Is this what it feels like when time stops?

At the entrance to the alley, a young girl was standing alone, just like the men had been a moment ago.

She was a beautiful girl. Her long silver hair reached down to her waist and was tied into a single ponytail. Her intelligent eyes were fixed on him with a penetrating gaze. Her soft features combined elegance with youthfulness, creating a noble yet dangerously alluring aura.

She stood about 160 centimeters tall. Her navy blue outfit was devoid of any extravagant decorations, and its simplicity made her presence all the more striking. The only conspicuous feature was the emblem of a "bird resembling a hawk" embroidered on the white coat she wore. Even its grandeur seemed merely an accessory to her beauty.

"I cannot overlook any more of your misconduct. That's enough."

When words once again flowed from her mouth, a wave of awe washed over those present. The sound of her voice, like a silver bell, was pleasing to the ear, and it had the power to move the hearts of others.

Subaru, forgetting his own predicament, was overwhelmed by her mere presence.

And the men felt the same way. Her direct display of hostility immediately made their previously impassioned expressions vanish. The man holding the knife turned pale and retreated into the dead-end alley.

"Wait, wait, wait! Listen, I don't get what's going on, but we'll let this guy go! So, please, spare us..."

"Honesty is appreciated. You can still make amends now, so return what you stole from me."

"I said we were sorry... Huh? What we stole?"

"Please. It's something precious to me. I could give up anything else, but not that. If you return it now, I won't have to take your lives."

There was a palpable anger in her voice, mingling with her plea. Her gaze was sharp, and the hand she extended wasn't holding anything. Yet, everyone sensed that something indescribable was gathering there.

"Wait, hold on! I think there's a misunderstanding here!"

"What?"

One of the men pointed at Subaru, who lay at their feet.

"So, you're not here to rescue this guy?"

"...A strangely dressed person. In the middle of an internal conflict? I can't say I approve of three against one, but... if you ask me if it concerns me, I would have to say it's unrelated."

Thinking that her question might have been dodged, the tone of the girl's voice was mixed with irritation. Perhaps feeling a sense of urgency from her attitude, the men started to explain hurriedly.

"Wa-wait! If this isn't your target, then we're separate! If it's about something being stolen, it was probably that woman from earlier!"

"Y-yeah, that's right! That woman! She kicked the wall and escaped along the rooftops!"

"She went deeper into the alley! Beyond there! With the kind of speed she had, she must have crossed at least three streets by now!"

As the men continued their excuses, the girl's gaze locked onto Subaru's. Her eyes were questioning the truth of the men's words, and feeling unable to lie, Subaru found himself nodding involuntarily. Seeing this, the girl reluctantly nodded, as if she had to convince herself.

"It doesn't seem like a lie. So, the person who stole it is beyond the alley...? We'll need to hurry."

Turning her back towards them, the girl began to move out of the alley. The men expressed blatant relief, and Subaru cursed his own foolishness for missing a once-in-a-lifetime chance. However,

"That being said, I can't let this situation go."

Turning back towards them, the girl extended her palm—and from that palm, projectiles aimed at the men who were standing there. The speed of the projectiles was like that of a major league fastball, and the trajectory was a straight-up beanball. The sound of hard objects hitting flesh was heard three times, and the men screamed as they were blown away.

The projectiles that hit the men and fell with a high-pitched noise beside Subaru were chunks of ice. Fist-sized chunks of ice—these objects, which ignored both seasonal context and physical laws, scattered into mist as if dissolving into the atmosphere the moment they completed their role.

"—Magic."

The word that slipped from his mouth was the most appropriate one to describe the phenomenon he had just witnessed. He hadn’t heard any incantation, but the ice had clearly emerged from the girl's palm and had been shot out. Seeing the scene unfold right before his eyes, he realized something for the first time.

"It's not as fantastical as I thought... kind of a disappointing realism."

The light scattered, the energy burst out—those were the images he had in mind.

In reality, a crude block of ice appeared suddenly and disappeared just as abruptly. There was no emotion, no atmosphere.

"You've done it now, haven't you?"

Setting aside Subaru's impressions, the damage inflicted on the receiving end of that realistic blow was immense. Two men struggled to stand, their legs wobbling. One had passed out from a bad hit, but the remaining two were bleeding yet still standing. A man different from the one with the knife held a rusty machete-like weapon, ready for battle.

"Whether the opponent is a magician or not, who cares. We'll just surround them and kill them... Do you think you can win two against one, huh!"

The man with the knife yelled, holding his crooked nose with one hand. The girl showed no sign of fear at his curses.

"Well, two against one might be tough."

"Then, wouldn't two against two be fair conditions?"

A high-pitched, androgynous voice followed the girl's words, shaking the air in the alley. Surprised, Subaru's gaze wandered. A similar reaction was seen from the men. There was no one in sight at the alley's entrance or inside who could've spoken.

Showing off to the puzzled trio, the girl extended her left hand. 'It' was there, on her white fingertips turned upwards.

"Getting such expectant looks is a bit... embarrassing."

A small, upright-standing cat on her palm wiped its face shyly as it spoke. The fur was gray, the ears drooped, and it looked closest to an American Shorthair by Subaru's standards. Except for the peculiarly long tail, and the pink nose.

Seeing the strange cat, the man with the knife cried out, terror on his face.

"A spirit user!"

"Correct. If you back off now, we won't pursue. Decide immediately. We're in a hurry."

Grimacing at the girl's words, the men carried their unconscious companion and headed out of the alley. As they passed Subaru and the girl, they glanced back.

"Remember this, you little brat. Next time you're around here, you'd better be careful."

"If you do anything to this child, I'll curse you and your descendants forever. Though, in that case, you'd be your own descendant."

The threat was likely an act of absolute pride, but the response to it was light in tone yet fierce in nature.
Though the small cat looked nonchalant, the men turned even paler than before and ran off into the crowd in silence this time.
Once they disappeared, the only ones remaining in the alley were the girls and Subaru.

"—Don't move."

Ignoring his physical pain and trying to get up to thank them, Subaru heard the girl speak in a cold, emotionless voice.
Her eyes were full of caution. Though she understood that Subaru was not like the men, she didn't believe for a second that he was a good person.

That being said, her deep purple eyes were mesmerizingly beautiful.
Not accustomed to beautiful girls, Subaru blushed and inadvertently looked away.
Seeing Subaru's reaction, the girl smirked while keeping her wary gaze.

"You look away because you feel guilty. Seems like my eyes weren't deceiving me."

"Not really. That was just a normal reaction for a guy, nothing evil about it."

"Pack, be quiet. —You, you know who stole my insignia, don't you?"

Silencing the small cat, the girl threw a question at Subaru, wearing a smug face. However,

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no idea."

"Liar!?"

Her smug expression shattered, revealing a glimpse of her true face.
The previously stern demeanor was gone; she turned to the cat in her hand with a fluster,

"What should I do? Could it really have been a complete waste of time...?"

"Time is ticking away, you know. You might want to hurry. The culprit had an incredibly quick getaway, probably blessed by the wind."

"Why do you sound so indifferent, Pack?"

"It was you who said I should stay out of it. By the way, what about him?"

Remembering suddenly, the topic shifted back to Subaru, who gave a wry smile.
The girl finally seemed to realize his presence and condition. Subaru, putting on a brave front, got up and said,

"Just being saved is enough. You're in a hurry, right? You should get going quickly."

――Well, I can help if you'd like, young lady.
though he was planning to say that while brushing his hair back and flashing a smile,

"Huh?"

"Oh, you shouldn't force yourself to stand up-- ah, too late."

His head felt heavy, and his body swayed. The hand he extended for support failed to grasp the wall, grabbing at nothing but air.
As a result, he ended up giving the ground he had been lying on his second kiss.
He didn't brace himself at all. Subaru fell flat on his face, and the sharp pain pulled his consciousness away.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"It has nothing to do with me. It's not life-threatening, so I'll leave him be."

From the edge of his fading consciousness, he could faintly hear the conversation between the two (one person and one creature).
As expected of a fantasy world, its view on human kindness was held in stark contrast.

The negative thought that he might just be left in this back alley.
And the positive thought that it was fortunate to be alive even if he almost died.
Balancing these passive conclusions, Subaru's consciousness gradually, gradually began to fade away--

"Really?"

"Really!"

At the moment his awareness snapped off, he saw the red-faced, silver-haired girl looking back.

"Absolutely, absolutely, I won't help you!"

--Even when she's angry, she's incredibly cute, this fantasy world.

With that thought as his last, this time for sure, Subaru's consciousness sank into darkness.