That’s a beautiful girl!
How can you use that tone with a gorgeous girl?!
Her favorability rating is going to plummet!” Diavolo completely ignored him.
Fool.
What time was it, and he was still fixated on a pretty girl?
“You use magic, so stay close behind me.
There might be danger ahead, and I’ll need your help.” Diavolo said coldly.
“And wipe that naive look off your face.” “This isn’t a fairy tale.
A remote, dim slum, a thief who stole your precious item—this is obviously a trap designed to lure you in.
I honestly have no idea how you’ve managed to stay alive this far.
Did you rely on that cat?” “…Though it wouldn’t matter if you died anyway; it would just mean one less eyesore of a half-elf to worry about.” The air froze instantly.
Emilia stared at the young man before her.
The person who had been smiling foolishly and offering to help just minutes ago now had eyes as cold as ice.
The sarcasm in his tone was completely unmasked.
Not to mention that phrase…
“an eyesore of a half-elf.” Her lips parted.
She wanted to retort, wanted to interrogate him, wanted to demand why he was suddenly speaking this way.
Yet the words caught in her throat.
Because she realized— He had hit the nail on the head.
A remote slum, a thief who stole her insignia—thinking back carefully, it really could be a trap.
It wasn’t as though these possibilities hadn’t crossed her mind.
Yet she came anyway.
Because the insignia was vital.
Because it was an absolute necessity for her participation in the Royal Selection.
And the word “half-elf” wasn’t something she was hearing for the first time.
Monster, spawn of the witch, ill-omened existence…
She had grown up listening to every imaginable label hurled her way.
She was long used to it.
Yet hearing it from this person’s mouth somehow…
hurt a little.
Just minutes ago, he had smiled at her.
Just minutes ago, he had promised to help her find her insignia.
Just minutes ago, he had seemed like such a gentle person…
Why, all of a sudden…
“…What exactly are you trying to say?” She spoke, her voice far more level than she expected.
Only trembling ever so slightly.
“Are you warning me, or are you…
mocking me?” She raised her head, gazing at Diavolo’s back.
In her purple eyes, grievance, anger, and a shred of stubborn pride intertwined.
Her eye rims were faintly red, but she held the tears back.
She couldn’t cry.
She absolutely refused to cry in front of someone like this.
“I know it’s dangerous here.” “And I know it might be a trap.” “However…” She bit down on her lower lip, pressing hard enough to nearly draw blood.
“But the insignia is important.” “I have to get it back.” “Even if there’s danger, I still had to come.” Her voice was soft, yet fiercely resolute.
As if speaking to him, and as if reminding herself.
Subaru, trapped inside, felt his heart ache for her, yet he had no intention of reclaiming his body.
Knowing danger was imminent, he trusted Diavolo’s judgment.
Compared to death, a bit of heartache could be dealt with—he would just make it up to her after everything was resolved.
“Besides…” Emilia continued.
*Clang-crash!* Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden upheaval struck!
Having kept his eyes locked on the warehouse door the entire time, Diavolo instantly sensed danger, leaping backward in a blur of motion while hooking an arm around Emilia to pull her out of harm’s way.
His movements were impossibly fast.
“Stop crying and whining, Satella.
Even if you aren’t going to contribute, at least don’t drag me down.” Startled by the abrupt turn of events, Emilia steadied herself and looked ahead.
The heavy warehouse door had been shattered into pieces, the entire slab cleanly sliced apart as if cut by a blade, leaving smooth, terrifyingly clean edges.
“I honestly didn’t expect you to notice—was it the smell of blood?
I could’ve sworn I didn’t leave a trace, but oh well, no helping it now.” “Yeah, there’s no other way around it now.” A woman emerged from the shadows, licking her lips lazily as she gripped a blood-stained blade in her hand.
The Bowel Hunter.
Elsa.