In the unforgiving cold night, Phoebe managed to make her way back to the cave where it all started. However she didn’t even need to take a step inside to feel something was wrong. The stench of death reached her nose and she instinctively recoiled back to avoid breathing the foul odor.

‘Something definitely isn’t right.’ She grabbed a piece of cloth and tied around her nose and mouth to serve as a makeshift mask. ‘It must be here.’

She took off her snowshoes and slowly made her way inside, she didn’t even bother taking out her weapons because she knew it would be pointless to attack and there was any point in time she had to do so, she would’ve been dead anyway.

Her steps were light, making nary a sound as she went deeper into the cave through the familiar long hall of stone, though she noticed there were now groves along the wall and ceiling as if the stone was carved with metal. As she went further in the stronger the stench became, even passing through the mask she wore which made her feel nauseous.

“Ngh…”

She forced herself to keep breathing through her nose and after a while she was managing to mostly ignore the smell.

‘I hope Leona is right.’

She thought while carefully approaching the entrance to the next room. After reaching the very edge of the opening she slowly peeked over the ground level in order to see deeper inside the room. She had to do her best to not let a gasp out as she saw the bandit hideout being turned into a horrifying slaughterhouse, mangled bodies left and right, some even hanging from the ceiling with darkened rotten blood dripping from the extremities, bones, sinew, flesh were all scattered around and the previously sparkling coins and treasure were all but a mess of red.

“Heavens above…”

In the middle of all the carnage there was the death angel in the center of the room munching down countless bodies within its terrible maw as the transfigured scientist sat on top of a coin mount holding a headless torso as if it was a mug while drinking the blood from within.

‘I should get out of here quick.’

After confirming her quarry Phoebe was about to make her way back when she felt a sharp cold breeze hit her back and shortly after one of the death angel’s snake heads to raise up and lick the air a few times.

A terrible chill went down her spine and she followed her instincts to run as she turned around and made a mad dash towards the exit. As soon as she turned the corner of the room near the entrance she felt the ground tremble, she was sure she wasn’t seen but her guts were telling her to keep moving and so she did without hesitation, upon exiting the cave she ignored the snowshoes and began to run as fast as she could. She was already about five steps away from the cave when she suddenly felt a presence behind her and the moment she turned around the only thing she was able to see was a snake maw before it bit her right on the head.

“Nnngh!”

Her instinct was to draw both daggers and try to puncture through the death angel’s arm except neither of the blades were able to break through the hardened scales of its body. Fortunately for her the sharp fangs closed around her cranium instead of crushing it to a pulp, however despite Phoebe’s best attempts to struggle free of the beast’s grasp it was starting to lift her off the ground by holding her head in place.

“Well, well… what do we have here… if I remember correctly, you’re the high elf I heard from Oliver’s reports.” She recognized that voice, it was Jakob just somewhere behind the death angel as she could tell by the distance of his voice. “Came here to scout huh? It is truly unfortunate that you came alone, I was in need of more nutritional nourishment.”

“Gh… you truly are despicable, using your own countrymen for your ends.”

“Don’t make me laugh girl, aren’t you the same? Why would a high elf band together with the human riff raff? Wasn’t your kind superior in every sense of the world? You must have some sort of ulterior motive for doing so.” He mocked her. “Not that it matters now. You’ll serve just as another meal and no one is coming to save you.”

“I won’t die in a place like this!”

She quickly reached for her back pocket and pulled a glass vial filled with transparent liquid. In one smooth motion she tossed it down the throat of the snake head and with her left hand she smashed the glass vial from outside with the dagger’s pommel. It didn’t even take more than a second for the death angel to release her while flailing in pain.

Upon falling on her back against the snow she rolled backwards and tossed another vial towards the scientist whilst throwing the dagger shortly after. The vial broke midair as it was hit by the dagger and splashed the transparent liquid on Jakob.

“What the?!” He shielded himself but once the liquid was on his arm it started to sizzle making him drop the torso he was carrying. “Argh! You little!”

Acid. It was one of the most dangerous chemicals she carried with her and it was reserved only for a few rare occasions, but since her life was on the line she couldn’t afford to be stingy with supplies that could save her life.

Without waiting another second she began to run through the snow towards the forest, where she could have a better chance at getting away.

‘Where do I go? Are they still far away?’ Her mind was rushing in order to formulate a plan to lose them. ‘I have to go up if I want to leave no trail.’

Upon reaching one of the trees she quickly climbed up and began to traverse the pine forest from treetop to treetop. After a few minutes she stopped on a branch to catch her breath.

“I need… to contact them…” She began to focus her mind hoping that it would reach Oliver however before she could think about anything an object violently hit her in the back, breaking the branch she was standing on and sending her a few meters forward where she hit her head against a tree and fell on the forest floor. “Ack!”

Her back felt like it was on fire. A second later a mangled body fell from the tree, it was the same headless torso Jakob was using to drink blood from.

“You must be the most annoying test subject I had to deal with.” His voice echoed in the distance as both Phoebe’s vision and hearing was impaired. “But they do say a troublesome prey is a good meal after a tiresome hunt. We’ll see if that holds true, dear high elf.”

The last thing she felt was something grab her left ankle and drag her through the ground as her consciousness faded away.

“What do you mean you can’t contact her?!”

Back in the capital, Leona slammed the table in front of Oliver who had both his hands and feet shackled with thick steel manacles, he was inside the barracks in a room made to interrogate prisoners, with only the tactician and Olivia present. Leona was obviously in a state of panic after the elf supposedly tried to speak with Phoebe through telepathy and wasn’t able to.

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“I- I don’t know. She should be within my range, unless…”

“Unless?!”

“Unless she’s unconscious.”

She put her hands on each side of her head. Frustration was getting the better of her. That’s where Olivia stepped in.

“Listen Oliver, you’ve lost everything, status, name, honor, even the friendship of the person you loved. If you deprive anyone else of their friend or family I swear on my name you’ll rue the day you chose this path for yourself.”

“I am telling you the truth.” He looked to the center of the table, his head hanging low. “All I wanted was for Athena to be safe from that madman, I didn’t wish for any of this.”

“But you helped him nonetheless.” The captain took a deep breath before continuing. “I’ve heard enough. Leona, you should prepare your group. Go to that cave as fast as you can, don’t let your friend become just another subject for that despicable man.”

“I… I will, excuse me.”

Upon exiting the room, Leona quickly made her way back to the inn, almost everyone was inside, Krieg, Athena, Arthur, Henry, Jill, Hank, Minerva, Elizabeth were all waiting for good news for a change. Once she arrived through the front door the excitement on everyone’s faces soon disappeared at the sight of the tactician’s pale complexion.

“What’s wrong Leo?” Athena was the first to question. “Did Phoebe not find him there?”

“No, quite on the contrary, I’m sure he’s there now.”

“Then why the long face? Shouldn’t we be preparing to go and finish this once and for all?”

“It’s because… he… he did something to her.”

The inventor’s eyes widened.

“No…”

Elizabeth, who was leaning against the far wall sighed as she stepped forward.

“Then all the more reason to hurry. Let’s meet by the front gate in half an hour, I’ll see you there.”

The assassin exited the inn. Minerva turned towards where Leona was.

“My mother isn’t the best with words, I apologize.” She held both hands near her chest. “Know that I’ll be praying with all my heart for you and your comrades Lady Leona.”

“Thank you for your kind words Minerva.”

Leona forced herself to smile despite the grim situation. Timidly, Arthur raised his hand which prompted everyone to look at the usually quiet young man.

“I’d like to help.”

The comment made Athena lightly close her hands into fists.

“Art…”

“Sister, you yourself have seen how much destruction that man has caused. You originally made that weapon to fight against death angels, just give me a chance.”

“I…” Her head hung low. “I can’t possibly let you bear that burden again.”

“I- I won’t let myself become someone who hides behind others, not this time!”

He raised his voice as he stood up from where he sat which was surprising but it still didn’t faze Athena who looked him straight in the eyes.

“Art, you’re not in shape to-”

“Athena, you heard him the first time.” Lawrence was glancing at her with a serious look on his face. “If he is confident he’ll be able to help, you should let him do it.”

“But even so, do you expect me to send my brother to his death sentence?”

Seeing how there was an impasse and neither side budged, the tactician slammed the table in front of her.

“Listen to what I have to say.” Leona took a deep breath as she looked at each of everyone’s faces. “The battle that is about to take place will decide not only the future of this kingdom but for the world as well.” She then turned towards Athena. “I’m sure you have your reasons to deny your brother’s help but can you at least explain why?”

The inventor nodded.

“Ever since Lawrence started the treatment with the warm drinks his condition has been improving, the problem itself lies in the weapon he’s asking to use.”

“Which would be…?”

Athena looked around the room, yet everyone looked at her with anticipation. She sighed and stood up.

“Come with me, it’s in the warehouse.”

In about five minutes everyone made their way to the workshop, inside the large building they traversed through the space they used to build engines and beyond there was a singular table in a separate room filled with tools and parts of a supposed firearm. Behind a stack of tall crates Athena removed a piece of orange tarp that covered a wide rectangular wooden locked box, from the outside it seemed just another container amidst the countless others but after asking for Hank and Henry to lift it up on the table she pulled a key from her pocket and opened it.

“Woah…”

Henry was the first to see since he was in front, after he stepped aside Leona managed to take a peek inside the box. Lying sideways on the container there was a rifle far bigger than any she had seen before, the barrel alone was almost her height, the bolt was the size of her arm and along the wooden stock it surpassed her, almost reaching Krieg’s chin.

“Since when did you have this?”

Leona asked curiously.

“I ordered the construction the day before we went to gather frostburnt silver.” Her hands clenched around the body of the massive weapon. “I wanted to help, I had to do something, but in the end the only feeling I had after creating this thing is regret.”

“Shouldn’t anyone be able to use it? I mean it is just simply a bigger version of the rifles we use isn’t it?”

Jill asked.

“Not quite. Unlike a normal rifle which is chambered with rounds made with gunpowder, this one instead uses frostburnt silver propellant in order to deliver the projectile to the target which requires magic to activate.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t Princess Leona be able to use it?”

Henry asked this time.

“If you input more magic than the bullet can handle it’ll result in an explosion.” Arthur explained. “I am the only one who used this kind of weapon extensively to know how much I should use.”

“I would ask if you could change the propellant from frostburnt silver to gunpowder but something tells me you’d have done it if it was that simple.”

Leona glanced back at Athena who disappointedly nodded.

“I didn’t have the time to test this weapon with normal propellant, if I were to do it now it would take at least a few hours. That is time we don’t have.”

She clenched her hands into tight fists.

“All the more reason to let me use it.” Arthur grabbed her hands. “Please sister, if not for them we would still be in that cave or worse.”

Everyone’s eyes were on the inventor who took a deep breath.

“I will allow it on one condition. You must be accompanied by someone else other than the frontliners, I won’t let you be anywhere near that monster.”

Henry gave Arthur a pat on the back.

“You did it lad.” The soldier then turned to Athena. “Worry not, we’ll make sure your brother comes back hale and sound.”

“But how much ammunition do you have?”

Hank stepped forward to ask.

“Just three bullets.”

Athena answered while reaching for a hemp bag inside the wooden box. From it she took out a massive round that was considerably larger than her hand, the shape wasn’t any different from a normal rifle bullet however from the base of the projectile up until halfway through the brass casing another material was used to make it.

“Is this, frostburnt silver?”

Leona asked as she noticed the faint blue glow since Athena held the ammo by the brass part.

“Yes. Inside we have silver powder with a special conductive primer that allows the user to channel mana through it. In theory, a skilled mage could fire this without a gun, however it not only be inaccurate but also dangerous should they make a mistake while pouring mana through it.”

“I see…”

“In any case…” She put the bullet inside the hemp sack again and then in the wooden box. She then turned to her brother. “Art, you are the only family I have left, promise me no matter what happens you will put yourself above anything else.” He nodded once and this time he seemed resolved. “Then… go, see that monster is killed for good.”

Leona had a small smile on her face which soon turned into a serious expression as she walked past everyone towards the exit.

‘I will save you Phoebe.’