Yui’s hopes had disintegrated when she and Rob crossed into the Kingdom of Slaethia. Everywhere they turned, suspicious eyes met theirs, swiftly replaced by smiles that were too warm, too quick—thin veils over the subtly offered nooses. Neither dared to test the strength of those ropes. Soon enough, they were conscripted, forced to wield weapons for a kingdom that was never theirs, in a reality far too alien and mystical.

Back in the very place she had fled, Yui found herself confronting figures she once called allies and enemies alike. Though she had never been fond of the vampires, a few friends from Earth were among them. Yet, her desire to distance herself from war and conflict remained; more than anything, she yearned to return home, but even that small solace was denied.

Worse still, Yui couldn’t bear the thought of laying eyes on Heather and, even worse, facing the succubus who had stolen the woman she had so deeply fallen in love with. It wasn’t fair! It wasn’t right! Heartbreaking memories welled up, causing her eyes to water. Yui’s new body, that of a high elf akin to those from the fantasy stories she once cherished, made her stunningly beautiful. Yet, she felt utterly outmatched by a demon epitomizing lust. Of course, she had lost Heather, and the pain was beyond measure.

Yui knew her infatuation with Heather was unhealthy, more obsession than true love. Yet in a realm where she had lost everything—her family, her entire world—that dark elf woman had shone like a beacon in the darkness of her new reality. However, failing to be that beacon, in return, broke what little remained of her shattered spirit. She ran instead of accepting reality and moving on as she should have. Now, she was forced to confront that regrettable decision here and now.

“EZAD!” a loud shout echoed, snapping Yui’s gaze down the cobblestone street.

There, an elven woman glistened in the mana storm that enveloped everything. Her armor, a striking mix of glistening silver with golden trim, shimmered in harmony with her golden hair, reflecting the metallic hues of her attire. In her hand, she held a golden sword that appeared more as a manifestation of divine magic than a metal weapon, yet her presence commanded the awe and fear reminiscent of an avenging angel.

Pulling her gaze away from that divine sight, Yui noticed Rob was just as slack-jawed, though now in his elven form. It was still odd to see him not as the brute of a half-orc he once was, but as a thin wood elf, slightly shorter than herself. Yet, this observation flashed through her mind in milliseconds as her attention shifted to the man standing between them, General Anlyth. His bulky body, reminiscent of a powerlifter and clad in barbarian-like attire that revealed his obsidian skin, drew her focus. But it was his bald head and face, paling as he gaped at the angelic warrior before them, that sent a chill through Yui—a disturbing sight indeed, a scornful woman with murder in her eyes.

The shout caused a momentary lull in the fighting, but it was brief. Soon enough, swords clashed, and magic was flung, plunging the city streets back into chaos. This turmoil was only intensified by the mana storm still raging around them—though it had dwindled somewhat before the magical barrier had evaporated, it was far from over. The storm’s ferocity had lessened, akin to a hurricane being downgraded to a tropical storm, yet its ominous presence was still palpable. However, Yui had never felt more powerful, and from the sidelong glances she exchanged with Rob, she could tell it was the same for him. Yet, this surge in power seemed unique to them alone, a fact she found increasingly peculiar as she observed the others around her.

Rob leaned toward the General as if to share a secret and muttered, “Who’s she?”

“My ex-wife,” he grumbled back.

Yui blinked a few times as she glanced between the bald man and the angelic woman. But it was Rob who first broke the silence, uttering two simple words, “Well… Shiiiiit.”

The angelic figure dropped her sword while maintaining a rigid posture, as if looking down upon the General. With slow, deliberate steps, she began making her way down the cobblestone street toward them. The battle raged all around her, yet not a single spell or sword struck her; everyone fighting seemed to part out of her way, unwilling to draw her wrath as they slew one another.

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“Deal with her,” General Anlyth spat out, words like venom on his tongue.

Rob seemed hesitant, his head swiveling between the vengeful angel, the General, and Yui, unsure of what to do. However, it was Yui who made the final decision. With a long sigh and a shake of her head, she locked eyes with Rob and uttered, “Not our fight.” Then, she turned and walked toward a nearby stone bench as the General sputtered angrily. As for Rob, his shoulders slumped in relief as he followed Yui.

“W-Where are you two going? Get back here! That’s an order! I command you, you useless, godless champions, get back here!” General Ezad Anlyth roared to no avail.

Yui and Rob had already made their choice, contentedly sitting down on the stone bench to watch the chaos unfold throughout the city. Meanwhile, Vanya Anlyth slowly approached, her presence adding another layer to the unfolding drama that the two wanted nothing to do with. In her heart, Yui never wanted to join Slaethia against those from Earth; she was simply seeking an escape from her broken heart. As for Rob, it wasn’t so much about choosing sides; he simply didn’t want to fight anymore, hoping instead to find a simpler life.

Leaning in toward Rob, Yui made the most important comment she could think of at that moment. “I could really go for some popcorn right about now... Wait, do they even have corn here?” she mused, scratching her chin thoughtfully as she tried to recall seeing corn since arriving in this world, but nothing came to mind.

“I’ve seen a tomato-like plant that grows on cobs; they reminded me of corn, though they tasted more like a fruit,” Rob answered, his eyes nervously flitting between the angelic woman and the now irate General.

“Tomatoes are a fruit,” Yui corrected.

Rob pulled his gaze from the two figures to look at Yui in disbelief. “They’re a vegetable,” he stated with all the certainty he possessed.

However, Yui shook her head in response. “Nope, they’re a fruit.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“Huh,” Rob murmured, his attention only half on the conversation—until a sword sliced through the air towards him.

Yui’s reflexes snapped into action; she shoved Rob off the bench, sending him tumbling onto the cobblestone with a harsh thud. Simultaneously, the sword thudded into the wall, precisely where Rob’s neck had been milliseconds earlier. With a swift twist of her body, Yui thrust her fist straight toward the groin of their attacker. The sudden blow sent him crashing down to his knees, gasping for air, as the sword remained lodged in the wall.

“What the hell,” the attacker groaned, cupping his throbbing testicles.

“Jason?” Yui hissed in anger. “What the hell! You almost took Rob’s head off,” she spat out.

“You punch my nuts,” Jason cried, collapsing onto his side in the fetal position. “Did you use a skill with that punch?” he groaned.

Rob pulled himself up, only to pause as he stared at Jason. After a moment, he uttered, “Do you have a hickey on your neck?”

“And on my cock, you want to see?” Jason cursed as he tried to kick at Rob, but winced in pain from the attempt.

Yui sighed and shook her head. “I can see you haven’t changed. Now, why did you attack us?”

“You betrayed us and joined those self-righteous jerks,” Jason grumbled, still cradling his groin with both hands while curled in the fetal position.

“We didn’t betray anyone,” Yui retorted, still shaking her head. “We haven’t attacked or taken any sides. In fact, we want nothing to do with the fighting. It’s not our world—or moon—or our reality; we have no desire to be anyone’s puppets. So, I fail to see how that makes us traitors,” she explained, causing Jason to pause and reflect on her words. “These assholes caught us when we tried to sneak into their kingdom, then dragged us along thinking we would be willing to fight on their behalf.”

“So you didn’t betray us, or reveal all our secrets to the enemy?” Jason paused in thought.

Rob scratched the back of his head as he glanced around. “Well, I wouldn’t say we spilled all the secrets—” His words were cut short by Jason’s sharp glance, prompting Rob to quickly add, “It’s not like they didn’t already know everything, and we didn’t really know much anyway.”

“Will you two stop? I’d really like to watch how this plays out between these two,” Yui gestured toward Vanya Anlyth and Ezad Anlyth. “It’s nice to watch someone else’s lovers quarrel… Honestly, now that I think about it, these are the only two married couples I’ve seen since coming to this realm. What about you two?”

Jason groaned as he propped himself up to glance at the two figures about to clash. “Everyone in this realm is immortal, and having kids is beyond rare, so there isn’t much need for marriage. Heck, they really don’t have any issues with same-sex relationships or poly, seeing as—you know, no kids and immortality. Heck, they don’t even have to worry about diseases with healing magic, so everyone’s pretty open with sex. I’d say old-fashioned heterosexual marriages are rather rare, and are often more of a formal arrangement than about love or the like,” Jason stated, surprising both Yui and Rob that out of anyone with something intelligent to say on the topic, it was Jason.

“Huh,” Yui began, pausing as she squinted at a little black snowflake floating down, about as big as the tip of her thumb. As she stared at it, she noticed it looked more like a unicorn with octopus-like tentacles. “What the hell is that?”