Today had been the first time he had seen an elf. Today also marked the first time he saw another elf. If the first one seemed like a gaunt titan, the second one was so frighteningly beautiful, that it was almost alien. As if her expression had been carved by a skilled doll maker.

There was no doubt that she was the most beautiful monster he had ever seen. The way her hair had been weaved together to look like a beehive to the blue gem like eyes that stared down at him as if she knew everything about him.

“Subaru. Mercenary. Ex-Black Sun. Sent down here for sleeping with the Duke’s daughter.”

Apparently she did!

“Wow.” He forced a smile, scratching his cheek. “That’s so amazing. Is there anything you want Ms. Elf?”

“You weren’t the one that killed Oberon,” she concluded and her gaze went to Kagami. “It was the Prince.”

“He’s a bit dead.”

“But he will revive,” she said. “I see. I see. But he hasn’t revived yet. All my information tells me that he usually revives almost immediately after dying. I conclude that he used too much Aura, and it will take a little longer for him to revive.” She turned to him, her blue eyes blazing. “Might I take him?”

“Yeah, have at it.” He offered.

What could he do in the face of fighting another elf? He had been whooped hard by one, and that had been on his terms. After all, he had been a Black Sun. He was an assassin that attacked at a distance or when their guard was put down.

The elf bent down to retrieve him.

And Subaru Whistled.

His sound blasted the elf point blank.

Even that barely did anything to her.

She had caught his beam in her hand and slapped it aside. Her expression darkened, and her eyes glowed a cerulean blue.

“I see. An ambush. Did you perhaps not know what would happen if you failed?” The way she tilted her head felt childlike.

“I did.”

“I don’t understand. Did you have a close relationship with the Prince?”

“Huh? Are you kidding me? He was a total asshole. I remember working for him and he treated everyone like a servant. I looked at him wrong, and I’m forced to dig up a place for him to shit.” Subaru shook his head. “Such a petty man. The worst kind of prince.”

“Then, wouldn’t it be more preferable that you allow me to take him?”

He closed his eyes. “Unfortunately, he saved my life. Letting you take him might as well be a death sentence, even if you are a beautiful woman.”

“I understand.” She unsheathed her sword. It was a curved blade. “Then you must understand, that there are consequences for your actions. And that means death for you.”

Subaru put on his black mask giving her his worst smile. A habit that he had developed when he was forced to fight for his life. But this time, he had to fight for another…well their dead body.

He didn’t feel too confident in escaping, but he was sure going to fight for it.

The moment she moved, Subaru grabbed Kagami and used him as a meat shield. The elf widened her eyes in apparent surprise as her sword carved through Kagami.

Subaru peeked from behind Kagami’s shoulder, and Whistled. The blast hit the elf straight in the chest and she flew a few feet away.

That had been enough for Subaru. He tossed the body over his shoulder and made a mad dash in the other direction. He hummed a melody under his breath, making it surround him like a bubble. It took her only a few seconds to recover and close the distance between them. Her voice rung into his ears.

“That was mean of you to do. Your friend wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“He’s dead right now. He won’t mind at all.”

Her blade slipped across the bubble, shaving off the top part of his shield. Subaru turned and blasted another Whistle.

The elf had been prepared, slicing his beam in two.

“You got to be kidding me!” Subaru yelled. “Monster!”

“A sound bubble.” The elf mused. “You’re full of surprises, surviving like a cockroach.”

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“I don’t like that comparison!”

Gathering his Aura for another Whistle, Subaru readied himself for a long battle.

Then his Gate shut closed, and the Aura he gathered fizzled out along with his body. He flopped on the ground, and Kagami tumbled a few feet away from him, hitting a rock and cracking open his head.

He sure hoped that he would revive, because Subaru sure wasn’t able to do that. The elf stood over him, cocking her head as she looked at him.

“You know, I feel that you’re not very good friends.”

“We’re not friends,” Subaru said, he was out of breath. “But he saved my life, and at the very least, I’d like to return the gesture.”

The elf digested his words and nodded in agreement.

“This is a surprise to me. I was certain that ninety percent of you would abandon your friends when the going gets tough as they say. You were included in that assessment. However, I have to change my assessment of you.”

“What a change.” Subaru rose a weak fist. “So, does that mean you’ll let me live?”

“No.”

As her blade came down, a flash of light hit the elf.

When he could open his eyes, he saw that the open field of grass was ablaze with fire and there stood another mysterious woman wearing a white mask and robe of black and white. She tapped her shoulder with her glowing white sword and met his eyes through the mask’s eye slits and then looked to Kagami.

The robe had the symbol of the Black Sun and Subaru knew that their would be savior would be nothing but bad news for them.

“I’m going to need that Prince right there. Please kindly step aside.”

“And if I say no?” He asked the newcomer that, wishing he could see what expression she was making under that mask.

She answered him, by pointing her sword at him. The tip just close enough for his nose to prick against it.

“I have no interest in killing you. Leave the body, and I’ll let you live. I just want the Prince. Easy-peasy right?”

That was a good deal. He had already gotten the Teleport Token, there was no reason to stay anymore. But, he couldn’t help himself, and turned his gaze to the one thing stopping him from taking that deal.

“And what will you do to him?” He nodded to Kagami. He was still dead, blood dripped from his head.

“I can’t say.” He could hear the strain behind her voice.

And he knew the answer.

“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

He forced a laugh and looked for a way to accept the deal.

“Can you even do that? I haven’t seen him revive, but he can revive from this! You can’t kill him can you…”

He was deluding himself. He couldn’t explain the feeling, but he felt that the woman in front of him, could definitely ‘kill’ him.

In the middle of the inferno wasteland the Black Sun woman caused, he braved her with a smile under his own mask.

“I cannot abandon him.”

To which, she returned to him a respectful nod.

“I understand that. You’re a good man, but if you stand in my way, I will kill you too.”

Aura erupted drawing both of their attention to it. Just like the first elf, the second one had a blue core in its chest. The elf looked in tatters from her earlier attack. His eyes widened as he saw the metal and wood underneath her skin. And like the woman had said earlier, the elf was a doll.

“Overdrive Mode Activated,” the doll said and her Aura spiked.

The woman gave a sigh, shaking her head in annoyance. “Stay here.” She pointed at him. “And if you try to run-”

He scrambled taking Kagami under his arm and making a run for it.

The woman swore under her breath, but she knew she had to deal with the elf first.

He could hear the explosions from their battle behind him as he dashed towards the forest. As long as he made it there, he could hide and recover.

Something heavy struck him on the back and he tumbled across the dry dirt. Kagami flew somewhere ahead of him. Subaru pushed himself up, and saw that the elf was in tatters, her core cracked, the blue glow in her eyes flickered. The Black Sun woman landed right in front of him.

And she kicked him in the chin. His vision shook between blackness and reality. He was still conscious, but the pain made him wish he wasn’t. The woman walked towards Kagami, her back turned towards him. He reached for his pouch taking out a Key.

He bit into it, and his Gate flew open.

He knew he was overdoing it today, but this might be his only chance.

Subaru Whistled.

As if she had a third eye on her back, the woman, with her back still turned to him used her blade’s face to deflect it back at him. The beam hummed past his right ear and blew a chunk of the stone wall behind him. Cold sweat dripped down his face.

This woman was different. The chasm between her and him were so far apart, it could have been the depth of the Wishing Well.

She stopped, and looked over her shoulder at him.

“I don’t want any unnecessary killings. Please, stop.”

His brain felt like it was melting. How could he beat this woman? Was there anyone that could even beat her? Maybe the Eternal Queen, but this woman was a true monster.

He…didn’t know what to do.

“Please, don’t kill him!” His voice croaked. She stopped in place. “Please. I get it, he was an asshole, he did terrible things. He’s different now. Like a different person. No doubt from brain damage.”

“You know him right? Prince Cedar Oswell. I’ll let you know but the Oracle foretold that the Prince would destroy this world.” She hovered over the Prince, pressing her white blade against his chest.

“Destroy this world?” Honestly, he could see it if it had been Cedar Oswell, but the man in front of him had two gates. He was sure that it housed another soul, and the one he saw, didn’t feel malicious at all. Just stupid. As he opened his mouth to say that, his throat seized up, and he felt a burning sensation come from the pits of his stomach. He looked at his hand, seeing the Sun Mark.

The curse prevented him from saying anything.

“Please. Don’t do it.” He managed to say.

“I’m sorry.” From the sound of her voice, he knew that she meant that genuinely. “But I must kill this man. Not for this world, but for my own selfish goal. You can hate me.”

Her form warped and she cut the air. Her form returned to normal. She looked over to the forest. Three elves stepped into the clearing.

“Wow, look at that. Even Ariel is down. You think that Master was talking about her?”

“No, no. She’s definitely one of the intruders. Not that burst of Aura we felt earlier.” The elf answered him and turned to the Black Sun woman. “Hey! You can’t be killing the offerings! It ruins the whole ritual!”

“How mad! Did you see that, she sliced my attack like it was butter! She’s real bad news!” The third elf laughed.

“This is crazy.” Subaru felt blood drain from his face. “What next? A demon?”

Something fell from the sky and a giant red skinned ogre stepped out from the cloud of dirt. A giant axe in its hand.

A literal demon did come next.