Returning to the space constructed by Subaru's thoughts, Tsukasa suddenly came to a halt.
The pitch-black space that had originally occupied the corner was now gone without a trace. He focused his mind, his Six Eyes sweeping through every corner, but that abnormal energy fluctuation had completely vanished as if it had evaporated.
'Is it hiding because it sensed the presence of the system, or did it notice me?'
Countless conjectures surged in his mind, ultimately turning into a helpless sigh.
At this moment, he had neither Reverse Cursed Technique nor could he manifest Unlimited Void with its guaranteed-hit and instant-kill effects. Facing such an unknown existence, he was temporarily at his wit's end.
The moment he stepped out of the consciousness space with his doubts, Subaru's eyelashes flickered in the alleyway, and she slowly opened her eyes.
The feeling of waking up from a deep slumber was like suddenly lifting one's face from deep water, carrying a trance-like sensation of breaking free from restraints.
This was Subaru's first feeling as she woke up drenched in sweat.
As soon as she opened her eyes, the intense sunlight stung her pupils, and she instinctively raised her hand to rub her eyes.
Fortunately, she was the type who could immediately regain her spirit once awake, and her sleepiness vanished instantly.
"Oh! You're awake."
The voice came from above—precisely where she was currently resting her head, which was Puck's lap.
At this moment, Subaru finally realized she was lying on an unusually soft 'cushion,' and her previously scratched arm was now perfectly intact, without a single trace left behind.
Seeing her wake up, the silver-haired girl sitting nearby quickly spoke in a soft voice, "You're awake? That's wonderful. But you can't move around yet. Although the surface wounds are healed, your physical exhaustion won't recover that quickly."
That caring tone immediately reminded Subaru of her experience before losing consciousness.
This made her suddenly think of Tsukasa, and she hastily leapt up from Puck's lap, looking around nervously. This sudden movement caused the silver-haired girl to show a worried expression again.
Just then—
"If you're looking for me, since I can't go too far from you, I got bored and went back to stay in your mind for a bit."
Hearing Tsukasa's familiar voice again, Subaru's heart finally settled. Although they hadn't known each other long, in this strange different world, he had already become her only companion.
She couldn't help but complain in a small voice, but Subaru's eyes were full of joy, "Sorry for making you bored."
Tsukasa selectively ignored this teasing and instead asked, "How do you feel? What did you gain from this actual combat?"
The corners of Subaru's lips curled up unconsciously, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "It feels... absolutely great."
'This is good.'
Tsukasa had originally worried that Subaru might develop psychological trauma after her first life-and-death struggle. Now it seemed he had overthought it.
At this moment, the scene before him was rather peculiar—a giant cat and a silver-haired girl were both tilting their heads in unison, watching the self-muttering Subaru with confusion. Their expressions looked as if they suspected she might have injured her brain just now.
Having confirmed that Tsukasa was still by her side, Subaru finally came to her senses.
Looking at the massive cat and the beautiful silver-haired girl, she immediately understood that they had lent a helping hand while she was unconscious.
Thus, she hurriedly bowed in thanks. "I'm so sorry, not only did you save me, but I also troubled you to look after me until I woke up."
Hearing this, the silver-haired girl tilted her head and gave Subaru a gentle smile as she replied, "You've misunderstood. Puck and I stayed because we have something to ask you. After all, the words of those three thugs can't be trusted. We wanted to hear your side of the story, that's all."
Despite her repeated emphasis that this was only for the purpose of verifying information, her naturally flowing tone of concern and warm aura made Subaru clearly feel that this was obviously a gentle person who didn't say what she meant.
Her mouth said, 'I wouldn't have helped you if it weren't for this,' but her actions had already explained everything.
"If it's about the missing item, I'm sorry, I really don't know where it is." Subaru answered the girl's question sincerely.
The silver-haired girl didn't show much disappointment. Instead, she comforted her, "I see, then it can't be helped. Your injuries should be fully healed now. Also, with Puck's stern warning, those people shouldn't dare to trouble you again."
"However, walking into a dark alley alone is really dangerous... Ah! This isn't because I'm worried about you, it's just a friendly reminder."
Once again, as if afraid of being misunderstood, she hastily added, "Since you've told me you don't know, this information has already offset the debt of healing you. So, you don't owe me anything anymore."
Listening to her rapid-fire explanations, Tsukasa, floating beside Subaru, couldn't help but let out a light chuckle. "Even though she's in a hurry to find her things, she still stepped in to help someone in need. To keep you from feeling guilty, she even came up with such a clumsy excuse. This kind of personality is truly a first for me."
These words hit right at the heart of Subaru's thoughts. This kindness had already surpassed simple 'clumsiness' and reached a point that was even heart-wrenching.
The silver-haired girl could have blamed her or simply left, but she chose to lend a helping hand without any complaints.
After saying those words, the girl turned around with Puck, which had shrunk back down, and headed toward the alley entrance.
Watching her receding back, Subaru struggled internally. She really wanted to chase after her to help, but thinking of her penniless predicament and the vast amount of time finding the lost item might take, her footsteps couldn't help but hesitate.
"If you want to help, then go." Tsukasa said.
"But..."
"Helping her is both returning the favor and an opportunity to understand this world. If you really can help her find the item, you might even land a job—judging by her aura, she's at least of noble birth."
Tsukasa's words caused starlight to instantly light up in Subaru's eyes.
Watching the girl reignite her fighting spirit, Tsukasa pulled up his blindfold and reminded her, "If you don't chase after her now, you really won't be able to find her."
However, Subaru didn't immediately rush to the alley entrance. She turned around and flashed a brilliant smile at Tsukasa in the air. "Thank you, Tsukasa."