Aerial surprise (Part 1)

"Ah, I just wanted to play with you guys." Fred facepalmed himself. He couldn't believe that he got threatened by a little girl.

"Eh? Uno…

I didn't know that…" averting her gaze, she held the hem of her skirt and slightly but her lips on hearing 

[The blue-haired onii-chan just wanted to play with them, but instead I shouted at her.]

"I am sorry…" she says in a low tone, audible enough to be heard by everyone.

"It's alright.

You were a brave girl." Fred stood up from his crouching position and went up to her. The towering difference in their height was scary for Petra, but she didn't freak out or scream at him. 

It was because Fred had a very kind and warm look on his face right now 

"But you see, being brave is not always the best decision. Leave the brave things to the men!" He thumped his chest with his hands in a military fashion. And flashed a wide smile to her which showed his excellent canines.

"But I got a thing for you since you stood out for your friend!"

Saying this, Fred reached to the Back of his shirt, and drew out a black circus hat with a red border- the ones which the circus masters wore.

Then he put his hands into the hat, not too deep, but deep enough and then, he pulled out a pouch of colourful marbles.

"Woaaaaaah!" The children had their mouths agape in wonder.

"What are these shiny balls?" They all clustered around Frederick, forgetting the hostility which they showed to him a while ago.

Fred untied the knot and took out a pink marble from the pouch. And then put it in his mouth with a wide

'Aaaaa…um.'  Then his entire body shivered like a cat.

"It's tasty! So sweet, just like a sweet berry!

There are so many here. I don't think I can eat all these by myself.

Anyone wanna help me?" He held out the pouch full of those marbles and without wonder, the children began hoping like rabbits to catch the pouch. But Fred kept on swinging it from one end to another.

"Hey nii-chan, that's very mean!!

Give it to us! We wanna taste it too!" all the children (except Petra and Meili) circled around Frederick. He had changed their impression of him in a flash.

"WAAAIT!!" he said loudly, loud enough to be heard from the village square.

"It's not good to eat all of these on your own.

Stand in a line, I'll give you the candies one-by-one."

Just as he said, the children stood in a line to receive the candies, which Fred handed out in smaller pouches. Around 20 in each one?

[Ah man, I was supposed to become a med student. 

Why am I acting like an old stall owner now?]

After distributing all candies to the children, Fred stood there like a pole, counting the children and checking if anyone missed out. And obviously, Meili and Petra didn't take the candies. 

[Why do the main cast characters like to stand out from the crowd so much?] Fred thought with disdain. Regardless, he had to do what he had to do. So he went over to those two girls and held out another two pouches in front of them.

"Onii-chan, my mother told me to not take anything from strangers. I can't accept these." Petra said meekly. He stared at her with a poker face and then turned towards Meili who was curiously looking at the plastic pouch, staring at her share.

"Mine are different. Did you trick me onii-san?" was what she said instead of a 'thank you'. 

"What ungrateful kids you two are!!

You!" Fred pointed at Petra, "That's just some boiled sugar. These look like marbles because the sugar used is of high quality and they come in all flavours. I just gave you lot one of the collections which I had. You won't find these anywhere. If you are so suspicious of these, then you can ask an appraiser about it. That is, if you ever meet one."

Then he turned his gaze towards Meili.

"The one which i gave you are cookies. They are not candies. I ran out of candies. 

And these are Mamono-chan cookies. Since you haven't met her, you won't know how precious those cookies are. They are everyone's favourites."

Meili's eyes glowed with curiosity on hearing the word 'mamono'

"Mamono? You mean monster?

Why would people make cookies in the shape of a monster?" she looked at her cookies again. It was shaped like a human face, and it had two red dots for eyes and some white lines above which looked like a hairband.

"Doesn't she rather look like a demi-human?"

"Ah, you could tell all that from a cookie?

As expected of an assa- oops!" Fred almost slipped his tongue.

"I mean, as expected of a smart girl, hehe.

You are right about that. She looks like a demi-human. But by the game's logic she's a mamono. She's quite a cute one though. She never harms humans and she'd help you at times if you give her food or something else."

Fred didn't lie about Mamono-chan's looks. She was a cute, red-eyed, white-heared, demi-human-like humanoid monster(mamono). Uh…she was a Loli too. And she was somewhat like a guide for many missions within AlchemiaStory.

[But there's no use thinking about all that. After all, I didn't transmigrate into the Game, but as my game character into ReZero world.

I feel that's the best way to describe my condition.] Fred heaved a sigh of relief as he answered a questions which seemed to torture him restless for around 19 chapters?

"What are you doing, Frederick-kun?" a familiar voice greeted him from behind.

"Oh, Rem, have you done your shopping?" he said without turning back.

"It's more or less done. Only nee-sama and Subaru-kun are yet to complete their part."

"Ram seems to have a lot of trouble handling Subaru, I guess."

"..."

However, Rem didn't reply. Fred turned around to see why she wasn't responding.

Rem was staring into the sky with a troubled expression which slowly morphed into distress and then panic.

"Fred-kun! take all the children indoors!!" she barked orders.

On seeing her react so seriously out of the blue, he too looked in the sky. And he saw- birds. Some bird-like human flying about, hovering about their heads. No, these were not demi-human folk, given the fact that they had wings for their hands and claws for their feet. And the most notable thing about them was that-

They were all female. And naked at that.

[Harpies] that was the only thought which floated in his mind.

[These fuckers were supposed to be in the Game!

What the hell are they doing here?] huge shadows projected on them as the monsters lowered their altitude rapidly.

Without wasting another moment, he shouted,

"CHILDREN!!

Run back to your homes!!

Don't look back, don't look above and just look at the front. 

Mind my words, don't look up.

IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, JUST RUN!"

He couldn't go against all those harpies while protecting the children. They were the most vulnerable and he needed to escort them back home. No, he HAD to make sure that they reached home!! 

"Rem, hold off these birds for a while.

Just a little while would do.

I would get back to you soon." he gave her a nod and held Meili's hand as he began dashing. 

But he didn't hear any footsteps behind him. He turned around to find the children standing there like statues staring into the skies.

[Goddamnit! They are fear struck!] he cursed under his breath and dashed towards a boy who was about to be grabbed by a Harpy. It had its eyes locked on him. 

[Damn! I am not going to make it!] the claws touched down on the boy who couldn't move at all and the next moment-

A low-pitched sound erupted and a wet body fell down, oozing out green blood. The sight of the dead Harpy stirred something within the boy.

Fear. 

The fear of death.

"A-a-aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" he screamed like crazy as he fell down on his feet. His screams drew the attention of the other monsters as they looked at him, readying themselves to aim and dive at him.

However the next moment, Fred reached the child and lifted him on his shoulders. He lifted Meili on his other shoulder and now he couldn't carry more. 

[I wish I had more hands

Aah! I am being stupid now!] Fred shook his head left and right in frustration.

"OKAY lads!" he shouted like a drill instructor, putting down both the children and continued in a booming voice. As loud as he could.

"You are going to run NOW!

Anyone who stops, will die!

So don't stop and don't look back!

I and this older sister will protect you!

So RUN!

GO!GO!GO! 

We are behind you! Don't look back!"

The severity of the situation finally hit the children and they started running towards their home. They couldn't stop, they couldn't look up or backwards or they would lose the courage to keep running. They had to run to live. It was their only chance. 

"Fred-kun," Rem stopped near him to formulate the plan, but she doesn't stop her hands as she pulled the chains hard and the spiked-ball of the morning glory smashed into another Harpy throwing it metres away.

"What is your plan?" she asks him without taking her eyes off the flock of harpies.

"I take the front and you take the back.

We don't have any time to waste. I want you to trust me."  Fred glanced at Rem to look at her face. She was pretty as always, and her allure only grew as he saw her holding her morning glory in a battle stance. But he didn't have the luxury to keep staring at her. He needed her support to protect the children.

"I trust you. Let's hurry." she affirmed.

The two dashed to take their positions. They had no time to waste, and failure was unacceptable on their part.