"Well, well, well."
Subaru froze.
Every muscle in her body locked at once, as if someone had flipped a switch. Her heart did not race. Her breath did not hitch. Instead, a cold clarity settled over her mind, sharp and immediate.
"Looks like I am not all alone tonight."
The voice came from behind her.
Slowly, carefully, Subaru turned her head.
A girl sat against the far wall of the cave, legs bent, posture casual as if she had been there for hours. She wore a black dress that clung to her frame without restricting movement, paired with sturdy black boots marked by wear. Her hair was green, cut short, pulled back into a loose ponytail that brushed her neck. Her eyes were purple, bright even in the dim light, watching Subaru with open interest.
She smiled.
"That's a nice headwear there."
Subaru said nothing.
Her mind worked furiously, cataloging details. No visible weapon, though that meant nothing. Mana presence strong, sharp, like a blade held just out of sight. Not a villager. Not a traveler. Something else.
Danger.
The girl tilted her head slightly, unfazed by the silence. "My name is Übel. What's yours?"
Subaru stared at the girl in the cave, saying nothing.
She was good looking, that much was undeniable. Not in a gentle way, not in the polished, careful way of nobles or mages from cities. It was the kind of beauty sharpened by danger. Lean body, relaxed posture that carried no wasted movement, eyes that did not wander but locked on their target and stayed there. A hunter's gaze.
And beneath that, something else.
Bloodlust.
It was not subtle. It was not raging either. It was calm, contained, like a blade resting in its sheath. Subaru could feel it pressing against her skin, not physically but somewhere deeper, brushing against her mana, testing it. The sensation made her stomach tighten.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. The rain outside the cave filled the silence, water striking stone in a steady rhythm.
"Can't you speak?" the girl finally said.
The words snapped Subaru back into herself. She blinked, realizing she had been staring too long, frozen somewhere between fear and calculation.
"I… uh," she said, the sound of her own voice grounding her. "I am Subaru."
The girl's smile widened slightly, as if that answer amused her.
"That's an interesting name," she said. Her purple eyes swept over Subaru from head to toe, slow and unapologetic. "What's a pretty girl like you doing at a place like this?"
Subaru's thoughts scattered.
Pretty. That word landed strangely. She did not feel pretty. She felt tired, wary, hollowed out by repetition and death. Still, the question itself mattered less than what lay behind it. This girl was probing her, the way predators did. Looking for weaknesses. For tells.
Her mind raced.
What if this is like the red-haired boy?
The thought tightened her chest instantly. The loops, the pain, the certainty of death waiting at the end of every wrong choice. What if this was another fixed point, another enemy she could not reason with? What if this one killed her too, again and again?
What if it takes more than a hundred loops this time?
Can I even win?
"Hoo?" the girl said, her brow lifting slightly.
Subaru realized too late what she had done. Mana pulsed outward from her without intent, a reflex born of tension. It was not a spell, not even a conscious release, but it was enough.
The girl's smile sharpened.
"So you're a mage."
Subaru cursed herself internally. She had been so careful until now. So focused on keeping her presence small. And she had ruined it in a moment of fear.
"That's some interesting aura you've got there," Übel said, eyes gleaming with curiosity rather than alarm. "Where are you going?"
Subaru hesitated. Every instinct told her not to answer honestly. Names and destinations carried weight in this world. Still, lying poorly could be worse than lying well.
"Uh," she began, then paused, forcing herself to sound casual. "I was… I was going to Aureole."
Übel frowned. "Where?"
Subaru swallowed. "Ende. Ende."
Something shifted.
The change in Übel's expression was subtle but unmistakable. The playful edge faded, replaced by something flatter. More focused. Her smile did not vanish, but it lost its warmth, if it had ever had any.
"Huh," she said. "Why Ende?"
Subaru crossed her arms defensively, partly to hide how tense she felt. "I… uh, why should I tell you?"
Übel laughed softly. It was not mocking. If anything, it sounded pleased.
"Secrets, huh?" she said. "I like you."
"Sorry," Subaru replied without thinking, exhaustion sharpening her tongue. "You're not my type."
Übel blinked, then laughed again, louder this time. "But you definitely are my type."
A beat passed.
The cave felt smaller somehow. The air thicker.
Übel tilted her head, studying Subaru anew. "Since you're going to Ende, you must be a First Class Mage, right?"
"No," Subaru said immediately. "I'm unregistered."
Übel's eyes widened a fraction. Genuine surprise, this time. "Well, well. That's interesting."
She leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on her knees. "You're not the first mage I've seen who's unregistered. But going that far without credentials?" She hummed thoughtfully. "Are you strong, though?"
Subaru's patience thinned. Her nerves were already frayed, and every question felt like another finger pressing into a bruise.
"Listen," she said, meeting Übel's gaze directly. "You're asking too many questions."
Übel did not look offended. If anything, she looked entertained.
"Just curiosity," she replied. "I mean, we are cave mates, right?"
Subaru glanced around the cave, then back at her. Rain still fell outside, steady and unyielding. Leaving now would mean walking back into the storm, exposed and alone.
"Yeah," she said reluctantly. "I guess."
Übel nodded, satisfied. "You do realize you can't pass the Northern Gates without a First Class Mage certificate, right?"
Subaru's jaw tightened. "I'll manage."
"Hm." Übel's eyes flicked to Subaru's axe, then back to her face. "I wonder how. Are you hiring a mage?"
"I'm broke."
"Damn," Übel said sincerely. "What about trying to attend the exam?"
Subaru shook her head. "I don't think I have any pre-existing certificate to apply. I'm unregistered."
Übel clicked her tongue. "Sad."
"Yeah," Subaru replied. "Sad."
The rain continued to fall outside the cave, neither of them moving to break the silence that followed.
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