"That was..." Kallen spoke up first, waking up from the trance that their entire group had been put under.

"Wow." Natasha finished up the sentence for Kallen, having noticed that the girl was at a loss for words.

Kallen looks at Natasha right after. To only say 'wow' would be the understatement of the century. But quite frankly, Kallen sees no better word to describe the concert that just ended. Kallen is proud to present herself as a classical music enjoyer. Yet, Kallen was blown away by the beats and notes the concert introduced into the world. Each part of the lyrics held a vivid meaning, painted by the accompanying instruments and delivered by heavenly voices. And let's mention the opening acts, just that alone had caused Kallen and even Natasha to descend into a stupor.

Turning around, Kallen can see the entrance of a clinic that is attached to the concert venue. It's there that she can see the sight of patients, who used to be afflicted with injuries and sickness, now up and about running in glee. Honestly, it's a surreal sight, even if Kallen has witnessed it firsthand.

"... And this duo performs miracles like this on a regular basis." Kallen suddenly said.

"Unbelievable, right?" Kallen nods at Natasha's words.

They're currently just there, milling about in the afterglow of the concert, watching the people leaving with bright smiles and introspective looks. Right now, the pair of Crusaders is waiting for their escorts to return. Apparently, someone requested their presence and from the look of it, they outranked the Witches by a lot. It will be ten minutes later that the Witches return, but they're not alone.

"Sorry for the wait, Kallen, Natasha." Sergeant Langley greeted them. "I brought company for our outing."

Kallen and Natasha turn to see the unexpected guest, their eyes opening wide when they see her. Seeing their reaction, the newcomer sports a smirk while placing a finger in front of their lips in a shushing gesture. Langley is the one to introduce them. "Kallen, Natasha, please meet Miss Pink Elf, Elysia."

Natasha can only nod, dumbfounded while Kallen shakes her head before saying. "It's an honor, Miss Elysia. But how...?"

Elysia chuckles, winking. "How can a girl as cute as me not attracting any attention? Well, a little bit of magic goes a long way to help."

Langley further elaborates. "Miss Elysia is using a variant of the notice-me-not spell, only people who have some degree in magic can see her true form. From the outsider's perspective, she is just another escort like Katia and I."

"Albeit a pretty one." Elysia smiled before saying. "I am here because truthfully, I am curious about the strongest Crusaders around. My dearest keeps talking about how wonderful it would be if she could employ you under her wings. It would have been a pleasurable cooperation if nothing else. After all, the Saint's integrity and justice have spread far and wide."

Kallen returns a humble smile of her own. "Surely you exaggerated my accomplishment, Miss Elysia. I wouldn't have been able to uphold my values if it weren't for my sisters' help. Not to mention what I have achieved so far pale in comparison to what you and Miss Eden manage to do in one concert."

Elysia tilts her head, letting Kallen and Natasha take a look at her pointed ears. "Kind and modest. It seems the words about you have credence, after all." The High Elf then smiles. "How about we all go and grab some coffee and get to know each other, my treats, of course."

Hearing the suggestion, Kallen and Natasha share a look before agreeing. "That sounds lovely. We too are curious about your tale."

"Oh my, calling it tale means equating me with something grand. If it were up to me, I would rather call it... Journey." Elysia replied with a finger under her chin. "Now then, does anybody know a good place to sit down?"

------------------------------------------------------------

"Umu... This is lovely." Elysia commented after she tasted the coffee cake prepared by the shop they found. They have been chatting for the past half an hour and getting to know each other. Thanks to Elysia's extrovert personality, the group mellows quickly to be on a first-name basis. "I reckon that Yuki would have loved to try this."

"Yuki?" Natasha asked, having drunk her cup of hot cocoa with two hands.

Elysia giggles, laying it out directly. "My lover."

Kallen coughs when she's about to take a bite from her own cake. "Lover? From the sound of it, it's a girl's name, ain't it?" She asked with genuine curiosity.

Elysia nods. "Yup." She popped the 'p'. "Best decision of my life. She is also their boss of bosses." Elysia then pointed at Langley and Katia who nodded at the Crusaders.

Hearing the honesty in Elysia's answer, Kallen and Natasha share a not-so-subtle look. It ends with Kallen blushing and Natasha giving out a smirk. Elysia, noticing their action, smirks. "Hoho, my sense as a romantic elf is tingling."

Though her jesting atmosphere suddenly fades away, her aura changes instantly even though the smirk is still present on her face. "But unfortunately, this won't be a good time to expand my curiosity about your relationship. We have unexpected guests. Langley, Katia, make sure the civilians evacuate."

"Yes, ma'am." Langley and Katia stand up, no questions asked, addressing the shopgoers and escorting them out of the premises. "Alright people, on behalf of the Spanish Inquisition and Shadow Company, I must ask you all to vacate the area. Military business, unfortunately, and you can head to the nearest Shadow Company office to ask for remuneration later."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

At first, Kallen and Natasha are puzzled by their action. But then their experience trumps their befuddlement. Trouble is approaching indeed.

Very soon, the entire street is cleared of civies with houses starting to lock doors, setting up an arena for what's about to come. Momentarily, four pairs of footsteps soon approach the coffee shop. Elysia, Kallen, and Natasha can hear the echoes getting closer and closer through the emptied streets. Soon enough, a group of females, dressed in the same field attire that the Crusaders like to wear, round the corner, and come into view.

Elysia smiles, jesting. "Friends of yours?"

Kallen and Natasha shake their heads, with the former saying. "No. They're new faces." Natasha herself reaches for her guns that are tucked beneath her coat.

The group of eight stopped fifty meters away from the coffee shop. Each of them wears a veil that covers their face. The presumed leader of the group steps forth one step, shouting. "Kallen Kaslana! Acting under the order of the Lady, you're to step outside and be ready for transfer back to Sardegna for processing! Your time of acting against the will of the Lord is over! Step outside, with your hands raised!"

Both Kallen and Natasha frown. This development is a bit sudden ain't it? But it was not unexpected. Sardegna would have to deal with the rogue faction that Kallen is in charge of, they just didn't think it would happen tonight of all days. And right in the heart of the Coalition at that. It would seem that they utilized some underhand means to get this far in for Kallen.

Surprisingly, Elysia just chuckles. She then winks at Kallen and Natasha. "Allow me to handle this."

Kallen refuses instantly. "No, this is not your fight to take."

Elysia just smiles. "Please, allow me." She reiterated. "I would have been a bad host if I let my guest be taken away right under my nose."

Without letting Kallen or Natasha react, Elysia stands up and heads outside the shop. The bell installed on the door chimes when she pushes it open. Elysia walks out, her head held high, and the only thing others can hear right now is the sound of her heels. Stopping just shy of thirty meters away from the unknown Crusaders, Elysia scans them with a perpetual smile while crossing her arms under her chest. The first thing Elysia says is. "The veils are a bit much, ain't it? From your forms, I reckon your beauties would be top-notch. It's a shame that you have to cover it up."

The leader responds with this. "So you're Elysia, the elf that spreads heretical teachings to the children of God." She spoke it in a grave tone.

Elysia mocks hurt. "Aww, you wound me. Through music, I spread hope, joy, and salvation for all. I seek not to corrupt them."

The leader snarls at the justification. "Said the Hellspawn!"

Elysia just wiggles her finger at the harsh wording. "Oh no, I am most certainly not a Hellspawn. Trust me, a Hellspawn looks less fabulous than me."

"Those that deviate from God's given form are Hellspawn!"

"So you don't think my ears are cute?"

"No, they're not! They're the things of Demons!" Shouted the leader, her anger rising at Elysia's nonchalant attitude. "For you to appear before us today is God's will. And he wants us to exorcise you once and for all from the face of the Earth! You, and that traitor Kallen, will face judgment. Once we're done with you two, the world will thank us all for delivering them from your tainted corruption!"

Elysia just snickers. "Tainted and corruption sound weird when you put them together."

Seeing that Elysia ignores the threat they're posing, the leader rages. "Enough of your antics!" She then pulls out her magic pistols, prompting the other seven Crusaders to do the same. Without further words, they fire.

A barrage of multiple spell projectiles hit the seemingly unprepared Elysia, engulfing her in a cloud of explosions. This shocks Kallen into almost rushing out if it weren't for Natasha holding her back. "Wait! Kallen, look!"

Instead of seeing the gruesome sight of Elysia being blasted backward, however, what they manage to catch a glimpse of is Elysia's form, still standing tall with her skirt fluttering from the wind. In front of Elysia stands a pink barrier made of hexagonal pieces, it's due to this barrier that the spells just bounce harmlessly on it without harming the elf in any way. They then watch, dumbfounded, when the onslaught stops and the barrier fades away, thus revealing Elysia's untainted appearance for all to see. And the first thing the High Elf does after the bombardment is to swipe away a speck of dust on her left shoulder. "That was a nice light show." Elysia commented, totally unconcerned.

The Crusaders that launched the attack are stunned. It's only after a dozen seconds that their leader stutters out. "H-How did you...?"

Elysia just shrugs. "Eh, I've dealt with worse. Trust me when I say that being blown in half isn't a great experience."

"What?"

Elysia smiles. "Part of my training. But we aren't here to talk about that, aren't we? Now, what would Yuki want me to say again? Oh, right... My turn!"

Elysia claps her hands together after the exclamation, and from it, an invisible pulse of mana flows across the area. Soon after, a circular dome of pink energy descends on them, blocking out the street they're on and a portion of the coffee shop from internal exfiltration and external interference. The hostile Crusaders are shocked due to the sudden change of the field, looking around and scanning the energy dome. Utilizing the split-second chance, Elysia conjures up her prized weapon, her bow, Sonnet. A weapon gifted to her by Yuki who has gone through the trouble of designing and crafting it with the brainiac trios with materials donated by Yggdra and the Belkan Empresses.

The sudden flurry of Elysia's bow attracts the attention of the Crusader leader, who promptly wakes up from her stupor and orders. "Spread out! Formation C!"

"Too late!" Elysia said with a smile, already knocking an energy arrow with a, you guessed it, pink motif. Before the Crusaders can disperse fully, the arrow is released, turning into a beam that, surprisingly, flies past any of the Crusaders.

"Hah, you missed!" One of the Crusaders mocked Elysia, raising her weapon at the elf.

"Did I?" Elysia asked while smirking.

Before the Crusaders can react, the beam hits the dome before being supercharged and bouncing back inward while splitting into four other rays. These rays then strike four Crusaders in the back, effectively hitting them with the equivalent of a boosted Taser. They are then promptly placed under induced comas till everything is settled. The loss of half of her team surprised the Crusader leader. This means that just for a moment, her attention is not placed on Elysia. "What!?"

Capitalizing on the opportunity, Elysia rushes forth, covering the distance of thirty meters in the blink of an eye. By the time, the remaining Crusaders lay their eyes on her pristine pink visage, Elysia has already prepped another surprise for them. Flashbang.

With an outstretched hand, Elysia casts a military specification stun spell that gives out directional bright light and ear-deafening noise.

*BANG* BANG* BANG*

The spell is activated three times, blasting the battle area with enough sensory overload that places immense strain on the enhanced and untrained senses of these Crusaders. Just that spell alone has brought the remaining foes to their knees, struggling to maintain their balance. Elysia, with a twirl of her form and bow, promptly gives these incapacitated enemies a good smacking. Effectively putting them down, out cold with major bumps on their heads. To be on the safe side, Elysia also cast silencing spells and binding spells on their collapsed bodies. Once she is done with everything, Elysia marvels at her handiworks, eight glowing pink cocoons.

"Yikes, those are bruised egos if there are any left when they wake up." With the coast cleared Natasha said as she appeared from the shop with Kallen. The former then gives Elysia a one-over. "Jeez, you just mop them up without breaking a sweat. Given their gears, all of them are A-rankers you know?"

Elysia just chuckles while turning her bow into pink particles. "I have had worse." She then snaps her fingers, dispelling the dome surrounding the impromptu arena.

Slowly, the dome collapses like kaleidoscope pieces falling. Seeing the spectacle, Kallen says. "For what it's worth, I am sorry, Elysia."

Elysia nods, not minding the mild inconvenience. "Don't be, I will treat this as a night workout with how little I am troubled by it."

Once the dome is fully dissipated, the trio comes to see an entire company of Coalition infantry surrounding the area. Elysia scans the area before giving one last look at the cocoons she made. "Well, now what?"

"You never thought this far?" Natasha couldn't stop herself from asking.

Elysia shrugs nonchalantly at the question. "Yup! Jokes aside, what I have in mind won't hold a candle to what Yuki can think up on a whim once we notify her of this development."

"So, let me just give the Reich Marshal a call." Elysia clapped her hands together, eager to tell Yuki of her adventure.