Chapter Text
The crunch of pebbles under Subaru’s sneakers echoed in the chilly air. The wind whispered through the pines of Mount Ebott, carrying the scent of damp moss.
“Subaru, you’ve been walking in circles for the past ten minutes,” Chara’s voice sighed inside his head, the same way it had for as long as he could remember.
“I’m not walking in circles,” Subaru said, scanning the treeline with narrowed eyes. “I’m… uh… mapping the area! Yeah. Strategic reconnaissance.”
Chara’s dry tone came back immediately. “Mapping every pine tree individually, I guess?”
He ignored her, crouching to poke a tiny purple flower growing between two rocks. His index finger hovered dramatically over it. “See? This little guy’s fighting for survival in the middle of nowhere. I respect that.”
“You’ve stopped for three rocks, a stick, and now a flower,” Chara said. “Should I start making a scrapbook of things you point at?”
Before Subaru could think of a snappy comeback, a blink stole the world away. He rubbed his eyes. One blink, and the familiar grassy ground of Mt. Ebott was gone. In its place was a wide cobblestone street under a bright blue sky.
He spun in place. “...This isn’t the mountain.”
“You think?” Chara’s voice came from behind him, though nobody else on the street reacted. “Unless Mt. Ebott suddenly got more buildings, more people, and… those.”
Subaru’s eyes followed where she pointed. People were walking past, some human, but others had tails, animal ears, scales, even horns. He froze.
“They’re… demi-humans,” Subaru muttered.
“Big word for you,” Chara teased.
“I know big words. Also—oh man—are those real?!” Subaru walked right up to a tall man with furred wolf ears, gawking. The man gave him a wary look and stepped aside.
“Kid, don’t block the street,” the man said.
“Kid? Hey, I’m not just ‘Kid.’ I’m” Subaru paused, putting one finger dramatically toward the sky. “Natsuki Subaru! Completely new to this world!”
Several nearby people gave him strange looks. One lady holding a basket muttered something about “eccentric kids.” Chara was already grinning.
“This is going to be fun,” she said.
Subaru wandered further down the street. A stall piled with red, round fruit caught his eye. He walked right up and pointed. “Apple!”
The man behind the stall frowned. “It’s appa, kid.”
“...Appa? Looks like apple.”
“Not apple. Appa.”
“Alright, fine, appa,” Subaru said, still staring at them like he was trying to see the difference. “How much for one?”
The man named a price in coins Subaru didn’t recognize. Subaru checked his pockets and pulled out a handful of japanese yen.
The man stared. “Sorry kid, but we dont use that kind of currency here,.”
Chara floated beside him, smirking. “Good start. You’re broke in a new world.”
Subaru sighed. “Guess no appa for me yet.”
He kept walking, exploring street after street. He poked his head into an alley where a cat-eared woman was hanging laundry, stared a little too long at a lizardman carrying crates, and waved at anyone who made eye contact.
“Everyone’s so different,” he whispered to Chara. “I wanna see everything.”
“Try not to get stabbed while you’re at it,” Chara replied.
At one point, a tall beastman accidentally bumped into him. Subaru stumbled but didn’t fall.
“Watch it, kid,” the beastman grunted.
“Hey, I’m fine! You’re fine! No problem!” Subaru laughed, dusting himself off. He didn’t notice the man rubbing his shoulder with a confused look, Subaru hadn’t even budged from the impact, despite the beastman’s size.
Chara noticed. “...You don’t even realize, do you?”
“Realize what?”
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head with a little grin.
As the sun lowered, Subaru sat at the edge of a fountain, kicking his feet in the water. “Alright. New world, no money, no map, no idea what’s going on. What’s step one?”
“Find somewhere to sleep,” Chara said.
“Or hear me out, we just keep walking until something interesting happens.”
“That’ll definitely get you in trouble.”
“Yeah,” Subaru said, grinning. “Sounds exciting.”
Subaru stood up from the fountain’s edge and stretched. The day had worn on him, but his eyes still sparkled with excitement.
“So, Chara, what now? Where do we go from here?”
“You find a place to rest,” she said quietly.
“Sleeping’s boring,” Subaru muttered. “But fine. If I crash anywhere, I’ll probably cause a scene.”
He glanced around the bustling square again. People were starting to close their stalls and head home. The sun hung low, casting long shadows.
Subaru spotted a group of guards talking near a stable. He wandered over and called out, “Hey! Can you point me to somewhere I can stay?”
One guard, tall with silver hair, looked down at him and smiled. “You’re not from around here, are you, child?”
“Uh, no,” Subaru said with a grin. “Natsuki Subaru, at your service. Completely new here.” He struck the pose again—finger to the sky and all.
The guard chuckled and shook his head. “Follow me. There’s an inn nearby that takes in travelers.”
As they walked, Subaru chatted nonstop, telling the guard about Mt. Ebott, the flower he respected, and the weird fruit called appa. The guard listened with amusement, occasionally shaking his head.
“You’re quite the talker,” the guard said.
“That’s just Subaru’s style,” he replied.
The inn was a simple wooden building with smoke curling from its chimney. Inside, it smelled of roasted meat and warm bread.
Subaru found a corner table and plopped down, still buzzing with energy. “So many people, so many things!”
“Just wait until tomorrow,” Chara whispered with a mischievous grin.
Subaru raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s tomorrow got in store, Chara?”
“Save stars, weird ladies, and a whole lot of trouble.”
Subaru laughed. “Sounds perfect.”
“New world, new adventures, and Subaru’s ready for all of it.”