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"I apologise for waking you this early, but I have an important announcement to make."
The Elgang gathered drowsily around Captain Penensio who stood a few metres from the doorway. He looked rather hurried as his chest ran up and down quite fast. Quickly straightening up, he grabbed his breath as fast as he could.
"Prince Seiker, member of the Seiker family who protect Hamel City, has summoned you to the cast-" started Penensio.
"Captain Penensio, are you in here?!" called out someone. A soldier rushed into the room with panic on his face. "There is trouble at the Hamel Entrance! Sir Helputt is attacking the city!"
"What?! Sir Helputt? Prince Seiker is…?!"
"Prince Seiker already went to the frontlines! We need reinforcement!"
Captain Penensio turned to the Elgang with a grim look on his face.
"I'll explain the situation later, but we must all hurry to the Entrance!"
"Right, let's go, guys!" said Elsword.
"I didn't think action would come this soon," chuckled Add. "Subtract and Apple are staying back, right? Then, it'll just be all of us here going!"
The front lines were a blazing battlefield with distant sounds of roaring. When the Elgang arrived, casualties had already taken place. Soldiers laid dead everywhere, overflowing the air with the smell of blood and metal. It mixed together in a revolting mixture of an ocean.
"How dare you all challenge the demons?! I will fucking kill you all, rip you all to pieces, blast you to smithereens!" roared a colossal figure in the midst of the battlefield.
"This is horrible…" commented Ara. "Already this much casualties from just one person? Who is this Helputt?"
"Father, please! Please, come to your senses! Father!" yelled out a long-haired girl. She carried a cannon in her hands and wore white armour like a sentinel. However, she was covered in many cuts and bruises. Her armour shattering under the many hits she received. She looked like she was on her last limb.
"P-prince Seiker! N-no!" shouted a dying soldier.
"Fuck, we have to hurry and save the girl. Whoever she is, she is no match for this guy!" said Raven, hurrying into the field.
"Right! We aren't going to let no one else get killed!" bellowed Elsword, running alongside Raven. "Aisha, can you perform a distraction?!"
"Oh, I can do more than that!" responded Aisha. She quickly teleported over to Helputt and encased him in a spell. "Binding Circle!"
Teleporting away, Elsword and Raven rushed towards Helputt.
"You think this can bind me? You fools!" Helputt let out a bellowing roar, "Iron Howl!"
A blue-coloured sound wave smashed into the two, paralysing them to their bones. They dropped uselessly onto the ground like dolls, not moving an inch.
"He broke from my binding?!" panicked Aisha. "But, how…!"
"Don't lose your cool, Aisha, goddamnit!" yelled Add. "Eve, can you do your Space Wrench?"
"Hmph, imbecile, who are you to command me?" said Eve. Nonetheless, she hurried up to Helputt and summoned her servant, Oberon. "Space Wrench!"
Oberon shot forth a x-shaped shockwave attack almost immediately on Helputt, pushing him back forcefully. Rena narrowed her eyes and took a step forward, arching back her bow.
"Crazy Shot!" She shot forth a maddening amount of energy, encasing Helputt in a furious cage of El energy.
"Rena, Ara!" called out Eve. The two nodded and hurried to carry Elsword and Raven back. They had already recovered enough to move.
"We need to grab the girl and run! We can't fight this guy the way we are right now!" ordered Elsword. The girl had already collapsed by then, but her hand was tightly gripped around her cannon.
"But, he'll go after Hamel!" said Ara.
"No…he doesn't plan that," started Raven. Helputt glared at all of them, but stopped. With a final shot at them, he started walking away.
"Space Distortion!" commanded Aisha, twisting space to create a distortion. It sucked in the projectile without difficulty.
"He didn't give off that much hostility, other than towards the girl," finished Raven. "We best get her to the infirmary, she seems very injured."
Captain Penensio led them all to the Hospital in the city. After taking the girl to a bed, Captain Penensio thanked them profusely.
"Thank you for saving the Prince," he said as he bowed.
"No worries, we just did as we were…wait, Prince?!" said Elsword. "But, isn't this a girl?"
The Prince was lying in a bed, unconscious. His wounds had been treated with bandages and such, his armour taken off and sent off to repairs. As of this moment, he was wearing hospital robes.
"Hm? No, this is Prince Seiker, protector of Hamel," corrected Penensio. "I can see how you would make that mistake, but he does give off a manly aura of some sort…"
"As I thought, what you say is true, Penensio," said Elesis. "Heh, as I remember, Captain. You have a very good judgement of people."
"As do you, Elesis."
"M-me? H-hmph! Of course, who do you think I am?"
"Elesis?"
"Nothing! Shouldn't we focus on the situation at hand? What was with the business with Sir Helputt? Why was he attacking Hamel? Isn't he also a Seiker? Sworn to protect Hamel with their own body and soul?"
Captain Penensio's eyes lowered a little, giving a look at the Prince.
"Yes, he was the first to lead the battle against the Demon Invasion, but after so much exposure from the Dark El…he lost his mind to the Demons. Since Prince Seiker heard of the news, he has never taken anything easy. He was raised to protect Hamel, so to find out that his own father will destroy Hamel…he couldn't take it and rushed into battle without a care. You see, he has always adored his father who had such a strong mentality, but alas, even Helputt the White Colossus has lost to the Demons. Sometimes, it makes me wonder if any of us are strong at all."
Elesis gritted her teeth and walked up to Penensio.
"We are strong, Captain. Sir Helputt stayed strong until the end, and we're no short of his courage. I understand the situation now and we are rather lucky he has spared us. The Demons have probably called him back…"
Elesis curled her hand into a fist.
"To think that the Demons are controlling such a proud and strong-willed man like a puppet! This is a disgrace to the Senace Kingdom itself!"
She punched the wall next to her, causing a dent.
"I won't let them soil Elrios any further! Anymore is…!"
"Calm down, Elesis," said Ara, looking concerned. "We just need to focus on what we can do now. We'll have to wait for Prince Seiker to recover."
Penensio turned to leave, "I'll fortify the city's defences. After losing so much men like that, we're rather vulnerable right now. We'll need to train more young men as well."
Elsword and Raven stood up from their seats.
"We'll come with you too, Captain! We'll help train the soldiers," volunteered Elsword.
"I'd like to join, as well," said Raven.
"Very well," replied Penensio with a smile. "First, I'd like to test you two, would that be alright?"
"That's certainly alright with me! Right, Raven?"
"Indeed, sounds interesting."
The three left the room, leaving the room to silence. Rena sat besides the Prince.
"Poor boy, to lose his father to the Demons like this," she muttered. "This tragedy needs to stop repeating."
"Demons have always had the foul nature of dragging people into their ranks," said Eun. "We'll all have to keep our determination together, or we'll end up like them."
"We won't…end up like that," said Aisha. "We can't. I hate these Demons so much. Do none of them understand the pain of fighting possessed loved ones? Especially what Prince Seiker went through, it must've been so hard to find out!"
"Hmph…that just meant this Helputt was weak, then. If he was so strong-willed, he would've stopped using such a retarded armour like that. It makes people susceptible to intense Dark El. Cheh, how stupid of him," said Add, folding his arms. Immediately afterwards, he was met with a hard shove to the ground. A light weight was pressed on top of him.
"Don't you mock father like that! You know nothing!"
"Prince Seiker!" Rena stood up hurriedly.
"Father was strong! He fought as hard as he could to hold back the Demons all by himself! He let all his comrades run back to safety and didn't…didn't even accept reinforcements! He has always protected his comrades! So don't you say anything…he's strong, he is strong!" yelled the Prince.
"If he was strong…then why didn't he accept those reinforcements? People like him depend on comrades, and comrades depend on people like him. A leader does not fight a battle without his men. So, if he refused all those reinforcements and let his comrades run with tails between his legs, doesn't that make him quite weak? Such a shitty leader."
"You…you…don't know anything…so…" the Prince fainted on top of him, not saying another word.
"And seriously, he's light as a feather. I wonder how such a girl-looking Prince like this can wear a heavy armour like that? Sheesh, he even smells like a girl."
"I would suggest you stop smelling him, you idiot. Are you, perhaps, attracted to him?" said Eve, looking displeased and slightly jealous.
"Wha…! No! Heck, no!" Add gently pushed the Prince off of him. Rena hurried to carry the Prince back into the bed.
"Jeez, Prince Seiker did you in before I could," sighed Elesis. "I'm going to check up on Subtract and Apple back at the inn before I lose my composure. But…Add…"
She stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder, "You've grown quite a bit, still."
Exiting the room, she left the room to a short-lived silence.
"Add, you have a tendency to tick off people, you know that?" said Rena.
"Keh, you mean I have a tendency to tell the truth. In that case, it's for the best and worse."
"Anyways, how long do you tend to lie on the ground? Do you like getting dirt all over your clothes, or something?" said Eve, narrowing her eyes.
"What? Do you want to lie down here with me?" teased Add.
Eve's cheeks slightly reddened as she looked away, "N-no, you fool. Do you want me to slap you?"
"I'll pass."
A bandage laid fallen on the ground surrounded by splatters of blood. It was starting to dry on the ground, creating a sticky layer of blood. Someone laid unconscious on the bed with his newly attached arm beside him. The room was rather plain, making the blood stand out more than it should. It created a ghastly contrast due to the amount of blood soaking into the ground.
Apple sat beside him with a worried look on her face. During the operation, she heard cries of agony that she had never heard before. It was terrifying to her and reminded her of the war decades of years ago. The War of the Demise, it was called. When almost every races waged war against each other to gain the ultimate power. Now, that war was starting anew. Nasods were out of the count, long distinguished of their power to fight.
It lay to the Demon and Humans to fight each other, clashing until one comes out a winner. To be honest, she wasn't sure if the Humans would win to begin with. They may have taken back several territories, but the Demons were planning something dangerously ominous. It was said that the Demons were gathering all the Priestesses and rallying up on the Fluone Continent, planning something akin to the world's domination and destruction.
She would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. The Elgang were just a small group of fighters, but they weren't an army. What if we are overwhelmed? They couldn't possibly solve anything and everything Elrios has to offer. The only thing we can do… The only thing the Elgang could do... Is to fight until our last breath. To Apple, that was a scary aspect.
A rattling knock bore itself on the door, making Apple turn around.
"Yes, who is it?" she asked. Apple just remembered the puddle of blood on the ground when the door opened.
"Yo, how's Subtract doing?" It was Elesis. Her own claymore laid straight on her back as she came in smiling. "Elgang had to go out and fight. Seems like the Prince Seiker wanted to see us, but he was busy fighting…his father."
"Huh? His father? What exactly went on?"
"His Father, the White Colossus of Hamel, was taken over by the Demons. His armour absorbed too much Dark El. He attacked Hamel as of a result and nearly killed his own son. We managed to save him, so he's in the hospital resting up."
"That's horrible, indeed. At least, he's safe."
Elesis frowned slightly, noticing that there was no hint of caring in Apple's voice. She waved the thought away and pointed to the puddle of blood, "Want me to help you clean this up?"
"Ah, yeah, sure. Forgot about cleaning it."
"So, did Subtract faint? It must've been a horrendous operation—I mean, implanting metal into your already wounded stump of an arm…gives me shivers for sure," said Elesis.
"Yeah…" muttered Apple. She unconsciously held Subtract's hand and fiddled around with it.
"Hmm…Apple, are you and Subtract possibly lovers?" asked Elesis.
Apple widened her eyes and immediately let go of Subtract's hand. Her face reddened immensely as she stuttered, "N-no, what are you t-talking about? We aren't l-l-lovers…I mean…we're just f-friends, right?"
Elesis narrowed her eyes mischieviously.
"Hoh? Really, now? After holding his hand like that and almost divebombing him back at the shore…" said Elesis, stretching out the end. "I couldn't possibly be sure you two aren't already…"
"Already what?" The two turned the heads to the bed to see Subtract awake and sitting up. "Jeez, you two are loud. Couldn't even get a peaceful rest."
"Sorry, sorry, Subtract. Apple and I were just talking about y…" started Elesis. Apple quickly covered Elesis' mouth in a heavy, whacking motion.
"We were just talking about what happened at the entrance, weren't we, Elesis?" Apple looked at Elesis with a smile, but her eyes were definitely not smiling. Elesis could detect the amount of aminosity under that smile and nodded hurriedly.
"Hmmm? Ah well, no matter. So what went on while I was out?"
"And I'm imagining our dear leader, Elsword, will recruit him," said Subtract sarcastically. "First is a Queen, a princess, and now a prince. We're now a group of royalty."
The three were walking outside, talking amongst themselves. People were walking around rather cautiously with their heads down and hands to themselves. They were scared and smelled like fear. The town had an aura of a ghost town haunting its white streets and buildings; a serene town drowning in insecurity.
"Well, the more members we can gather, the better, right?" said Apple. "I mean, there's just eleven of us so far."
Subtract glanced at Apple. So she's been insecure about our numbers as well, huh? He felt the same, of course, because he never believed in the silly idea that fighting alone solves everything. He may have used to have thought that way, but thanks to that, the number of deaths he experienced were numerous.
In Henir, Glaive had trained Subtract by putting him into each and every region's secret dungeons without any weapons. The young child could only rely on his early prototypes of Operators to survive. Subtract had tasted the pain of immortality, of dying repeatedly at the hands of Demons and monsters. Death by being blasted to smithereens, torn limb from limb, pierced by spears, burnt to a crisp, combusting to nothingness, dying by poisonous spores, electrified, impalement, engulfed in elements, and loss of blood. Every time he died were times he heard hysterical laughter mocking him into merciless darkness.
That was the only way Subtract learned to fight.
Of course, this was something he'd never tell anyone. That horrible experience was at least something he'd keep to himself. Subtract may be reckless, but dying was not an option for him to take. Because…whether it was an instant, or a moment…it hurt, it fucking hurt.
Sighing to himself, he tried to forget for now. Focusing on the past would do him no favours here. In order to keep moving on, even without purpose, the only way to survive was to keep on going forward. Even if his own past was never far behind.
"Subtract?" Apple was looking at him with a puzzled look. "What's wrong? Your face looks a bit pained."
"Nothing much," he replied as if tired of it all. As if apathy ever scared away the pain, it had only made it appear more monstrous than the last. A hungry beast that manifested itself as a cluster of past was not just something one could escape from. It was the harsh reality, in which the present builds their actions upon. It always lurked in the corners of Subtract's eyes, solidified and waiting to jump. "Just thinking."
"Huh…well, we've arrived, I think."
In front of them was a white building with numerous crystal clear windows. Atop the door was a red cross, standing out.
"Geh, so obvious."
The hospital was filled with the smell of antiseptic and medicine, unnerving Subtract. He didn't like the smell since it reminded him too much of the laboratory he used to live in. The small windows of each door showcased patients in suffering from wounds. From several opened doors, moaning and groaning could be heard, but at least, it was nothing compared to the continuous screams Subtract was used to.
Trying to ignore them, he quickened his pace behind the two who were discussing about the prince. His room was close in the room 120, which they arrived in shortly. The prince was already awake, slightly embarrassed as he was talking to both Rena and Ara. Add and Eve were bickering in the corner. Subtract could easily spot the slight blushes the two held and felt satisfied. So I was right. They had all gathered around the prince when he said he would speak with all of them.
"My name is Chung Seiker, heir to the Seiker line of the guardians that protect Hamel. Please allow me to join you all so that I can grow stronger enough to bring my father back to normal! And if you would be so kind, help me protect Hamel as well from the Demon Invasion. We, the Seiker Family, will forever be in your debt."
A/N: And that's the end of the chapter~! If ya like this fanfiction so far, please follow/favourite/review/share~!
Man, I got to get used to writing longer chapters...who knows, the word count might increase a couple thousand more depending on how much time I have (and I don't have a lot XD).
Replying to the reviews:
Simon Hinori: Ikr and yeeeeeeeeeeeep :D
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Nagiiisa-san: Yes, yes, indeed XD
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