Re:Zero-Starting Life as the Strongest Father in Another World

2

The man, who seemed to be in his late twenties, was walking through the streets of the town, holding the hand of a young girl. The girl looked to be around 7 years old, with pink hair cascading down to her shoulders and jewel-like orange eyes. The man's hair was a messy black, tall in stature with a muscular build that wasn't overly exaggerated but well-defined. Like the girl, he also had orange eyes, yet his held a mysterious glint.

This duo was Subaru and his daughter, Elara. They had joined the vibrant atmosphere of the festival, enjoying all the activities together. Subaru wanted Elara to savor every moment of the festival, and the time spent together during these festivities was invaluable to him.

The eager expression on Elara's lips brought forth a silent but heartfelt smile from Subaru. Her joy was precious to him.

"We had so much fun, didn't we?" Subaru continued, observing the excitement in Elara's eyes. "Let's head back home and take some rest; maybe later we can do more things together."

Elara's expression saddened a bit. "But dad, a little more candy..." she whined.

Subaru understood her desire but had to insist to instill healthy habits. "I know, sweetheart, but as I've told you before, moderation is key. It's not the best for your teeth and health to have more candy right now."

Seeing his daughter's disappointment, Subaru wanted to bring more happiness to her. "Perhaps when we get back home, I could read you a nice story or we could play a new game together. How about that?" he suggested, trying to ease Elara's sadness.

His daughter paused for a moment and then smiled faintly. "Okay, daddy, maybe we can play a game," she replied warmly to her father's suggestion.

A look of joy appeared on Subaru's face. What mattered most to him was Elara's happiness, and sometimes, it required small sacrifices.

As they proceeded, a Knight with purple hair appeared, wielding a sword and seemingly ready to attack. "Surrender, you're surrounded," he declared firmly.

Subaru hesitated for a moment, then swiftly embraced Elara. The little girl was trembling, holding tightly onto her father. "Dad, I'm scared," she said in a worried tone.

"Don't be," he murmured, carefully modulating his tone to ease her fear. "After all, they're all weak," he said confidently and in a swift motion, leaped, clearing rooftops to escape, holding Elara tightly.

Subaru's priority was protecting his daughter. He swiftly acted to move her away from danger, using his own strength. He was ready to risk everything for Elara's safety and was determined to do whatever it took to protect her.

Subaru had pushed himself to strike a balance between Elara's safety and his own combat abilities. He wasn't afraid to fight the Knights; after all, they were all weak compared to him, and he was confident he could handle them. However, he had to find a balance between fighting and protecting Elara.

Choosing to fight while simultaneously protecting Elara was risky. While he could deal with the Knights using his strength and abilities, he didn't want to take any risks when it came to Elara's safety. For him, Elara's well-being came first.

Opting to prioritize Elara's safety over fighting, he chose to swiftly move away from the danger as much as possible. The safest and most appropriate course for him was to protect Elara and keep her away from harm.

Another Knight appeared in front of their home. This Knight had red hair and azure eyes, and seeing her triggered a sense of familiarity in Subaru. "Rossweisse," Subaru murmured.

Suddenly, a silver-haired woman emerged from the house. Subaru handed Elara to her and Rossweisse quickly fled into the forest.

Subaru stood face to face with the Knight. "It's been a while, Reinhard," he said, his voice calm yet filled with a distinct power.

Reinhard continued calmly, "Subaru, if you surrender--" But his sentence was abruptly cut off by Subaru. "Surrender, and what? I'll be executed, and who knows what they'll do to my daughter. I don't trust you, let alone serving those scums. I don't trust them," he said, assuming a fighting stance and charging his fists with mana.

Subaru's stance was resolute and brave. He might be facing Reinhard, but what mattered most to him was Elara's safety and protection. Standing prepared in a fighting stance, he was ready to defend himself and his daughter.

Subaru raised his index and middle fingers. "Freeze Blue!" he exclaimed. A blue light orb formed at his fingertips, speeding towards Reinhard.

Reinhard quickly tried to protect himself using his sword but Subaru appeared right in front of him, delivering a powerful punch to his abdomen. Reinhard was thrown back, but quickly retaliated, charging his sword with mana.

The clash between the two warriors presented an impressive scene. The conflict between Reinhard's sword strikes and Subaru's powerful magic created a battle filled with shockwaves and bright lights. It was so intense that it could hurt the eyes and ears.

As the sudden events unfolded, Subaru was preparing his next move when a small blue crystal appeared in front of him. "Rossweisse's Crystal!" he shouted. Things were going south; Elara and Rossweisse might have been harmed.

Joining his hands, he said, "Freeze Blue!" Instantly, a blue light orb appeared. "Freeze Red!" a second red orb emerged. The two orbs neared each other, rapidly spinning, and eventually merged into a purple light orb. "Freeze Purple!" he yelled, sending the orb swiftly towards Reinhard, creating a massive explosion upon impact.

After the explosion, Subaru immediately ran towards Rossweisse. Elara was sobbing, clinging to Rossweisse's fallen body; a small bright horn appeared on her forehead, and Rossweisse's body had some parts oozing a purplish liquid.

As Subaru reached them, Elara ran towards him, crying. Subaru quickly embraced her and started running. "Dad, dad, Rose sister!" Elara cried out.

Subaru assured her, "Don't worry, she'll be back with us soon," but there was a sense of unease within him. The amount of mana in the air was increasing.

From the distant hills, lights filled with magic spheres were appearing, heading straight towards them. "Void Step!" Subaru yelled but the spell didn't work. "What's happening?" Someone was using a magic circle to disrupt his spell.

He could protect himself, but Elara needed protection. Elara, embracing her father, gathered all her magical strength and created an earth shield around them. Subaru held onto his daughter tightly, trying to shield her from the effects of the magical spheres.

Lethal threats were closing in on them, and the weakening shield heightened Subaru's sense of hopeless concern. Elara's fear was manifested through her trembling eyes and body. His paternal instinct, coupled with efforts to reassure her, intensified the feeling of helplessness.

"Don't worry, don't worry," he said, trying to hide the tremor in his voice. "Dad will

protect you from the scary things." But the growing despair inside him was overpowering. The power he had was limited to a weakening shield, and the dimensions of the impending danger were growing.

Subaru's pain was in his own powerlessness and his daughter's vulnerability. His desire to protect himself and his daughter was overshadowed by the scale of the danger surrounding them. An internal sense of helplessness and despondency wrestled with the weight of Elara's eyes.

Subaru, experiencing a moment filled with fear and hopelessness, felt the shield reaching its breaking point. Desperately, he thought, "Why, why, why isn't it working?" He didn't seek revenge, nor did he desire gold or any other wealth. He only wanted Elara to be happy. So, why couldn't he succeed?

He was lost in thought, "That's right, I have too many enemies," he thought. People hated him, and that's why he couldn't find peace. The shield broke, and Subaru didn't attempt to protect himself; the last thing he heard was Elara's screams.

When he opened his eyes, they were in a sunny town square. He looked around in surprise and felt someone's hand being pulled away. Elara was looking at him with a puzzled expression. "Dad, where are we?" she asked.

Natsuki Subaru came back from the dead again, but this time he wasn't alone. Elara was with him. He experienced the shock of going back to the beginning with a confused and skeptical expression on his face.