Chapter 11 - A New Tomorrow

"O… Orion?"

Looking at Rem's shocked face, Orion's lips spread into a smile.

"Welcome back."

Rem's eyes widened before honing in on the various scratches that lined Orion's body. "Orion… You're hurt."

"It's fine. Nothing I can't handle-"

"Oioioi! Senpai, that doesn't look good!" Subaru said, pointing at the top of the hill.

Moving his gaze, Orion watched as the previously small puppy morphed into a giant beast, slamming its paw down as walls of earth began to rise around them, trapping the three of them.

'Well, shit.'

"...No. It doesn't," Orion frowned. "Rem, can you move?"

"Rem can- Ugh," Rem stumbled as she moved out of Orion's grasp, her legs quivering as she struggled to get up. "Rem can! Rem can-!"

'I could probably take her and run, but Subaru and the girl…' Orion pondered before coming to his conclusion.

"It's okay. If you can't move… I'll just have to distract this big guy," Orion said, eyes narrowing in resolution. "Subaru. Take Rem and the girl out of here. I'll catch up later."

"But… Senpai…"

"Just leave Rem, Orion!" Rem interrupted Subaru. "Leave Rem and go back to the village! Please!"

Orion looked at Rem before shaking his head with a smile. 

"Sorry but… that's impossible."

"W-Why…?" Rem asked, struggling in an attempt to overcome the backlash of overusing her horn.

"Because… I just can't," Orion shook his head. "Well… I'm off."

As Orion began running forward, eyes trained toward the giant beast, more Demon Beasts made their appearance, their red eyes focused on Orion as he engulfed himself in flames with Incenda.

'Thinking about it, I think I heard of these things before…' Orion thought. 'Wolgarms, right? They live around here in packs. But this seems like a bit too much to be a simple pack...'

Two Wolgarms sprinted forward, hoping to trap Orion in a pincer movement, but Orion twirled on his feet, letting his blade slice through both of them in one smooth motion.

Unperturbed, he continued to think.

'I can feel my mana depleting, both from the few movements I've been able to do with mana as well as my magic.'

Another Wolgarm came, this time from above, but was dispatched by a swift dodge before Orion embedded his sword in its neck.

'I can feel my mana returning too, but… it's too slow. And to finish off that big one, I'm going to need a stronger attack than what I'm used to.'

The Wolgarms became a bit more cautious of Orion after his display and decided to regroup before attacking, all while ensuring that they surrounded the large beast as it prepared another earth magic spell.

'Beatrice said that I could actively use my divine protection with training… I need to do something like that. Continuously use mana while actively sucking more out of the atmosphere to keep me going,' Orion decided. 'The only problem is how to do that…'

As Orion began to ponder how to take control of his divine protection and use that to get out of this predicament, Subaru was left with a sleeping child and a crying maid.

"S-Subaru! Orion! He's-!"

"H-He'll be fine, Rem. Senpai's damn strong, so…"

Subaru trailed off as he noticed the state of his partner.

The giant beast dog had let loose a barrage of spikes, some of them having caught Orion in the leg. 

But that wasn't all.

There were also the Wolgarms that were closing in on him, now acting as a coordinated unit rather than individuals, leaving Orion overwhelmed as he hastily swung his sword to defend himself.

'And more than that…' Subaru thought. '...Senpai's trying to concentrate. Is it that? An anime power-up? But he's too preoccupied…'

Subaru watched Orion let loose a barrage of fireballs, taking down a few Wolgarms as he continued to dodge their attacks, eyes burning in frustration each time his concentration was interrupted.

'Alright, Natsuki Subaru,' the boy thought, gritting his teeth. 'You're not one to just sit here and watch him die, are you? You've already decided that such a thing is unacceptable.'

Subaru placed the sleeping girl on the ground as he walked forward.

'Think, Natsuki Subaru. These Demon Beasts… Beako mentioned that I needed to be careful, right? Because my scent attracts them... That must be why they chased after me instead of fighting Rem earlier,' Subaru thought. 'And my scent increases with each time I return by death… each time I use my 'power'… But, there's another way to get my 'power' to come out, isn't there?'

"Hey, Rem," Subaru shouted with a smirk. "Just so you know, I can return by de-"

The world paused as Subaru felt a shadow hand caress his heart before squeezing. And a moment later, Subaru was released from his 'punishment', left reeling as he nearly crumpled from the feeling.

"T-That was no joke, Senpai," he wheezed before looking up. "But I guess my bet paid off, huh?"

All the Wolgarms, as well as the giant one, took their focus away from Orion after Subaru's display, instead turning to face the boy as they collectively growled.

"That's a scary sight…" Subaru joked, clenching his shirt as he waited for the coming stampede.

After a moment of hesitation, the pack began running toward Subaru, leaving Orion to focus on gaining control of his divine protection as Subaru stood still, his hands shaking in fear.

And just as they were about to pounce on him… Subaru suddenly smirked.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? Shamak!"

A cloud of black mist burst forth from Subaru, encompassing the coming horde as Subaru quickly ran back to Rem.

"Please tell me that bought you enough time, Senpai," Subaru said to himself, running back to where Rem and the girl were.

As Subaru reached the two, he took a moment to take in some oxygen before noticing the surroundings become brighter and, oddly enough, warmer too…

"What the?"

Looking over to Rem, he noticed how her gaze was steady, looking forward with wide eyes. And following her gaze…

"Holy crap…" Subaru muttered.

Orion had ignited himself in a bright fire, the flames licking off his blade and body as he stood still. The forest around him bathed in light as if the night had suddenly turned to day.

And from how Subaru noticed the grass searing beneath Orion's feet, he knew that the blaze had the heat to back the brightness.

"G-Good job, me! Seriously, good job!" Subaru said with a smile. "Now do something cool, Senpai!"

The young man, having heard Subaru's shout, smirked as he crouched down.

"Gladly."

Leaping forward, Orion quickly reached the first group of Wolgarms that were in the now-dissipating cloud of Shamak, instantly butchering them as he swiped his sword to the side.

'I finally got it,' Orion smiled. 'Like an air conditioner, take in mana from the outside, cycle it through my gate, and pump it into my body and my magic. Though…' Orion then pressed a hand against his aching core with a frown. '...I don't think I can use it for long. Not if I don't want to shatter my gate like the last loop.'

Orion's thoughts were interrupted by an explosion of dirt as a wave of earth shot towards him.

"Not today, you fucker," he growled, leaping upward high into the air.

Twirling to correct himself, Orion landed in front of the giant monster before he concentrated his gathered mana into his sword, emulating Reinhard's strike, and setting his blade alight in blue flames as he raised it over his head.

'Time to end this,' he thought seriously. 'There's no need to tempt fate. I'll take this thing down in one strike.'

Rem, who was watching the scene with rapt attention, slowly felt her fear and worry transform into awe as Orion swung down, bisecting the beast and releasing a wave of fire that caught the remaining Wolgarms, setting them alight in a blaze.

"Amazing…" she whispered wistfully. 

To Rem, Orion now looked like someone she could trust with all her being, her past suspicious burning away as she felt his beautiful blue flames melt her frozen heart despite the distance between them.

To her, at this moment, Orion looked just like the hero she had always secretly longed for.

Though… it was still something Rem couldn't quite accept. At least not yet.

"Jeez, show off more, will ya?" Subaru said. 

Though contrary to his words, he was watching the final move with a wide smile and starry eyes. "...You look just like a protagonist, Senpai. I'm jealous!"

Feeling her strength slowly return to her, Rem stood up and began running toward Orion, who was now hunched over on the ground, his body no longer wreathed in fire.

"O-Orion?" Rem said, wrapping her arms around him before setting him to rest against her chest. "W-Why did you do that?"

Rem began to cast healing magic and instantly took notice of how horrible Orion's current state was. 

"You're bleeding all over… your mana is depleted… and that's not even mentioning how you harmed your gate! Why!?" she asked, tears threatening to pour down her cheeks. "Why did you do that for Rem? You could have left her and escaped with Subaru! So why!?"

"B-Because, Rem," Orion sputtered out, his face twisting into a scowl as he tasted the blood in his mouth. "Y-You're… important… to me…"

He then closed his eyes, succumbing to his exhaustion and injuries as he passed out.

"Orion? Orion! Stay awake!" Rem pleaded.

Unfortunately, Orion was already fast asleep.

—

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Orion slowly felt himself return to the waking world as he surveyed his surroundings.

'This… is something new,' Orion realized. 'I survived… Subaru survived… We… made it.'

As Orion was about to get up, he noticed that his right hand was being held by something, and looking over at that something, he was stunned by the image of Rem holding his hand, looking at him with wide, shimmering eyes.

"R-Rem?" Orion stuttered.

"Y-Yes… Orion," Rem said.

"You're… holding my hand?" he asked.

She suddenly averted her eyes.

"Y-Yes, well… Rem thought that it would be… calming. And Subaru suggested it, but if you would prefer to not, then I'll-"

"No!" Orion said, a little louder than he meant to. "I… it's working, so… please keep holding it."

Looking away with a hot face, Orion slowly rubbed his fingers along Rem's making the girl smile in happiness.

A real smile, this time. One without a hint of suspicion, worry, or doubt.

'That… is a very pleasant sight,' Orion thought.

"So, uh… how long have I been out?" Orion asked. "Did everything work out alright?"

"Yes, everything was resolved," Rem said. "After you defeated the last of the Demon Beasts, Rem carried you back to the village with Subaru."

Orion's blush deepened as he heard that.

'Fuck… so uncool!' he screamed internally.

"The villagers all turned out alright, and after seeing your state, both Lady Emilia and Lady Beatrice healed you," Rem continued. "You should be fine, but you must not overexert yourself. Especially your gate."

Hearing Rem's forceful tone, Orion nodded. "I don't plan on it."

"Good," she smiled. "As for how long you were out, the incident happened last night, and it is currently nearing dinner time of the next day."

"I… see," Orion said, understanding his situation a bit better. "Thanks, Rem."

After a moment of peaceful silence, Rem then spoke up.

"Orion… Rem… has a question," she said hesitantly. "Before you passed out… You said that Rem was important to you… Why did you say that?"

"Y-You want me to repeat it?" Orion asked, a bit embarrassed.

"N-No, but… Rem just doesn't understand how," she clarified.

"Well…" Orion's words trailed off.

'Gah! This is going to be so embarrassing!' Orion thought. 'But… it's my true feelings. And Rem deserves to know them. I'll show her what she means to me, enough for her to truly believe it.'

"I… like the little things you do," Orion began. "How you always have water and a towel ready after training. How you always make sure there isn't fat in my meat. How you always meet my eyes when we talk. How you stop by my room before bedtime with tea for my studying. How I can tell your excitement from the way your eyes sparkle… I notice all of it."

Rem's cheeks had progressively gained colour as Orion continued complimenting her, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him to stop.

"And that's not all," Orion continued. "You're pretty. Really pretty. Especially when I think of how you would look in different clothes and hairstyles, being able to see so many different sides of you... And your skin… I like how soft it is, especially now, when-"

"S-Stop it, Orion!" Rem had reached her limit. "R-Rem understands!" 

She took a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart before speaking up again.

"But… Rem still can't compare to her sister. So why… Why is Rem so important?"

Orion scratched his ear with his free hand. "Well, it's not like I hate Ram, I just… Well, I like you more."

"B-But… if my sister still had her horn…" Rem said sadly.

"Then it wouldn't change anything," Orion said resolutely.

Having heard about the story of Rem and Ram's origin, as well as the story about how Ram lost her horn, he had a feeling this would come up. And from the tone in which Rem told him the story, it was likely the reason for her low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy, or at least a big part of it.

"Ram taught me wind magic, so I know how talented she is. I can only imagine how much stronger she'd be with her horn. But you know… I don't know that Ram," Orion said. "And even if she did have her horn and was super strong, it wouldn't change anything, because out of all the reasons that I love you, strength is near the bottom of that list."

Rem stood stock still in shock as she processed his words.

"O-Orion… you said… 'love'..." she stuttered out.

'Did I?' Orion thought, embarrassed. 'I'm acting like Subaru now, falling so fast and acting so dumb…'

"W-Well… you don't hear me taking it back, do you?" he said.

Rem averted her eyes, finding how her heart was thumping in her chest too much to handle. And the way all her feelings heightened when she looked at Orion didn't help things.

"Ever since that fiery night, where sister lost her horn… Rem's time has been stopped," Rem eventually said. "Rem went about her days without any reason, save for making it easier for her sister. But…" She then raised her hand to her chest. "Orion… you changed that. You started Rem's time as you faced that beast, melting her frozen heart."

Rem then shook her head.

"No… that's not right. Orion had done so earlier, but Rem had just not realized it yet."

Rem then looked to Orion with rosy cheeks.

"So… it goes without saying, but… Rem… is also fond of Orion…" 

Orion smiled. "Then… Do you mind if I keep asking you to help me out?"

Rem looked back at him, staring into Orion's eyes as her own lips curled up. "Rem accepts."

They stared at each other for a few moments in comfortable silence before Rem's expression changed, morphing into a frown.

"Rem? What's wrong?" Orion asked.

"Well, while Rem did explain most of what happened after you passed out, she did forget one thing," she said. "You see, that little girl…"

—

Standing in front of the locked door, Orion took a moment to compose himself before going to open it.

"Hmm? Is that Mister?" a young voice spoke.

Opening the door, Orion watched as the little girl sitting on the bed tilted her head along with her question. 

The same little girl he had separated from Rem and Subaru to save.

Her face was cute, giving off the impression of an innocent young girl as her yellow-green eyes peered at Orion with interest. With her long, dark blue hair tied back in a messy braid, and a pink flower ornament on her head that almost reminded Orion of Elsa, the girl really was the perfect undercover assassin.

'Still… to think that was what happened,' Orion thought bitterly, remembering what Rem told him. 'I guess children aren't innocent of such disgusting things in this world either.'

According to Rem, after everything calmed down and Orion was taken to the manor for healing, Rem noticed that the little girl had escaped.

Originally, Rem wouldn't have cared about a child leaving her hold, thinking that they were only going home to their parents. But the reason for Rem not ignoring her was the same thing that allowed her to track her so easily.

The scent of miasma.

Before, in the forest, the little girl's scent had been masked by Subaru and Orion's, leaving Rem none the wiser. But after holding the girl away from the two young men, Rem quickly took notice of her unique scent.

Thus, with Rem giving chase once she had dropped Orion off, the little girl was quickly captured and taken to the dungeon, and after a thorough search and questioning, Rem discovered that the little girl was, thankfully, not part of the Witch Cult.

What was not so great to find out, however, was the fact that this little girl was an assassin with the ability to control Demon Beasts, hence her miasma scent, and was the cause of the entire curse and Demon Beast fiasco after being sent on a mission to kill 'one of the Mather's manor's employees'.

'Well… let's hope this goes well,' Orion thought to himself.

"Yeah, if that's what you want to call me," Orion said, pulling out a chair to sit down. "Do you mind telling me your name though? I don't want to keep calling you 'little girl'. Ah, my name's Orion, by the way. Orion Valerius."

The girl looked at him skeptically before answering, "My name is Meili… Meili Portroute."

Orion smiled. "Well Meili, I hear you can control Demon Beasts. That's a pretty cool ability."

"Yep," she nodded. "They're all my friends! Though… I don't really have any right now. You got rid of all of them! Meanie! Bleh~!"

She then stuck her tongue out at him.

'This is an assassin? Is it an act, or is she always so… carefree?' Orion wondered. 'She is a child, after all… But still…'

"...Sorry about that, but I'm sure you can understand why," Orion said.

"Yeah, you were really cool Mister," she nodded. "I definitely thought you would die when you faced the big one!"

"Right…" Orion said, ignoring the ominous words she spoke so happily. "Anyway, can you tell me your story? Do you have a family? A father? A mother?"

Orion instantly noticed how Meili's mood changed at the word 'Mother'. 

Her previously carefree smile had straightened into a line as her little fists trembled.

Meili was terrified.

A feeling no child should have to feel, period. Especially from their parental figure.

"...Meili?" Orion reached out hesitantly. "Are… are you alright?"

Orion's question didn't seem to help as he watched the girl spiral further into a panic attack, her breathing turning rough and laboured as she brought her legs to her chest, shivering as she stared at the wall opposite her.

Moving to sit on the bed next to her, Orion gently rubbed Meili's back in an attempt to calm her down, wishing he had Rem's affinity for healing magic at the moment.

Eventually, Meili calmed down, before suddenly sitting back up with a calm smile as if nothing had happened. 

"Jeez, Mister. What are you getting all worried for?"

Orion narrowed his eyes. "Meili… is your mother…"

"She's not my mother," Meili interrupted him. "At least, not like that… She is 'Mother', and well… considering I failed this time… I'm not very excited about returning home, you know~"

'Ah… so this 'Mother' must be the leader of her organization or something,' Orion thought as he frowned. '...Disgusting.'

"Well… you won't have to worry about her anymore," he said. "I'll protect you."

Meili looked up at him in surprise before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Y-You'll stop Mother? T-That's a good joke, Mister! Even Big Sis couldn't hold a candle to her, much less someone like you!"

Orion was by no means prideful about his albeit minimal strength, at least compared to the heights of this world, but it didn't feel great to have a little girl, no older than twelve, make fun of you like that.

"And? If I'm not strong enough now, I'll just get stronger," he said resolutely before placing a hand on Meili's head, causing her laughter to stop as her eyes widened. "Besides, children shouldn't need to be worried about things like that. So… if you can promise to be a good girl, I'll protect you... No, I'll protect you anyway, but I'd like for you to be a good girl in exchange."

Meili sat still for a moment before suddenly shaking Orion's hand off her head. 

"You're much too weak. No one is able to protect me from Mother. Not you, not the blue-haired Miss. Not anyone," she said sternly. "...I think Mister should go now. You got yourself pretty hurt, right? You should be resting."

Orion sighed before getting up. "Well, you're right, I do need to rest. But I'll come back tomorrow. Rem will give you food and you can ask her if you need anything else."

He then made his way out of the door, stopping as he grabbed the handle. 

"And Meili… I will get stronger."

With the door closing behind him, Meili simply huffed before pulling the covers over her. 

"Whatever."

As she lay there, however, she couldn't stop her hand from instinctively placing itself atop her head.

"Stupid Mister…"