Chapter 34 (34) The Cave Of The Blade And The Army of Orden: 01

The forest path stretched ahead like a thin brown scar cutting through endless green. Tall trees stood on both sides, their branches tangled high above, forming a loose ceiling that filtered the sunlight into soft patches on the ground. The air smelled damp, like soil that had been turned over recently. Leaves crunched underfoot, though not loudly. The place had a strange quiet to it, the kind that made even small sounds feel like they carried too far.

Subaru walked ahead, one hand lightly holding the edge of her turban, making sure it stayed in place. The cloth wrapped around her head had become something she checked every few minutes without thinking. The horns underneath were not something she wanted anyone to see.

Behind her, or rather beside her, since Übel had decided that personal space was more of a suggestion than a rule, walked the green-haired mage with a casual bounce in her steps.

"So," Übel said, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the path ahead, "have you ever been here before?"

Subaru did not even need to think about the answer. "No."

Her reply came out simple, flat, controlled. Inside her head, though, things were less simple.

Of course I have not been here before. I have not been anywhere before. Two days ago I was in my room. My room. With walls. And a bed. And normal food that did not feel like chewing on cardboard. She kept her eyes forward.

Übel hummed. "Me neither," she said. "First time."

She stepped over a fallen branch with ease, her boots making almost no sound. "But I have heard things about this place."

Subaru felt a small knot tighten in her stomach.

Of course you have. She did not look back. "What kind of things?"

Übel smiled. The kind of smile that always made Subaru feel like she had just stepped into a conversation she did not want to be part of.

"They say this area is famous," Übel said, stretching her arms lazily as she walked, "for having very large birds."

Subaru blinked. "Birds?"

"Very large birds," Übel repeated, as if that somehow clarified everything.

Subaru frowned slightly. Okay. Big birds. Sure. That sounds fine. Then her brain decided to add more details on its own. Claws. Beaks. Wings. Big. Very big. "How large?" Subaru asked slowly.

Übel tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Big enough to pick up a person, I guess."

Subaru stopped walking. "What?"

Übel turned to look at her, smiling like she had just said something mildly interesting instead of completely horrifying. "They are also known to be a bit," she paused, searching for the right word, "homicidal."

Subaru stared at her. There was a long pause.

"I am sorry," Subaru said carefully, "did you just say homicidal birds?"

"Yes."

Subaru blinked again. She tried to process that. Birds. That kill people. Casually. In a forest. That I am currently walking through. With no map. No plan. And a girl who smiles when talking about it. "Is that dangerous?" Subaru asked.

The moment the words left her mouth, she felt stupid. Of course it is dangerous. Why did I ask that like it is a maybe?

Übel looked at her like she had just asked if water was wet. "Of course it is dangerous," Übel said, then her smile widened, "but that is what makes it interesting. Plus, you're a monster yourself,”

Subaru's eye twitched slightly. Interesting. Right. Because almost getting eaten by a flying monster is a fun afternoon activity.

Übel stretched her neck a little, as if imagining something. "I wonder how they taste."

Subaru slowly turned her head to look at her. "What?"

"I said I wonder how they taste," Übel repeated casually. "If they attack us, I would like to try eating one."

Subaru stopped again. She stared. She searched Übel's face for any sign of humor. A twitch. A smirk. Anything. Nothing. She is serious. Of course she is. Why would she not be serious about eating giant murder birds? Subaru looked away, her expression flattening into something between disbelief and quiet suffering.

"Let us not mess with them," she said.

Her tone carried a strange mix of caution and exhaustion.

Übel shrugged. "I am not planning to," she said. "I am just saying, if they attack us."

Subaru narrowed her eyes slightly. There was something off about that sentence. "I am just saying." That sounded harmless. But coming from Übel, it felt like a lie that had not realized it was a lie yet.

Subaru resumed walking, her steps a bit quicker now. "I am serious," she added. "We avoid them. No fighting. No tasting."

"For a demon," Übel laughed softly, "you are no fun."

"It keeps me alive," Subaru replied.

"That is temporary," Übel said cheerfully. "What if someone kills you?"

Subaru froze mid-step. "Can you not say things like that?"

Übel tilted her head. "Why?"

Because I have died more times than I want to count and I do not want to hear about it like it is a joke. But she did not say that. Instead, she sighed. "Just do not."

Übel studied her for a moment, then smiled again. "Alright."

They walked in silence for a bit after that. The forest felt different now. Every rustle of leaves made Subaru's shoulders tense. Every shadow between the trees looked a little too deep. She found herself glancing upward more often than before. The branches above swayed gently with the wind. Nothing moved between them. No massive wings or giant silhouettes. Still, her grip on reality felt thin.

This world had already shown her enough to know that ridiculous meant nothing here. Flying. Dying. Coming back. Magic that made no sense. A girl who cuts things because she can imagine cutting them. And now birds that hunt people. Sure. Why not.

Subaru let out a quiet breath.

"Hey," Übel said suddenly.

Subaru did not look at her. "What?"

"Why are you so nervous?" Übel asked.

Subaru's steps slowed slightly. "That is a strange question."

"Not really," Übel said. "You are strong. You can create things with mana. You have that weird magic. But you act like everything might kill you."

Subaru's lips pressed into a thin line. Because everything does kill me. Again. And again. And again. She looked ahead. "I just do not feel very comfortable," she said. "I am a demon who is like a human, you know."

Übel hummed. "That sounds boring."

Boring. If only you knew. If only you knew how exciting dying feels when it keeps happening. "I will take boring," Subaru said.

Übel did not argue. She just watched her for a moment longer, then looked ahead again. The path curved slightly, leading them deeper into the forest. The air grew thicker, the trees closer together. Sunlight struggled to reach the ground now, leaving the trail in a soft gray shade. The quiet had changed too. It was not the peaceful kind anymore. It was the kind that made Subaru's skin prickle.

She slowed her pace and let her hand drop from her turban to her side. Her fingers curled loosely, ready to summon something if needed. Übel noticed but did not say anything. She just kept walking, her steps still light, her expression still calm.

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